<p>I am in a pickle with college choices, and I have NO IDEA what I should do. First of all, I am a good student (National Merit Scholar etc) and I have been accepted to Cornell, Wellesley, and Northeastern University. I guess I can make a case for each, but the reason I am struggling with this is all due to financial problems.
First, Cornell has been my dream school. I was accepted, plus I am a Presidential Research Scholar, which apparently is a big deal (I got $8,000 for research plus other perks.. but nothing with FA). This college would open so many doors for me for jobs and for grad school. For what I want to go into (Law, Economics, maybe be a professor) I need to have a strong graduate school degree (an Ivy league or equivalent). I know I could get that if I go to Cornell. Plus I would love the next four years. But the downside is that they gave me no financial aid at all. I appealed it, because there is no way I can go unless I get some aid. If I get the aid I received from Wellesley, then I might be able to go...
My next school is Wellesley. I love the school, but it is definitely not as strong or as competitive as Cornell. I would have a blast there, and I could get into a good grad school after, but I doubt I would have good job prospects if I took a few years in between undergrad and grad school. They gave me the best FA I received out of all colleges. I received 15,000 in grants. After what my parents can pay, there is a gap of $20,000 each year. My parents might be able to take out 5,000/ year in plus loans, but I would inevitably go into 60,000 in debt (after all four years) for Wellesley. Is it worth it? Maybe for Cornell (if the appeal works out), but for Wellesley?
My last option is Northeastern. I was offered a full tuition scholarship, so my parents love it. But I do NOT like the co-op program at all, and I have not been able to find any good matriculation stats for graduates going to strong grad schools. The student body would be way below what I want academically, and I would not have access to such amazing professors and research money that Cornell has. But I would graduate with pretty much no debt.
I have no idea what to do. Any advice? Sorry this is so long...</p>
<p>Are these really your only options? If so, you might want to consider a gap year, because neither Cornell nor Wellesley is financially feasible given your parameters. Even if your folks take out a $5K a year PLUS loan above and beyond their contribution, and you take Stafford loans, you’re still short about $10K/year for Wellesley.</p>
<p>I also think that you’re seriously – very seriously – limiting yourself with the thought that schools like Wellesley have less admirable records for graduates getting into graduate schools than Cornell. </p>
<p>Perhaps consider a gap year, and reapplying to schools where you will likely get a lot of merit aid? Lots of students go on to excellent graduate schools from colleges far beyond those in the Northeast – you need to find one that gives generous merit aid for a student with your statistics.</p>
<p>I agree that need based aid shools were not a good choice for you if your parents can’t Payton heir EFC. It’s crazy to borrow that much for undergrad. So I think it’s Northeastern or a gap year. With a gapyear,however, you still probably won’t end up in the caliber school you want as few of those offer merit aid.</p>
<p>Wellesley is much smaller than Cornell, but the academics are fully as strong - and for some departments would be arguably better. However, that point is moot because you can’t afford either of those places. What options do you have remaining to you other than Northeastern?</p>
<p>There are a whole bunch of handy financial calculators at FinAid.org You need to sit down with your parents and run a few of them, and talk about just exactly how long and how awful it would be to dig yourselves out of the kind of debt your family would land in if you attend Cornell or Wellesley on the current terms. Start with this one: [FinAid</a> | Calculators | Award Letter Comparison Tool](<a href=“Your Guide for College Financial Aid - Finaid”>Award Letter Requirements - Finaid)</p>
<p>Happydad and I met in grad school at Cornell. We knew people there who were ace in their respective fields of study who had graduated from colleges and universities that are never even mentioned here at CC. Some had started out at their local community colleges. The name on your undergraduate diploma is not nearly as important as the grades on your transcript, your letters of recommendation, your demonstrated drive and commitment to the field of study as expressed in your statement of purpose, your GRE scores, and any work/research/internship/publications related to the field of graduate study. If you are good enough to get into Wellesley and Cornell now, chances are you will be good enough to get into a decent grad program no matter where you do your undergrad degree.</p>
<p>There are amazing opportunities at Northeastern if you are willing to seek them out. If the truth is that you just don’t like Northeastern, that’s OK. Take a gap year so that you can track down places that are affordable for you and that you are actually willing to attend.</p>
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<p>Coop and Experiential Learning is part of the culture of Northeastern. You will be the odd person out there with this attitude.</p>
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And this attitude would not help you to make friends there either.</p>
<p>Yes agreed don’t go to Northeastern.</p>
<p>I would agree that Wellesley will open as many doors as Cornell. But if you can’t afford either one…$60K in debt is too much in my opinion. YMMV.
If you are unwilling to take a gap year, you could try NU for a year and get the best grades possible while looking around for a transfer school. As a transfer, often (but not always) you are eligible for less merit aid. You have to decide which option is best for you. (But if you do go to NU, keep to yourself your concerns re the coop program is my advice.)</p>
<p>Maybe the OP has another option. I really don’t think NEU is right for many reasons for them.</p>
<p>Yeah, I hear you.</p>
<p>The problem with starting somewhere else is that she’s very, very unlikely to get big merit packages later as a transfer student. If she doesn’t like the coop program, I’m not sure why she applied there…but it certainly isn’t a good fit. </p>
<p>Taking a gap year preserves the opportunity to leverage that NMS designation into a much better financial arrangement somewhere else. There are very strong economics programs at a number of schools where she is likely to receive strong merit aid, and learning to make it work at one of them is good experience. </p>
<p>We’ve just had a houseguest leave who did her undergrad at Berkely, her Ph.D. at a state university, and who is now a highly honored physicist who is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and lead on a huge international project. The public university background has hurt her not one whit.</p>
<p>Okay, so, Northeastern is not really her last option, as far as I can tell, from this:
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<p>So my question is, if even at Wellesley, her folks are $20,000 short per year, why not consider some of the other in-state schools?</p>
<p>OP, you will not be able to finance that 20k yourself – your parents will need to be creditworthy. Which they might be, but if they don’t have much to contribute now, I am assuming it’s because their lifestyle and income are in the type of balance where there weren’t opportunities to save.</p>
<p>So I believe the answer here is D) None of the above!</p>
<p>I wouldn’t dismiss Northeastern so fast. The coop model is a great way for you to get contacts and experience in your field of study. These contacts may help you get a job some day, or maybe some of them know people at grad schools that you might be interested in.</p>
<p>I would suggest that you examine the acceptance rate for grad school from Northeastern before you conclude that it’s not for you. Also, Boston is a great city in which to attend college. Best wishes.</p>
<p>You can get into a strong graduate program from virtually anywhere - what’s important is the work that you do in undergrad, not so much where you go. You don’t have to go to Cornell in order to get that.</p>
<p>Wellesley is an amazing school, arguably stronger than Cornell. Why do you doubt that you would have good job prospects? It is one of the top 10 liberal arts colleges in the country. Cornell is in the top 15 in is category. BUT. You said even AFTER what your parents can pay, there is a $20,000 gap. That’s large. I went to a small women’s liberal arts college and if I could do college apps all over again, I would love to attend Wellesley. It’s a great school. However, if you are contemplating law school - getting $60K in debt is not wise, since law school is so expensive.</p>
<p>The kind of debt you would have to go into for Cornell would be untenable. I think the debt from Wellesley would be, too, unless your parents can borrow more in PLUS loans (maybe $10K, so you would only have to borrow $40K total. Assuming there aren’t already loans in your aid package).</p>
<p>What’s the deal with Smith, Bryn Mawr, Miami, UF and FSU?</p>
<p>Juillet: none of the other schools gave any package better than Wellesley. The two state schools did do not offer what I want (at UF my major is nearly entirely online). </p>
<p>Thank you everyone for the advice. I actually visited Northeastern yesterday and realized that it is a better fit for me than I imagined. Instead of co-op I could choose to do a study abroad or do research (but they did give me money for an international co op based on merit). The campus was beautiful and unlike UF and FSU, my classes would be small in my major. Plus there are major perks with being honors with the new international village dorms. Unless Cornell steps up, I suppose I will be Northeastern 2016!</p>
<p>Nice to hear the end of the story. Glad you think NU can be a place where you can be happy.</p>
<p>And Boston is a great place to go to college!</p>
<p>The stats for NEU have been rising for the past decade.
I was surprised to like NEU more than BU.
They have many great programs and the tops students get coops at great companies and hospitals.</p>