Decisions, Decisions... suggestions?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>It's less than a month away now--May 1st is the last day to accept scholarships, and I have NO IDEA where I should go. Right now it's between 4 schools, and all of them have pluses and minuses. Although I know the decision is mine when it comes down to it, I'd like some input from you guys. :-) Suggestions and any opinions would be helpful!</p>

<p>GPA: about 3.03 of 4.00 (UW)
Rank: 39%, class of about 575
Intended Major: Nutrition or Psychology, possible minor is Biology</p>

<p>Schools---</p>

<p>Texas Tech
Pros:
- good psychology program
- liked the campus & residence halls
Cons:
- student population might be too big; I wanted a little bit smaller school size
- a bit too far away (11 hour drive from my house in Houston)</p>

<p>University of Texas, San Antonio (UTSA)
Pros:
- liked the campus
- LOVE San Antonio
- closest of all possibilities to my house in Houston (3 hour drive)
Cons:
- I didn't get a very good idea of the university last time I visited (it was Spring Break so no one was around)
- not really sure how UTSA stands in my majors</p>

<p>LSU, Baton Rouge
Pros:
- quite possibly the cheapest of all the schools, so I'd save the most if I went to LSU
- my family lives in Louisiana, I'd be able to see them anytime I want
- LOVE New Orleans, and it's less than an hour away from the campus
- a lot of family has gone there
- might be able to get more financial aid, though it's slim
Cons:
- I've never visited
- no idea how LSU stands in my intended majors</p>

<p>Baylor University
Pros:
- I visited the campus, and I LOVED it
- the town is kinda whimpy, but Dallas isn't that far away
- about 3 hour drive from my house
- got a large scholarship to go there
Cons:
- the scholarship isn't enough
- tuition/books/every other fee makes the expensive of going there too much---I'd be paying off my loans for the next 10 years</p>

<p>All right, so there it is. It's down to Texas Tech, UTSA, LSU, and Baylor. Even if someone is biased towards one over another, well... I'm extremely confused, and any advice would be very much appreciated!!! :-)</p>

2

<p>no one… at all???</p>

3

<p>i decided i had to reply because i’m in the exact same boat as you- three weeks to go and i still can’t decide where to go. it’s such a tough & daunting decision so i know i had to reply to you!
first of all- do not choose lsu if you haven’t seen it. so if you still want to consider it, go see it before you have to make a decision. if you don’t have time to go see it, don’t even bother considering it anymore.
secondly- if you can visit UTSA again, i think you should. maybe even see if you can do an overnight there with a current student & get a better idea of the college.
third- if you’re really not comfortable with the drive & the population of students at texas tech, maybe you could just eliminate it? you could also talk to students (via facebook or what not) about whether or not the size really feels as big as it is
fourth- definitely compare the programs for either of your majors at all four schools. look at the schools’ websites, maybe have a phone conference with a dean or professor involved with your major, anything to give you a better idea.</p>

<p>i don’t think i have anything else to add (but if i think of anything, i’ll reply again :)) good luck deciding & congrats on graduating to a fellow member of the class of 2010! :)</p>

4

<p>It’s not the drive to Texas Tech that bothers me (I can always take a plane); it’s more of the fact that I wouldn’t be able to go home as often. In addition, I also have an autoimmune disease. In the last year or so I was pretty sick and had to be taken to the ER at one point. My parents wouldn’t be around if I were sick again, since Tech is so far away. :(</p>

<p>And yeah, I really do have to visit LSU. I’ve heard it’s a beautiful campus, but there’s always been one thing about LSU… You see, my mom went there, and ever since I was a baby, she’s bragged about how great it is and how every other university on the Earth sucks. It’s really gotten annoying and every since I started looking at colleges I made myself not want to go to LSU. Whether to spite my mom or just out of annoyance, I’m not sure, but the thought of LSU has started getting brighter and brighter over the last few months.</p>

5

<p>I know what you mean. My mom has had this one school in mind for me and ALWAYS talks about and rattles off stats about it so I’d want to go there. She even bought me a few things for my future dorm (even though I don’t know where I’m going yet!) and called it an early present for TCNJ (the college of nj- the school she loves so much & wants me to go to). So I know how you feel.</p>

<p>I’d say the autoimmune disease might make it difficult for you to be at Texas Tech, in the event that you’d need to go to the ER because your parents wouldn’t be able to come right away to see you, but if you really like the school, I don’t think you should let it hold you back. However, if you need a reason to make your list shorter taking Texas Tech off because of that reason could be an option?</p>

6

<p>I say visit LSU and see what you think. After visiting I would probably decide between LSU and UTSA. UTSA is a fine school.</p>

7

<p>The campus at LSU is very nice, but there’s not too much activity besides when there’s football games. The psychology department is solid, for psyc, you’re not going to get a great job in the field unless you go to grad school anyway.</p>