<p>My son has been accepted to GT. We live in Florida and he has prepaid in Florida and has been accepted to FSU and USF as well (but not UF).
Does anyone have an opinion on the value of sending him to Georgia Tech Out of state vs. a much less costly FSU? Is there any GT alumni that can tell me if having the GT degree is worth the extra $$ he will need? </p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>I'm not a GT grad but it might help to look at this thread:
<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/673743-should-you-go-out-state-public-university.html%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/673743-should-you-go-out-state-public-university.html</a></p>
<p>What does he want to get a degree in?</p>
<p>GT is a state school, and works well with the FL prepaid program. The cost difference is not too much. My friend's son did this. By second year, he became a TA, and that too brought done the cost.</p>
<p>He is going to major in industrial engineering.</p>
<p>but if he is out of state, doesn't Florida prepaid only apply the current florida instate rate?. We are planning a visit up there in a couple of weeks and hope we can get more specifics on the cost of attending vs. FSU. They have not sent out financial award letters yet</p>
<p>GT is a great engineering school. That makes the decision tough. I would look at the financials before making the decision. </p>
<p>Is he planning to go with a masters right after undergrad?</p>
<p>Is there a chance GT might give him some merit aid? Usually most of it goes to instate students, but some schools give some students an out of state tuition waiver. I agree with previous posters - get the full financial information on all his options before making a final decision.</p>
<p>I have a similar question - my daughter got into Michigan, Carnegie, George Washington and Drexel engineering, and likely will hear soon from Tufts. We live in Ann Arbor, so of course UMICH is the best bangs for the relatively low in state bucks. GW offered a scholarship matching approx UMICH, but Carnegie and Tufts are not llikely giving merit scholarships, and we don’t qualify for need (though still count $$$!). </p>
<p>Here is the issue : Part of college experience is getting independent, experiencing college life without parents, the adventure, growing up etc. . Having parents and an older sister in town and at the same school takes some of that away - my daughter really wants to experience something new, so she is pretty determined to ask us to allow her to leave - but I hate the idea of paying double at Tufts for significantly lower ranking. </p>
<p>I will tell her she should, like my older daughter, take the adventure after college, in grad school or at work, when someone else pays. Any other arguments?</p>
<p>Tough one, margit. I desperately wanted to leave Madison (suburb) but ended up at UW eons ago- need blind admissions weren’t the game then, sigh. Rarely saw old HS classmates, never went home (lived in the dorms) and loved the school. If the cost difference is affordable and the academics comparable I would get out of town. This is the downside of raising your family in a great college town. Your D could spend her first year away at GW and return to Michigan for the remainder of her schooling if need be. Once she has had the opportunity to go away she won’t feel as confined by being in her hometown.</p>