<p>I hope you guys can help me with the probably most difficult decision in my life so far!
I got accepted to American University and George Washington University in DC. I'm currently life in the DC Area as an Au Pair and fell in love with the city and I have a better relationship with my host family than I ever had with my family at home (even though I still love them, too, of course). I got a 22K Scholarship from AU which makes the decision between the two schools pretty easy.
I visited AU and I know that it is the right school for me! I want to major in International Studies and AU is just the perfect school in the perfect place.
But even with the scholarship I still would have to pay 26K per year. I'm from Germany, our education is almost free and in general it is not that bad. I could study political science with hundreds of other kids in one class and would fight with them over one good internship opportunity in the country. I really want to stay here but my mum would have to get a loan in germany (since the Euro is so strong at the moment taking a loan here would make no scene and I don't have a co-signer anyway) and she would start paying it of right away until I'm done with school and have a job so I can pay of the rest.
What do you think? Is it really worth all the money? I'm so scared that I'm gonna end up with the loan and that I won't be able to pay it of...</p>
<p>Every opinion is appreciated! Thank you so much!</p>
<p>kadi, in your position I would seriously consider returning to Europe for your studies. I very much question whether you getting into so much debt for an undergraduate degree is "worth it." Today, EU offers so many exciting and inexpensive options for young people: the ability to study all over Europe, or to go on year-long programs funded by Erasmus, to really become fluent in many languages. These kinds of opportunities in America would cost a small fortune -- you can do it for a fraction of the cost of four years at AU. There's never been a better time to be a student in Europe! And if the idea of studying in America sounds interesting to you after you finish, you can always consider doing graduate school here. (Grad students can often get better funding than undergraduates.) But to have to struggle with tens of thousands of dollars of debts for a "bachelor's degree" from a good, but not world-famous university, just doesn't seem to make much sense given what you can have in Europe.</p>
<p>I agree with katliamom. You could look for a German university that has an exchange program with a university in DC and do a semester (or year?) abroad for your Bachelor's degree and then return for to the States for graduate school. Graduate students frequently receive full funding (tuition plus living expenses) in exchange for TA duties.</p>
<p>I certainly dont feel that money should come in the way of your education. If you really like the course and the university, then go for it. Do what you want to to. Scholarships should not mean the end of life and obviously, if you think that the college is right for you, you would definitely do well and would earn money too. And hence, you would be able to pay off your debts. Why do you doubt your abilities?
Why sacrifice your career for something as unimportant as an insufficient scholarship?
Many of us go to the US to study without getting any aid(including me). Do you think all of them end up under huge debts at the time of graduation which they cannot pay off?
And if money really IS an issue, then you should try signing up for the Co-op program in your college.
Listen to your mind, and do whats right for you.</p>
<p>I think you should be really careful about incurring a great deal of debt, especially since in your case, it sounds like your parents won't be able to contribute a great deal. Here is what I would do in your situation: calculate how much debt you will incur at an American university relative to a German university, and really think about whether the extra debt is worth it. Write down your reasons for preferring the American university and weigh them against the extra debt, if that helps you make your decision (It helped me lol).</p>
<p>One more thing to consider is if you're planning to go back to Germany, an American degree (unless from a really well-known university) might not be as well-regarded as a degree from a German university. I wonder if b@r!ium could shed some light on this?</p>
<p>You're looking at over $100,000 in debt when you graduate AU. That will have a significant negative impact on your life (spending ability) for MANY years.</p>