Okay…so hopefully I’m not the only person whos in this situation but I was accepted into-
loyola md
st joseph’s
scranton
indiana bloomington
university of denver
u of colorado boulder
aand i’m still waiting on hobart & william smith colleges. anyway…I’m an easily persuaded girl and i’ve read/heard from other people about the schools I want to go to (st joes and loyola are my top, but people are telling me, “oh, don’t go to xyz, its no fun!!” or “xyz isn’t worth it!! go to abc instead”) and its really overwhelming. on top of that, a lot of those schools are very very expensive, and even though my parents tell me not to worry about the tuition i still do. I just want a really good education from a school that is worth the money but I also want to party (i live in a town where thats basically the culture. no shame)
any input??? thank you sm
I would recommend Boulder, IU, or Scranton first. If all are affordable.
@LBad96 can you explain why you recommend those 3 schools?
All your schools are quality. But I recommended those three in particular because you mentioned having fun in correspondence with quality academics.
You’re fortunate to have good options in many different geographical locations - good for you! Be really honest with yourself about how far away from home you want to be. Are you the type that’s able to roll with the punches that ultimately come with travel (missed connections, bad weather, getting rides to the airport)? If you get sick, are you comfortable with managing your own care with just phone call support from your parents? If something happens at home, would it really bother you not to be there? Going to school in a different part of the country can be a wonderful experience. But be sure you have the whole picture. You can spread your wings and get a great education equally well in close to home and farther away… Good luck!
I think at some point you have to ‘not listen’ to other people and go with your gut! “Party school” or not, every school will have parties - it’s like life, some people like to party, some don’t. Have you had a chance to visit/revisit any of these? Sit in on a class, visit the dorms, talk to some current students. imagine yourself being there. what is it you want to study? which school has the best programs/teachers for that? etc etc. Ultimately it’s your decision, so don’t let the opinions of a few people sway you!
Also incredibly fortunate not to worry about tuition and costs. Be grateful and good luck.
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lot of those schools are very very expensive, and even though my parents tell me not to worry about the tuition i still do. I just want a really good education from a school that is worth the money but I also want to party (i live in a town where thats basically the culture. no shame)
any input??? thank you sm
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Well, you know your parents. IF they have a high income, adequate retirement savings and other saving, and won’t be taking out loans to fund your education, then you have less cause for worry, but it’s nice to consider some aspect of cost if the education/experience will be the same at a less expensive school.
ARe you instate for IU?
What is your major and career goal?
Do you want Greek systems? Do you want a school with big sports to watch and cheer for? If so, which sport? Football? Basketball?
Go on student review websites and see what those students say about their schools.
All are fine choices and nobody should answer this but you. The question is what environment do you want for your next four years? As I see it:
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you have a mix of geographic locations so what is your preference?
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you have a mix of very large schools and mid size schools so what is your preference? (do you feel you will get lost in a large university? are things like big time sports, Greek Life important to you?). If you get into HWS then a LAC will be added to that mix. Do you want that type of smaller LAC experience?
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you have a mix of Jesuit and public schools so what do you prefer? (do you like the idea of a Catholic college? have you looked at the Jesuit Core curriculum?).
If possible go back and re-visit your top couple of choices before deciding. Listen to your own voice as you have all good choices.
I’d argue CU-Boulder fits this description best (unless you’re instate for UI). And if you’re into skiing or love the mountains, then definitely.
Thanks for the clarification @LBad96
All good advice.
I would add, look back at why you applied to the schools you applied. I’m sure you didn’t just pick these schools out of a hat, so what was it that stood out to make it worth an application? Then compare that with what you value most.
Congratulations!
If you’re in-state, IU-Bloomington is the obvious choice imho (barring some factor you didn’t mention). Bloomington itself is small, but the campus is beautiful and there is plenty of partying to be had. 
Don’t forget your studies. :-@
@skiadk I would make a spreadsheet, even though that might sound tedious or boring. Include factors like cost (including transportation), ranking, career placement after graduation, surrounding area, weather, strength in majors that you might be considering, recreational opportunities, Catholic/secular, etc. Or come up with some other rating system of things that are important to you and rank each school in each category from 1-10. That may make things clearer.
Also, there may be schools that are similar in many respects but vary tremendously in cost. For example, if you are in-state for Colorado or Indiana, one of those options is likely to be considerably cheaper but both are very good quality schools. If you don’t care much either way and pick a less expensive option, your parents would likely thank you for it.
Regarding student vibe on campus, niche is a pretty good site for student reviews. I would avoid students review dot com as a source of information. You could also check out a Princeton or Fiske guide to colleges.
Partying is everywhere; I doubt you’ll have a problem there.
Have you discussed actual College costs with your parents? Sometimes parents don’t understand what current costs are for tuition, room and board.
Another issue might be that they are in denial about how they will come up with the money you need each year.
Please let us know you have had the money talk with your parents, that they have told you how much college savings you have, and exactly how they will pay for your education.
If you are not an only child, your college choice could impact your younger siblings.
Go to accepted student visits if possible at your top 3. (Hint: if your parents say it is too expensive to do that, then you KNOW you are stressing them with a high cost school). Also, are you taking out federal loans for them? Are your parents taking out any additional loans for any of them (like Parent Plus or private loans)?
Plug the numbers in here, add any extra columns for data that comes up while you are thinking things through, and talk the results over with your parents:
http://www.finaid.org/calculators/awardletteradvanced.phtml
And do discuss the “want to party” business with your parents as well. How do they feel about that? Are your notions of fun OK with them, or would they prefer you take a bit of time off to get the partying out of your system so that you are more focused on getting an education before they shell out for it?
I would say U Scranton. I visited their campus and it was very well maintained. Most importantly, they stress the quality of education