Alabama or UC Davis? Mech Eng

College Search & Selection
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<p>A prospective mechanical engineering major here,</p>

<p>As an international student (China, though I've already been in the US for a while now), I'll have to pay OOS tuition for UCD for the entire span of my undergrad. However, the scholarship I got from UCD brings down the cost to about 37k/yr. Under such circumstances, if I were to go to UCD, my parents would have to borrow about one third of the cost from their relatives/friends.</p>

<p>On the other hand, UA will leave me debt-free if I choose to go there. I received a full tuition scholarship from University of Alabama. So I'll only be paying for the bits and bobs, i.e. housing, meal plan etc. Moreover, I'll also be getting an additional stipend of $2,500 every year from the school of engineering at UA.</p>

<p>I plan to work a job and get settled here in the States after college. UC Davis seems to be more prestigious in ranking and it definitely has many advantages location-wise. Then again, graduating debt-free seems just as much tempting to me because I don't want to put a burden on my parents.</p>

<p>Right now my parents are leaving the decision-making to me. They are willing to borrow if necessary. </p>

<p>Please let me know what ya think!</p>

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<p>Your remaining costs at Bama would be quite low, right? maybe $15k per year tops (best dorms, etc).</p>

<p>You should go to the popular Bama forum here on CC. You’ll meet many eng’g students (or their parents) from all over the US on that forum.</p>

<p>[University</a> of Alabama - College Confidential](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-alabama/]University”>University of Alabama - College Confidential Forums)</p>

<p>if I were to go to UCD, my parents would have to borrow about one third of the cost from their relatives/friends.</p>

<p>Yikes. that’s a lot of debt. Plus, who knows if mid-way thru college, the well may dry up.</p>