In state vs. out of state? Graduate vs 4 years?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>This is long but I really need help!! </p>

<p>I'm a senior, here are my options:
University of Connecticut (Uconn), I live in CT so its instate for me - Accepted
WPI - Waitlist
Northeastern University (NU) - Accepted to NUin Program (I'd have to study abroad for 3 and a half months, then I go to Northeastern. This is the only way I will be allowed into NU)
St. Johns University - Accepted, they will give me $8,000 a year to go.
Fordham University - Waitlist
Tufts - waiting for reply
Wesleyan - denied</p>

<p>I can't decide between Uconn, which I know I'll be content with, or an out of state school.</p>

<p>Uconn instate is $21,000 per year.
Northeastern is $50,000 per year, with NUin program which is $28,000, It'd be a total of $58,000 for my first year of college.
St. Johns is $40,000 - though if I'm going out state, I'd go to NU instead. </p>

<p>So it's between Uconn and NU. </p>

<p>If I go to Uconn instead, I'd be saving $29,000 per year - total of $124,000 over 4 years (with the NUin cost added in). With that I'd have enough to go to an expensive Graduate school if I want. </p>

<p>If NU, I probably won't have enough left to go to an expensive Graduate school (or Graduate at all). </p>

<p>Questions:
1. Will NU will give me more (and better) job opportunities than Uconn? If yes, will this make up for the $124,000 I could have saved, or at least break even? Also, would just 4 years at NU give a better job than uconn + graduate?</p>

<ol>
<li><p>I've gone abroad before (People to People), and I was fine, made lots of friends, had fun. Though I really don't want to go abroad at all during college, let alone my first semester as a freshman. Later, if I do it, I may change my mind about that, but right now that's how I feel. I've had a stressful senior year, and would like to make next year not as stressful. But, if NU is truly significantly a better deal in the end than Uconn, I'd do abroad. </p></li>
<li><p>I may not even NEED or want do Graduate school in the end. If I do Graduate, and get a higher paying job, will it make up for the lost time and money I could have been making if I just got a job after 4 years, regardless of which school I go to?</p></li>
</ol>

<p>I'm not asking for exact answers, as nothing can be certain, just what will probably happen.</p>

<p>Thanks in advance! :)</p>

2

<p>Here’s an exact answer - unless Tufts comes through with a good package, go to UConn. $124K extra to go to Northeastern is ridiculous. Will NU make up for the $124K + compounded interest? No way! Frankly, I’d take UConn over NU, even up.</p>

3

<p>I’ll preface this by saying that I don’t know much about UConn or Northeastern. However, $124,000 is a lot of money, and you said that you don’t want to go abroad first semester freshman year anyway. You also said that you’d be content at UConn. Maybe it’d be different if there wasn’t such a huge difference between cost, but I’d go for UConn and save the money for grad school. You’d be spending a lot of money from your job opportunities paying off the debt from Northeastern anyway.</p>