So my options are 1) Northeastern University and 2) the University of Kentucky.
So I chose Kentucky as my second because it is my state school. I live in South Kentucky.
I’m going to major in Physics, and will probably go to grad school and maybe be a professor. I chose Northeastern because of the co-op. Research is a huge part of Grad school admissions and I could get a whole year of research by the time I graduated.
With Financial aid, it is going to be pretty similar. I have a scholarship that pays 4k the first 4 years and 6 the 5th year. So my aid, before loans and student work, says I’ll be paying 7500 a year. And after student work and the scholarship, I’ll be taking 1500 a year in loans.
All of this information is based on the calculator, BTW. I haven’t received official financial aid information because of the noncustodial parent form BS.
And with UK, the financial aid is gonna be about the same, really. About 2000 a year.
Northeastern is obviously a better school, but UK is close to family, about 2 hrs North.
So yeah. What do you think I should do? Go further and experience better education for slightly cheaper, or stay close to family for a little bit more and worse education.
Why is one school “obviously” better than the other?
Well, Northeastern is a better school in many aspects. It has co-op, general higher ranked education in general, and is in Boston. So yeah.
I’d go for the adventure of a new city, new part of the country. You can come back to KY after graduation if you want. One thing to look at is health insurance cost, though – you may be required to purchase the school health insurance at one or both schools, depending on what kind of insurance plan you have now and the rules of the colleges. Cost varies by college, too.
I was in a bit of a similar situation, deciding between Northeastern and University of Minnesota. It was a bit more expensive to go to Northeastern, but not prohibitively. I opted for Northeastern in part because it was further away, and I wanted to go somewhere that didn’t have half my high school graduating class. I came from a small town, and I was a bit nervous about the big city aspect, but I loved Boston - big enough to have everything I wanted without being overwhelming. I also liked the research opportunities. I ended up spending 4 years in one lab, including a co-op there, plus a co-op in Germany and co-op at a rehabilitation robotics startup. It was fantastic to help me find my research path and gain intellectual independence. There are some great physics co-ops as well, including regular co-ops at the LHC.
One additional piece to think about with costs - plane tickets home, especially if you want to be back for things like thanksgiving.
I was in a similar place about a year ago; Northeastern vs. University of Texas at Austin. Both good schools (and both attractive financially), but at the end of the day, I chose Northeastern because it scared me more. UT felt safe! I have regretted stepping out of my comfort zone. Good luck!
You have or have not regretted it?
Not regretted it haha, whoops!