<p>So, is anyone else going to the school they don't really want to go to due to money?
I got into:
University of Minnesota - TC
Florida State U
U. of Florida
Boston U.
Penn State U. Park
Michigan State U.
U. of Washington</p>
<p>I'm from Wisconsin, and I will be attending U of M solely because of the cost factor. I really wanted to attend UF or PSU or UW but unfortunately I won't be able to. Besides 1,000 per year from parents and minimal financial aid all of my college will be paid for from loans. Going to the U of M ill end up with 50-60k debt while all the others would of been 115k + which seems a bit over the top. So, I find myself at Minnesota, excited but it's not what I thought it would be, I thought I was going to have so many choices and go where I wanted, incredibly excited for college instead of having to settle for a place.</p>
<p>But, that's how it goes, sorry if this seems like a rant, it sort of is I s'pose since I've been thinking about it a lot today.</p>
<p>Anyone else in the same scenario?</p>
<p>In the end, this is the best financial situation. The situation when it involves debt is to take on the least debt possible. There’s nothing wrong with Minnesota and all you should do now is forget and embrace your freshman year. Was there a reason you didn’t want to stay in-state and go to a Wisconsin public college?</p>
<p>A good number of people from my school attend Chapel Hill or NC State for financial reasons. It happens. The important thing is do well, and attending a state school may be more helpful than a more “prestigious” degree if you intend to stay local after graduation.</p>
<p>pierre - Wisconsin residents have a reciprocal tuition agreement with Minnesota schools, so the flagship MN school is not more expensive.</p>
<p>To the OP - opportunity is what you make of it. Get excited about something in your future, like travel abroad or an internship program, and don’t waste a lot of time looking back. You did a good job on your applications, but the money didn’t work out - at least half the students in the US are facing limitations because of the recession. You’ll feel differently in a few months.</p>
<p>“have no regrets once one has made one’s choice; get the most out of the place one has chosen, and don’t spend too much time worrying about whether the grass would have been greener elsewhere.”
<p>
If that’s what you tell yourself, then that’s what’s going to happen. You might first want to reflect what lesson(s) you can learn from this – college costs are published, there are EFC calculators online, you could have figured out what was affordable (barring some scholarships magically showing up) and spent more time researching colleges that were both affordable and attractive. I can promise you this isn’t the last time in your life where your dreams are going to be tempered by your finances. </p>
<p>Second, instead of bemoaning your fate as if you’re a passive vessel to which the college somehow imparts an exciting or dull experience, you can spend some time figuring out how to make UofM exciting. Whether it be joining clubs, the greek system, writing for the paper, getting involved in research, there are ways to meet like-minded people anywhere you go.</p>
<p>Given your choice of schools, Minnesota and UDub woud be my top two choices anyway, so I do not feel for you. Minnesota is an excellent university in a great city. It has a top 15 Economics department, excellent Engineering programs, a good Business school (Carlson), and is ranked in or around the top 25 in virtually every other field of study. Plus, you will have lots of attractive Viking women (hehe!) around you. Sounds like an awesome four years if you ask me. Of course, the winters are brutal, but you are probably used to that.</p>