<p>Which would you all prefer and why?</p>
<p>If money wasn’t an issue (but who am I kidding, money is always an issue) - I’d probably choose in-state for a private school, since I love a lot of the private schools here in MA (cough, BU, cough, Brandeis) - but for a public, I’d choose out of state – namely UC or UNC. </p>
<p>Most of the colleges (both public and private) I applied to were out-of-state, but I’m going to an in-state private university next year because their merit/need-based aid will cover all but a couple thousand dollars of the cost of attendance. I also like that I’ll be able to commute…I’ve been taking college classes full-time this year and staying with my relatives, and I realized I like that better than I would like living in a dorm. So the benefits are that I get to save money and that I’ll be able to get on my feet faster as a college student because there won’t be as many new things to adjust to. The drawbacks are that Ohio is really cold in the winter and I won’t get to see another part of the country/world unless I study abroad.</p>
<p>@preamble1776 @halcyonheather I don’t have a preference of institution for public or private in-state, but I’d rather attend a private school when it comes to out-of-state; everyone pays the same amount. Plus, while you do save money by commuting, you lose the social interaction opportunities that come with residing on campus. Which is what I would do no matter if I stay in NJ or decide to venture out into another Northeast state.</p>
<p>@lbad96 - While I agree that staying on campus is beneficial for socializing and increases opportunity for extracurricular involvement - room and board is an expense that some people do not want to or simply cannot pay. I got a full scholarship to UMass Boston; but it only covers tuition and fees, since the school is a commuter school – while I like the idea of dorming, I also like the idea of getting a Bachelor’s Degree for free. </p>
<p>I’m still waiting to hear back from a couple of schools in MA (private) that I applied to for full scholarships/rides. There is a decent possibility that I might get a full ride to a private in MA which will cover CoA - including Room and Board. </p>
<p>Out of State because it’s something new. And the schools are better.</p>
<p>@preamble1776 my parents do not mind paying room & board, and I would obviously love to live on campus. </p>
<p>Which private in MA?</p>
<p>@Repede yes, it is an all-new experience. And yes, they do seem better than schools in-state. Do you prefer private or public?</p>
<p>@lbad96 - I’ll tell you the school after I hear back, lol - its a superstition thing. </p>
<p>@preamble1776 lol, I respect that.</p>
<p>Out of state. There are many other schools that are better than the ones in my state.</p>
<p>@Nihilunt which state do you live in?</p>
<p>@Ibad96 Nevada. </p>
<p>California is a big state with public higher ed options that range from Cal Maritime to Humboldt State to UCSB to UC Berkeley. I would have been happy to stay in-state, so long as I was more than a three hour drive from home, and at a non commuter institution. </p>
<p>However, I ended up in Oklahoma, which is both physically and culturally far from the state I left behind. </p>
<p>@Nihilunt ah, I see. The only good university in your state is UNLV.</p>
<p>@whenhen interesting…what attracted you to Oklahoma?</p>
<p>@lbad96- Yep. UNLV and UNR are all I have in-state other than the CCs. Only UNR is a classified as a Tier 1 university, so it’s the one I’m considering the most should I stay here in Nevada. (Which is exactly what I don’t want to happen!) </p>
<p>@Nihilunt how far away would you go?</p>
<p>It depends. Distance isn’t much of a factor… I’m willing to go anywhere. My parents are pretty much on the same page as I am. The amount of financial aid I’ll be able to receive will be a greater factor in my decision. 
</p>
<p>CA publics are hard to transfer into from OOS. Oklahoma has an excellent geology program, good Jewish life for a school in the Bible Belt, and the application was a breeze. </p>
<p>@Nihilunt I see. Personally, I’m only staying in the Northeast. Only got two IS schools on my list, though (Monmouth 2nd choice, Montclair State last choice).</p>
<p>@whenhen how was the app a breeze? I gather that Oklahoma is one of those schools where it’s harder to be rejected from?</p>
<p>All it asked for was basic information and an application fee of $50 (no essay, professor recommendations, or anything of that nature). A week and a half later, I was accepted although I knew I would be ahead of time since the school publishes the minimum GPA needed for each college. </p>
<p>I think I spent more time reading the reviews about the school than I did applying.</p>
<p>
It seems that Oklahomans think OU is way more selective than it actually is, which discourages below average students from applying (at least that’s what one of my acquaintances, an ad com at OU, told me). That being said, it accepts 4/5 students who apply, and admission is pretty much assured for any student with a 22 ACT/ 1600 SAT and a 3.0+ GPA. </p>