Cheap Public or Expensive Top-Notch School?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>So, I was admitted to a handful of schools, one of them being Georgetown, my top choice. However, I got very bad financial aid, so much so that if I were to attend I would have to take out a crapload of student loans, possibly work part time sophomore through senior years, and my parents are still not sure if they could pay even then. Conversely, they want me to attend SUNY Geneseo, as they see it as the "only one they can afford." What they are willing to pay is half of our EFC, hence, leaving only Geneseo, the only state school I applied to. </p>

<p>I feel as though if it were between Geneseo and a comparable private school, such as, say, Tulane, I would feel okay with compromising in terms of money. However, since I want to go into politics, Georgetown is so far beyond Geneseo that it feels silly even pretending they are on equal footing -- in terms of location, academics, and just me having a productive college experience, which I personally would not have in a rural, small school.</p>

<p>Advice? Anyone been in this situation before and have insights?</p>

2

<p>Go to SUNY Geneseo. The debt is not worth it and you’re unsure if you can pay for Georgetown even if you chose to take on the debt. It’s the only college you can realistically afford.</p>

3

<p>Read this, and see if it fits your situation: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/905843-top-student-3rd-tier-school-four-years-later.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/905843-top-student-3rd-tier-school-four-years-later.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

4

<p>

What more needs to be said? You can’t afford to go to G’town so work with what your family can afford. Maybe you’ll be able to transfer later.</p>

5

<p>Couple of thoughts:
Have you thought about talking to G-town and seeing if/how they could help with teh financial aid? Show them your Geneso offer and see what they could do.</p>

<p>If you’re really torn, and really committed to Georgetown, you may not be able to afford it this year. Have you considered taking a year to work, figure out of you really want the expensive G-town education, and attend georgetown next year?</p>

<p>Another option might be to go to Geneso for one year, then transfer to Georgetown. You’d save a year of loans and still get the connections at Georgetown.</p>

<p>Do you have other options (eg schools somewhere between a SUNY and Georgetown) that have offered you merit money?</p>

6

<p>“What they are willing to pay is half of our EFC, hence, leaving only Geneseo, the only state school I applied to.”</p>

<p>Then that is the figure that you have to work with. As suggested above, you may want to take a year off, and reapply to a wider list of colleges and universities. Since you were admitted to Georgetown, I presume that your grades and exam scores are pretty good. Read through this thread, and see if you would qualify for larger merit packages somewhere else: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/848226-important-links-automatic-guaranteed-merit-scholarships.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/848226-important-links-automatic-guaranteed-merit-scholarships.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Another possibility would be to pick up the phone and call the other SUNYs. Find out if any are still accepting students for the fall, or for the spring semester. You are fortunate to have excellent public options in your state. One of them may suit you better than Geneseo, but still be within the limits of your family budget.</p>