<p>I have to choose between going to George Mason University or Virginia Tech for Engineering. Virginia Tech would cost about $15,000 - $16,000 per year and George Mason would cost about $8,500 (since it's only 6 miles away from home, I won't have to pay for room & board/food). Despite having a high EFC, my family can afford very little due to mortgage payments/credit card debts, so I would have to borrow a lot of loans to finance my education. I calculated that I would need to borrow about $25,000 (including interest) to afford 4 years at GMU and about $76,000 (including interest) to afford 4 years at VT. Is it worth it to go to VT? Would it be easier to find jobs w/ an engineering degree from VT rather than from GMU?</p>
<p>If the cost of attending VT is less than GM, why would the loans needed for Tech be more than GM? Are you eligible for decent merit awards at GM?</p>
<p>^ I think you misread it… The cost of attending VT is more than the cost of attending GMU.</p>
<p>I don’t know much about the GM Engineering program, but my understanding is that an engineering degree 's dollar values do not differ that much on the job market. In fact, our close friend is an engineering grad from MIT, and his earnings did not reflect that. There were engineers from just about every program represented where he worked. </p>
<p>How much do you and your family have for college? Nothing? Do you have anything saved up yourself? Your parents will get a $2500 tax credit for you going to college, you know that. Also there is some savings in having you gone. Do you have a car? How would you commute to GM? All of these things can add up. I suggest you work double shifts this summer and even look for some weekend work now. Also look for job possibilities. We have friends who found that it was not that much more to have their D live at school. When she commuted to community college, she had to have a car, which meant maintenance, insurance, gasoline costs. Also there was the cost of eating out and the cost of having her at home. She has a job on campus that brings in about $2k a year. That and the $2500 tax credit plus summer earnings, Stafford loans and household savings from not having her at home makes up the cost of having her away at school.</p>
<p>If job opportunities are the same, then what’s the point of going to a higher ranked college?</p>
<p>Some folks just choose to go to higher ranked schools. My DH went to an engineering school that is probably unranked. He has had a terrific career (with salary to match) in the engineering field. Folks far from here have probably never heard of this program…but locally it is highly regarded. Rankings…smankings.</p>
<p>For some things it can make a difference. If you wanted to study Classics, for instance, going to a school that is has a very small liberal arts department with most of the students being business or education majors would not be a very good idea. If you have your eye on being an accountant, you want a school that has a business department. All things equal, a wide spread in rankings could make the judgment call.</p>
<p>However, engineering is a major that has a pretty fixed curriculum. I don’t know much about GM and its engineering majors whereas VT is well known for it. If you want to go to GM, or the cost makes it the better choice, just make sure that the graduates are finding jobs and that there is indeed a true engineering program.</p>
<p>On GMU’s website, it says:</p>
<p>“Recent George Mason electrical engineering graduates have gone on to graduate work at highly competitive institutions such as MIT, Stanford, Cornell and California Institute of Technology, and as working engineers at high technology companies and government agencies such as BDM, General Electric, Hughes, IBM, INTEL, Lockheed-Martin, MCI, MITRE, NASA, Naval Research Lab, Orbital Sciences and TRW.”</p>
<p>– Sounds like a fine program to me…</p>
<p>It does to me too. Since you are close to GMU, go and shadow an engineering student for a day, and ask around about what the program is like for those there right now.</p>