<p>As a Computer Engineering major, I am aware Georgia Tech is a better school. But, I would still be paying around 9,000$/yr at Georgia Tech, even with the 120,000$ in scholarship. While my dad said he could swing it, I know it will be a push for him. I was just wondering if anyone could offer any insight as to how much better my job opportunities would be with an undergrad degree from Georgia Tech. University of Arkansas(my home state school) will be paying me 1000$/semester while I live on campus and 3500$/semester when I move off campus. Also, as a fellow, I will have a separate advisor as well as access to funds for academic conferences, studying abroad, and research. U of A has a very heavily endowed Honors College thanks to the Walton family! At Georgia Tech, I would probably not have these kinds of opportunities because of the extra cost my dad will be putting forth. I also think I would have a better chance at maintaining a high GPA at U of A vs. Georgia Tech. Simply put, I don't want to get into the working world and feel limited by my degree; I'll already be a woman Computer Engineer, and I sometimes feel that might already come with a bit of prejudice. Thanks for any input!</p>
<p>Dang that is one hell of a conundrum. G Tech probably the best engineering school in the south and a top program in the nation. And all you have to pay is $36 k over the 4 years which apparently is barely affordable.</p>
<p>OR </p>
<p>You can go be a top student at Arkansas and get paid to be there. You get benefits and have the potential to explore things like study abroad on Arkansas’s dime.</p>
<p>My advice is probably get a feel for which school you like better if it is possible to visit them again. Not everyone gets to get paid to go to college haha that is a unique opportunity. Talk it over with your dad and see how much of a stretch it is to go to G Tech because it definitely looks better for job outlook. But doing great at Arkansas is good as well.</p>
<p>Have you told GaTech about the Arkansas scholarship? They’re not going to meet the offer, but since it is barely affordable with a scholarship, make sure you are squeezing every possible dime out of them.</p>
<p>I don’t think there is a wrong answer here…I’d be very tempted to choose Ga Tech. IMHO it’s a much better location, too.</p>
<p>Where do you want to live after college? If you want to stay in Arkansas, UA offer is a no brainer deal. On another hand, if you want to work in Silicon Valley, for example, GT is the answer. Even if you take out loan, $36K in total for a GT engineering major is not too bad.</p>
<p>@Jetsfan289 Thanks for the reply! I don’t have opportunity to visit G-Tech, but my best friend goes to Emory in Atlanta so I’ve heard a lot about it from a firsthand experience, if that counts for anything. Really, its a stretch but not a KILLER, the thing is, I have 4 brothers and sisters, two of which are younger than me and whom my dad will be paying for their education. One already attends U of A and the other just graduated, both with only small scholarships. Both of their educations have cost almost double what mine would cost at Georgia Tech, but for some reason, I still feel guilty putting my father in that position when I COULD go for free, you know? He has told me the decision is up to me, that he will pay if that’s what I decide. But again, I still feel almost guilty and am trying to decide if it’s really worth it for me in the long run. </p>
<p>@Hanna thanks for your reply, too. I definitely agree on the location sentiment. No, I haven’t told them. I feel like they might be kind of like “so what?” but I guess it couldn’t hurt to try! I might give them a call tomorrow.</p>
<p>@jvtDad definitely don’t want to stay in Arkansas. Silicon Valley or Austin would be ideal.</p>
<p>Do you guys think I could have a chance to work in those places if I worked my arse off and shined at U of A, then perhaps got a master’s from a more prestigious university?</p>
<p>OK, go GT!!! (I don’t believe I say this. I HATE that school with passion LOL).</p>
<p>Now, when you call GT, don’t say anything that could be offended to them or be construe as entitlement… Don’t use words like “match” (e.g., can you match this offer?) or even “appeal”. Just explain to them your family situation and ask if they could review the package… Say it in a very political way, if you know what I mean. I think your parents would be appropriate to call as it involves their finances.</p>
<p>PS - Just see your other post. Yes, you could. You don’t even need a master. I graduated from Southeastern Oklahoma. Do you think UA is worse than that? LOL. It’s just that GT career office has a national presence. Also, don’t forget you can work summer, co-op etc. that would make a good dent to the $36K portion.</p>
<p>^^ Good advice. GaT might well sweeten the deal a bit if you make a nice, humble call about your family situation and the financial strain.</p>
<p>Putting the engineering education to the side for a moment, I just think you’ll get a better all-around education at GaTech because of the students there. Yes, there are some very able kids in Fayetteville, but you just won’t have that community of folks from all around the country and the world who come to Georgia Tech for the education. It’s special.</p>
<p>I believe Georgia Tech has a lot more to offer. And it doesn’t have Bobby Petrino! Oh wait, neither does Arkansas!</p>
<p>Was your EFC close to $9K per year (lower? higher?). That amount per year sounds like quite a bargain for a Georgia Tech education, but if it would be a hardship, that’s another matter.</p>
<p>lol @MomofWildChild
My EFC was around 6,000$. So really, they did quite well with meeting that. Again, it’s just that I wonder how much I could do with everything paid for. I have no doubt that G-Tech is an all-around better school, and that I would more than likely have a better education. It’s just I would be 1 of only 80 students that U of A pretty much throws money and opportunities at during undergrad. I could also be a better student relative to the university, I just don’t know how doing better than most in college compares to simply having a degree with more academic recognition overall, even if I didn’t do as well? Thank you all for the replies, by the way. You all have very valid points. Honestly, I WANT to go to Georgia Tech. I never really wanted to go to U of A, but the cash is oh so tempting.
@jvtDad Why do you hate Georgia Tech?</p>
<p>Anyhow, judging strictly from the replies. I feel like I can already tell how the majority of people will react to a degree from G-Tech vs. U of A(even as a fellow). I suspected as much, it’s just so difficult to decide what can provide more opportunities overall. I’m not sure if I even would need a master’s with a Georgia Tech degree, and I feel like I might feel more compelled to have one with just my U of A degree.</p>
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</p>
<p>Haha, that’s all started with a… brunette LOL</p>
<p>GT…</p>
<p>You can help your dad out by taking a student loan for some of that and even working over the summer. </p>
<p>I disagree, though, with the premise that going to Arkansas means that you could only find work in that state. That’s not true…at all.</p>
<p>^ Agree. I went to school in Oklahoma and I’ve been all over the states. It’s just that I think $36K in total is pretty reasonable for a GT engineering degree.</p>
<p>Does that aid package from GT include Stafford Loans, or is it flat-out scholarship (free money)? If the Stafford isn’t included, then with the full Stafford Loan, a summer job, and what your parents can kick in, 9k should be do-able.</p>
<p>What kind of GPAs do you need to maintain to keep either of these scholarships for all four years? </p>
<p>Here’s a handy tool that you and your dad might find useful: [FinAid</a> | Calculators | Award Letter Comparison Tool](<a href=“Your Guide for College Financial Aid - Finaid”>Award Letter Requirements - Finaid)</p>
<p>Good luck with your decision, and best wishes for a successful four years!</p>
<p>It is flat-out scholarship (20,000 dollars/yr with Provost, 10,000$/yr donor scholarship, and 1500$/yr pell grant.) My goal for undergrad was to NOT go into debt, so I’m not too keen on a loan. </p>
<p>I would have to maintain a 3.0 to keep my scholarships at both colleges. </p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>If your EFC is low enough for Pell, then it’s not likely that your dad can pay the $9k per year without considerable hardship. If he were to pay with a payment plan, that would be about $750 a month for 48 straight months. For a Pell family, that would be very difficult…like having 2 new car payments each month!</p>
<p>I think you should consider the loans and working during the summer to relieve your dad’s burden. Your dad could agree to pay or help pay that back.</p>
<p>(if you got 1500 Pell, then your EFC was below 5000).</p>
<p>Check the Georgia Tech 4 year graduation rate (Note I have no idea what is going on down in Atlanta, all I know is that the rate is alarmingly in the low 30’s 4 years ago)</p>
<p>Go post in the GT forum and ask some students why so many people are not graduating on time.</p>