<p>This is my first post, though I have been reading this board for quite some time now and find the information very valuable. My son has been offered a full tuition, room and board, and spending money scholarship (merit) to Ohio State. He was also accepted by ND, but did not receive much in financial aid. My son plans to study Chemical Engineering and then attend law school. He feels that he "fits" more at ND, so that is his first choice college, but we are very concerned about the expense. So, my question...is it worth all of this expense considering that he will have loans for law school? I know that it is an individual decision, but any input would be appreciated.</p>
<p>Irish68178--Thanks for your previous e-mail response and thoughts.</p>
<p>no problem :). I won't post more just because you know where I stand, but if you have any questions which could help you and your son decide please let me know!</p>
<p>My son is currently a freshman at ND studying chemical engineering and had the same offer as your son. Although he liked Ohio State, I think it was just too big for him and really felt the fit was right at ND. He got very little( and I mean very little) aid but is totally happy. The sports, the family atmosphere, the friends and the friendly competition have made his first year a great experience. From the moment we set foot on that campus during orientation, I felt he would be in a supportive environment where he would grow. So far we couldn't be happier. Yes, we would love not to have had the financial obligation. However seeing that it is the right place for him is all that matters.</p>
<p>We are not in the counties eligible for the Joyce. My son is a National Merit Finalist, so received that scholarship from OSU, plus additional scholarships. Hence, OSU is free + spending money, while ND is not. We have 3 more days to decide, and it looks like we are going with ND, but I just wanted final thoughts/input before we make the commitment. </p>
<p>Note: My parents live in Columbus and had offered to "adopt" my son for the last few years so that he qualified for the Joyce to ND. Oh, well!</p>
<p>Money's money, but OSU's a dirty city and ND is gorgeous. I'm from Columbus, and almost all of my friends go to OSU (plus I took a class there while I was in HS). I would strongly recommend Notre Dame over OSU, for so many reasons. The classes here are much more personal (all of my professors, who actually teach my classes, know me by name), the campus is beautiful, the students are a lot more friendly, the students are smarter (I have friends who had to go to summer school after senior year to get their diploma and still went to OSU)--everything's just better here. It's further away, but not too far away. If you can afford it, I would recommend coming to ND. Hell, come to ND even if you can't afford it. </p>
<p>However, I want to point out that not having any debt is a very nice situation to be in. I don't have to get a job if I don't want to (this stresses students sometimes who have to wedge a job into a packed schedule), I don't have to ask my parents for money, I don't have to care about filling out financial aid forms or missing finaid deadlines, I don't have to worry about anything but school. </p>
<p>You're in a really tough situation right now. One that I was in when it was free ND vs. Caltech. In the end I chose ND, even though Caltech was my first choice. However, the difference between Caltech and ND is not the difference between ND and OSU. Choosing ND was easy because in the end it is a great school. It is absolutely singular: there is no other place like it in the world. OSU is just another huge state school. Although ND was not my first choice, I felt absolutely confident in my decision because I knew I would be happy there. Your son should ask himself if he would be happy at OSU, really truly happy. "Merely satisfied" probably won't cut it. </p>
<p>He's going to study engineering right? That means he can reasonably expect a good salary after graduating, assuming he sticks with engineering.</p>
<p>Life is a series of tradeoffs. If he opts for the more expensive undergraduate experience is he willing to defer law school for a few years and work as an engineer before heading to law school? If not, then I would tell him to go to Ohio State. If he's willing to compromise on a timeline then ND is worth the extra money as long as he has a realistic plan for how to pay for it all.</p>
<p>u both have to make the decision its a hard desicion taking free education+ more money at a good school vs 40+k/yr at a great school</p>
<p>i would say go to ohiostate u never know he might lose that scholarship how high does the GPA have to be? i know if its a full ride it will probably be high...if he really doesnt like it my parents said(i read this 20 minutes ago and got my parents thoughts) try out the free education if u really dont like it after a yr look for scholarships for other schools and attend there</p>
<p>ive heard of kids who turned over top schools for my CC(no joke) then get into a top school after 2 yrs for money...my local CC is not only huge but its one of the best in the country if i had to go there and i told people people wouldnt say ooo thats a bad school they would b proud of it</p>
<p>I had a similar offer at the University of Minnesota. Tuition would have been covered, and depending on what housing arrangements I set up, I could have had money left over. However, I really wanted to get a bit farther from home and go to a school that I could absolutely love instead of just another big state school. Fortunately, my parents are willing and able to pay for my undergraduate education. However, I will end up having to take out loans if I decide to go on to medical school. For all the reasons people have stated above, Notre Dame is totally worth it. And with a degree in engineering from Notre Dame and a law degree, your son should have no trouble paying off loans after he is finished with school.</p>
<p>My son is going to OSU on the NMF scholarship and plans on law school. Our EFC was ridiculous. In my opinion, going into $100,000 debt for an undergraduate degree makes no sense, regardless of the school. Good students can succeed anywhere. I advise you to take the offer from OSU.</p>
<p>I don't know... being surrounded by a lot of people who are there just to party and have a vacation from their parents can really sap your energy for useful things.</p>
<p>Only your son can decide if ND is worth 100k. If ND is your son's dream school - he may want to go ahead and choose it - but make sure he's aware of the potential impact of 100k in loans. Break it down for him to make it real. Calculate what will he be paying per month after he graduates. Law school costs big bucks too so he'll really be in the hole before he starts working.
Our son had to choose between two top 30 privates and PSU honors with multiple scholarships. PSU and OSU are pretty close in academic quality and environment. He chose PSU and is a happy freshman - but then again - he felt comfortable on that campus from the first time he visited. Plus PSU has a pretty strong business program - his chosen major. So we're saving scholarship $ for him for grad/professional school. Wish I had that kind of deal when I went to school!
Bottom line, he just wasn't that crazy about his other two options (liked but didn't LOVE them). So, in our case, the difference in cost (about 140K) was NOT worth it.
Good luck to you. Let us know what your decide...</p>