I haven’t really heard from BU yet, but I want to anticipate how to feel and react once I get my admissions decision.
Clark is the best school I’ve gotten into so far. Its COA is about the most my family can afford without debt because I got a scholarship (the COA is a little more than 40k). I like the school, but I’m kind of more excited for BU. However, I’m sure I won’t get any scholarships if I get into BU since I’m an international student and applied after the deadline for scholarships. So unless there’s a miracle and they really want me and give me a scholarship, I’ll have to pay the full cost. The COA for BU would be 68k. My family would have to take approximately 28k/year in loans, more than 110k overall. They’re willing to if that’s what I really want. But I’m not sure.
Would it be worth it to go to BU if I don’t get any scholarships? I applied to CGS, which is the least competitive program. It won’t allow me to double-major and finish in 4 years (and I’m definitely not going to be able to afford a 5th year!!!). But being in the city would be a dream for me and the name recognition worldwide is definitely superior to Clark’s. Are these things worth the extra 100k?
As for Clark, I think I’d be happy with the academics and the environment. I’m not really excited about Worcester though, it looks like a really boring town. But maybe I’ll just have to give up on living in a great place. Boston is like an hour away, so I could visit often but not really live there unless I want to do a huge commute. I could study in an exciting city abroad for a year though.
What do you think? Is 110k in loans crazy when I could go to Clark and leave debt-free?
Thank you!
In my opinion, no. Clark at $40K is a much better deal than BU at $68K. In some fields (such as psychology), Clark may be a better deal even at the same price. Clark will give you smaller classes and more personal attention. Its biggest disadvantage is its location. Would you pay an extra $100K for location? Worcester is too far from Boston to commute, but not so far that you couldn’t get in to enjoy the city fairly often.
100k is loans is absolutely ridiculous, in my opinion. I wouldn’t take 100k in loans to go to Harvard, let alone BU. Think of what 100k buys you…you’re halfway to a decent HOUSE in Worcester. Unless you’re the top 1% of the top% financially, 100k is just outrageous.
Clark…not in the best neighborhood, but Worcester isn’t as bad.as you’d think…there are a lot of other colleges there. I think its the clear choice given the price.
Definitely would not go so heavily into debt to attend BU when Clark is a good and reasonably priced option. If you go to Clark you can always look into taking a semester at another school in a major US city to get that experience.
For some strange reason, BU seems to enjoy a better reputation abroad than it does in the US. Heck if I know why.
But in the US, I’d say most people would put BU and Clark on the same tier. They certainly wouldn’t equate BU with the Ivies, Ivy-equivalents or even near-Ivies, and there’s really nothing at BU like NYU’s Stern or Tisch that would really impress people.
As you can probably tell, I think that taking out 100K+ in loans for BU is crazy.
I would disagree that BU and ClarkU are in the same league. In our circle, BU is clearly more “elite” for loss of another word. Acceptance rates are double at Clark, I think its 30% at BU, 60% at Clark? That being said, D applied at Clark so I’m not picking on them lol. I agree that loans in that amount for BU are crazy, but I think loans in that amount for any school are crazy. The campuses are very different, neither being a highpoint for either school ~ Clark being in Worcester and BU being so spread out. A good education either choose. And the Clark “fifth year Masters free” program is hard to beat.
The only reason why BU is elite, is geography. Any college with a large American city attached to it will have some measure of prestige attached to it.
Case in point - Boston University, University of Miami and NYU. Only 25 years ago all three were safety schools.
Yes. Among suburban parents, BU is “elite”. In academic circles, Clark is elite.
BU is outrageously priced. Huge classes. No campus.
I think I’d prefer U Mass Amherst, SUNY Stony Brook or OSU.
Choose Clark. They are wildly generous and well thought of globally.
Both are excellent, but neither one is even within sight of elite.
To be elite, a college would need middle half SAT range 1350 to 1570 (math and reading), and ACT 31 to 34.
BU middle half SAT scores are 1180 to 1390, ACT 26 to 30
Clark is 1110 to 1320 for SAT, and also like BU has ACT of 26 to 30 .
BU is slightly better, but both are in the same league. I would pay maybe, at most, $6000 more per year to attend BU.
BU is “famous” because it is attached to a large city. That’s it. A huge draw for international students and first generation attendees.
Since Clark, is test optional, the score that you posted are meaningless. Most of the better, progressive and elite colleges and universities are test optional. That’s the trend.
It does not surprise me that BU, NYU and colleges that use a large and vibrant city to attract unknowing students to huge lecture halls do not employ a holistic criteria for admissions.
Sorry, BU is a great place to waste $70,000 - while your teenager gets lost in the shuffle. If you want that type of education, check out your flagship State U.
No college in the world is worth taking out $100K in loans. Clark clearly wants you and is known for providing a strong undergraduate experience. After you graduate, you’ll have far more job and living options to relocate to a more desirable city if you’re not in huge debt. Worcester is also home to Holy Cross and WPI, with easy highway/bus access to Boston and other cities.
I agree with PiccoloMom1995 on this: NO college is worth taking 110K in loans. Certainly not BU. BU and Clark are roughly in the same “grouping” of colleges. They both have pluses and minuses, but one is not vastly superior to the other and spending that much on BU would be wasting money.
I wouldn’t say BU is elite. It’s just the name. Same goes for BC. It’s because of the Boston attached to the front. 100K in loans is not worth it for any school when you have a decent offer now where you can receive a solid education. Don’t worry about prestige. It doesn’t matter if it impresses your friends and family at barbecues because they are not paying that 100K.
That is exactly my thought. The name of a large city, in this case Boston, seems to impress classmates and some parents.
It does not impress me.
I have known several - not one - student, drop out of BU because it’s impersonal, large and lacking a campus.
I never knew they were so expensive. If that kind of education - large lecture halls, and distant professors is appealing to you, try your flagship state university. And save your money.
Actually most “test optional” universities still ask for test scores after the student is admitted without those scores. That way they can track the data, and compare themselves to other schools. In other words, test scores are not necessary for admission, but typically are required for enrolling. Thus the data is still good.
Really? My daughter applied to twelve colleges and small universities all ranked “highly” and “most” competitive. Not one asked for her scores. So, you are WRONG.
They would only ask for her scores after she agreed to enroll. In other words, only one school would have asked. Which college did she enroll at?
The policy which I described is well illustrated at one of the best liberal arts colleges in the country which does not require test scores, Bowdoin College: https://www.bowdoin.edu/admissions/apply/testing-policy.shtml
Notice final paragraph “Because standardized test results are used for academic counseling and placement as well as for the College’s ongoing research into the relationship between standardized testing and success at Bowdoin, all entering first-year students must submit scores over the summer prior to matriculating at Bowdoin.” Bowdoin has been test optional since 1969.
Plus, the majority of students do continue to submit SAT or ACT results. Statistically speaking, the sample size is large enough that the people who do not submit scores will not significantly alter the data.
You are still wrong. No one has asked. She actually applied and was accepted to a college that does not want anyone’s score. Test scores are becoming less important by many of the better colleges.
Her merit aid was far from anemic. And no scores. No requests.