MAY 1st! What to do??!?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Ok, so I basically have 3 options:</p>

<p>1) Cornell
2) Case Western
3) Ohio State U</p>

<p>1) I love Cornell-- I love the campus, I love the programs and possibilities, I'm a nature lover, so Ithaca is great-- However, I will have the bare min. of $9,000 debt/yr
2) I like Case, but I'm not a fan of Cleveland, and the campus is quite small. I have a $22,500/yr scholarship though. I'll still have $4,000-$5,000 debt/yr.
3) I really really hate OSU. It's way too big, I hate football, I'm not a party person. On the other hand, I'll pay nothing b/c of what my parents agreed to pay per year (~$20,000).</p>

<p>Is Cornell worth it? I can handle the $9,000/yr in debt, but what if they review my financial aid package for the next four years and I get much, much less? What then? I'll probably have to transfer to OSU just so I don't end up with an exorbitant amount of debt. </p>

<p>I only have until May 1st to decide. Any input? Advice?</p>

2

<p>Go with Cornell. NOT because of the prestige, mind you. You really seem to love it. In the big scheme of things cornell should potentially pay bigger dividends so the debt will counter-balance itself slightly. Don’t go to OSU. You don’t seem to be even partially okay with it. The debt, at least to me, would be worth it.</p>

3

<p>Also, you don’t want to regret any decision you make. You will have a better experience at Cornell most likely because you love it. Don’t pay a ton of money and have a horrible four years.</p>

4

<p>Definitely go for Cornell. As someone who chose the school that was more financially “logical” over the school of my dreams, don’t do it. Seriously go where your heart feels is right not where the price tag is less. I really regretted not going to my #1 choice so much so that I actually dropped out of my uni. Follow your heart and have fun!</p>

5

<p>Are colleges more likely to work with students w/FA so they don’t have to transfer?</p>

6

<p>At a place like Cornell you can be confident that your FA won’t change dramatically unless your family income changes dramatically.</p>

7

<p>Cornell. You sound like you love it, and that make a huge difference. Go for it!</p>

8

<p>Go for Cornell. If you love it then go for it. Its also one of the best universities in the country :)</p>

9

<p>Go to [FinAid</a>! Financial Aid, College Scholarships and Student Loans](<a href=“http://www.finaid.org%5DFinAid”>http://www.finaid.org), find the loan calculator, and plug in the numbers. Assume that costs at each of the choices will increase 5% a year for the next four years. Use an interest rate between 8.2% and 11%, origination fee 1%. Then see what your next 10 years following graduation will look like.</p>

10

<p>If Cornell is really where you want to be, there is no question that 36k of debt is not too much of a burden to shoulder for that opportunity. I happen to love Case, but the 16k difference is not worth saving to go to choice #2, IMO.</p>

<p>There is no way Cornell will lower your package unless your financial situation drastically changes. At Brown, my package has increased every year.</p>