I'm very confused and don't know what to do, please help me!

College Search & Selection
1

Hey guys, I would just like to warn anyone reading this that it’s a bit long. So thank you so much for taking your time and reading it if you do so! If not, I have very short questions at the end that don’t require the extensive stuff I wrote out. And if you don’t want to read any at all, that’s fine! Thank you anyways for considering! :slight_smile:

Quick Background:
At the moment I’m a current business student of the University of Illinois - Urbana Champaign. This is a really good school! And everyone that I talk to always tell me how great it is that I got into the business program because it’s very hard to get into (I actually got put into the business program because it was my second choice, my first choice was computer science). My problem with this school isn’t about the academics or anything but rather its cost and its location. I’m originally from the Great State of Delaware (just kidding no one knows where Delaware is) and there are not many options for cheap but good schools other than the University of Delaware (which is good, but not as good for business I think, better for engineers/chemical engineers). Even though I was born here, my mom and dad were not. They were people escaping the communist takeover of China and ended up here, and only had minimal college experience. So they couldn’t give me much advice. And because I just truly didn’t know what to do back then in highschool, I just chose the school that had the most prestige-- not worrying about the costs and location. My dad didn’t even pay attention to what I told him until way later. So now he wants me to transfer, because of financial reasons and location reasons, which I do agree with. But here’s the problem.

The Problem:
I really don’t know which school I should choose, and I don’t know if I can get in-state for any of them. I don’t even know if I can get into them. I’m a very average student (3.31 GPA for business) and was average in high school and on the SAT scores.

I was applying to Penn State for the Spring semester. Half-way through, I decided to stop and until next time and apply for Fall 2015. Because my application was submitted but I didn’t do everything (such as sending SAT scores), my profile is stuck, I can’t cancel the application. I e-mailed the admissions office and they told me I could apply to any campus BUT University Park, which was what I was aiming for. My mom has a house in Philadelphia so I was wondering if I could somehow get in state tuition, but the instructions/requirements for in state tuition are very confusing/vague so I’m not sure.

I’m also going to apply to Rutgers, my main reason for Rutgers is because there’s a business professor there that I have a connection with so I might be able to get a better job/intern/job shadow if I get into Rutgers. And just like Penn State, my grandpa lives in Penn State so I could have an address there if I really wanted to try, but once again, I’m not really sure how the requirements work for in state tuition.

I’m also going to apply to the University of Delaware because it’s the easiest for me to get in-state tuition.

Lastly, I’m also considering the University of Maryland as a possibility because my dad works in Maryland and I think he also means that he’s paying some sort of Maryland taxes.

Provided I can even get accepted into any of them (my GPA is a 3.31) I’ll still have to consider the in-state tuition portion, because even though my dad believes he could transfer/pay his taxes in that state and have an address I’ll automatically be eligible for in-state, I feel like there’s more to it. If not, then that’s wonderful! Then I could save up the money for Grad School.

My questions:

  1. If I do get accepted into all of the schools I apply to (Penn State, Rutgers, UD, and University of Maryland), which one should I choose? Penn State is prestigious for a state school, I have a connection with a professor is Rutgers, and I can get automatic in-state tuition at Delaware.
  2. I have the possibility of not being able to get into Penn State (University Park). If this happens, how screwed am I?? I won’t say that Rutgers is bad-- not at all! But I’m really worried about how employers would look at my resume. Will they think less of me if I went from UIUC to Rutgers? Will they appreciate Rutgers being my school?
  3. Does undergraduate degree even matter if I’m going to grad school? If it doesn’t, should I just choose UD?
  4. Is it worth it to stay in UIUC? Even if I could afford all 4 years of undergrad, what about grad school? I don’t want to exhaust my resources early on.
    (I do have another question but I can’t remember it)

I’m very sorry for this being such a huge wall of text. But it’s been bottled in me for forever and I have absolutely no idea who to turn to. My friends won’t help, they just want me to go to UD and party. My parents won’t help even if they want to, because they can’t. I tried emailing my advisors but they’re always busy. I just have no one to turn to and I’m in such a pivotal point right now.

So thank you SO MUCH if you help me out, even in the slightest, with my decision. Even just a comment, or anything, will help me tremendously! Thank you thank you thank you.

NOTE: Also I’d like to say that I know I’ve messed myself over a lot by not considering much at all when I graduated from high school. As much as I’d like to blame others and point fingers, ultimately it was my fault for not being smart enough to look ahead. Life before was just shelter provided by my parents and now I’m suddenly exposed and I’m completely taken back. I really don’t want to mess up any further. And seeing that there are lots of good replies received from this website, I decided to ask here.

2

You only usually get instate tuition where you actually reside. Popular states try to protect themselves from fraud because they need the OOS tuition money and only want to give instate rates to residents. Owning property and commuting for work does not usually count. Look at each state for instate tuition explanations. I don’t want to look up each school but I don’t see that you are saving money at the other schools. Are be aware that as a transfer you can’t expect anything at all from those schools in the form of aid.

Using someone else’s address for financial gain this way is fraud. The schools will look at your parent’s address and where they file federal taxes. There was just a case where a father is being heavily fined and facing possible jail time for this kind of fraud. Read the instate requirements, it should not be that hard to understand. Maybe someone familiar with the policies for the states you mention will post.

3

Your mom owning a home in PA will NOT give you instate tuition, so forget PSU.

You need to look into Maryland’s rules about your dad working there.

Forget Rutgers, you’d be OOS there, as well.

UD is fine. go there.

And this isn’t really your fault. It was your parents fault for not making finances more clear to you.

4

Thank you both for replying! I figured I probably can’t get in-state on either of them, but my dad keeps insisting that it’s possible, even when I explain that I can’t.

I do have one last/important question for you two if you don’t mind!
Is it better to go to a school like University of Delaware for an undergraduate business degree to save money for graduate school --OR-- should I continue going to a school that has a good business program/well-known for its business sector despite the cost (I’m able to afford it, it’s just that I would like to save if I could, especially if an undergraduate degree doesn’t matter as long as I get a graduate degree <-- I’ve googled this and I saw various feedback on this so I’m not sure)

5

Here is a good set of links for each state that will help with this. I agree that PA is out of the question for residency (and even if it was, even in-state tuition is expensive there), and NJ as well. I am pretty sure MD will be, too, but check the links and send it to your dad if you need to. If he is really insistent, apply in MD and your dad will just have to find out the hard way that you can’t get in-state tuition, but be sure you apply to U of Delaware, as it very likely is your only affordable option. I think you need to stop worrying about prestige and start worrying about affordability.

http://www.finaid.org/otheraid/stateresidency.phtml

6

Thank you, intparent! I’m going to definitely apply to UD, and MD as well. So affordability is better right? I’m just worried about my future job. While I don’t require myself to earn like 9328098230492834 dollars per year, I don’t want to end up worse off than my parents were (middle class), because ultimately my goal in life is just to take care of them (might sound silly to some people but I mean it)

By the way, I really like your profile picture! I used to own lots of guinea pigs, they’re my favorite!

Also if anyone else wants to input feedback about affordability vs. prestige of college for future jobs please do so! I appreciate it!

7

In your case, I’d say go for affordability, but also try to get some kind of internships if you can after sophomore and junior year. Experience plus good grades usually translates into opportunities for new grads. I would read the MD rules before applying, too (you might just be wasting your money if you can’t afford OOS tuition).

I love guinea pigs, too. But am allergic, so didn’t get another one after my last one died a few years ago and the kids were going off to college. So I have profile pictures of them instead. :slight_smile: They change with the seasons – but it is around zero here today, so this one is still appropriate!

8

Thanks intparent yet again! :stuck_out_tongue: Once I go to grad school, and want to get into a prestigious one, how likely are they going to judge me based on my previous college? Will my transfer affect it? And what about employers?

Thanks so much! And that really sucks being allergic to them :frowning: my mom is allergic to dogs and cats so that’s why I’ve only had guinea pigs, but their chins are so cute!!! My first one was named Cream and had a little spiral on her head hehehe

9

Business schools, more than any other grad schools, care about what you have accomplished professionally rather than where you went to school as an undergrad, which is why you need 2-5 years of solid, progressively more responsible work experience after you graduate. Top business schools want to admit people whom they believe are future business leaders. Going to an unknown or less well known undergraduate school matters very little, especially when compared to the importance of demonstrating a high level of professional potential once you graduate.

So going to UD shouldn’t hold you back if you have what it takes otherwise. The more important question is what kind of positions are you preparing yourself for? What kind of work do you want to do and are you developing the right skills for that? Are you developing the kinds of skills that an employer would want to see - like strong communication and presentation skills, business writing skills, and analytical skills? Is your business program helping you do this? And then, at the school specific level: What kind of special programs, alumni network and career placement center does your school offer? What kind of internship opportunities can they help you locate and apply for? What kind of support do they provide in pulling together a professional resume, interviewing practice and professional development?

Once you’ve done the research on UD vs. whatever other options you have, you will have to weigh the costs and the benefits (great practice for a business major). And make sure your parents are part of the discussion this time around. They may discover that lower tuition and having you closer to home isn’t the only thing they care about.

10

Be sure you take calculus whereever you go. Top MBA programs require it (one of my kids found out to her chagrin… but she wasn’t really serious about the MBA anyway…). I agree with post #8, too.

On the subject of guinea pigs, our first was HufflePuff. He was a huge boar, and loved people more than food (amazing, I know). He had more personality than many people I know! Second was Samwise the Brave, who was actually terrified of many things. :slight_smile:

11

In-state tuition isn’t simply about having an address or even paying taxes in a certain state - you have to be a bona fide resident. Your grandfather’s residence in NJ won’t qualify you for in-state tuition at Rutgers, so that’s out.

MD says that in addition to the regular residency requirements, a student who was “attending school or living outside of Maryland at the time of application for admission to a USM institution…raises the presumption that the student is residing in the State of Maryland primarily for the purpose of attending an educational institution and therefore, does not qualify for in-state status.” The regular residency requirements are that your parent/legal guardian continuously occupies living quarters in Maryland (most provide evidence of a lease and documentation of rent payments made), has all of his personal property in Maryland, has paid MD income tax, registered a vehicle in MD, is registered to vote in MD, and possesses an MD driver’s license. I am willing to bet that your dad has none of these (or only one, maybe - the income tax), so MD is likely out.

The same is true of PA. Your mom may own property there but all of her documentation is likely in DE, so you ar not a PA resident.

The only place in which you are likely to get residency is DE. So I think you should focus on UDel. UDel is a fine university and no, your undergraduate school won’t matter if you go to graduate school. But even if you won’t, you can get a job and have a great and successful career from UDel!

Also @intparent, that’s funny - I’m allergic to guinea pigs, too.