I am truly greatly for the discussion and nice people I’ve met on CC.
Here’s where I am…
admitted to SMU with direct admit to Cox school of business. Also admitted to Hilltop Honors. 25k merit scholarship.
admitted to dual Business / Arts and Sciences at Syracuse. 28k merit scholarship. Also admitted to honors.
admitted to in-state UGA. Have state of Georgia Zell Miller tuition scholarship. No luck getting into honors and will have to apply to business school in sophomore year.
My parents do pretty well, and are ok with the financial differences.
For whatever reason, I’m hung up on SMU being so far away (Texas), yet Syracuse is same distance north. All schools have great Greek and campus spirit.
While I realize UGA is cheapest, I’ve always wanted to go out of state and expand my connections / world.
Congrats. You have some great choices, and I understand the desire to go out of state (two of my three kids went OOS). It seems like you are leaning towards Syracuse. Just make sure you can handle the significant weather change.
Also, you can expand your world with internships and abroad programs attending any of those schools.
SMU’s business school is wonderful. The area is great and the distance won’t seem so bad because it is so near major airports. SMU has a great alumni network. I know more about it since my husband and I were both undergrad there eons ago. We have a friend with 3 son’s attending now and they all love it! Good luck!
Thank you @lastone03 - my father went to Notre Dame, so I can relate to the bitter cold after a few visits. I’m definitely interested in Syracuse, as they’ve been amazing with their offer and outreach to me. My big concerns there are the obvious cold/snow and the fact I’m from the Southeast and may not “fit” with the Northeast crowd.
@momocarly - I absolutely loved Dallas, and the surrounding area. The campus was gorgeous, even though I was there on a rainy January day. Primary concern for me is whether it’s a good fit if I don’t see myself in Dallas long-term. And, same as Syracuse, will I fit in in a heavy “old Texas money” Greek culture. I’d love to do Greek, but am concerned about fit.
Thank you both for the comments - really appreciate your thoughts.
@Scholar2023 I think you are right to consider fit at SMU. The student body is not very diverse and is very wealthy, preppy, and fratty. Can you see yourself there? Can you do an overnight?
Congratulations. I am an SMU alum. I would strongly advise you to go to UGA. Please understand my advice is not animus towards the Hilltop (I am a former Hunt Scholar, and enjoyed my time at SMU). Rather, my analysis is based on finance. UGA is an excellent school. All things considered (and the information you supplied is incomplete), it is the least expensive option. While you want to go out of state, you can still travel abroad in college (I did a year in Scotland) at UGA. But, there is a distinct cost difference. $25K off at SMU still makes it extremely expensive. If I am correct, the total cost of attendance is over $70K. So, the difference is coming from somewhere. In-state at UGA with state scholarships is an excellent deal (plus you get UGA sports, and trust me, being an SMU fan truly is an exercise in apathetic nihilism).
You are right to be concerned about the cold and snow at Syracuse, though there are many from California and Florida who adapt and don’t mind it. As for “fit” with the Northeast crowd, I don’t see that as being a problem. SU has many students from everywhere, both in the US and out. Yes, there are a lot from the Northeast, but even so, they are from a wide range of socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. I’m confident you can find your people there.
@Scholar2023 I understand your concerns about the NE vs SE differences. There are definitely some biases (I’ve seen them here), but hopefully, that won’t be a deal breaker if you are leaning toward Syracuse. While 75% of SU students come from the NE, I bet you can find your people as @Amkngk indicated. I wonder if there is a way to connect with some other Georgians that attend? Is there a local alumni club near you?
I strongly relate to your dilemma. I am deciding between FSU, VA Tech, and UGA. I am from GA and also qualify for Zell, which makes UGA an unbeatable option financially. However UGA is the lowest on my list in every other category… I recieved little scholarship from FSU and VT. I am also trying to decide if paying more and having more loans would be worth it to attend these OOS schools. I am also hoping that I can recieve more aid by leveraging the UGA full tuition offer.
@Peruna1998 - thank you very much for your response. I know in my heart you are correct.
I just wonder am I missing the smaller school experience where the class sizes are more intimate and I can be involved in more campus activities. As someone once told me…“You can make a big school small, but not a small school big”!
The interesting aspect is that your two most expensive school gave you direct admit to business & to their honors colleges/programs. (Admission to UGA business is fairly easy though.)
Since the COA difference is not a concern to your family, I encourage you to examine the benefits of the honors colleges / programs which admitted you.
Do you play a sport ? If so, which location would be best for that sport if you want to continue in college ? If tennis, UGA & SMU are great whether played competitively or socially.
@Publisher - I did competitive cheerleading and gymnastics for 14 years. On our high school varsity team, we were a 4- year state contender - winning twice and runner up twice. I was ranked in top 40 in Georgia.
I would try out for cheerleading team at Syracuse and SMU, but will not at UGA.
I really enjoyed it in high school but am going to focus on academics and likely investigate Greek options.
@Scholar2023 Hello! My son was born in Atlanta (actually Decatur). We lived in the Virginia Highlands area. Later we moved to Charlottesville, Virginia where he went to high school. He is a southeast kid. Today he is a very happy freshman at Syracuse. He has made many friends from all over the country. He loves the school spirit and sports. He just joined a fraternity and is connecting well with his pledge class. My point is that he has had no trouble finding friends at a Northeast school. You should try to attend the own the dome event for admitted students if you are able. Like your parents, we are paying more than we would have if he stayed in state, but seeing how motivated, happy, and energized he is at Syracuse is worth the extra $ to us. You are blessed with excellent choices. Good luck with your decision!!