<p>ok so here's my problem: i got accepted to UCLA and USC, both under biology. I am in state, and both colleges will cost about the same for me.
UCLA net cost: 9200
USC net cost: 10500
however, my EFC for UCLA is 0, while my EFC for USC is 2500. i know this might not sound much to some people, but for my family, 2500 is actually a big portion of our annual income =(... and since i'm also doing premed, i'm worried about getting into too much debt before i even start my graduate studies...
another thing that im worried about is the USC financial system. i read somewhere on CC about someone recieving a lot of financial aid from USC their first year, but in their second year, not enough, so they had to transfer out or something. is this true? im going to call USC tomorrow, but would like some outside perspectives as well.
which school would you choose if you were in my situation?
thanks</p>
<p>UCLA’s Biology Department is considerably stronger than USC’s, and UCLA is a stronger university overall (albeit by a narrower margin). Since it is also the less expensive option for you, UCLA wins on all counts.</p>
<p>thanks. i do realize that ucla’s biology dep. is stronger, but i also know that ucla has the most premeds out of every university in the state. im really worried about getting lost in the crowd. also, after visiting usc, i learned about so many opportunities and programs for premeds… so im still stuck. anyone else care to input your opinion?</p>
<p>Net cost is what counts, not EFC. How are you going to fill your gap in cost? A part time job will only get you so far. And I assume that net cost is after grants, not loans.</p>
<p>I would try to negotiate with USC tell them you want to go there but UCLA is 1,300 cheaper.</p>
<p>What is the structure of each financial aid package? What is the exact breakdown of grant/scholarship money, loan money, and work-study money?</p>
<p>You seem to prefer USC, so by all means go to USC. $5,000 - $10,000 in debt after your four years is not significant (to me), and I suspect to most. If the debt were $30,000, I’d say UCLA … but again that is MY tolerance for debt.</p>
<p>to grumpster: can i really do that? please tell me how, as i am very interested! like how would i go about asking? thanks.</p>
<p>to dunninLA, i dont know where you got these numbers, but i would have well above 5000-10000 dollars in debt, since each school would cost me about 10000 a year!</p>
<p>sorry fruit… I meant $5k -$10 ADDITIONAL debt for going to USC vs. UCLA.</p>
<p>The most cost effective way to get through college is to attend community college for the first two years… it is risky though since the transfer into USC or UCLA is not guaranteed. However, with a student capable enough to get admitted out of HS, the odds are very high you’ll get into both as a Junior transfer out of JC, and not be in debt at all after those two JC years.</p>
<p>What is the Cost of attendance breakdown for each school?
Tuition
room
board
books
fees
travel
personal expenses</p>
<p>What does each of your aid packages contain?</p>
<p>Pell grants
Cal grants
school grants/scholarships
sub loans
unsub loans
work-study</p>
<p>That “contribution” from USC may not really be that much if the school has padded its COA with high travel costs, personal expenses, and such. How far away do you live from these schools?</p>
<p>From the above comparisons, we can tell you whether there really is a difference in your contribution between the schools. USC may just pad their COA more…but we’ll see after you post the details. :)</p>
<p>USC’s COA:
[USC</a> Financial Aid - Applying & Receiving Financial Aid - Undergraduate - Costs](<a href=“http://www.usc.edu/admission/fa/applying_receiving/undergraduates1/costs.html]USC”>http://www.usc.edu/admission/fa/applying_receiving/undergraduates1/costs.html)</p>
<p>The travel and personal expense figures do not appear to be “padded.” The books could likely be acquired at a lower cost by purchasing used books from an online source rather than the university bookstore.</p>
<p>wow, I was unaware tuition at elite privates had breached the $40k mark, $41k counting mandatory fees … yikes!</p>