<p>I am in sort of a pickle here since I would love to go to Syracuse but it will cost more than UMASS Amherst. Also,I plan to major in mechanical engineering, The thing is, Syracuse is a bit more expensive than UMASS and I was hoping that some of you fine folks could give me some opinions/feedback to help me make a decision. </p>
<p>NOTE: Costs are for Freshmen Year ONLY</p>
<p>Syracuse will cost me about 29k, but parents will pay 19k, leaving 3.5k in sub, 2.5k in unsub., 3.2k in work study, and 1k out out pocket for me.</p>
<p>Total cost for me: 6.5k(not counting 3.2k work study)
Total cost for parents: 19k</p>
<p>UMASS Amherst will cost 20k after FA and scholarships, parents will pay 16.5k, leaving 3.5k in sub loans for me.
Total cost for me: 3.5k
Total cost for parents: 16.5k</p>
<p>However, a big factor in the money is the fact that I could possibly graduate in 7 semesters at Syracuse due to AP credits, but at UMASS it will take me 8 semesters most likely. I would much rather go to Syracuse, but is the cost too much to be worth it?</p>
<p>If you could graduate Syracuse in 3.5 years and get a job right away at the normal engineering salary, then Syracuse, despite the higher cost of $21.5k to everyone, would be a better deal. There’s a lot of “ifs” in that statement, but considering you could work earlier, it might be worth it.</p>
<p>According to my calculations, if we assume half a year of work at $60k/yr, Syracuse comes out a winner, even after taxes. It’s close enough we should actually call it a draw. </p>
<p>They key is, engineers often take longer than four years to graduate. If Syracuse offers more in terms of AP credit, then it will result in either less time in school or a lighter course load, which can translate to higher grades and possibly better offers. Again, a whole lot of “ifs”, but it’s all worth considering.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t count on the 7 semesters vs. 8, as it’s unlikely to make much of a difference and may not happen. Getting credits is not just about racking them up, but you have to take classes in certain sequences and certain classes may only be offered at certain times. I came in with a semester of AP credit to my undergrad college, but I still took the standard 8 semesters to graduate, in part because I studied abroad and in part because of the sequence required. That’ll be even more important for engineers.</p>
<p>But it doesn’t look like the costs to either you or your parents will be significantly higher at Syracuse. ~$26,000 in debt at Syracuse for you compared to ~$14,000 in debt at UMass Amherst. $26,000 is manageable, and definitely repayable with an engineer’s salary (or even the standard average in case you change your mind). So if you really want to go to Syracuse, then I’d go there.</p>
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<p>For the student:</p>
<p>Syracuse $9,700/year ($5,500/year loans, $1,000/year cash, $3,200/year work); UMass $3,500/year</p>
<p>For the parents:</p>
<p>Syracuse $19,000/year; UMass $16,500/year</p>
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<p>The student needs to work part time while attending Syracuse, but does not need to do so at UMass, to make the numbers come out the way they are in the first post. So that can cut into study time at Syracuse.</p>
<p>That’s true, but I’m not seeing an accounting of summers either. Engineering students can often get paying internships over the summer, but that’s going to be true at either place. Or you can go to school and make that 7 semester schedule. There are many, many options here, and it’s so close, it almost comes down to personal preference.</p>
<p>I would certainly choose Syracuse for 1) The College Experience 2) National Reputation 3)Strong Alumni Network after graduation
For the negligible difference, and the fact that you are going into engineering, if you want Syracuse you should definitely choose Syracuse.</p>
<p>It’s so close that, as long as OP is willing to work over the summer before freshman year and will take on paying jobs/internships afterwards (easier to find as an engineer), Syracuse is a workable choice. There aren’t many students whose choices are so similar when they have such a strong stated preference, so, in this case, unless the student is unwilling/reluctant to work, I’d go with Syracuse.</p>
<p>one last thing perhaps: you could save your parents 9K each year by going to UMass. Is the money they’re ponying up money saved for this purpose or costs they will incur? can they afford the costs or would the 9K better be spent on healthcare, retirement, next child, roof repairs, etc.? That probably totals around +40K after inflation. Syracuse is the clear choice here if parents’ money is not something they could spend on the next child or something like that. We don’t need to know the answer but maybe you would want to think about that. </p>