@ucbalumnus Are there loans that don’t require a cosigner? I understand that I will probably graduate with 60k-80k in debt. However, my belief is that I should be able to find a job and live a frugal lifestyle (roommates, live at home, live like a college student, etc…) for a few years after graduation.
loans that are beyond the federal students loans will require a cosigner.
Take a close look at SDSM&T and see if you can have a telephone conversation with an admissions representative there. The advantage to you (given your circumstances) that Mines may provide is that you have a fair chance at admission and the school is relatively affordable. Coming from out of state with an unspectacular GPA, you won’t be offered any institutional aid, but the tuition is low, the cost of living is low and with hard work you might eventually earn a financial award or two. Mines is very accommodating to students.
Student life at Mines is as laid back as life can be at an engineering university. The curriculum is quite rigorous and the students work hard, but they also enjoy themselves. There are many outside activities at Mines and the picturesque Black Hills region is full of recreational opportunities. Investigate one of the bike trails in Rapid City. As for Greek life, you won’t suffocate from it. You may never even notice it. You are more likely to attend the Diwali Night festivities, do some community work during “M” week, participate in ‘Engineers Without Borders,’ or dine at the mass midnight free breakfast during finals rather than attend a fraternity or sorority party.
Be aware that engineering is a very demanding major at Mines. Fortunately, there is a lot of institutional support for students. Mines acceptance rate is about 88% but that doesn’t mean it’s a “weed out” school. Good luck.
Embry-Riddle Prescott. Rural campus in a gorgeous high desert/mountain region of Arizona.
Your GPA is a bit low, but it might still be worth a try.
@merc81 thanks for the encouragement
@mom2collegekids Yes, quarter units, CA public. Yes, used nearly four years of a Cal grant. I have a qualified cosigner (dad) but he would not be too excited about taking the hit to his credit. I am unsure if he would be willing to sign. But you say “unless you have a qualified co-signer, you get a private loan…” meaning there are loans that don’t require cosigners?
Funding seems to be the main issue for me. Would you mind continuing this conversation? Here are my thoughts:
With a degree in meche, I could get a job somewhere (anywhere) and live like a college student (roommates, tap ramen, etc.) for a couple of years and pay off my loans. Also, I can apply for all of the scholarships possible. Would this not be more financially responsible, to invest some money now to obtain this degree, than to continue on with no good employment opportunities?
Also, on a personal note, engineering is one of the only things I could see myself doing and enjoying. I am not very good, maybe alright, in social settings (honestly all humanities degrees require you to be very social to succeed in the fields like business, nonprofit, etc…) but I like solving physical problems, especially with a team.
@LakeWashington Wow, that’s a really solid endorsement. Cheap tuition, good location, good atmosphere, all that. I’ll talk to them on Monday.
@yodawgsup “Would this not be more financially responsible, to invest some money now to obtain this degree, than to continue on with no good employment opportunities?”
Could be…depending upon which STEM university you enroll at. A co-op or summer internship would be a tremendous benefit financially for an undergraduate, so if your target STEM university has a track record in finding those jobs for its student, that’s a really big help. Try to select a school that hosts a fair number of recruiters on Career Days. Be advised, however, that since you will just starting out in your engineering curricula, getting a internship or co-op and competing with upperclassmen will be a challenge. Not impossible but a challenge nevertheless. Lake Jr. is a Chemical Engineering major and was fortunate to win a internship after his Freshman year. You just have to hustle, like most successful people in life. Of the schools previously mentioned in this thread (that you could be admitted to) I would say that SDSM&T has the strongest reputation among employers. However, I have no doubt that Micron Technology sends recruiters to the Engineering Colleges at U of Idaho and Boise State University. Since U of Idaho is less than 10 miles from Washington State University, I’ll bet that WSU gets it fair share of recruiters too (though perhaps not as many of U of W in Seattle).
@LakeWashington lake jr… your son?
And, that is good tot think about. I do have the mentality in my mind that, “with the mech e degree, life will take care of itself.” It is a good thing to be warned that it too requires some hustle. Luckily the hustling side of me has actually been a little stronger than the academic side in college.
Yep, my son Lake Jr. is a chemical Engineering major.
Good for him, hope he does well!
Wish me luck folks.
Yes, of course, good luck.
Regarding finances, colleges themselves could be an asset to you, particularly if they would like you to attend. So keep researching and perhaps send an email here or there asking for guidance.