Chose pricey, unknown, small, liberal arts college over state flagship for free?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Alright, so I am/was not an elite school-aspirer like many of you are, but I do entreat you to give some advice to an entering first-year college student this fall.</p>

<p>Long story short, UMass-Amherst, an inexpensive state school, gave me $24,000/year, which would have given me a free ride. Clark University, on the other hand, is very expensive. This small college will have me giving $5000 out of my pocket a year AND leaving with $30,000 in debt after four years. What should I do?</p>

<p>Okay, now some more words.</p>

<p>As you can see, choosing Clark University may have limited my future prospects. Having not researched enough about college choice, I played into the hands of a certain biology teacher, thinking that "a small, liberal arts college will give you more interactions with your professors, research opportunities, and will serve you well for grad school." Little did I realize that cost should have factored into my decision.</p>

<p>My field of study would be a problem too. UMass Amherst provides a dozen more majors and classes. Clark's small size means that, though I have smaller classes, I have less choices. The class schedule I choose each semester is very prone to schedule conflicts.</p>

<p>And then my major. At UMass--I could major in ANYTHING and graduate with $0 debt. At Clark, I must choose a more marketable major if I want to pay my loans in time. But working in retail or fast food while simultaneously juggling extracurriculars and school work will not bode well my mind and body.</p>

<p>I am not asking what I should do...more specifically, I really don't know what my options are at this point. I am asking for help. Thank you....</p>

2

<p>Umass-Amherst is known as “Zoo Mass”; it is a huge party school filled with students who could care less about their studies. the LAC will provide for a better college experience IMO.</p>

3

<p>Even Commonwealth Honors College, which I was accepted to? Have you even been to UMass-Amherst? Known anyone personally who went there? Would you say you are qualified to say that of UMass? I think it’s sort of a stretch to say that all kids who go to “zoomass” are drinkers and partiers. I’m sure many grad schools have researched the school enough to say that it’s just like any other school. In fact, it’s highly ranked on USNews, isn’t it (I am aware that I’m putting rankings on a pedestal)?</p>

4

<p>My niece is at Clark and is having a great experience. However, from your statements, perhaps UMass is a better choice for you? Is it too late to switch? Would that merit money still be there?</p>

5

<p>Although I personally think an LAC is a fantastic option, it is not always the best option for everyone. Clark is a good LAC but not what many might consider “elite”. If your choice was between an elite LAC like Williams or Amherst, than you should consider whether the additional expense is a good investment. However, I personally would choose the free ride at UMass-Amherst, especially if you are admitted into the Honors college, over the debt at Clark. Good luck to you!</p>

6

<p>@cnp55, no–I was just playing devil’s advocate. I’m just looking for non-biased information as to what recommendations I should follow.</p>

<p>In either case, I think it would be too late though.</p>

<p>@BobbyCT, aw, you’re giving me a mixed bag of regrets. I was actually rejected by Amherst College, by the way.</p>

<p>Anyone seen this video?</p>

<p>[Survey:</a> College a Bad Investment?](<a href=“http://www.youtube.com/user/tytuniversity#p/u/29/iOoLHx7qSVY]Survey:”>http://www.youtube.com/user/tytuniversity#p/u/29/iOoLHx7qSVY)</p>

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<p>COMMONWEALTH COMMONWEALTH COMMONWEALTH!!! We’re familiar with both, and while Clark is a reasonably good school, it definitely doesn’t have a cachet that is worth that amount of debt. There’s definitely a “zooey” factor at UMASS, but the kids in Commonwealth find it easier than most to avoid it, and have some great courses and very special professors. There are lots of terrific programs and opportunities, and you have access to the 5-college consortium, which can give you experiences on those liberal arts campuses. Plus, Umass has a beautiful, small campus, and Amherst is one of the nicest college towns around. Worcester, on the other hand, is not a place to seek out, and the campus at Clark is not the “leafy lawns” of the traditional LAC. Just avoid living in the towers of Southwest dorms, and you should be happy at Umass! ;)</p>

8

<p>UMass Amherst, as I’m sure you’re aware, is part of the Five College Consortium together with some of the best liberal arts colleges in the Northeast, including Amherst itself. As much as I like Clark U, which I actually considered in my college search, I believe UMass Amherst would have given you access to much greater educational (and social) opportunities, and at a much lower cost.</p>

<p>Clark U is still a fine institution, of course, and I’m sure you’ll love it. But I would have taken the free ride and the combined resources of UMass A, Amherst, Mount Holyoke, Hampshire and Smith.</p>

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<p>I only wish I had known about the advantages of Commonwealth earlier! :[</p>

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<p>Is transferring a viable option? Will I still receive the same aid after a semester or two or will they see my “lack of interest” in the first year as a bad indication?</p>

<p>But I would rather not transfer. If I were able, I would call the admissions office and take back my denial in a heartbeat, but unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way (or does it!!!). One of the main reasons why I would rather not transfer is because of difficulty of transferring credits across institutions. In this case, I would have to choose a very specific set of courses at my time at Clark should I choose to transfer…</p>

10

<p>Have you tried calling admissions at Umass? If you plead finances, rather than “now I know better”, maybe they’ll listen. At any rate, it’s worth a try! And you can also ask them about transferring and financial aid. Don’t ever assume you know the answer–ask!</p>

11

<p>I would just say, as someone who has graduated debt free and seen friends who have not, I would recommend the debt free option strongly. No matter how big a school is, you can make connections with professors if you put in the effort. Smaller schools require less effort it’s true. I would try to transfer into the cheaper option or even consider doing community college for a semester and then transferring if needed. Find out what community colleges regularly have students transfer to that school and go there. Going into some debt for your dream school is one thing but this situation does not sound like that case.</p>

12

<p>Are you saying you’d be paying only $5K/year out of pocket to attend Clark, after borrowing a total of $30K over 4 years? Is there already any other “self help” aid in the mix (such as work-study)? </p>

<p>If there is any headroom to reduce the loan size (from campus employment, summer employment, help from grandparents, etc.), then I’d say Clark at $5K/year may be worth the extra cost. At this point, it may be just as feasible to get those loans down as to get your UMass offer restored.</p>

13

<p>Call U Mass and see what they say. Ask if you could have the scholarship if you start second semester rather than in the fall. You also could consider taking a gap year and reapplying.</p>

14

<p>UMass is a big university and like all big universities has a range of students – the good, the bad and the ugly. Among the “good” you will find like minded academically motivated students who are there for exactly the same reason you would be: the money.</p>

<p>I say go to UMass without hesitation. I’m a great fan of LACs – and in retrospect you might have applied more wisely – but in your case I think you could benefit more from the UMass no loan experience than from Clark plus loans. </p>

<p>The consortium as mentioned will expose you to a lot of options and Amherst is a wonderful college town. Do really well and possibly you could transfer to an LAC – with financial aid – next year. </p>

<p>At this point you really need to find out your real options. Will UMass reinstate their offer? Until you know that everything else is just speculation.</p>

<p>Since you seem conflicted a gap year is not a bad idea.</p>