<p>I was accepted to Syracuse University and they are giving me a near-full ride ($3k a year out of pocket), I am almost certain I won't get this anywhere else, BUT...</p>
<p>They expect me to do their summer program for 6 weeks if I want the money [the entire cost of the summer program is covered by the uni]. As my graduation present my aunt is taking me to Alaska to visit my uncle for 2 weeks, and then to canada to visit our expanded family. I have never been to AK and never met most of my family, so this is an experience I would absolutely hate to miss. </p>
<p>What should I do?! I know some people will say college is more important, but I want to know my family before they're all dead (most are old). Advice please?</p>
<p>Cant - the program begins July 7th (I graduate June 23rd and the senior 'gala' (yeah my school is preppy) is the 28th), and ends August 13th. I would have to be back on campus at the end of August to move in and everything</p>
<p>So you have from June 24 to July 7th...the GALA could be missed, if your family is important. You could do both sets of family this way. Its the Gala that is in the way, not the college program. Wouldn't it be better to do Alaska one week and Canada the next? But if the Gala is more important, then you have made your choice. </p>
<p>ps- If I had a relative that visited me instead of taking care of their education, I would be ticked off. But then I am just a mom.</p>
<p>pps- its not that big of a decision, rework the trips and skip the Gala.</p>
<p>a) spend weeks upon weeks looking for a lender who will even give me loans ($40k over 4 years) at an interest rate that wont rape me for the rest of my life, and find a cosigner (my parents are in debt up to their eyeballs so if they cosign (slim chance itll even be accepted) ill have 50% interest</p>
<p>b) dont go - i was looking at spending a year or two with the amish in PA :)</p>
<p>c) dont go - start another business and/or self-employed internet stuff (web design, programming, system administration, troubleshooting, etc)</p>
<p>d) continue to work at fast food joint until I retire, at which point I will have to take a second job when my entire retirement fund is lost to inflation because it will have grown at an even slower rate</p>
<p>e) pimp/drug dealer. Hey, they make good money, and even if youre caught, you still get three hot meals and a bed :)</p>
<p>So what's your question? Do you have a choice if you want to go to college? Would one visit this summer really be worth all those loans? Borrow a couple of thousand and go Christmas!</p>
<p>Can you ask your aunt to delay the "gift trip" until next summer? You don't want to lose your college opportunity, and Alaska and Canada will be more enjoyable when you aren't pressed for time.</p>
<p>I think the alaska trip is already paid for, and when I go to canada itll be with my aunts and uncles - which wont happen if i go next year</p>
<p>WHY! Why do they have to put all these strings on the money! I dont need to spend my summer sitting in a classroom. It'd only be for some stupid math and writing classes anyway!</p>
<p>well, you have your choices. as an adult now, you need to make adult decisions. Mature ones. And, if sitting in the class all summer is too much, then you need to really think. THey money is a gift with conditions. A few weeks of your life to prepare you for college is not too much to ask. The Alaska trip dates can be changed. It is done all the time. And, if you were my relative and you gave up potentially a college education for a family reunion, I would be really sad and disappointed that you did that for my sake. While we are all "bonding" I would be thinking out what you gave up to see us. And would feel really guilty and not enjoy it. Seriouslly. It seems college isn't as important to you as you claim it to be. Your family will understand.</p>
<p>College isn't important to me at all - given the choice I wouldn't even go. However, the options are this - flip burgers the rest of my life, or work my ass off for the next 20 years to make a nice middle-class living without a college degree.</p>
<p>On the other hand, I don't feel that I should have to give up this rare opportunity to meet my family (most are really old and about to kick the bucket) just for money. It seems shallow to me that I should have to give that up just for money - and what's more, that as an adult, I be required to do anything I don't want to do (yeah I know, thats life, yada yada, but paying taxes is a bit different from this situation)</p>
<p>I only came here to ask for opinions [despite arguing with every single one of them (I do take all into consideration)] and know the choice is mine alone to make, but it seems to me that there is no way to get my vacation (which I think is well earned after all the work I've had to do this year (not to mention what's to come) plus not having a vacation last summer since I spent it in a university classroom).</p>
<p>Uhh...you would be REALLY dumb to turn down such a good deal from a school like Syracuse, but that's your choice. I don't know why you are asking us? Of course we are going to tell you that you should go to college! If you can't go to Alaska because of college, then that's perfectly understandable. </p>
<p>It sounds like you have thought through the situation more than we have. </p>
<p>I find it hard to believe that you consider "working your ass off for 20 years" more desirable than 4 years of college(going away from home, little responsibility, etc.).</p>
<p>UMMM its not shallow,, that is a copout answer...families want their members to have chances in life and do better than they did...to me you are sounding a bit immature for college. Maybe taking a break is better for you anyway. You don't want our advice, you want us to say, hey, skip college and go on a trip. Give the spot at the college for someone who will really appreciate it and take advantage of the chance they have been given. I have a feeling that even if you went to the summer program you wouldn't get much out of it because you would be so resentful for "having" to be there.</p>
<p>College isn't for everyone, and obviously, for you right now, its not what you want.</p>
<p>Is going to Alaska worth $120,000 or more to you? Because that is exactly how much it will cost you to go to Alaska this summer. You will be giving up over $120,000 when you pass up the Syracuse scholarship. Actually, probably even more because it sounds like if you don't take the Syracuse scholarship you may not go to college so we need to add in potential lifetime earnings here. I think the latest numbers I've seen say that college grads earn about $500,000 or more over their lifetimes than non-college grads.
So, hmmm, that trip to Alaska this summer could potentially cost you over $600,000.</p>
<p>Seems like there are much cheaper ways to travel. :)</p>
<p>Take lots of pictures if you go. Perhaps they'll help ease the pain when you're faced with paying off those huge college loans in a few years --- or make you a bit happier about getting up in the morning to flip burgers at McDonald's because you didn't go to college.</p>
<p>Bottomline: you have a choice between instant gratification or throwing away over $600,000 in potential benefits.</p>
<p>Good luck with that choice.
(PS - As much as you want to make it so, going to Alaska this summer is NOT a once in a life time opportunity. The circumstances may be different if you go later, but you can ALWAYS go to Alaska. I doubt there are going to be many folks tapping you on the shoulder offering you $120,000 (or more) in your life time.)</p>
<p>It seems clear you are not ready to go to college. You would be going with a bad attitude. Why don't you see if you can defer your acceptance for a year? Then you really should flip burgers or do whatever job you can find. After a year of that you will most probably have a way different view of college.</p>