Hey everyone,
I’m reaching the final leg of my college admissions adventure (or ordeal if we’re being honest,) and I have narrowed it down to Xavier University (the one in Ohio) and Providence College.
I got very generous aid from both schools, particuarly PC. They rewarded me the Martin Luther King Jr. scholarship which covers all of my tuition, and I’ll be receiving third-party funding that will be covering the entire cost of my books and a small portion of my room and board. Xavier gave me $16,000 merit and several institutional grants and a third-party will also e covering the entire cost of books and a portion of room and board. I did the calculations and if I go to XU I will graduate with 33,000 in debt and if I go to PC I’ll graduate 25k in debt, unless I can convince the financial aid office to put the pell grant towards my room and board, then I’ll be a little over 2k in debt.
I know to most that PC seems like the best option, but I hesitate because of the intense drinking culture I’ve heard PC has. I’m not abstaining from alcohol in college or anything, but I am slightly concerned that it might be too much of a party school for me.
The second thing is I want to go to the school that has the best opportunities for intellectual pursuit and dialogue, and I’m not entirely sure which school will be the best for that. Some insite on that would be great.
Third I also would like to do some research as an undergraduate. Which school would be best for this?
Fourth, I plan on majoring in economics. I looked at the courses Xu offers and the list of electives don’t seem to be as extensive as PC. Am I correct in this assumption?
Lastly, I would like some insite on these schools’s campus culture so that this decision can be easier for me. I’m kind of a nerd, not necessarily a recluse but I’m definitely not extraverted. I want to be academically and intellectually challenged b my classmates and professors and I want to be able to fit in.
Thanks in advanced and I look forward to your responses.
**Sorry for the bad spelling. I typed this out really fast.