Hello, I’m a Hispanic high school senior (just 3 years in the US) and I am undecided when picking my college
I got accepted into UF, GaTech, and Embry-Riddle. I want to major into Aerospace Engineering but the problem is that in UF i’ll go almost for free, just meal and small things I will be paying.
But Gatech and Embry-riddle are more expensive and I dont have the money to afford them. So I will have to ask for loans and probably graduate with a high debt. Im still waiting for financial aid ( probably high because of my parents income) though.
So the question is should I go to UF (which is pretty good) and save money, or GaTech (Top 5 in Engineering) or ERAU (more specialized in aerospace) and graduate with debts? Is it worthy?
Also do you think that moving from Miami to Atlanta is just too big for a hispanic guy. Like maybe I dont feel comfortable in there after living in Miami for 3 years only, while UF will be a less dramatic change.
Coming from a person who doesn’t want/know much about Aerospace Engineering, all of the three schools sounded the same (meaning the name didn’t mean anything). As far as I would go, I would choose money over name because at the end of the day you’re there for the degree not for the name.
You should wait for your financial package first, but likely OOS at GA Tech will mean full pay and Embry will likely gap you. You don’t say if your parent income is high or how.
But as a student you, on your own can only borrow:
Student Federal Direct Loan
freshman 5,500
sophomore 6,500
jr 7,500
sr 7,500
The rest comes from your parents. Are they able and willing to borrow and how much are we talking about? Likely you are lucky to get the offer you have. Graduating and not having to service loans is an enormous freedom.
Go to UF. You don’t want debt. Embry Riddle is probably great (trust me, as a fellow intended aerospace engineering major, I drooled over it for awhile), but the price is outrageous. Georgia Tech - IDK, but doubt it’s worth tons of money. Get internships, get good grades, etc. You’ll do fine.
Embry-Riddle is not “outrageously” priced… it’s surely more expensive than in-state colleges, but it’s also competitively priced compared to out of state and other private schools.
With that said, all of the schools you have listed are excellent, and cost is very important in the grand scheme of things. If UF is the most affordable option, and you’ve already weighed all the pros and cons for each school, then it sounds like UF might be a good fit.
UF looks like the best option, based on cost and it’s strong Aerospace program. GT’s a great school (and I think you would love Atlanta), but the “advantages” as an UG at GT over UF are minor.
“Nearly two-thirds of UF graduates leave the university with no student loan debt. For the remaining third, their average indebtedness is roughly $20,700, compared with the national average of more than $29,000.”
I just received the financial aid from Embry-Riddle. They give 30k, I think it is a good amount, Im going to wait for the other two and then make a decision based on which one is more affordable for me and my family. Thank u all for your advices
Even if the college name does affect employment, it is likely that it will only affect your first job. I wouldn’t say the name of any of those colleges stand out to me as someone who doesn’t know much about Aerospace Engineering. Don’t spend money on a name in this case.
