<p>I live in AL and I plan on majoring in physics with a minor in mathematics.</p>
<p>Here is my dilemma:</p>
<p>Auburn:
PRO: Full ride
CON: Ranked #122 in physics and #104 in math.</p>
<p>Alabama:
PRO: Full ride
CON: Ranked #113 in physics and not ranked in math.</p>
<p>GA Tech:
PRO: Ranked #30 in physics and #30 in math
CON: Financial Aid covers half of my COA, leaving me to pay $20K/yr.
My family can't afford to pay that $20K/yr, so I would most likely have to take out $80K in student loans; though I am trying to find some outside scholarships as well.</p>
<p>Which option is the best? Auburn and Alabama seem comparable, but GA Tech is so far ahead of these two schools in physics and math. Would going to GA Tech greatly increase my chances of making it into (and succeeding at) a prestigious graduate school? Is the $80K in debt really worth it? Also, if anyone thinks I should go to Auburn/Alabama rather than GA Tech, which school would be the better of the two?</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>$80k in student loans is too much. It would leave you struggling economically for at least the first ten years after you finish college. It also is very unlikely that you would be able to borrow that much. The only loans that you are guaranteed to be able to take out are the Stafford Loans. For anything else you would need to find a co-signer who qualifies. All too often students start down that path only to have the co-signer run out of credit after a year or two. Please don’t do that to yourself.</p>
<p>The difference in the rankings between #113 and #122 is probably no more than a fraction of a decimal point in the actual results of whatever formula the rankings are based on. Look up the courses offered in each of the departments at Auburn and Alabama, and see which of them you prefer. If you can, pay a visit to both campuses and chat up the professors in the departments that you are interested in. Ask them where their graduates end up.</p>
<p>People get into top grad schools every single year from Auburn and Alabama. You can too.</p>
<p>Wishing you all the best!</p>
<p>Go to Auburn! The people are a lot nicer!! :)</p>
<p>All of my cousin’s children (3) went to Ga. Tech. They encouraged my son to start out at Auburn in the Architecture program. We visited both and he decided on Auburn. He has been very happy there.</p>
<p>I say UA or AU. </p>
<p>Personally I like UA better, but both are free for you, and similar academically so pick whichever one you like better. </p>
<p>Both of them may not be ranked super high, but if you excel there you will be fine and will have the possibility of heading off to a great grad school. </p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>My older son will be graduating in Math from Bama in May. Bama has some EXCELLENT math profs. He has been accepted to ALL of the PhD programs that he’s applied to…and all with full tuition and large stipend assistantships.</p>
<p>Bama also has the more developed honors program…a big plus.</p>
<p>Bama has a very friendly campus. Plus, Tuscaloosa has a LOT more to do as well.</p>
<p>It sounds like you’re a NMF…that means honors Super Suites housing is included with your NMF scholarship at Bama. It is NOT INCLUDED with the NMF at Auburn…and Auburn will not let you stay in honors super suites housing for all 4 years because Auburn only has 298 honors super suites beds…while Bama has over 2500.</p>
<p>The debt at GT is not worth it. You will NOT be paid more after you graduate to justify that. That kind of debt will ruin your life. </p>
<p>Not only that, your parents would have to co-sign that kind of debt…which many parents WON’T do…and many parents won’t QUALIFY to do . Don’t make the mistake of having your parents co-sign for the first year and then they can’t qualify to co-sign during some later year.</p>
<p>If your parents will not co-sign that kind of debt (and they shouldn’t) then GT is off the table anyway.</p>