For undergraduate, $85,000 in debt is far too much, and you cannot borrow anywhere close to that much without a co-signer anyway.
3.8 HS GPA / 31 ACT would get you some large merit scholarships at some schools.
Northeastern’s merit aid is heavily based on SAT/ACT scores and a 31 ACT is the 25th percentile. Your parents did not have a college fund for you? I agree with @ucbalumnus that $85,000-$90,000 in undergrad debt is way too much.
Yeah, Tulane is the best option here due to NEU’s price (coming from a current student who LOVES the school). While not Boston, it’s still a city with good character. Go for it!
No @TomSrOfBoston they didn’t have a college fund. And yes they are co-signing on my loans, and I disagree that it’s too much debt @ucbalumnus , but thanks for your opinion! Thanks @PengsPhils , I’m glad you’re enjoying NEU and I wish you the best!
NEU - ACT English 25th % was 30.
ACT Math 25th % was 29.
And the International kids do not submit test scores (about 20% of class)
and the kids pushed to Spring admission (NU.in) - test scores not counted
So an ACT of 31 at NEU is pretty good
Tulane is your best option so far.
87K in debt is too much - your parents will have to qualify every year (not a given) and it means you will not be able to get a new car, buy a house, have a wedding, until your 40s.
Parent PLUS loans are better than cosigned loans if those are your two options, but I would advise against both.
Actually best option is Rutgers at a 4 year cost of about $110,000 vs. $185,000 (minimum after annual $20K merit) at Tulane, especially for a Poli Sci major. OP, U Del merit is starting to come out. Did you get anything?
@LuckyCharms913 Yeah, Rutgers isn’t out of play yet. But unfortunately in New Jersey, especially at my school, Rutgers is seen as a “backup school” and it’s almost looked down upon to attend. I have not received any merit from UDel, do you know if that information is only released with admissions decisions or if they send those letters later?
Who cares what high schoolers you’ll never see again think about Rutgers? Are they the ones paying your bills?
Make sure you know your parents’ budget.
Keep in mind that cheapest is not necessarily best but that debt over the federal limit* should be avoided at all costs.
- 27K over 4 years is what a recent college graduate can reasonably hope to pay back in 10 years.
Why does it matter what others think, if it happens to be the best fit (including consideration of the cost) for you? Also, why is going to the state flagship so frowned upon in New Jersey, compared to many other states?
It would not be surprising if many of those who look down on Rutgers end up going there, because (like you) they cannot afford the other schools that they applied to.
Check the U Del forum. Some students who were accepted in December received electronic notification of merit today.
And Rutgers is a very good option (quality is comparable to Penn State). There is a thread around right now (will link if I can find it) where adults are wondering why NJ kids dislike Rutgers so much and seem not to realize its strengths.
Rutgers is a better school than any of the New England flagships or the SUNY’s. It is at least comparable to Penn State or UMCP.
@TomSrOfBoston @LuckyCharms913 UConn, UMCP, and Penn State are all better than Rutgers by quite a bit. UMass is a little bit better, UDel is equal. I do agree that it is better than any SUNY, though.
However, NJ residents find Rutgers distasteful because it’s rather dirty, way too large, has far too many of their high school classmates, it’s too close to home and the girls there have a…certain reputation. It’s expensive even for in-state as well. The academics aren’t super well-regarded, either. I can say with certainty that I would take my own school at $60k/year over Rutgers for free. I’d pick Chapel Hill for $80k or NC State for $65k. I would take Appalachian State or UNC Asheville over Rutgers any day. Heck, I’d even choose UNC Charlotte or Greensboro before Rutgers. NJ schools in general (with the exception of Princeton, TCNJ, Stevens, Rutgers, and Rowan) are absolutely terrible.
Rutgers is terribly overrated by people outside the state. It’s not that good at all. Any NJ resident who attends Rutgers for nonfinancial reasons is scared to leave the state. Which is a real shame.
OP is far better off getting out and seeing a different part of the country at Tulane.
Edited out a rant about NJ as a state and the people that live there. Editing out posts that refer to the rant. It has nothing to do with this thread. - FC
In PA I can tell you that as someone who does hiring, Rutger’s grads are looked upon very favorably and on par with any of the other Big 10 schools like Penn State, UMCP and Ohio State. UMCP has a reputation among some for being in a horrible location, PSU is loved by half of PA kids and detested by the other half, etc, etc. The best way to get out of NJ if that is someone’s priority is to get a very good, very affordable education which the OP can get at Rutgers, then move anywhere you like when it is time to get a job. Massively overpaying for undergrad because you hate that you grew up in NJ for four years of college is the best way to limit your future options, not expand them.
Also, there are quite a few good SUNY schools when one looks at them objectively, and several that aren’t that great. The kind of shortsighted financialy disastrousl mistakes that NJ government is infamous for is exactly what you are suggesting the OP make.
@Skates76 people shouldn’t stay in-state to choose Rutgers just because it’s the cheapest option. You go for what has the best value. For example, I believe Pitt is better than Penn State. If Pitt is better than Penn State, it’s certainly better than Rutgers by a mile. People who intend to get out of NJ and are forced to stay just because the options are the cheapest often end up resentful. I can tell you that I’d rather have not attended college at all than be forced against my will to go to the subpar private (Rider) that was my safety.
It may be the OP’s only affordable option (and probably only barely affordable) out of the schools listed.
It was a long time ago, but I thought the New Brunswick campus was pretty nice. Actually, thinking about it, I have a close relative who got a Master’s from Rutgers, and more recently, a friend’s child got a BA. It’s not great, but it’s not that bad.
You are very fortunate, @LBad96, that your family was in a position to send you OOS. And it’s great that you are so happy with your school – but you are 18 or 19 years old and do not seem to understand that for many students, finances are a significant factor in choosing a college. Your strident anti-Rutgers bias is of no help to this student.
OP, please consider that most of the advise you are receiving is from adults. Massive, long-term debt is not a good idea, but is a particularly bad strategy when you’re doing it to avoid a few sneers from HS acquaintances. Northeastern, an excellent school, is clearly unaffordable with no aid or merit.Tulane is a great school and the merit money might make it seem affordable – but it still sounds way out of your price range, especially considering travel costs. U Del might work if you get some merit but my opinion is that it is not worth $18,000/yr more than Rutgers. I’d take Penn State off the table completely; if you are willing to spend $47,000+ a year, then go to Tulane.
Think about how long it will take you and your parents to pay off large loans. Even worse, think about how you’d feel if you went to Tulane and then had to come home after a year or two because your parents couldn’t qualify for more loans, or because they decided that the extra costs weren’t worth it.
OP, you need to consider the source when seeking advice and have a serious conversation with your folks about finances.
You would be wise to take comments like this with a serious grain of salt:
Rutgers is a perfectly respectable school and plenty of smart New Jerseyans have gone there or go there now. If that’s all your family can afford, then your other options are to apply to schools with comparable pricetags or that offer merit money that puts them in the same ballpark.
Do NOT, I repeat DO NOT accept advice like this:
The poster means well, but he is a college freshman and that’s Crazy Talk!
Listen to parents who pay the bills and know too well how from personal experience hard it is to pay off college loans.
I live in suburban Philadelphia. Rutgers is a fine school, and many of my friends in NJ send there kids to school there. Is it as pretty and fun as Penn State? No, probably not, but so what if you can’t afford it???
Penn State and Pitt are on par with each other academically, but they’re very different schools. UDel is a wonderful alternative for those who can afford OOS tuition or can attract merit.
Tulane, if the price is on par with Rutgers for you after you get all your merit and need-based aid, sounds like a fantastic opportunity. I know folks who turned down Ivies for one of the big scholarships at Tulane.
Please, Monopoly money will NOT pay for college. Any loans you take will be paid back with interest. Find out how much your parents can afford to pay each year for four years BEFORE any loans. Add in the Stafford loans and there’s a reasonable budget for you in your circumstances.
OP - please consider the sound advice so far from the parents on this discussion
Adding to all the other adult opinions here: I am an NJ parent living a community where full pay at NE or Tulane is a given if a kid gets in. And there are many kids with OP’s stats whose parents can comfortably pay in full, for poli sci or whatever degree .This is probably the reason why NE didn’t offer any merit. It seems like it would be a stretch for your parents to comfortably afford these options. And in the end , that’s all that matters, because your friends and their parents aren’t shouldering the long term debt that you and your parents would incur.
Here’s a link that would detail your payments on the size of loan that you are thinking about. I use it in all my math classes to illustrate to students the actual meaning of the four letter word called DEBT