Dilemma with college?

Pre-College Issues High School Life
1

<p>Today, I was accepted to the Honors College at the University of Massachusetts Boston with a full academic scholarship - I feel as though this is really the only chance I have to go to school for free. But, UMass Boston has a poor reputation and is regarded as the worst of the UMass campuses. Its a commuter school and considered only a step or two up from a community college. Many of the students are continuing-education adults.</p>

<p>There are a few notable alumni - including Mayor Menino (of Boston), Joseph Kennedy, and quite a few state senators and representatives. </p>

<p>I'm banking on law school after I graduate, so the appeal of not having any debt after I get my Bachelor's is really appealing -- my father has his heart set on me going. He doesn't want me to go to any school that doesn't offer similar (eh, exact) aid.</p>

<p>I was also accepted to Albright College in Reading, Pennsylvania which is a middle tier LAC with a full scholarship but the area is really awful in terms of crime and my father refuses to let me go. (I don't want to either.)</p>

<p>**The only two decisions I have are UMB and Albright. I'm awaiting on 19 other decisions, but I doubt any of the others will entail full scholarships.</p>

<p>Question: Is it worth going to a lower tiered school for free despite it being commuter/poor reputation - or should I be looking to attend higher up schools that may require 10k+ a year to attend?</p>

2

<p>BUMP, pls?</p>

3

<p>Assuming other schools are affordable:</p>

<p>Your interests could change drastically in 4 years. Banking on going to law school right now seems foolish. I would pick the college that you would enjoy the most.</p>

4

<p>19 other schools? Where did you apply, if you don’t mind me asking?</p>

5

<p>I know that I want to major in Political Science - I cannot see myself majoring in anything else except perhaps international relations or such - and its a major that doesn’t have a huge job placement rate at a bachelor’s degree level… so I feel like even if I decide law school isn’t for me, I don’t want to leave college with huge amounts of debt and a degree that might not land me a job that can actually pay for it.</p>

6

<p>Preamble, wait until the other 19 schools come out, if they accept you with enough scholarship that you can get by with a summer job(5 k of your own money per year), then you might want to consider those schools. After all the college you choose will influence the rest of your life, so a summer job for 4 years isn’t so bad considering.</p>