<p>To make a long story short, I am facing a dilemma choosing colleges. I have to choose between four places:
1) St. John's in Santa Fe. This is my absolute favorite college. I love the curriculum and I am dying to go there but the cost is astronomical and I got a small scholarship so it does not seem feasible.
2) Tulane in New Orleans. I like this school but same issue as the above: finances. I may possibly get a full ride but without that it looks bleak.
3) Trinity in San Antonio. I like the school and want to go out of state, plus the expenses are not too bad (I got about half-tuition scholarship here).
4) LSU. I got a full ride and do not mind the school but I worry it will not open as many doors for me because of its reputation and prestige. </p>
<p>Basically, it comes down to whether reputation and prestige outweigh costs? I feel like Trinity is a better school than LSU but I'll be paying a lot more to go there. I really appreciate any advice or info on these schools (maybe from alumi?). Thanks for all the help!</p>
<p>Reputation and prestige don’t outweigh “astronomical” costs or a “bleak” outlook. So that leaves you with Trinity and LSU. I know absolutely nothing about either school and its relative prestige, but any amount of goodies gained by going to Trinity over LSU could be overshadowed by the debt you’d be living under.</p>
<p>From my brief research in the last five minutes, I don’t see that Trinity is more prestigious than LSU (main campus). And more people will have heard of LSU because of its sheer size. But, as I said, I don’t know anything about either.</p>
<p>So, do your parents have the money and desire to send you to Trinity University? What really makes you think it’s more prestigious and has a better reputation?</p>
<p>You’re clearly a good student to have been accepted to these schools and have the great scholarship from LSU. You’ll probably do well no matter where you go if you take advantage of the opportunities presented to you.</p>
<p>I can afford Trinity without incurring lots of debt, and my parents would not mind me going especially if I want to go (I still haven’t visited). Based on the standards of entrance, quality of courses and professors, and feel of the student body, I believe Trinity is more prestigious than LSU.</p>
<p>My son attends Trinity and my daughter is considering Trinity and LSU. What are you thinking about studying? Are you looking forward to attending big time football games and going out to large parties? How important are small classes and really getting to know your professors? Trinity is more prestigious than LSU, but money is always an important consideration. I would recommend you choose the school with the right atmosphere for you. There are students who will feel absolutely lost at LSU due to its large size, and kids who will go stir crazy at Trinity due to its small size. Spending some extra money to go to the right school may be worth it especially if going to a school that is a bad fit leads to poor grades or dropping out. Spending 40 to 60 thousand dollars and not graduating is the worst outcome, but going to a school you cannot afford and then dropping out due to money is also a terrible mistake. Something else to consider is that it is frequently easier to graduate in 4 years from a school like Trinity than a school like LSU. Trinity uses a liberal arts core and for most of your first two years you are working on your core courses while you discover what interests you. We met a computer science student who took her first computer science class the second semester of her sophomore year, and she graduated in 4 years (ended up with a great job with USAA). Good Luck!</p>