It’s almost May 1, and I need to decide between an out-of-state school and an in-state school. The out-of-state would cost 34k a year and in-state would basically be free. My parents say that they want me to go out-of-state and that they could cover the costs, but I don’t want them to spend that much money on OOS tuition if it’s not worth it.
Is it too late to find outside scholarships?
Should I consider trying to get residency for my sophomore year?
In the end, does it really matter where I go for undergrad? (assuming I don't pursue graduate degrees)
In the end, does it really matter where I go for undergrad? (assuming I DO pursue graduate degrees)
There may be a few still available but pursuing them is not likely to pay off in much if anything
It’s generally not possible to establish residency while attending school. You can usually google the name of the school and the word residency to find the requirements for most schools. It can vary among schools within the same state.
& 4) You’d have to name the schools but in general IMO it depends much, much more on your performance at the schools than it does on the name of the school. You have to seek out the opportunities to shine and not just be one of the anonymous students roaming the campus.
What schools are you talking about? That might make a difference in my response.
Looks like your OOS school is Berkeley. You will not have success getting instate status at Cal for subsequent years. You will be paying the $23,000 differential between OOS and instate costs, plus your EFC, plus the student contribution…at least. And the costs are likely to increase each year you attend.
will this require loans? If so, that is a LOT of loans.
You have an instate option. There are tons of really good instate options. Without knowing yours, it’s very hard to say whether it’s “worth it” to pay for Cal. What is your intended major?
This is something your parents should decide since it’s their money. If they can afford to pay the differential and want to do so, accept the gift, which is what it is. My son preferred an out of state public to our state schools, and though it meant more money, it was still within what we could afford to pay, so we agreed to pay it. Had he picked an unaffordable school, that would have been a whole other story. We set the prices as to what we could pay and as long as the school fit in them, we’d pay even if there were some zero cost or very low cost options in the mix. If your parents are in financial trouble, irresponsible financially, and are being truly fool hardy, you might want to reconsider.
Unless there is a specific program you want that is available at the OOS school, I don’t think it would be wise to spend over $120k more for the same degree.
I do think that Cal EECS will offer more opportunities straight out of undergrad in the Bay Area, however.
Whether that is worth the increased cost is a judgement call.
If you are going to grad school, IMO, the advantage lessens considerably, and unless I’m so wealthy that $135K just isn’t a big deal, I would not choose Cal if I knew that I was going to pursue a PhD (and can get in to a good program).
If, and its a big if, the $34/yr does not put a dent in your parents lifestyle, planning for future kids in college, retirement, etc, I’d definitely pick Cal over Knoxville, hands down, for employment opportunities.
Ok, I hate repeating myself so this will be my last post in this thread.
(I speak as a graduate of a Top 10 EECS school in the early 90’s who lives in the Bay Area.) I must emphasize again that Cal EECS is an ELITE school for both EE and CS. IF you study hard and graduate with a good GPA, job offers from Silicon Valley are there for the picking. Hardware? Apple, Intel and the most of the US semiconductor industry is here. Software? There’s Google, FB, Oracle and tons of startups. Your roommate (or YOU) might even turn out to be a CEO of a startup.
At Cal, the networking is there to be had. Intern in Silicon Valley/SF every summer if you want. Doors will be open when you graduate. There is no recession here in the Bay Area for engineers. But only if YOU remain focused and committed and apply yourself to get that degree.
You probably know all this. Your parents probably know this because they’ve already said they’re willing to go into debt because they believe in you. The question is, why the hesitation? IF you’re ready to work your ass off at one the best EECS schools in the world, just go take your parents’ gift and DO it. Are you UP for it? That’s the question you have to ask of yourself.
(Work a bit after you graduate. You’ll probably be able to pay them off i(n 5 years or less on an $80-90K salary assuming you’re frugal enough. Then go back into grad school if you really want that Ph. D. Although honestly, there’s a good chance you won’t want to as you’re already making too much money.)
Agree with foilist- but to add that WHEREVER you go, you will need a strong GPA to be considered for good engineering jobs, ESPECIALLY in Silicon Valley.
^^^ That’s cause I’m the parent. @jym626 If you notice in my post there, I never say if I’m the kid or parent
Unfortunately, my kid didn’t get into Cal. And he’s not up to be an engineer anyway. So what the OP has is a great opportunity,
To the OP: Now if you’re not taking Cal EECS and instead taking some other non-engineering or non-hard Science course in Cal, then what the other people say here is right it’s probably not worth the extra loans.
I clarified, foilist, and edited my post. It was confusing. But I got it. Good news, there are opportunities for kids in SV even if they don’t go to school there. That said, way, way better to be coming form Cal than Knoxville, all things considered.
Np @jym626. Sometimes I just get tired of posting that I’m a parent and not the student. And definitely, agreed that a good GPA is important. No C’s please.
Even if it would put a dent to my lifestyle (short of taking money out of retirement), I would send my kid to Berkeley over UTK. I would rather give my kid a great education than giving them an inheritance when I am dead.
There are a lot of parents who couldn’t afford to save until in their 40s, but they still have many high earning years left when their kids are out of school. With those parents, I think it is fine for them to take a second mortgage or refinance their mortgage to finance their kids’ college education.