Everyone has probably heard this. Which should I choose realistically.
I’m really interest in Bowdoin, a liberal arts college. The thing though is that first off, alot of my AP credits will not transfer over, because Bowdoin tries to limit what kind of credit goes wherem, and the tuition is like over $30,000! I don’t have that kind of money. The fiasco is that I really like small classes, and I’m not sure I can handle a large state school class size. Plus, I really like class discussions. On the the other hand, if I go to A&M or UT, I will pretty much go for free (scholarships; it would only make like a really small dent in Bowdoin, the Texas schools are like $5,000 per year). The thing is the class size I’m worried about.
<p>I would check to see what kind of financial aid Bowdoin gives. If it guarantees 100% of students' demonstrated financial need, I'd use a financial aid estimator such as the one on CC's site or on Princeton's site, and I'd ask my parents if they'd be willing to pay a few thousand dollars more than that (just in case the estimator overestimated my aid) a year for my college education.</p>
<p>If it then seemed that Bowdoin was affordable, I'd apply. I'd also look for outside scholarships.</p>
<p>I'd also look for colleges that were similar to Bowdoin, but that seemed to be more affordable. For instance, Grinnell is also a small LAC, but offers merit aid, something that Bowdoin does not. I also think that Grinnell is cheaper.</p>
<p>I'd also consider public institutions that offer a LAC experience. UNC Asheville and University Minn. Morris are 2 that come to mind, and are relatively inexpensive.</p>
<p>Keep in mind, too, that you can take out loans. The average amount of loans that most college students take out is a total of $16k to $20 k. This is a reasonable amount to pay back for an undergrad education. You also can earn money over the summer or by working during the school year.</p>
<p>Many students who go to med school take out far, far more in loans for med school because their parents can't help them much financially. You are very fortunate that your parents apparently can pay full freight for you. Do make sure, however, that they understand how costly med school is so you don't take out more in undergrad loans than you can afford.</p>
<p>I also suggest York College in PA, St Mary's of MD, Mary Washington. If you are a strong student, some small schools in Ohio have some nice merit packages, Wooster, Ohio Wesleyan, Wittenburg, Wooster.</p>
<p>Talk to students at the large colleges that are in your major area of interest. Find out what happens after freshman year - in some schools the classes drop in size. Discussion can also occur in small group classes that are in addition to major lecture hall classes, sometimes these are led by graduate students and sometimes they are led by professors.</p>
<p>If you end up at a big school, take a breath and then go and meet your profs early - create study groups where discussion can occur - Large Universities have a lot to offer the student who will take the incentive to reach out.</p>