<p>So the time to decide where I want to spend the next four years is quickly approaching, and I haven't narrowed my list down enough. </p>
<p>My current choices are:
Brown University ($24K/yr)
Carleton College ($12K/yr)
Georgetown University ($19K/yr)
Kenyon College ($8K/yr)
Macalester College ($11K/yr)
Pomona College ($16K/yr)
University of Michigan, Honors Program ($10K/yr)
Rice University ($19K/yr)</p>
<p>I'm a very liberal person from a small Michigan town. I plan to major in political science in college and attend law school after undergrad. I know that my options are all pretty different from one another, but I believe that that is representative of my diverse interests and desires for a college experience. I would prefer the education that comes with a small LAC, but do not wish to get bored due to rural isolation. Cost and, I'll admit, prestige are important factors for me. </p>
<p>Any advice or suggestions anyone could offer would be greatly appreciated! And please ask me anything if you need clarification. </p>
<p>I don’t think your options are particularly different from each other at all. They seem cohesive. So your best bang for the buck is Michigan, might be best if you are facing Law school costs. Good school and got in honors, I don’t know the perks but are you not thrilled with that? Are parents covings all costs? How much do these cost differences matter to your family? Will there be any saved money left for Law school? Too bad Brown gave your a relatively terrible package, I’m surprised they can’t offer you what some of the LAC did, did you get merit or something? Any of the LAC are great. Pomona has more to offer because of the consortium if you are worried about getting tired of a small school.</p>
<p>@brownparent The majority of the cost will be my responsibility. As for merit, the only schools which offered any were Kenyon, Mac, and UM. I understand that Michigan is a great option, however the enormity of the school frightens me to be honest. I think that I’m personally better suited for an institution of a much lesser size. </p>
<p>Wow great choices! Pomona College is the best of both worlds. A small LAC and medium sized university in a quiet suburb of LA. University of Michigan, your cheapest option is decidedly not a LAC but still a superb school and the honors program is among the best in the nation. I’d choose between those schools if you’re concerned about eventually feeling suffocated by a rural LAC. </p>
<p>Then go to one of the least expensive ones.</p>
<p>You got great admissions. Are you aware of how much YOU can personally borrow? It’s pretty limited. </p>
<p>If you’ll assume most of the costs, are your parents contributing anything? If not your only affordable option is Kenyon and possibly Michigan. If they will give you some money for UG, how much will they contribute?</p>
<p>@tempemom What do you mean by that? I’ll be using private loans to cover the remaining costs after federal loans.</p>
<p>@whenhen My parents aren’t very open about that (they’re really stressing that I use this as an opportunity to learn about financial responsibility), but if I had to guess what kind of help I’ll be getting from my family I’d say it’ll fall between $5-8K per year. I’m also expecting at <em>least</em> $3K in outside scholarships which will offset some of the loans I will have to acquire. </p>
<p>Well you need to ask your parents for a firm answer. Tell them you won’t decide until you know what they will contribute. Also private loans are a bad idea. </p>
<p>@whenhen I’ve tried that. When I ask, they say they’re contributing nothing, but my mom has discreetly mentioned that, despite what they say, they will be helping. As for private loans, it’s most likely inevitable as I will have no other way to cover the remaining cost if there’s any left over after federal loans. </p>
<p>Will your parents co sign? Will they be ineligible for private loans? (both of these effect what you can do…)</p>
<p>Have your parents - or someone else - told you they will cosign on a private loan? </p>
<p>I’d go for Michigan. Fantastic school and lowest cost. Law school is extremely expensive.</p>
<p>@tempemom @suzy100 They’ll most likely cosign, but will expect me to pick up the cost. </p>
<p>@tempemom We’re looking more in-depth about our eligibility. We qualified for federal loans, if that’s any indication. </p>
<p>Also, I’ll be able to personally contribute about $3K per year, from summer earnings. </p>
<p>I know you want to go elsewhere. But those loans are very burdensome. Cost of admissions go up pretty much every year. Them cosigning will effect their ability to get a new mortgage, car, etc…are you absolutely positive that they will KEEP cosigning each new year?</p>
<p>private loans? from whom? at what interest rate? How much are they going to cost you each month while you are in college? Or are the payments and the interest deferred until graduation?
You need to be realistic about this! You are 18 yrs old, yes?
Who is going lend an 18 year old money without getting the parents to also sign for them?
This question needs to be answered before you can decide where to go to college.</p>
<p>Don’t Honors programs at large institutions such as Michigan serve to create a school within a school - a program that gives the level of attention you’d expect from a small LAC? Seems Michigan Honors would give you the best of both worlds - a lively college town, yet you wouldn’t feel like “just a number.”</p>
<p>Which school do your parents want you to attend? I agree that your parents are putting unfair stress on you by not being transparent about what they can and/or will contribute. You should try again to communicate how that $5-8K will impact your decision. If that doesn’t work, perhaps you could ask someone else to intercede on your behalf – a relative, family friend or clergyman/woman.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t count on summer earnings. Internships are integral to the college experience and critical to job placement and they are often unpaid or barely paid. </p>
<p>Small rural colleges are not for everyone, and if you visited and didn’t like the environment then maybe they’re not for you. Having said that, Kenyon and Carleton are terrific options with excellent academics and many happy, engaged students. Small + rural does not necessarily = bored. Macalester is not rural and has a particularly strong international focus. Could you visit again and test your reaction? (But maybe you’re also thinking about trying another part of the country?) </p>
<p>Have you talked to your top choices about some extra help on the financial package? I would think that Pomona might bend a little. Brown maybe not, but it’s worth a try. Bear in mind transportation costs as well.</p>
<p>I’m a UMich grad and my son went to a small LAC (not on your list and rural, but similar in culture to Pomona). Although we both received excellent educations, our experiences were vastly different. If you’re leaning toward an LAC environment, UMich may not be what you want. The funny thing is that many people have never heard of his #1 ranked LAC, while everyone regards UMich highly, so if prestige is a factor, you need to consider that LACs are low on name recognition.</p>
<p>Pomona and Brown sound like the best fits for you, but unless your parents come through I wouldn’t take on that much debt for undergrad. Any of the LACs on your list could lead to an excellent law or other graduate school admissions. </p>
<p>@momrath They don’t have strong opinions, really. My mom says UM but only because it is closest to home. My dad says Brown because of the prestige. The only LAC I have visited on my list is Kenyon. The first time I visited, I loved it a lot. The second time, however, some of the initial enthrallment was lost. I don’t think I’ll be able to do any more college visits (haven’t been to Carleton, Macalester, Pomona, or Rice) due to travel costs. In terms of prestige, I was thinking more along the lines of grad schools recognizing the undergrad education I received, not so much impressing everyday people. </p>
<p>Oh, and in terms of reassessing my financial aid offers, Pomona said no and Brown took it down to its current cost. Georgetown also reevaluated and gave me the offer I posted on this thread. </p>
<p>I hope that you’ll find a way to visit Carleton and Macalester in the next two weeks. </p>
<p>I know what you mean about Kenyon. It’s a beautiful campus but somewaht isolated. My understanding is that Carleton isn’t as insular as Kenyon, but I haven’t been there myself.</p>
<p>If what you’re worried about is graduate school admissions, you could ask them how their students have done in recent years. You might find this information on their websites too. Since you’re thinking about law school, look at their law school admissions counseling. I think you find an excellent track record and lot of support.</p>
<p>You might ask the colleges if they will absorb some of the travel costs. </p>
<p>I also hope you can prevail on your parents to be more transparent about their financial situation. Again, if they’re unwilling to address the issue directly see if you can find an intermediary. Talking about money is hard – there’s never enough – but it’s better to get </p>