…I am a sophomore at a community college in my home state of NC. I’ve worked hard these past couple years to do well so I could transfer to a decent school. However, most of my choices of schools happen to be out of state. I want to do city/land use planning and possibly even something within the realm of real estate development.
I’m not gonna say my dream school is USC lol… but it’s definitely my top choice because they have a progressive degree program (allows you to get a masters in one additional year on top of your 4 year degree) called Policy,Planning, and Development. USC’s master program for Planning is 6th in the nation which is most definitely a plus and the fact that I would even have the opportunity to attend is amazing. Also looking at some other schools like DePaul and Northwestern, both for their Public Policy programs and NC State for Env.Design.
The problem…my family is unsupportive of all of these choices because of the distance from home, even NC state. They insist I go to UNC-Charlotte because it’s like less than 20 minutes from where my parents live and I could commute. My mom is terrified of me going more than 30 minutes from home because that’s when student loans come into the picture. The problem…UNCC has nothing for me…the only thing I could do there is architecture and the process of getting accepted and then having to start as a first year design student isn’t appealing in the slightest- the case would be the same at NC State but i would be willing to stick it out for state :).
Also I really don’t have a desire to build a life for myself here so now would be the perfect time to break free from NC. There are many opportunities for jobs in LA, so I want to network out there- plus USC alumni networking is A+. I can kind of say the same for Chicago as well…which would make Northwestern and DePaul both good choices as well. Luckily all three of those schools have awesome financial aid, which I am certain my family would qualify for, based on our finances. The biggest problem is cost of living in the Chicago and LA areas…I do have a well paying part time job in the wireless industry that would allow me to transfer wherever i choose to go(oh and not to mention I could utilize the tuition reimbursement).
No matter where I decide to go, I would most likely depend on student loans for a while to help with bills and what not and I would also have a decent income too so in all honestly i think i’ll make it out ok haha(my only bills would be rent/utilities,car payment, gas, &food) . Anyways, I have to get into these schools first, but I really would like to develop a good game plan.
Does anyone have experience in this type of situation? Any advice? None of my family went to college so i have no one to ask. I want to know what other people think.
ucbalumnus I have. Most of the schools that meet 100% of need and use CSS profile are all showing 43k to 46k in grants…which is good bc the tuition for the schools i’m looking at is pretty much the same amount lol. Also we have no home equity(we rent)…and no business investments or any of that. I hear the less complex your situation the more accurate the calculators are… ¯_(ツ)_/¯
LBad96, Although I find Wilmy pretty boring haha, I would perhaps be interested in the Computer Science major w a GIS concentration. Thanks for the suggestion.
ucbalumnus About $3500-5000. Luckily, my parents and grandma may be able to contribute a little bit like 1500 to 2500 a year which would leave me with a little left to pay as far as tuition goes.
You can only borrow $7500/year, so make sure you apply to a financial safety that you can pay for with the loan, your work earnings, and whatever your parents can contribute. If you’ll need a master’s, think about getting your Bachelor’s in-state with as little debt as possible and save your money for that.
It’s pointless to attend a college for a degee that will not lead to the career you want (and not much career at all as architecture is currently the worst major for ROI.)
Your family’s afraid of letting you go - but that’s part of adulthood. They’re afraid because you’ll be far away. But you’ve shown in the past couple years, getting high grades in CC and holding a good job, that’s you’re responsible. Now’s your chance to apply it all and take that leap. Don’t let someone else’s fear hold you back.
Ey, your family’ll be able to visit you in Chicago: cheap vacation for them and a good model for your siblings!
Seriously though: apply to majors that appeal to you instate AND to Northwester, DePaul, and USC.
I agree USC sounds like the closest to what you’d want for your career and you’re realistic when you say it’s very difficult to get in - most of the transfers they admit come from California community colleges, then from 4-year colleges, so there are precious few spots left for community college students from out of state. But you won’t know if you don’t try.
What about UNC-CH?
Good point. I’m almost positive my parents won’t qualify for the PARENT plus loan which would allow me to take out 10500 in federal loans. They’re actually willing to apply for it for that reason, knowing they will get denied. I have very good credit for my age so I may be able to qualify for a private loan by myself if needed.
And I’ve considered Chapel Hill. I may need to work on my GPA and EC’s a little more before considering applying to UNC. USC takes a more holistic approach when reviewing an applicant which is why I even considered it possibly within my reach. USC has everything I want which I think makes it worth it in the end. At the end of the day, it’s just two years to finish my degree and I’m not staying in NC forever so I might as well do it now right?!
GPA is about 3.5. I would be considered a junior. This year I’m taking a little more than a full time load to over compensate for classes that could potentially not transfer.
[OP, I edited your post to add some paragraph breaks to make this easier to read.]
Are your parents against you going OOS because of the distance, the cost, or both? It’s difficult to argue with their reasoning on cost.
You don’t have to major in urban planning as an undergraduate to go into urban planning/land use. Architecture and urban/land use planning are not the same thing. UNCC does have a major in geography, though, with a concentration in urban & regional planning. They also have an environmental studies major and a communication studies major, either of which might have what you want. There’s also a minor in urban studies.
I think a good game plan is to apply as a transfer student to all of these places - UNCC, the three schools you mentioned, and at least two other NC state universities - and see what happens re: your financial aid packages.
Don’t be so sure. My mother, who has truly abysmal credit, was approved for a Parent PLUS loan. This was after they “tightened” up the restrictions, too.
Eh, not necessarily. Assuming that you’re a traditional-aged sophomore in college, you’ll be around 21 or 22 when you finish college, which is still very young. You have your entire life to move to LA or Chicago. Lots of people leave their hometowns or home state after college instead of before.
There’s no specific major/degree that leads to a career in urban planning. Especially not on the undergraduate level.
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the wireless industry that would allow me to transfer wherever i choose to go(oh and not to mention I could utilize the tuition reimbursement).
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Check to see how much the tuition reimbursement is. It often doesn’t cover privates, nor OOS tuition rates.
Would you have a car if you went to Calif?
The grants that you’re seeing are only covering tuition. You will have room, board, fees, books, and transportation on top of that.
If your mom is concerned about loans and wants you to commute, then WHY would she agree to apply for Plus so that you can borrow MORE? That makes no sense.
You need to look at the various NC publics…they tend to give good aid to instate students.
Yes, look into Chapel Hill. A major in public policy or geography coupled with their minor in city and regional planning might suit you, I think.
ECU offers an undergraduate program in planning that may interest you.
Apply to the colleges you like along with some in-state options. Once/if you get into several of them, you can compare costs and make an informed decision.
If the OP can get a BA/MUP at USC in three years with generous financial aid, that may be a better deal than doing two years of college and then another two years getting a master’s in an [accredited planning program](Promoting Excellence in Academic Planning Programs | Planning Accreditation Board). A lot depends on how the financial and/or merit aid shakes out.
Financial aid can be rather limited for professional degree students, and graduate loans, unlike undergraduate loans, are not subsidized.
@mom2collegekids She understands loans will be necessary to pay for my education but she wants me to minimize the use of them as much as possible. I have explain to her how the parent plus loan works and that it is a better option than taking out a private loan. I think she uses the whole student loan thing to try to keep me here at home and settle for UNCC even though she knows that’s the last thing I want. And yes I will bring my car with me wherever I go, for sure…I couldn’t imagine being without it. My parents pay for insurance and I make the payment/gas.
@juillet Cost and distance. LA is expensive…period. Going home for holidays is kind of a factor for their distaste of me going so far. Because of my job in retail there is almost no way I could go home for Thanksgiving and I would have to plan very diligently to make it home for Christmas on time so there’s that. UNCC has some great majors, I get that. And you’re right, there’s no specific major to lead me to urban planning but USC’s PPD major is everything I want. I’m not looking for just a piece of paper. I really want to learn and have a passion for what I want to do and surround myself with people who feel the same. I’ve been to UNCC to tour it, I’ve been to events there, etc…there’s just something about it that seems unattractive to me. Maybe it’s the fact that I have actually lived 10 minutes from it my entire life. I’ve already went to community college and done the whole boring commuting and staying at home thing. Part of it is just me wanting something new and UNCC is so blah to me. If she does get approved then okay. She’s not against helping me out. She wants it to be clear that if I do rack up debt she won’t be the one paying it back.
@warblersrule So many great points. I’m definitely going to look into Chapel Hill. Thank you for that suggestion…it is one I have not yet considered. I love the area UNC is in as well which is also a plus.
I did see ECU had an urban planning program but I’m not a big fan of the school in general. I guess I like the public policy type programs because it prepares you for a degree in planning but you also get to learn other things as well. USC’s is interdisciplinary so I would get to learn about real estate too which is another thing I’m passionate about.
Also yes, the progressive degree program is a big plus because it would only take a year. However there are a lot of great planning programs other than USC I will consider as well. Like you said, financial aid is a key factor.
Think broader in your choices for majors. These days, most planners have a graduate degree in city / urban planning. This means regardless of where you go, you likely will go on to graduate school. Luckily UNC-CH has a top city and regional planning program. I would aim for getting into UNC’s graduate program for city planning.
Many people who study city planning at the graduate do not have a planning background. I had majored in math and design. Others majored in political science, architecture, religious studies, economics, history, civil engineering. Older students came in with law degrees. You get the picture. Very very few had majored in planning or even urban studies.
As for leaving the state, again think long term. UNC-CH has a national reputation. People I know who got their master degree from UNC work and live in New York, Washington DC, Washington state, Illinois (Chicago), California (San Jose, San Francisco, LA), Florida, New Hampshire.
