I need help deducing between these two schools. They feel like apples to limes to me. I am interested in each for different reasons. They are not really that comparable directly. And, money plays into this decision but not in a predictable way. I’m a strong student with excellent writing skills, decent at adv. math, although I don’t love it, and with an interest in the natural sciences. I’m also into acting and usually spend a lot of time in the theater dept. CC’s block plan and innovative curriculum is attractive to me. Case has the strong STEM offerings, but is much larger. Case offered me full tuition for 4 years. CC has offered a generous package of grants and scholarship (no loans) and is close to the range of CC. At CC, I will need to apply for FA every year and my my financial package could change. Whereas Case’s scholarship is not based on FA and cannot change. I won’t even have to fill out the fafsa again. I love CC and it could turn out to be affordable but it is unpredictable. I am less confident of my fit at Case, and yet I’d graduate debt free from it. I do best in small seminar style classes, with lots of discussion and less lecturing. I’m also middle class and worry about the wealth of the student body at CC. Worried, because I may not be able to keep up spending the same as my fellow CC students. Can I be happy at either? Will i regret not taking the larger scholarhsip as the years go by.? Should I just pick the small LAC because it plays to my strengths, and assume the aid will be there every year? Ugh… Thank you all in advance for your thoughts.
CC isn’t exactly in a location where other students can spend a pile of money fl day in and day out. Not like Georgetown or NYU, for example.
If your family’s finances are fairly consistent from year to year, then CC should give very similar aid each year.
Thanks for your point. I agree it’s not a shopping or entertainment mecca but in little ways additional expenses could wear on me. for instance, if my peeps go out for dinner for the 3rd night in a row, 'cause the dorm food isn’t what they want, I will be expected, by my parents, to eat on the school’s meal plan. Colorado Springs is a town of nearly 500,000 so there’s “in town” life which costs. And, there are lifestyle factors. It is an outdoor enthusiasts paradise. If you like to ski, a daily lift ticket can cost $150 plus eating at the lodge, paying for the bus, renting equipment. And with the block program, and 4 days off, every 4 weeks, there may be overnighters. Prob more than you’d find at tri or semester programs. Maybe I’m over worrying and that’s where I could use the insights from the forum. Thank you.
My daughter graduated CC last year. We are a firmly middle class family, so no annual lift tickets or other expensive items. She used the meal plan freshman year, but cooked many of her own meals in the dorm kitchens after that. Yes, there are plenty of affluent kids, but there are also plenty of others more like you. Unless your family’s finances change dramatically, your aid will stay the same all 4 years, CC doesn’t play bait and switch with aid packages. Unless you don’t meet the requirements to keep specific scholarships, you will keep them all 4 years.
As for block breaks, there are plenty of things to do on campus, or you can join trips with various clubs or friends, it shouldn’t cost you a fortune. If CC seems like a good fit, and you’re comfortable with the block schedule, go for it. It’s not for everybody, but my daughter loved it.
" if my peeps go out for dinner for the 3rd night in a row"
I promise you there will be plenty of peeps to friend where stuff like this won’t be an issue. In fact, to the extent stuff like this goes on, it would definitely be in the minority. Even a lot of families with money don’t fund stuff like this.
You will find, however, that skiing/snowboarding is a big thing with many on campus. However, there are ways to make it relatively more affordable. You can get a student pass for about $400 (yeah, I know not cheap) for unlimited skiing for the season. Ski passes make good birthday/Christmas gifts/graduation gifts as does $ to apply to such things. I’d buy some used equipment rather than renting. Depending on your skiing level, you can also ski back country for $0 (although you need to some avalanche gear for that). Block breaks can be done very cheaply if you hike and camp. Many students stay on campus for block break as well. Additionally, you can rent all kinds of gear for cheap on campus: https://www.coloradocollege.edu/offices/outdooreducation/ahlberg-gear-house/
I’m just curious how you are still deciding between the two schools since it’s after May 1- did you get in off of one’s wait list or did you get an extension to decide?
In one post you are posting as a parent, in another as a student. Which are you?
@hookless care to share which academic stars earned you the substantial merit? Did you apply EA to CC? Are you an athlete?