<p>The OP should apply R.D. here and also apply to a variety of other schools, and then see what the scholarships and financial aid packages are like.</p>
<p>I think it is really a bad idea - and completely unnecessary for the OP - to graduate $80,000 in debt. Given his resources, there are many options that will yield little or no debt.</p>
<p>"For some it’s not about length of hair…it will always grow back. Rather, it’s about opportunity. "</p>
<p>True. But it’s important to enter ROTC with one’s eyes open. There are some people for whom having restrictions on length of hair, piercings, etc. would be a deal breaker.</p>
<p>Northstarmom, yes. Attending undergrad school this expensive, without a way to pay it off, would undoubtedly limit my opportunities later on. In addition, I come from a military family. I have several cousins in the Navy who have been Australia, Iraq, Hawaii, and Japan. They are paid hefty salaries and recieve substantial benefits. My hair is already short, and I believe the military could provide me with opportunities I wouldn’t have in civilian life. I would have 2 years to try ROTC before committing, so if I hated it, I could quit before committing.
I just don’t want to throw away a dream before exploring ways that I could make it work first.</p>
<p>I always shocked that kids are willing to trade 4 years of perceived happiness for a decade or 2 of guaranteed unhappiness paying back loans. </p>
<p>It doesn’t mean his parents are rolling in cash because they won’t get aid from an OOS public.</p>
<p>ROTC is a great road for the right people. You’ve got to ask yourself if you are that person. Yes, the govt foots some of the bill of your education, provided that you’ve got the “stuff” to really want to serve in the USArmy and serve as a leader, with sometimes, peoples’ lives at stake.</p>
<p>Also, ROTC is more competitive than before and you may be limited in areas you wish to study (check on this fact: I could be wrong). You need to account for that as well.</p>
<p>I’m amazed that someone who thinks only one college will fulfill his dreams is willing to join the ROTC and potentially have many restrictions put on his life that are most likely not dream-like.</p>
<p>OP, what is it about W&M you like? Maybe we can help you come up with some other options.</p>
<p>Yes, ROTC would limit some of my areas of study, but I would still be able to major in English. I do need to discover if I can handle it- which is why I would try it for 2 years first.
Also, I am female.</p>
<p>OK, love this post, totally agree. Here’s someone who gets it!</p>
<p>“…Hold fast to your dreams. Don’t be afraid to reach for that star, or I think you’ll regret it.”</p>
<p>sky: go for it, follow your dreams. I wouldn’t listen to the the people who value things like cars or purchase of a home over pursuing your dream education. Cars and houses are transient, you and your education will last a lifetime! </p>
<p>both my daughters pursued their dream colleges, both went to their dream college (1 going, 1 graduated). And the recent graduate got something fantastic three weeks after she graduated, a job! A job in a very difficult industry to get into a junior exec position, in any economy. The education (well beyond books) the University gave her, the internship provided by her University her senior year, and the industry relationships provided by her University were key to her employment. And now she is living the dream work life!</p>
<p>I admittedly don’t know a lot about ROTC, though both my siblings were in JROTC in HS. Does an ROTC scholarship still hold if you decide you don’t like it? So, you could get your college paid for and then change your mind?</p>
<p>I think if you change your mind, you have to pay back the ROTC scholarship, but you should check this with a ROTC official.</p>
<p>What does W&M have that isn’t available at St. Mary’s in Maryland? It’s a very good public liberal arts college.</p>
<p>“follow your dreams. I wouldn’t listen to the the people who value things like cars or purchase of a home over pursuing your dream education. Cars and houses are transient, you and your education will last a lifetime!”</p>
<p>The reasons I disagree with this:</p>
<p>Considering the thousands of colleges in the U.S. , there probably are many affordable colleges that can give you a dream education.</p>
<p>The economy is horrible. I know students who graduated from highly ranked universities who – months after graduation – are struggling to find employment – any employment – not just interesting employment in their field of choice.</p>
<p>Things like buying a house, having children, living in a region or city that you like, even getting married (i.e. lots of people don’t want to marry someone who’s carrying large college debt because the spouse also would be responsible for helping to pay the loans) pursuing a career that you enjoy, going to graduate or professional school – all will be impacted if you take out an enormous amount of debt for undergrad.</p>
<p>Carrying large debt for an undergraduate education will constrict your options for more than a decade. Yes, an education will affect your life for your lifetime, but there are many affordable places from which you can get an excellent education.</p>
<p>"I come from a military family. I have several cousins in the Navy who have been Australia, Iraq, Hawaii, and Japan. They are paid hefty salaries and recieve substantial benefits. "</p>
<p>Military salaries aren’t hefty. I served 5 years in the Navy as a psychologist. I made a nice salary, but I could have made more as a civilian psychologist, and would have had less restrictions on my life.</p>
<p>The military can be a fine option, but make sure you’re realistic about what is required and offered.</p>
<p>"Should I apply ED anyways, try it for a year, and transfer out if I decide its not worth the tremdous debt? Should I even apply at all? I don’t qualify for aid, and I know I have no chance RD. Please help! "</p>
<p>Don’t apply ED. Look for a school that is similar and that you can afford. </p>
<p>If you go there a year and then have to transfer, your options will be more limited than they are now. For instance, now you can apply to schools offering merit aid. Most schools don’t offer merit aid to transfers. Many don’t even offer need-based financial aid to transfers.</p>
<p>re: post no. 30</p>
<p>That’s what I thought also, NSM, which is why this isn’t a good solution. You’d still have a lot of debt, OP.</p>
<p>Another vote for don’t do it.[ul][<em>]four years of happiness for 10 - 20 years of reduced happiness from debt[</em>]there are easily three dozen schools where you could be just as happy[/ul]</p>
<p>Colleges similar to W&M, according to an old thread on CC, include:</p>
<p>University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, VA., St. Mary’s College of Maryland. \e The College of New Jersey (TCNJ), and University of Richmond, Dickinson College</p>
<p>sky: don’t listen to most of these posts, it’s basically an argument for mediocrity. for instance: </p>
<p>“…people don’t want to marry someone who’s carrying large college debt…”</p>
<p>how about, you don’t want to marry anyone who would consider your finances over love, that’s not love. </p>
<p>I suspect most of these posts are from public school grads/defenders, there is a BIG difference between private W&M and the so called “similar” publics, big difference in quality of education and quality of the student bodies…btw: a lot of people find their future spouse in their college.</p>
<p>First of all, it seems like you’d be 60K in debt not 80K in debt. That’s still a lot. Since you want to be an English major, don’t take on the debt. Just don’t do it. Don’t do ROTC just because you want to go to W&M. If you do ROTC do it because you want to serve your country as an officer in the armed forces. I salute you if you do. </p>
<p>I think that you should find a bigger dream than going to a specific college. You’re all caught up in the racket of competitive college admissions and fell in love with a college that doesn’t seem like a financial fit. Step back. You are young. Consider that in 4 years, you will have already lived your life’s dream (going to W&M) and will then be faced with a lifetime of nightmarish debt that follows. Life is long. Poverty sucks. I agree with dreaming big. Your current dream isn’t big enough. Find a bigger one!</p>
<p>St Marys would leave you with no debt. </p>
<p>You can look into some of the following
[Top</a> Public Liberal Arts Colleges - A List of the Top Public Liberal Arts Colleges in the U.S.](<a href=“http://collegeapps.about.com/od/collegerankings/tp/public-liberal-arts-colleges.htm]Top”>Top 10 Public Liberal Arts Colleges in the U.S.)</p>
<p>Many of these are well within your debt free budget. </p>
<p>Finally look into some private colleges where you are in the upper echelon of their typical range, apply for financial aid and apply for merit aid. Many private schools discount the price because the HAVE to. There are some really good ones that offer an outstanding education and they have to offer scholarships or they couldn’t fill their class. </p>
<p>Check out
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/63770-best-schools-give-most-merit-based-aid.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/63770-best-schools-give-most-merit-based-aid.html</a></p>
<p>Also check out Colleges that Change Lives by Lauren Pope
[Colleges</a> That Change Lives | Changing Lives, One Student at a Time](<a href=“http://www.ctcl.org/]Colleges”>http://www.ctcl.org/)</p>
<p>I disagree that you’d be settling for mediocrity. Consider Lawrence, Earlham, Kalamazoo, and Hendrix. They all rank in the top 30 in percentage of students who go on to earn a PhD, an indication of intellectualism. That’s higher than W&M. 100% of Hendrix students receive financial aid. </p>
<p><a href=“Trinity University - San Antonio, Texas”>http://iraa.trinity.edu/iraa/Documents/ir_docs/Baccalaureate%20Origins%20of%20Doctoral%20Recipients.pdf</a></p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>“I suspect most of these posts are from public school grads/defenders, there is a BIG difference between private W&M and the so called “similar” publics”</p>
<p>I’m one of the people saying “don’t take on large debt to go to W&M”. I’m a Harvard grad.</p>
<p>W&M is a lovely and good college. There are hundreds of lovely, good colleges that offer good educations and probably would be good fits and more affordable or the OP, who incidentally, plans to major in English, a major that is not known for leading to high paying jobs for most graduates.</p>