<p>I need advice in making one of the most difficult choices of my life !!!!
I got accepted to both University of Michigan and Barnard College (Women's college with Columbia Univ affiliation). UMich offered me a full ride for the first year, no loans... However if I attend Barnard I'm looking at around $4,000-$5,000 per year in loans and I would have to work. Barnard is absolutely my DREAM SCHOOL, but I really do like UMich... I can't decide between the two !!! I feel like Barnard would provide me with more opportunities, but is it worth the student loan debt ? I come from a very low-income family so paying back the loans will fall solely upon me and I am considering grad school. OPINIONS? HELP?</p>
<p>Sincerely,
A confused student :( </p>
<p>Someone told me to post this to parent's forum to get advice !</p>
<p>I don’t see having to work as a huge hardship. I think that working can be a really useful experience, and graduating with a resume can be really helpful.</p>
<p>When you say that Michigan offered you a full ride “for the first year”, what criteria would you need to meet to keep that scholarship? What happens if you lose the scholarship? Would you still be able to stay at Michigan?</p>
<p>Barnard is doable. The total for loans is less than the maximum subsidized Stafford loans ($23k), which means that government data suggest the loans are not too onerous. </p>
<p>The schools are really different, and you don’t need to be told that, because you already know. </p>
<p>“Worth it” is in the eye of the spender. </p>
<p>Where are you from? (Note: While “I” would much prefer Barnard, I wouldn’t dare to recommend that to you given that I know nothing about you, your hopes, dreams, and aspirations. All I’m saying is that the numbers suggest that it is doable.)</p>
<p>Because your family doesn’t have much money, you probably won’t have a lot of spending money while you’re at college, especially at Barnard, where you would need to work just to help meet your basic college expenses.</p>
<p>This might be particularly unpleasant in NYC, where there are a lot of expensive recreational opportunities that many of your classmates will enjoy but you won’t be able to afford.</p>
<p>It’s less of a problem in a college town like Ann Arbor, where there are fewer expensive things to do. Also, if you get a part-time job while going to the University of Michigan, you might even have some extra spending money.</p>
<p>@CuriousJane I am in no way opposed to working, I have a job now while in high-school & it helps me to he responsible, I just don’t want a job the first semester of college so that I can get used to the academic rigor involved. As for the money offered from UMich it is a combination of government grants/merit scholarships that I assume will be renewed each year if my financial situation does not change; however, I cannot be sure</p>
<p>If Barnard is your Dream school, I would say the 5000 is not really that much to live out your dream. (Also, NYC offers so much in terms of internships and connections)
Which would you regret more?</p>
<p>@mini I believe that it is totally worth it !! Especially to have to ability to experience a new & unique environment (I have lived in Michigan for my whole life) I just don’t want to graduate and regret putting myself into debt if I go into grad school, which will bring me even more debt</p>
<p>A very large percentage of non-professional graduate schools provide fellowships for their Ph.D. students. My d. (a Smith grad) gets paid what I would consider relatively handsomely for a grad student, given her needs.</p>
<p>But if it’s totally worth, and it is affordable, what’s the question?</p>
<p>(I’m actually a bit concerned about UMich’s one year offer. Do you know what you have to do to retain it?)</p>
<p>What kind of grad school are you considering? $20K in debt is reasonable, but if you’re thinking of an expensive grad program (e.g. Law, Medicine) or a low paying field (e.g. the Arts), then it may seem like a lot.</p>
<p>You seem very smart and together to be thinking in terms of cost vs. following your dreams, or what your instincts are telling you. Why not visit Barnard, now that you are accepted? Hang out on campus a bit, see what the other girls are like, what they are wearing, what events they are attending and what clubs they are in, what they are doing on the weekends. You can probably arrange to stay with students in the dorms. Seeing a campus in action is a really good way to decide if it is the right fit for you. If you call Barnard admissions and tell them how excited you are to have been admitted and tell them that you really want to visit campus but have limited funds, they may even be able to help pay the cost of getting you to campus. You have everything to gain. Both of your schools are absolutely great schools, so looking at quality of life issues, and who your fellow students might be, is very important. Try to do the same at U Michigan too. You have no wrong choice here, you are going to college! Congratulations and good luck.</p>
<p>@mini The money offered from UMich is a combination of government grants/merit scholarships & if my financial situation does not change drastically within the next three years I would assume that it would stay the same; however, I cannot be sure</p>
<p>Whoops I left off the most important thing: go sit in on classes, go visit the profs in the major you are interested in - they have office hours each week - go to the food court and have a meal, and don’t forget to spend some time in the libraries.</p>
<p>@CuriousJane As of right now I plan on majoring in biology with hopes of going to veterinary school, but I am also interested in business… I’m very open to change and would like to let my experiences in college guide me toward my career path</p>
<p>@alwaysasking Thank you ! & I have visited UMich three times as it is only about 1.5 hours from my hometown and I feel like I fit in. I have connected with many Barnard women through social media and they are very nice and I am going to visit on an all expense paid trip by the university in two weeks so that will help me to make my decision</p>