So it looks like Rutgers is your choice, since $69k for GWU is not something your parents want to pay, and you consider Penn State to be more expensive but not better than Rutgers.
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Itâll depend on the financial aid in the end and if the price can come down, my dad wants me to go to GWU tho but he says at the current price heâs hesitant, if it comes down it becomes a much viable option.
Be aware that if you get off the BC WL, do not expect any merit $. What will the cost be and will your family consider it worthwhile?
Thats true, but I have a feeling heâll be more open to the price tag as Boston College is ranked much higher than GWU Overall and for my major, (he always asked me about the ranking of a college I was writing an essay for)
GWU is MUCH better for your major than Boston College!
What rankings are you using? O_o
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Not sure BC is better for government than GW; actually it is ranked higher than BC in various IR and policy rankings. Seems like dad is focused on T20 and not supportive of your great achievement of getting into GW. Whether he can or wants to pay for GW is of course his prerogative but it is not necessarily correct to think BC or a top 20 is better for government than GW.
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Hi! I see a lot of people already replied to you so you mightâve already gotten this response. But even though you may have had the stats for it, NYU and NEU are definitely not schools that are guaranteed for you to get into, even with the stats. Any school with an acceptance below 20% is not a guaranteed admission, even with the correct amount of stats, because the amount of people who apply are a lot, who have similar stats. Even with target schools this year, the people Iâve seen get rejected/waitlisted are surprising because I wouldâve expected they got in. Your acceptances are still really good schools, though (GWU is REALLY GOOD for your field of interest, plus itâs in D.C. which is even better), and even though the others didnât accept you, it is definitely not your fault, and they donât know what theyâre missing. I personally would not go through the transfer option unless you really really hate the school you end up at. Transfer acceptance rates are pretty low, plus youâll have to get used to another environment for college. I would just enjoy your undergrad, work hard, and aim for those top tier schools for grad school? And perhaps apply to more target schools next time. Not the end of the world, it was really hard to get into schools this year!
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I am so sorry for the obscene amount of times I used the word âstatsâ
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OP- are you Catholic? Are you comfortable going to a Jesuit school where many of the students will likely be Catholic, and that, unless things have changed, you will be required to take 2 theology courses?
Georgetown was my original top choice and it is a Jesuit school so I would be comfortable going there. I donât mind theology courses, I find studying religions interesting. Getting off the BC waitlist seems unlikely though so Iâm not too worried about going there or considering it.
At this point my options are Rutgers & Transfer or GWU and honestly Im leaning towards GWU
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Why donât you let your dad read this thread. Most experienced posters are explaining that GW is, for your intended major, a much better choice.
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Idk Im just assuming heâd think Boston College is worth the cost, just speculation. Honestly, I started today completely upset about my choices but GWUâs growing on me and I hope I can get a little bit more aid from there 
,
but if I am really honest, the thought of taking the cheaper Rutgers option and transferring to a T20 is favorable as well. Jeez what did I get myself into 
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You should be proud of your application and what youâve done to get where you are now. I understand that reach rejections can be a blow to self esteem, but focusing on those will only hold you back from this point on. GW is an incredible school, and a top choice for many, especially for poli sci. I would say try to dive into the possibilities at your acceptances so you can envision yourself there, and it should help you when trying to move forward.
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Just a note that if you get off the WL BC maybe be expensive as well.
The chance of transferring into a T20 is also very low - please donât trap yourself in the statistics game again. The numbers simply arenât favorable no matter how hard you work and how great of a person you are (and you really seem great). If you can make the $$ work, take the great opportunity you have rather than pinning your hopes on long shots!
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OP- hugs. This has been a long and stressful year for you and sending best wishes that you and your parents figure something out that work for you.
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Odds of transferring into T20s are exceedingly low. Transfer spots come from freshmen who leave. Most freshmen donât leave, in fact T20s have the highest retention around.
As a result, there are very very few spots open for transfers and some universities will either want âlateralâ transfers (ie., someone from Tufts or Wellesley or CMC or Vanderbilt) or âupward boundâ transfers (veterans, very bright/very low income community college applicantsâŠ)
Translation: not upper middle class kids from Rutgers.
If you attend Rutgers, it should be to embrace the experience, live on campus, etc. (I you canât envision that, youâre better off at PSU 
)
But for your major, GWU is much, much better.
Again what ârankingsâ are you using? Because it should be obvious GWU is an amazing choice.
You can borrow a Fiske Guide from your public library tomorrow and check it out if you need reassurance.
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How hard is it to transfer to an Ivy caliber school? I have a friend whose kid went to BU with the same intention. Graduated from BU. I didnât ask if he repeatedly tried to transfer.
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I hear mixed signals online, a few articles say its easier than regular admissions and a few say its harder
GWU is extremely expensive and doesnât guarantee to meet full need for all. But it sounds like you might not qualify for need based aidâŠis that correct? Getting merit aid is challenging there tooâŠso even a $10,000 award is decent.
BUT that still means your family would need to be paying upward of $60,000 a year for your college costsâŠthatâs about a quarter of a million dollars for your undergrad degree. Is that something they can do without taking out loans?
GW definitely better for your current interests than BC.
Re: Jesuit schools and the religion requirementsâŠthey have a plentiful amount of very interesting courses from which to choose to fulfill this requirement. My not Catholic kid went to a Jesuit college and actually loved her required theology courses which also includes ethics. Jesuits are very open minded and their universities welcoming of all faiths.
Re: RutgersâŠI would suggest living on campus. Itâs still going to cost half of what BC or GW or Georgetown would cost.
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