Hi all, a little about myself. Have a 4.0 gpa, 1750 sat, high school senior living in New Jersey. Like smaller schools with more one on one student/professor interaction.I am having a tough time deciding where I should go to school. I received merit aid to most of the schools and I will most likely not be getting financial aid because my parents have an investment property. Any and all input is greatly appreciated, now to list of schools and aid offered as of right now.
Albright- 26k merit per year
Monmouth- 14,500 per
York Of PA- 8K per
U Maryland
Rowan
Penn State
Quinnipiac- 19k per year, My favorite but will not be able to afford it
rutgers
Rutgers is a great value, but is a huge school. Have visited it?
What can your parents afford?
I would make a spreadsheet and include info like:
Net Cost
Number of Undergraduates
Faculty Student Ratio
%of students that live on campus
How big is the department for your major? If you are majoring in something that only has a couple of professors, that does not bode well.
Housing- do they offer all 4 years? freshman only?
Urban/rural/suburban
Is this a commuter school? (do students go home on weekends)
Surrounding area - what is the nearby town/amenities like?
Transportation - how would you get home
AP Credits - can you get credit for AP tests you have taken
Male/Female ration
Greek life - what % of students are in greek life
Parking
Diversity
Safety
Sports
Jobs - what happens to seniors after they graduate
Internships - depending on your major, is it easy to get internships?
…and whatever makes sense for you
You might not care about, say, greek life. but if 50% of the kids are in greek life and you don’t want to be, that is something to know. Or you may want a big time sports scene or you might not want one. Grade them from 1-5 as they make sense to you.
Then look at each of them and see which makes sense for you
I have visited Rutgers and liked it very much, the only con is the size. My parents said if I go to a school that is under 30k a year, I would probably have little to no debt. So that is a big part of the decision, I could go to one of the more expensive schools on my list, but I would have a decent amount of debt. Thanks for all the info, it will really be helpful!
If you’re willing to take out a student loan, your budget would be $35,500.
Unless your parents are willing to take out loans, this would make Quinnipac, Maryland, & Penn State unaffordable.
I’d recommend Rutgers, it’s the best option out of your affordable schools.