I am a 2015 high school graduate still trying to find a successful path to finish college. Credit-wise, I’m still a college sophmore, meaning I’m still a year behind from the rest of my peers. Which I don’t mind very much as long as I continue pursuing my education. I know I will finish one day with prompt time. Anyway, since my junior year of high school I knew diplomacy or international relations was the only major I was interested in pursuing. I live in New Jersey so the only possible school for me to attend and recieve in-state tuition and to be able to commute was Seton Hall University. They have a Diplomacy school in which I attended for one semester in which I enjoyed and loved everything about it…except the price. My mother and I qualify for Medicaid however, I still cannot get enough financial aid to make my tuition costs easier. If I were to graduate with my bachelors from SHU, I would be roughly in an $80-90,000 debt. I cannot take the chance of being in debt so much money also because I plan on going to law school and grad school. Law and grad school gives less financial aid.
I cannot be tied to so much debt especially for just a bachelors, even more so if my mother and I qualify for greater financial aid. I was thinking of either enlisting in the Air Force, as it is something that has always interested me. Or moving with my brother to New York City and attending Baruch College Marxe School of Public and International Affairs. I would be recieving in-state financial aid. Or perhaps any other CUNY that’s less expensive than Seton Hall. Side note: Rutgers University is a great school, however it is not the kind of school I want to go to because of the size and the size of the classes. I learn best in smaller classes. They only offer Political Science as a major and I do not want to be another political science major.
If anyone has any advice, or any other suggestions for more schools in NJ/NY it is greatly appreciated!
Seton Hall is a private school. so there wouldn’t be any “in-state” tuition there. I’m not sure what majors they offer, but Montclair State, William Paterson and Kean should all be commutable and much less than Seton Hall. I’m not positive on this, but living with your brother may not qualify you as a NY State resident. Some states have pretty strict requirements around that. Have you applied to the NJ state schools and filled out the FAFSA for aid? Running the net price calculators for the schools should give you a better idea of what you’d be expected to pay at each.
The majors at the Universities that you listed dont include international relations, unfortunately. But since I am a New Jersey resident I did get some aid from HESSA for Seton Hall, just not enough to make the tuition costs reasonable. To qualify as a NY state resident, I would have to change my address for taxes and checks for work, and just move my health insurance to NYC. I was going to attend Rider right after I graduated but their Political Science program wasnt too great.
Unless your mother or father lives in New York, you wouldn’t be in state for tuition. It’d be about $16,000 in tuition - assuming you’d live with your brother (is he ok with that idea?)
You made the right choice regarding SHU. It’s definitely not worth its cost and there are better colleges for IR/public policy.
If not Rutgers, why not TCNJ, where classes are smaller and academics top notch?
In order for us to really help you, we’d need to know a few details:
what’s your EFC?
what’s your HS GPA? College GPA?
if you took the SAT, what was it?
are you willing to leave the NJ/NY area (if the cost is right)?
EFC: No college savings from my family. Perhaps some help to cover books costs. Mom makes less than 26k a year.
HS GPA: 3.5/5.0 College GPA: 3.3/4.0
SAT: 1350
Yes, I am willing to leave the area if tuition costs are good.
and yes, I am Latino.
OK, so EFC zero.
Email admissions at Kalamazoo, Tufts, Dickinson, Macalester, St Olaf, something like…
Hello,
My name is … … and I am a prospective transfer student from New Jersey. I am interested in your college because it’s been recommended to me for its strength in international politics and its international orientation. My college GPA is 3.3, I am Hispanic, and my area of interest is (…Central American economics… Latin American politics… Hispanic women in North America…), about which I hope to conduct research my senior year if possible. I would be most grateful if you could tell me more about … And …* Another issue is my EFC zero (I am a first gen student and my mother makes $… a year), so, i must ask: do you meet need for transfer students?
Thank you very much.
Sincerely,
… …
= read their poli sci, international studies, and study abroad offerings, and ask two questions about what you found.
Note that these colleges are all noted for their commitment to international studies regardless of department denominations.
Also look into Rowan and TCNJ.
Would you be able to live at your brother’s if you commute to Baruch? How would you pay for the OOS tuition?
Thanks so much!
Yes, I would be able to live with my brothers but I was reading up the requirements and they said one can emancipate to recieve in-state tuition.
Ramapo College also has an international relations major. That may be kind of far for you to commute to though, and even in state is getting pretty pricey.
Emancipation has to be done before you turn 18. If you’re over 18, it’s too late.
Add Hobart and WIlliam Smith to the list of schools to write to - they have a solid IR major.
Add Colby - they’re trying to diversify their study body and are seeking lower income, URM students.
Are you fluent in Spanish as well as English? Any other language?
Hello again! I’m currently going through the process of enlisting in the Air Guard. So any public school in New Jersey would be paid for. Thank you for your recommendations!
And yes I am fluent in spanish and portuguese. I was looking at the tuition for these schools and they seem to be more than Seton Hall, and then adding on the room and board @-)
You should apply several schools of your interest, after you get accepted then you can decide. It is likely that you will get some FA or merit scholarship and bring the COA down and become more affordable.
The difference between the colleges suggested above and Seton Hall is they are “meet 100% need” and/or practice preferential packaging, meaning that you would typically pay about the same or less to attend them than if you attend a Public Univ. Seton Hall, on the other hand, gaps, meaning it does make itself affordable for students it admits.
Run the NPC on all the colleges listed (type the “college’s name” and “NPC” to find it). The NPC will tell you how much you’d pay at eaxh college.
As far as NJ publics go, Rutgers and TCNJ are the best by far, Rowan for engineering.
since you intend on going to law school I wouldn’t put so much emphasis on your undergraduate major studies in so much as the important thing is high grades. You will specialize in grad school and further. You should look into TCNJ ,
way higher ranked school than Seton Hall, many nj politicians are alumni and they have a highly impressive record of alumni attending top grad schools. And its got a nescac type feel to it