<p>so i've been accepted to the University of Alabama with a full ride scholarship and with honors but today I found out i got accepted to University of Southern California
im going to both for chemical engineering and i know that money is a big deal but doesnt school name matter too or not?
im not really sure about the financial aid for USC yet but i think i might be getting an air force scholarship with it.
what advice would you give!! thank you</p>
<p>Which do you like better in terms of fit?</p>
<p>Educational quality, for engineering, is not going to be significantly better at USC than at Alabama. Yes, USC is the better school, including its engineering school. But it is not one of the truly great engineering schools in America. In addition, USC is very much a West Coast school, and Alabama is very much a southern school.</p>
<p>So, it depends largely where you want to work after college. If you want to live out west, it will be easier to get a job there if you attend USC. The same is true for Alabama if you want to work anywhere between, say, Texas and Virginia. For the remainder of the country, USC might have an edge but it will not be gigantic.</p>
<p>The relationship between getting a job and the university you attend is largely dependent on the alumni network. The school name listed on you resume is of minor consequence, except in the case of Harvard, Stanford, MIT, etc… USC is not such a school.</p>
<p>Regarding the Air Force ROTC scholarship… yes, then go to USC if you want to. However, also do not get your hopes up. Only 5% of AFROTC scholarships are good for full tuition at private universities. 80% are limited to state universities for in state students. The other 15% can be used at private colleges, but are limited to $18,000 per year. So, odds are against the Air Force making USC truly affordable.</p>
<p>Also, chemical engineering is not among the technical majors which AFROTC prefers, although chemistry is. See this link:
<a href=“http://www.afrotc.com/scholarships/schools”>http://www.afrotc.com/scholarships/schools</a></p>
<p>:| </p>
<p>When you get the aid package from USC, run the numbers here: <a href=“Your Guide for College Financial Aid - Finaid”>Your Guide for College Financial Aid - Finaid; </p>
<p>For engineering, the name on the diploma barely matters at all. A new grad of USC and a new grad from Alabama who are hired by the same company will make the same salary. After the first job, what will matter is what you did at the first job - not where you graduated. Going to school for free (or almost for free) gives you a lot of options for summer internships, semesters abroad, and after graduation because money won’t be an issue. Think twice before turning that money down.</p>
<p>If you take/get an AFROTC scholarship, you will commission and serve for 4 years. The school you went to will have virtually no influence on your job opportunities after you leave the AF. At Alabama you would be able to combine the AFROTC scholarship and the UA Presidential to cover room and board and get a completely “free-ride”. Not exactly free as the AF will get their moneys worth out of you. Good luck.</p>
<p>WAPacker makes an excellent point. The AFROTC scholarship is a bit more like a student loan, but with the difference that you work for four years to pay it off. The scholarship to Alabama is a true scholarship, and you will owe nobody anything when you graduate. In fact, you could still go into the Air Force… and do it on your own terms.</p>