<p>Okay, I'm in a dilemma. And I'm freaking out. I accepted my admission to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo a couple of months ago and looking back, I've chose the wrong school. Cal Poly would have been great if my family could afford it but we can't. My dad is taking out a loan of 6k. I'm taking both my unsub and subsidized loans, totaling 11.5k in loans for the first year! It's way to much, right? Our efc is 5.5k. It's just bad and I wish I realized it sooner. My right college for me should have been my commute college San Jose State University in which I'd state at home and only need to take out 3k in unsubsidized loans. Gah, I'm so frustrated that with all the time I had, I didn't think this thoroughly. I was oblivious to the price. Being in debt isn't worth it if there is far cheaper alternatives! Now my only options are to either go to Cal Poly SLO and take the debt, or take a gap year. I don't know what to do. Is it too late to try to get my spot back in SJSU? </p>
<p>Any helpful advice would be appreciated. :(</p>
<p>Contact SJSU and find out!</p>
<p>You can also go to community college for a year and then transfer to SJSU.</p>
<p>The Calif schools pretty much require that you have to go TWO years at a CC before you can transfer in. You can’t just go one year and transfer. </p>
<p>Call San Jose and see if you can get your admission back.</p>
<p>Would you be responsible for paying back your dad’s $6k loan as well as YOUR loans? If your dad will be paying that $6k back (and not you), then you’re not borrowing too much.</p>
<p>What is your DAD saying? </p>
<p>Yes, it was a mistake not to consider cost (why do kids do this??? And where are the parents when these decisions are being made???). </p>
<p>Contact SJ today.</p>
<p>Isn’t it too late in attend community college? And my dad says he’ll pay the his part of the loans but he’d like me to take help him out after I graduate. I don’t have a problem with that but I don’t want to burden him with such debt.</p>
<p>And it wouldn’t be just 6k he’d owed. It would be 30k~ when graduate in 5 years correct? Considering we are in the same financial situation and will be taking out the same amount of loans. So he’d owe his portion and I’d owe my own 25k~. With the accrued interested this could be 60k+?</p>
<p>We were just mesmerized at the school. It was a mistake. We thought we could afford it but now I realize we can’t.</p>
<p>So I’ll contact sjsu today and what I can do? Are my chances slim in getting it back?</p>
<p>Oh and I don’t know if this is relevant of not but I’ll be majoring in software engineering at both schools.</p>
<p>I doubt that it is too late to go to the CC. In addition to contacting SJSU, why not contact the CC to talk with them? It would be good to make an informed decision.</p>
<p>Why will it take you five years to graduate? Do you have any money saved to help pay loans?</p>
<p>Take a deep breath. It’s too late to attend SJSU for this fall, and I don’t think they’re accepting spring applicants either as most CSUs no longer offer spring admission. You can take a few courses at a community college if you can get into the classes. Registration opened at De Anza on June 25, and it’s possible most of the classes you’d want to take are full.</p>
<p>You can attend Cal Poly for less than the published cost of attendance if you’re careful about your spending. You can shave $2000-$5000 per year off your expenses by buying used books, taking the Amtrak bus home rather than having a car on campus, and not buying anything that you don’t absolutely need. After your first year you can save even more by living off campus in a shared house.</p>
<p>And as a software engineering major, you will have the opportunity to work as a summer intern. You can earn $10-$12,000 in the summer by working in San Jose and living at home. The best internships go to the students with the best grades, so you’ll need to work hard to maintain a good GPA.</p>
<p>Are you prepared to major in software engineering? Have you taken AP Physics and Calc BC with good grades? Have you done any java or C/C++ programming on your own? Are you comfortable learning new programming languages? If so, there’s a good chance you can graduate from Cal Poly in 4 years.</p>
<p>It’s true that looking at a large dollar amount in loans is daunting and you’re right to be concerned. But look at the big picture as well - a SE degree from Cal Poly will take you a long way. A SE degree from SJSU will be very good as well, but if you decide to go there instead of Cal Poly you’ll have to scramble to get the courses you need at a CC this year and will have to put off entry into SJSU until 2013-2014.</p>
<p>I see I see. Im assuming it would take me five years to graduate Cal Poly because that’s the average number of years someone takes to graduate there or so I was told. And I have no money saved as of now to help pay the loans. I missed out on a summer job this summer. </p>
<p>Yeah vballmom! We have had this discussion before. At the time I thought bout it carefully and given all the feedback I got, I chose Cal Poly and now I’m haing doubts and concerns with the money. Everything you wrote brings reassurance but… It’s such a scary thought.</p>
<p>The average number of years to graduate does NOT have to be your destiny. With careful class planning you can graduate in 4 years. You can also take some summer CC classes to help with that.</p>
<p>you can also minimize your loans by working as much as you can in future summers. Get to know your profs and let them know that you’re willing to work as an ass’t or to get summer internships.</p>
<p>Also, work part-time during the school year. Can your dad work some extra hours to minimize his need to borrow? What about your mom?</p>
<p>Cal poly is a very good school, and I am pretty sure that depending on major there should be outside scholarship to qualify for.
You should also be able to graduate in four years w careful planning.</p>
<p>If there are co-op opportunities that can also lessen the needs for loans.</p>
<p>My dad can’t work any more extra hours because he was borderline with the Cal Grants maximum requirement. If he works more we’ll lose our cal grant. My mom is a stay at home and she probably won’t work at all. </p>
<p>You guys are right. I’m just going to stick it out an go for four years, work hard. There should be plenty of opportunities to lessen the loan. I just got to be willing to work for it. Thank you guys.</p>
<p>Be sure to have a good school advisor go over your schedule plans for the upcoming quarters to make sure that you’re in sequence. Register for classes as soon as you can each quarter. Don’t skip taking a class because it’s only offered at an inconvenient time. Don’t drop classes.</p>
<p>Take GE lower division requirements at CCs or online every spring break and every summer, whenever you can. That way you can do in 3 years</p>
<p>Since you’re depending on Cal Grants for college, be very careful to finish in 4 years. Others can correct me if I’m wrong, but I think you can only get those for 4 years. Some kids attending Calif publics are shocked when they lose their aid for the 5th year.</p>
<p>That makes me even more worrisome. I’ll definitely take classes in the summertime then in order to speed things up like others have said. If Cal Grant can only be given for four years, I will be in some trouble if I can’t graduate in 4 years, but given all the advice, it’s doable, just requires some diligence and persistence.</p>