Hey, everyone. I am coming to the end of my college process, and I am honestly freaking out. I do not know where to go. I cannot visit the schools b/c of corona, and I am just scared to make a choice. I do not want to make the wrong choice. I need some insight… please.
Here are the schools I have narrowed it down to:
Kenyon College (most expensive)
Grinnell College (27k per year scholarship)
UF (10k per year scholarship – out of state)
Ohio State (cheapest by far, scholars program)
Brandeis (not sure of admission yet, but I think I will be accepted – everything went perfectly /w them)
I want to major in something business or Econ-related, but I do not know what to do. I think Brandeis will offer me what I want, but I do not want to make a stupid decision and choose the wrong school. Is Brandeis worth it? Ugh, this is so stressful. Please give me some insight on the schools (do not regard like financial aid… want an objective reviewal of the choices /w scholarships and programs).
Which school would be the most fruitful for me? I need people who know about the schools to speak up about pros/cons.
They all would be great. Now apply your goals to the mix. If you want a the benefits of small school and culture of a really intellectual student body culture, Do you want a big vibrant campus and games to see with classmates in pleasant weather environment Do you want a New England school and a serious minded atmosphere. What can I afford.
They all are different. And all are fantastic options. The only pure business school opportunity is UF. But it’s really a different four years than the other two. Econ both smaller schools would be excellent.
@PurpleTitan preferably in an innovative company environment or start my own business. A company like leading the way in innovation right now… not sure exactly what that would be exactly. Im a problem-solver for sure, and I want to have a large earning potential (obviously). They’re all around the same price. I am a huge extrovert, too, so I would prefer a place where the kids like will not have a stick up their behinds!
@privatebanker yeah, Fisher is great. I’m just not sure whether UF or OSU is the academic environment I want to be in. I guess I just need some thoughts/guidance on what would be the logical choice.
It is important to understand that economics and finance are very different majors. Economics is a liberal arts course of study and gets very theoretical at the upper levels. In contrast if you go to an undergraduate business school you will take a business core with introductory classes in subjects such as accounting, finance, IT, marketing etc. and then you will major in one of those disciplines. I’m not saying that one path is better than the other, but they are different. I would take the time to look at the coursework (can be found online) for both an undergrad business school and an economics major and see if one path is preferable to you – that may help you to narrow down your decision.
@happy1 i guess like considering I want to work in a bigger, innovative company, would business be more preferable? if so, would Brandeis or OSU be a better choice do you think
Hmm, if you’re a huge extrovert, a place like OSU may actually be the best place for you to go (Fisher, I assume). It’s tougher to stand out at such a huge school, but it would also have a massive alumni base (devoted to the Bucks).
I don’t see the point of paying a lot more for UF.
Saved money could go towards an elite grad school program/MBA
@PurpleTitan thoughts on Brandeis vs OSU? I could get a business degree from Brandeis and double major in the bus. school and arts and sciences. I live about an hour away from OSU, so I am just not sure if it’s the college experience I want. This isn’t supposed to be mean, but a lot of the kids, from my experience that go there, don’t really take it seriously. Maybe I applied to the wrong schools tbh. I just have lived here all my life, and I feel like it’s time for me to explore. Is that reasonable, or am I being naive
^ You have a decades-long life, so if you want to move around later, you can. Including a master’s right after undergrad. Even at OSU, you could study abroad, etc. Possibly as soon a sophomore year.
Brandeis would be a different experience, sure. Long-term, I’d still rather have the money for an elite master’s/MBA.
As for kids from your school who don’t take it seriously, yep that would be true for many. That also means less competition for you, though. And you’ll be in the Scholars program, which would have a higher caliber of students.
The University of Florida should cost you just under $30,000 per year since you have been awarded a $10,000 per year scholarship.
Since you want a change from your native home state of Ohio, Kenyon College & Ohio State are out. The remaining options are Grinnell College, Brandeis University, and the University of Florida.
As an extrovert who wants a change from living in Ohio, Grinnell College may not be the answer although it would cost about $42,000 to $43,000 per year after applying your scholarship award.
Since you have not yet been admitted to Brandeis, the University of Florida is your best option.
P.S. If you choose the Univ. of Florida, be prepared for large classes during your freshman year.
After looking up and down the east coast my S ended up at a college that it no more than a half hour from our house . It was the best fit school plus he got the largest merit scholarship there. He was always going to dorm on campus.
We sat down as a family and had a serious talk before he opted to attend that college. We (parents) agreed to treat our S as if he was hours away – no popping by, no expecting him home other than for school breaks etc. He (S) agreed to not use being close to home as a crutch – no coming home for dinners, laundry etc. – he needed to create a life for himself on campus.
And it worked out just great. We all kept to our word and he had a full and wonderful campus life that was very different from his home life. And a few times it was helpful to be close – we did bend the rules in extenuating circumstances (ex. when his laptop died I drove down with his old laptop to use while his was being repaired). No regrets at all.
You have the rest of your life to live elsewhere. And if you want a different expereince you can always do a semester or a year abroad or in a program at another US college. So if OSU turns out to be your best choice and would allow you to graduate debt free, I would not dismiss it out of hand.
OP: Are you a resident of Ohio ? In an earlier thread you claimed to be instate for Penn State.
Also, in another one of your threads, you describe your family as "upper class’ which suggests that you might be able to attend any of your options without incurring debt. Is this accurate ?
If, for example, you are a resident of Western Pennsylvania & want a change from that region of the country, then your option is the Univ. of Florida &, possibly, Brandeis.
@Publisher i just moved to Ohio recently for a parent’s job, and i am a Morrill scholarship recipient. i can attend all the schools, but i want to go to grad school too so idk
Will not b attending Penn State due to switch in tuition, and I don’t really see a point considering like I have better options as of now
So you haven’t actually lived there your whole life. OK, you’ve been in the same region. Still, speaking as someone who has lived in the East Coast, Midwest, and West Coast (and has been abroad), while there are regional differences, they’re still all very American. If you want a truly different experience, study abroad. I don’t see the point of paying more for UF over OSU. If your family doesn’t care about money you could consider Brandeis.