Need Advice on College Selection

Parents Forum
1

<p>Hey parents...</p>

<p>This is my first time ever posting on the Parents' Forum, but I am in need of some advice. I went through a very disappointing college decisions week, getting rejected from my top choice (Princeton) after a deferral, and waitlisted at my other top choices: Harvard, Columbia, and Cornell. Obviously, they were all reach schools, so I had mentally prepared myself for this possibility. </p>

<p>I was accepted at Tufts, NYU, and TCNJ and I need your advice in choosing a school. Financial aid is a factor. Income Bracket: $40,000 - $60,000. </p>

<p>My Options...</p>

<p>1) Go to Tufts: Pay for it by taking out home equity loans (or whatever they're called). I'd be paying $10,000 more than what I would've paid at Princeton (I used their online calculator, which their finaid office assured me was usually accurate within $1000). I like Tufts alot, but I'm not smitten by it and I'd definitely give it up for a better-value school. </p>

<p>2) Go to NYU: I'm in the CAS Presidential Honors Scholars Program. I will be receiving a $25,000 merit scholarship. HOWEVER, the rest of their finaid package for me is all in the form of loans (Perkins and Stafford) and work study. Also, I'm not too thrilled about the aid in the form of loans. I like NYU alot too, especially since I plan to live in the city at some point in my life, but again, I'm not smitten by it and I'd give it up for a better-value school. </p>

<p>3) Go to TCNJ: Completely free, plus a new laptop and I'm in their Honors Program. It has a pretty campus and a good-sized school (about 6000 students)... I liked the school alot when I went to the accepted student day -- BUT, my main concern is that it'd be too academically lax for me...classes will be not be what I'm used to (I come from a fairly competitive public school in Westchester), the students will not be what I'm used to...Plus, no one in my school, aside from my guidance counselor, has even heard of the school. Another big concern I have is...how hard would it be for me to get into a good grad school (say, Harvard)??? If I maintain a good GPA and graduate at the top/near the top of my class, will I be at a huge disadvantage when applying to a grad school like Harvard? </p>

<p>So the main question for me right now is...Is TCNJ a "good bargain" school where I can get a good education? Good enough for me to turn down Tufts and NYU? </p>

<p>One of the only things stopping me from choosing TCNJ is that I fear that after enrolling in TCNJ, it will be very difficult for me to follow my ambitions and eventually attend a school like Harvard or Yale for grad. I've read numerous posts on CC before about how students are smart to go to a cheaper undergrad school, save up money, maintain a good GPA, and THEN go to a top-notch grad school, but I'm still not totally convinced. I'm looking at the schools that TCNJ students attend after TCNJ and they're all schools such as Rutgers, Michigan State, Texas A&M...</p>

<p>Finally, it won't be a tremendous hardship to pay for a place like Tufts or NYU (mainly, I'm just reluctant to pay them so much more than I would've had to pay my dream school). However, if it IS very much worth it to go to an undergrad school with a name (for grad school's sake), my family would be able to afford it without any sort of financial crisis occurring. </p>

<p>Thank you for all your help. I'm sorry for the long post.</p>

2

<p>What you would or would not have paid at your dream school is irrelevant and must be erased from your mind. For all you know you made a calculation error on the website.</p>

<p>Okay, I think you could go to any of the three. What is the difference between what you will pay out of pocket at Tufts & at NYU? How much would you have to go into debt at each?</p>

<p>Then consider which school has the environment you most want-- socially, academically. Which one wold you choose if money was no object? Is it far and away the best choice or is a cheaper altenative nearly as appealing?</p>

<p>All three are near one another-- visit if you need to. </p>

<p>Finally, see if Tufts can increase your aid. Might level the playing field.</p>

3

<p>I am not a parent, but a first year student at Tufts and have seen several of your posts. Financial aid was also a major concern of mine when applying to colleges. I too received only a 5K grant to Tufts in addition to the various loans and work study. What really stood out to me from your post is this: </p>

<p>"Finally, it won't be a tremendous hardship to pay for a place like Tufts or NYU (mainly, I'm just reluctant to pay them so much more than I would've had to pay my dream school). However, if it IS very much worth it to go to an undergrad school with a name (for grad school's sake), my family would be able to afford it without any sort of financial crisis occurring."</p>

<p>You say your family could afford it without any big financial crisis, so I would really think about whether you think it is worth it to pay so much more for either Tufts or NYU. Judging from your posts, I get the feeling that you truly want to attend one of these schools instead of TCNJ. Fact is, many students at top colleges could have gotten free rides or large scholarships at their state schools but instead chose to pay more to go to more of a "dream school," either by explicitly turning down these offers or implicitly by never applying to these safer programs. Unless they get a full need-based scholarship, the type of student who gets into these schools is likely leaving money, perhaps alot of money, on the table somewhere. I got into several fairly well-respected schools with big merit $, but deep down I knew that Tufts was more in line with the type of college I had always envisioned myself at. Think of it this way: Does part of you wish you had not received the money from TCNJ because you feel compelled to accept it and would feel guilty turning it down? I know that part of me felt this way when trying to decide where I was going to go. While I felt guilty turning down big scholarships from Providence and Dickinson to attend Tufts because my financial situation sounds similar to yours, deep down I knew that I would regret passing up this opportunity. Looking back, I am 100% happy with my decision. I understand the pressures of going to a prestigous school can be quite big, but if the only reason you hesitate to pick TCNJ is because of a perceived lack of prestige I would question that logic. TCNJ is certainly a very good school and would be a great value for you. If however, you truly feel that Tufts or NYU would offer a better college exeperience to you, than follow your gut. Have you come to open house at Tufts yet? We have two more this Thursday and Friday and it really influenced me to come here last year. I think Tufts provides an excellent college experience, and I hope that if you truly wish to attend Tufts you will be able to reconcile yourself to this decision without feeling guilty.</p>