<p>I got into jhu and I'm very happy! I got very generous FA and I can't complain...however it leaves my mom with about 14k a year (not including a 3.5k loan included in the aid) so almost 19k a year... Or I could go to notre dame of Maryland for significantly less, around 4k a year if I remember correctly. Is the jhu education worth it? As of right now, I'm considering public health studies but have been debating going into computer science/engineering... We're new to student loans, aid, etc and would appreciate the insight. Thank you.</p>
<p>Also, there is the public option as I've gotten into the honors college (UMD college park) but I'm not sure what the aid is there since they just recently told us we were selected for verification.. but I feel that it'll be around 12k unless I'm totally off)</p>
<p>Okay thank you. Any more advice? I just don’t want to graduate from this prestigious university and end up with a mediocre job (I know phased majors don’t make a whole lot) and too much debt… But I don’t really know much about this kinda thing…</p>
<p>Get clear about the details of your JHU and UMCP offers, and about what your Mom truly can afford. </p>
<p>A degree in engineering or CS from either Hopkins or UMCP, combined with internship activity, should pay off in decent career opportunities. Notre Dame of MD cannot offer nearly what JHU or UMCP can in engineering and CS. So I’d take ND off the table unless it would be a hardship to pay for one of the others. </p>
<p>Explore connections with employers fairly early in your college career to maximize your chances of a good job at graduation. The Baltimore-Washington area is a good place to be for this (with many internship opportunities in government, communications/media, finance, etc.)</p>
<p>Agree with TK21769 that ND of MD makes little sense as it lacks the programs you want. JHU is terrific for eng’g and the sciences and the opportunities you will receive are worth the extra $ even if you need to take out private loans. UMCP also has a fine eng’g program and if they give you a full ride the calculus with JHU might change. But if its aid is just a few thousand more generous than JHU go to the latter because of smaller classes, stronger reputation, and better opportunities.</p>
<p>Okay thank you. As far as engineering, is one better than the other? I will try to get my FA from Maryland soon but if the difference isn’t too significant, I’ll still have both options</p>
<p>If an engineering program is ABET accredited, as both JHU and UMD’s are, it will offer a strong engineering education. The differences are in class sizes and possibly the kinds of employers who recruit there.</p>
<p>This is a no-brainer to me. I would go to JHU anyway. If you want to study engineering, this is a great deal. Hopkins gets a lot of recruiters from the DC area. I would even borrow money for this deal. You will earn a very nice living after getting an engineering degree and will no doubt be able to pay back your loans with ease, and I think that you will meet a lot of interesting people from all over the world at Hopkins that you might not meet at UMD. </p>
<p>I just don’t see turning this down even for a full-ride at Maryland. I think that you hit the jackpot.</p>
<p>19k each year for JHU is only a bargain if you and your mom can afford that. Find out what your mom can pay each year so that you don’t have any ugly surprises.</p>
<p>You mentioned not being SURE (as most HS SRs) as to what your major may be, including possibly public health. If you want as much flexibility as possible, I’d strongly recommend you attend UMCP as well. Graduating with significant debt like $80 - 100K after interest on loans is not needed. If you’re going into engineering or related field UMCP has a good program and a bachelors in engineering from any school can get you a decent job. If you’re going into public health, you’ll likely need a masters for many of the jobs, which will be much easier to get at a more prestigious U if you graduate with minimal debt.</p>
<p>I don’t think the OP said that the debt level would be 80-100K. The loan portion was $3.5/yr and the parental contribution was 14K/yr. The OP can earn some money in the summer too. </p>
<p>I think there is some value worth paying for to attend JHU assuming the Mom can swing the 14K. If she can’t it’s worth discussing the situation with JHU since they meet full need. </p>
<p>Even so, I don’t think that graduating owing 40-50K with an engineering background is going to crimp your post-graduation lifestyle. If you go into another field that pays a lot less, it might. </p>
<p>Graduating JHU owing $20K? That’s a no brainer. I think it’s well worth it for all of the reasons I cited. I think that there is a huge risk in people being TOO risk adverse. Taking calculated risks is very important in life. Do the calculation.</p>
<p>The JHU hopeful said deciding between engineering type field and public health. The public health grads I know had to get masters degrees and still have a hard time making ends meet–salaries for that field starts low and tops out early. Even people who THINK they may want engineering often graduate in other fields for many reasons.</p>
<p>No info that the mom can swing the $14K, which is why it seems like a LOT of debt otherwise.</p>
<p>But it wouldn’t be her debt. It would be Mom’s debt. Presumably Mom is an adult who can make that decision on her own. I think it’s still worth it.</p>
Even people who are <em>sure</em> they want engineering change their minds </p>
<p>Nationally about 1/2 of those that start in engineering end up majoring in a different area. Given the OP seems kinda vague about CS or engineering, and that in order to complete an engineering program you need to be taking the classes from just about the first semester, I’d be hesitant to make conclusions about the debt load based on graduating as an engineer.</p>
<p>Hopkins is a school with a strong reputation. As with any school, fit is important. Has the OP visited the school or otherwise investigated to get a sense of whether she would be happy being a student there? Rankings are one tool, but no ranking can predict the suitability of a school for every possible student.</p>
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