PSU 2+2 Plan or UMASS?

Parents Forum
1

<p>D has narrowed decision down to both schools. However, at Penn State she would attend the Altoona campus for the first 2 years and transfer to University Park for JR/Sr years. Both schools are out-of-state for us with similar costs. We visited all 3 campuses and they were each liked for varying reasons. She's going in undeclared.</p>

<p>I feel that Altoona would be a nice stepping stone to UP because the much larger campuses may be too intimidating at first. But, there is a recent concern about the impact to the PSU system of budget cutbacks.</p>

<p>D likes both schools and is having a difficult time deciding. Does anyone have knowledge of these schools? Pros? Cons? Any experience, other than those college review sites, or information would be helpful.</p>

<p>Thanks to all!</p>

2

<p>I’m from New Jersey OOS. I’m starting off at PSU Altoona because of the close proximity to University Park. It’s a good program because if you maintain a good GPA, you can easily transfer to University Park. It also saves you about $14,000 over 2 years. Altoona’s tuition is ~$20,000 while UP is ~$27,000.</p>

<p>It’s also a good option because PSU-UP is one of the most prestigious public Universities in the East. My parents can’t afford Private Universities. </p>

<p>It all depends on the Financial Aid package of both schools. If you can afford both go to PSU Altoona.</p>