Need help picking Rhode Island Colleges for Finance Major

College Search & Selection
1

Background - Current community college student in CA, looking for a change of scenery when I apply as a transfer. I’m hoping to have accumulated enough credits to receive Junior standing, or at least second semester Sophomore. I have approximately a 3.63GPA, and I’ve been working full-time for several years while going to school so I have a decent bit of work experience. I’m going to apply to schools in a few areas, but I wanted to eliminate some of the schools in Rhode Island
My current list includes:
Bryant
Rhode Island College
Roger Williams University
University of Rhode Island

I think I should keep Bryant University, it’s the only one out of the 4 that has a somewhat known business school. People from Bryant make significantly more (on average) after graduation than the other 4. But I’m thinking that I should pick 1 more out of the other 3. Right now, I’m mostly stuck between Roger Williams University and URI. Rhode Island College is definitely cheaper (A whopping 9 grand cheaper), but academically it’s the weakest. Roger Williams University and URI are about the same, with RWU coming out on top in some national rankings, and costing around $2000 more a year.

I’m looking at schools in other areas, but if I end up going to a school in the Rhode Island area, I’d probably live in Providence, because my girlfriend will be going to RISD, and I’ll be the only one with the car (at least for the first year we live there). Because I’ll be commuting, on campus life isn’t that important to me, and I’m 22, so I don’t care about the prevalence of underage drinking. I do enjoy going to nice bars, restaurants, the occasional concert. As for the student body, I just enjoy when it’s somewhat diverse, but I’m not a fan of super conservative religious types, I’m atheist/agnostic myself.

Any feedback is appreciated!

2

Can you afford all those schools? You’ll be considered OOS.

3

Bryant is a great school especially in Accounting. Providence College is another great choice, You aren’t going to find many super religious types at PC and if you know of a bigger party school in New England let me know, just reflecting on your concern of conservative super religious types.

4

I don’t think it would be a problem. My parents will be able to help some amount, I have a credit score over 800 so I’m sure I can get some half- decent loans, and I’m going to be emancipating because I’ve been financially independent since I’ve been 18 anyways. But at the same time, I do try to weigh the prestigious reputation of any school against the cost of going there because I don’t want to pay 50k a year for a crap school

5

I actually wrote off PC already. My education has already taken me too long and I’d rather not take religion classes if I can avoid it because that’s just more things I won’t be transferring over.
Edit: also at PC you’re required to live on campus as a sophomore in single sex halls and I’m in a long term relationship so if I get screwed on credits transferring to PC and end up as a sophomore there’s no way in hell I’m going to live in a same sex dorm.

6

Then go to Bryant, your other choices in RI are not nearly as good, not even close. Rhode Island College is not AACSB accredited.

7

Of course, but I was thinking that one of those schools would be a backup schools. I already have several reach schools in other areas (Boston U, U of Washington, Northeastern, NYU, etc) so I was going to keep one of them as a back-up school. So I guess what I’m asking is for a backup school, which should I pick?

8

Bryant without a doubt out of the ones you listed. Why do you want to study Finance? What are your career goals?

9

I think you’re misunderstanding me, Bryant will be a sort of average-level school, but I wanted a backup school between RWU, URI, and RIC. I wanted to have 2 schools in the Providence area since my girlfriend is really hoping to go to RISD.

10

Then URI…

11

Thank you! I’m also going to apply to Clark which is somewhat close but that is all dependent on whether I can get into their accelerated MSF program.

12

I’d agree that after Bryant, URI would be the next school on my list if you take Providence out of the mix.

13

Awesome. I ran a basic test on colleges comparison http://colleges.startclass.com/compare/3860-3862/University-of-Rhode-Island-vs-Roger-Williams-University
And URI comes out on top in almost every way. I just wish it was in as nice of a location as RWU I love being on the water. But I guess I’m not living on campus anyways so it shouldn’t matter.

14

Yeah, that won’t work. In order to be independent for FAFSA you have to be:
24
Married and supporting a spouse
Have a child
Be a member of the armed forces
An already emancipated minor
A homeless minor

15

I’m going to be filing for emancipation ASAP. I’ve been filing independent tax returns for years now. Either way i’ll find a way financially, there’s a chance my parents might decide to fork up the money - depends on what school I go to.

16

You can only borrow $7500/year on your own as a junior and senior. Your parents would have to cosign for the other ~$40k/year. Will they?

@“Erin’s Dad” is correct that you can’t emancipate yourself just because you pay your own bills. If that were possible, many, many people who could pay would simply say their kids are supporting themselves so they could qualify for aid. You can tell colleges your parents won’t pay, but it won’t make you eligible for need based college scholarships or federal grants either. The good news is that when you’re 24, you’ll be considered independent. The not so good news is that the maximum Pell grant you may then qualify for is only ~$5k/year, so it wouldn’t cover OOS tuition anyway.

17

My parents would be willing to cosign if necessary.

I might be misunderstanding this clause, but my college counselor told me I should emancipate for financial purposes

The Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 amended section 480(d)(1)© of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to treat as independent any student who becomes an emancipated minor before reaching the age of majority. The specific legislative language is: “is, or was immediately prior to attaining the age of majority, an emancipated minor or in legal guardianship as determined by a court of competent jurisdiction in the individual’s State of legal residence”.

I’m guessing age of majority means 18 so I missed my window of opportunity to emancipate?

18

You can’t just “emancipate”. The gov’t has been wise to that for a number of years. And yes, if you’re over 18 you are an adult now, anyway. That language is for people who have been taken from their parents for reason.

19

Yep, realizing that now. Well my little brother and I will be applying for college together, so that’s going to come into play hopefully (I lagged a couple years behind where I should be).

20

Then your EFC will be lower for each of you, but that may only make a difference at schools that meet need. Make sure you each have at least one safety you can definitely be admitted to, can definitely afford, and would be happy to attend. If you’re a CA resident that would be a UC or CSU.