I am currently a senior who was waitlisted from William and Mary, Wake Forest, and Bucknell. I was accepted into Boston University, which is my next choice. However, I am struggling trying to figure out which school out of these three would be the wisest choice as money is a big factor. There is a $15,000 difference between each of the three schools with Virginia Tech being the cheapest. But, I would like to major in history or political science and am not a math minded person. Basically, I would love any advice on which college would be the best choice for me. I have visited all of them and I am still very lost.
Thanks!
@Dancer1523 go with the cheapest option. For that major - the $$ should be your biggest factor. Do not add needless debt.
Do you have any specific plans or thoughts for post college graduation? I think a strong liberal arts college would be the best place to get a history degree. Virginia Tech certainly is not known for being really strong in that area but there are those who graduate with those degrees. My own personal opinion has been that the liberal arts departments support the liberal arts curriculum required for students in the other degree granting programs, e.g., engineering, business, sciences, architecture etc. But, you will find quality professors at Virginia Tech. If you decide on VT for those degrees you really need to make an effort to take advantage of any extra opportunities that they may offer at the university, e.g., living learning communities, semester abroad, and most importantly internships. I don’t think that Boston University or Elon are going to offer you any advantages over VT but I don’t have enough knowledge of those schools to really say for sure. Given your intended major(s) are known to be difficult for employment post graduation I would go for the cheapest of the three. 15K (per year?) is a huge cost difference. If you get off the waitlist at W&M though go there.
Each school really has a different feel. BU obviously has a great reputation, but it is huge. I got my diploma from Elon (only did two years there), and it was the perfect size for me personally. At BU or VT, you may be one of 300+ poly sci majors, thus, not necessarily getting to build working relationships with your professors or fellow majors.
I wouldn’t recommend just going with the cheapest option…if you take on debt, you take on debt. I wouldn’t let it be a game changer. You’ll be spending the next 4 years in the place, so if feeling more comfortable or confident in a program costs $4k more, I would say it’s worth the investment.
Hi Dancer, I have a daughter who is just about to complete her second year at VT. She, too, looked at W&M and other more liberal arts minded schools, but ultimately decided on VT and has had zero regrets. She is majoring in History with a couple of additional minors. She is the kind of kid that really values the “smarts” of her professors, challenging classes she takes and the intelligence of those around her. She has found the History dept. at Tech to be excellent and has developed a wonderful relationship with her professors and classmates.
While VT will never be considered at liberal arts school, its liberal arts programs are nothing to sneeze at. There are so many opportunities at VT for research with professors, undergraduate publishing, etc. It is all what YOU put into your education. She joined the Honors College and it also has opened so many doors for her. Give Virginia Tech a look, I think you will be pleasantly surprised! Good luck in your decision!