Hi guys,
I’m having a VERY hard time deciding which college I want to attend, and with only a month left, I’ve decided - why the heck not. Let’s consult CC. I got into 7 schools, but narrowed it down to George Washington and University of Texas at Austin. I got into the political communication major at GWU and journalism at UT. I live in Austin, so I would have instate tuition, but George Washington has also given me a 25k/yr scholarship. Additionally, I got into the women’s leadership program at GW. I know these two schools aren’t ~traditionally compared, but I’m having a tough time because UT is such a great school with an amazing communications program, but GW is also a very good school and it is far away from home.
Is there any insight any of y’all can offer me? Maybe the pros and cons of the schools, what type of student best fits the schools, etc. These questions are more geared toward George Washington because I know UT pretty well.
Thanks!!
Well, I’m not sure how much feedback on UT you’ll receive in the GW forum, but we can provide plenty of insight on what GW has to offer.
Typically, to answer questions like these you need to list things you want in a school and rank their importance. That’s if you want to be as calculative as possible in your final choice. For example, is the probability that you’ll find work after graduation a concern? Availability of internships? Networking? Being “in the thick of it” with respect to your area of study?
Obviously there will be things that each school has that the other doesn’t. I suggest focusing on these and ranking their importance to you. You say that UT has a great comms program, so I’ll take your word for that. GW also has a great political comms program, so you could say they’re “equal” in program stature. What about internships at UT? Is the school in Austin? If so, there could also be some good internships available. However, I’m gonna go out on a limb and say that Austin can’t compare with the internships and experience you can get from interning at GW. Think about it: political communications in Washington D.C. I don’t think it’ll get much better than that.
Now, what about student life? Would you like to live on an urban campus and be short walks away from anything and everything you’ll need in your 4 years? I don’t know what it’s like at UT, but GW’s location is pretty amazing.
And finally, there will be quite the price disparity between the two. It looks like UT is gonna run you about $10K for just the tuition. I’m not sure what other expenses you’d incur and whether you’re gonna live on campus or commute from home. Even with $25K/yr at GW you’ll still be looking at $33K a year with everything included. That’s $132K over 4 years. Are you parents helping at all? If not, I’d personally strongly recommend against going that far into debt. I’ve known people that have gotten out of school with $60K+ in debt and have $800/mo student loan payments. If you’re not making a whole lot after graduation (heck, even if you are) that’s gonna HURT.
Anyway, I hope this will help you think about things a little more apples-to-apples and have a better idea which is the better fit for you. Good luck!
The location is something I’m not worried about. I would love being in Austin or Washington, DC. I definitely agree with you on the internships and networking – that’s probably the main thing that’s drawing me to George Washington. For the financial aspect, UT would cost me 25$ a year including everything and GWU would cost $41/yr. GWU’s political programs are definitely highly ranked and of course, being in DC would be a great opportunity. Something that I’ve also been thinking about is post-graduation. Journalism would typically require a masters, so maybe UT would be the better option, as it would save me a lot of money. However, with political science, I could possibly get a job with a bachelor’s degree. I guess it’s about the payoff. I feel torn because GWU might be worth the extra tuition because of the “better” job opportunities. Maybe this isn’t even a question anyone else can answer but myself lol.
(Sorry that was a little messy and all over the place!)
Well, it sounds like you’re thinking it through very logically. And you’re right- no one can tell you what’s best for YOU.
Out of the $25K and $41K per year, how much of that is loans? If it’d be mostly loans, have you thought about knocking out your general studies at a local community college then transferring for you core classes? I don’t know if you have any friends or family that are recent grads, but talk to them about their debt and what (if anything) they would have changed. Sometimes a degree from a fancy education isn’t worth the cost…