It seems as if Vanderbilt has come to match Duke’s level recently, so if I were looking at majoring in Economics and Computer Science, which college would be a better fit? However, if I go to USC Honors, I could get a full ride and most likely extra. Would Duke or Vanderbilt be worth the costs? Or would it be better to save money and go to USC?
I assume you are a rising senior? Why don’t you apply first and see if you get in. Once you have your acceptances in hand you can compare offers.
Is the full ride to USC guaranteed?
Full rides at USC are competitive, not guaranteed or automatic.
The honors college/scholarship application for University of South Carolina is amongst the most challenging I’ve ever seen. My kid completed it…but it took a lot of time. It was certainly not easy by any means. Despite her strong admissions application, she did not get selected for the honors college.
So…the OP should not assume that he will get a full ride at SC…at all. It’s very competitive…with the application, plus interviews for the finalists.
OP you might be counting your chickens before they are hatched. You are applying to some highly competitive schools and scholarship programs.
My advice is to apply, but make sure you have some affordable safety and match schools. Once all of your decisions come back you can decide.
As a SC resident having met the qualifications, I get some merit based scholarships such as the Palmeto Fellows Scholarship and the Life Scholarship which already get me close to a full ride
Also, I’m not saying I’ll get into any of these colleges. I have the scores to get in, but I was just looking for a comparison
Have you visited these schools?
What are you looking for in a school? We don’t know which school would be a better fit for you because you have not given us any information.
Are you able to visit Duke and Vanderbilt? If yes, that will help you decide whether they may be a good fit for you and whether or not you want to apply.
Do you have any other safety and match schools besides USC? Duke and Vanderbilt have very low acceptance rates even for those who have the stats to get in.
I have visited both schools and I like both, and yes I have other backups, I was just wondering between these three which would be best for the majors I want
@chrissh
I guess it depends on the major/desired field. If business I would go with Duke or Vandy.
Also, Vandy is still a step below Duke, one who is familiar with acedemia/ higher education knows to look beyond acceptance rates, however Vandy is still a great top tier institution.
Ok thank you for clarifying. I can’t help you with these majors, unfortunately.
Are you definitely applying to all 3 schools… Or… are you planning to drop one based upon what you learn regarding your choice of major?
If you are applying to all 3 regardless, I would wait and see if I get in first ( specifically to Duke and Vanderbilt) and then I would compare majors etc. Of course there is no harm in having these discussions as long as you understand the very low acceptance rates.
Are you considering ED? Are costs an issue for your family?