<p>I am quite positive that I will stumble upon a very difficult decision.
Say, a school that isn't particularly "excellent" gives me a full ride - UTD, University of Dallas, University of Arkansas, University of Tulsa, etc.
OR I could go and pay my way in a school like UT Austin or even Rice.
What do you think I should do?
What would be the smartest decision for both my future and my sanity? Would going to a school that is not one of the nation's top 100 have a negative impact on my future worse than working AND studying and/or having a big debt?</p>
<p>I'm caught in your situation.</p>
<p>For me, if I get into Stanford or Santa Clara, I will go regardless of financial. I personally think it will be worth it for me to take the debt because I love the schools that much.</p>
<p>If I'm left with my other 6 or so schools, then financial aid/scholarship packages will be the most driving factor in choosing a school</p>
<p>This is always a challenging decision that has to be made with input from the entire family. Good luck in making the best possible choice. I suspect our family will be facing similar choices.</p>
<p>I think that you must remember that you are not making the decision in a vacuum. You need to have a serious talk with your parents now to discuss financial parameters , the amount of money they are willing to shell out and the amount of debt they are willingto take on. If they give you a number beleive it. Don't assume that because you got into the big name school of your dreams, that can or are going to shell out money that they may or maynot have.</p>
<p>Remember without buy-in from your parents you may be limited as there is only so much debt that you as a student are allowed to take on. So deciding to attend a school without the financial support of your parents can leave you between a roc and a hard place. There are many threads where students got caught up because a parent either could not or would not pay for school. </p>
<p>A large number of schools in the country will give you a great education. what do you plan to do in the future? Are you considering grad school or professional school? you may want to think about may be it is worth it to take a free ride and save the money for law or professional school.</p>
<p>Hi,</p>
<p>I was also in this situation when choosing a college. I chose the money over the better school. I won outside scholarships and get my tuition, room and board paid for and a refund check every semester. If you can afford to go to the better school, then do so, but if not its smarter to take the route where you will be financially stable. If you are a good student, you will get a good job regardless of the school you attend- you may have to work harder than those who go to the top schools, but it is definitely possible... Whatever you decide to do, make sure you go somewhere that you like- even if you think you would like somewhere else better. Your happiness is a necessity- it you're not happy, your grades and social life will reflect that unhappiness....</p>
<p>That's a tough question. A lot of it depends on what you hope to get out of college. I think that a top student at a good school will have the same opportunities available as an average student from a great school. However, it may require you to be more pro-active.</p>
<p>Apply to all the schools you are interested in, then see what happens with the financial aid and scholarships. We never thought my DD would get merit scholarships from a school like Rice, but she did, and got a good F.A. package also. You'll never no unless you apply!</p>
<p>anxiousmom, if you don't mind me asking.. what were your daughters stats? Rice is my dream school but I would never be able to go unless I am offered a substantial amount of scholarships... though I think it is not possible.</p>
<p>The situation of "best possible school vs one that pays you the most" is a very difficult decision and I wished more students would realize this during the selection process.</p>
<p>I made the decision to go to the school that paid me the most. I realized that by my Senior year of college I'd want to get out of there anyway no-matter which school it was.</p>
<p>I know far too many students that went to their dream school on a whim, KNOWING they didn't have enough aid to cover their tuition through the remaining 3 years. That's what I took into consideration--the first year plus the rest. There's nothing worse than going to a good school and not being able to complete there because your aid is decreased 2 years later and you have to transfer somewhere else. Or worse, taking a "year off", while forgetting the loans can come due early if your not enrolled full time.</p>
<p>I also weighed the TYPE of aid received. Mostly which schools weighted more on Student Loans vs Grants, scholarships + aid. The "better" schools offered 70/30 loan to need/merit aid. Other's were 50/50. The school I chose was 90% scholarships + grants + work study, then 10% loans. I did not have a problem taking on the loans, but NOT if it were going to be +50% of tuition + costs over the next 3+ years.</p>
<p>Not to Hijack the thread but...</p>
<p>Little known fact, Rice will provide ~100% of aid for the majority of its students. Rice used to be free to any student that was accepted, back in the 50's, but then the rules changed and they had to start charging.</p>
<p>If you have the smarts for Rice THEY will get the money for you! As far as I know, none, or few, of the students there pay any tuition out of pocket. From the words of one of their Financial Aid admins there, NONE of the students leave there with loans. It's a good school to go to.</p>
<p>It really depends on what you do after college. If you want to be say say a teacher, or go to med school, the undergrad school won't much matter. If you want to go to law or business school or get a job on Wall Street, the school matters.</p>
<p>Well if you just want a bachelor's degree then go with the best possible school. If you want to get a higher degree once you graduate then go with the one that gives you the most money.</p>
<p>My son was exactly in your shoes. He had been accepted into the University of Illinois and University of Texas at Dallas. With out of state tuition, total cost to attend U of I would have been at least $30,000/yr. UTD scholarship paid all of his tuition, plus a $3,000/year cash stipend. Since I couldn't possibly afford to borrow over $100,000 for each of my 3 children to attend college, I told him he could go wherever he wanted, but he'd have to foot the bill. We had a total of $10,000 saved up to help him with college. </p>
<p>He chose UTD. He works part time and has over $12,000 in the bank. He has Zero student loans. He is fast-tracking at UTD and will earn both his BS and MS in Computer Science during his 4 years there. </p>
<p>Take the free education. Twenty years from now, nobody will care which school you got your degree from. Your work record will speak for itself.</p>
<p>If my son chooses, he can continue on for his PhD upon graduation from UTD. That will be the only education that he will have to pay for.</p>
<p>I know that Rice has good FA, and they do cap student loans so that the most debt student's graduate can graduate with is $14,000 - I think. It was $10,000 a few years ago, but I think it went up. Still, they are quite generous, and not a large percentage of students graduate with any debt. If you are low-income, they are even more generous. (I'd rather not post her stats. It seems a long time ago now!!!)</p>
<p>How does your son like UTD, is he in the honors program? </p>
<p>My d is a high school senior this year and a national merit semifinalist. Because of that, she can get tuition room and board x 4years at UTD if she chooses that college as her first Nat'l merit choice. </p>
<p>Another Nat'l Merit possiblity is Baylor where she can have full tuitionx4 years (not r and b). </p>
<p>Can you compare the two?. . .any info you can give me would be greatly appreciated. </p>
<p>D will be visiting Baylor and UTD during Veteran's Day weekend to see and compare firsthand the two schools. </p>
<p>She is also applying to other schools, but merit scholarships at these other schools are not guaranteed.</p>