One more thing: you can save a little money by choosing a cheaper housing option: http://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/studentaffairs/res/_rates.php
and skipping those stops at Starbucks:
http://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/mealplan/resident.php
I thought I’ll buy tons of accessoires and t shirts at the time of my visit:) don’t they have a college shop on campus
@austinmshauri yes it’s entire savings, that’s why I was concerned
Sure. But if you won’t be there by May 1, you may want to have something to wear. In many schools, most seniors wear the shirt of their college on that day.
On which day? The first day of classes?
May 1 in my school… the day that college decisions are typically due.
It may not be a big thing in your school.
oh Wow I should definitely do it!!!
@Dinacoltrane Are you saying that it would drain your families entire savings for you to dorm at Stonybrook? I think this is a very bad and dangerous idea. What happens if there is an emergency? What if the house needs repairs or someone gets sick? What will your parents do for their own future? You really can’t leave your family with nothing.
I read this: “And my parents tell me that I should go to stony even if it is expensive. And they can afford to pay for the dorm and for the tuition.” in post 15.
If that’s not the case, then you should absolutely go to Hunter!!!
@bjkmom, The way I’m reading it is that IP’s family doesn’t have a college fund. I think that’s their life savings.
@dinacoltrane, can you please clarify?
Do you know your FAFSA EFC? How much would it cost your family for you to attend Hunter?
@austinmshauri as I’m a transfer student I will stay at Stony only for two years which makes it cheaper. Also my family has only 60k savings as we just recently moved to US from Russia. I applied for fafsa, tap and exelsior. Fafsa and tap both give me only 3k combined for a year. The tuition is almost the same at both colleges but I’ll have to pay for Stony housing. I have an option, I can drive there by car, it’s 1.5h one way. If I won’t be able to do that, I will probably go to hunter, because I just don’t want to waste money for housing.
No, you cannot commute that distance, driving 1.5 hours each way is 3 hours per day less to study. LIRR is 6 hours per day – almost a full workday just in commuting time.
If you sell the car and don’t buy the gas you would use to drive both ways – how much money could you save towards your dorm? Also, make sure you’re budgeting future years properly. Many kids move out of the dorms after a year because they can rent a place with friends and their share of rent and groceries comes out cheaper than the dorm plus meal plan option.
That’s so confusing … to make a decision
@AroundHere It is close to 3 hours EACH way. OP, if Hunter offers your major, you should probably go there. You can’t really afford to dorm at SBU if that is all your parents have for savings, and you aren’t even sure you are going to get into a dorm anyway. I would choose Hunter for financial reasons, and be done with it.
@intparent Post 30 has the 1.5 hours each way option.
Hunter is also 1h~1.15 away from my house in Brooklyn. By train
You can’t take your family’s life savings. You just can’t do that.
Okay, @AroundHere, but that was not the original post. Does the OP have a reliable car of their own? Is it really 1.5 hours during rush hour times (especially in the morning, when the OP would be likely to be driving during rush hour)?
@intparent I was planning to leave early around 6am and come back late after studying at the libary. So it’s 1.5. Also I work part time so I won’t be spending my parents money for the college tuition
Well, 1.5 is probably do-able, compared to 2.5 - 3 hours each way. But you may have to pay to park – I’m not sure what the parking situation is at SBU (at some colleges, a parking permit is VERY hard to get). And 3 hours is still a good chunk out of your day to commute.