<p>Hello! I was fortunate to get into both schools, but I’m torn between the two. For a long time, Georgetown was my dream school, but I gave it up because I thought I had no hope of getting in, and turned my focus to American. I really love DC and will pursue internships and the sort. </p>
<p>Gtown is the superior school - its SFS is world-renowned, the university itself is higher ranked and better regarded, its professors are higher ranked, the name appeal, it’s a smaller university, to name a few. However, I am concerned about a cutthroat atmosphere at SFS, I have doubts about being “smart” enough to succeed, and the price. </p>
<p>Gtown would cost $70,000 per year, as I do not qualify for financial aid. This includes tuition, room and board, flights, books, cold weather clothes (coming from Hawaii) and the like. I received a $15,000 merit scholarship from American, so the yearly cost is $46,000. </p>
<p>My parents are generally vague, and they have not given me a definite answer about affordability - some days they’re sure we can afford Gtown, other days we can’t. </p>
<p>Do I pay the full price for Georgetown and give up a merit scholarship? Or do I go to American, which is not as “impressive” and renowned, but is more affordable? </p>
Your parents owe you a definitive answer–today. But if they truly can’t consistently determine what they can afford (which sounds ridiculous), it seems to me you have to choose the cheaper option. Your worst result would be to have to leave Georgetown for lack of funds, at which point you would be a transfer student with far worse financial options. American’s undergraduate IR program is ranked tenth in the nation by Foreign Policy magazine. I wouldn’t be too regretful about attending.</p>
<p>And if grad school is a possibility, the lower tuition of AU will definitely help. But as MommaJ says, your parents need to sit down with you and look at the facts.</p>
<p>Your situation reminds me of a scene from Good Will Hunting (totally not in reference to you):</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Except, in this case it would be 280 grand…</p>
<p>Seriously, the above comments are right, but if your parents are going in between that kind of already says it all. Nobody can contest the fact that expenses in college go far beyond just paying tuition year by year… So, I guess you have to make the financially viable decision…</p>