<p>I am going to be 3rd year usc student and just realized that starting soon my loans would be piling up. I'll probably graduate with about 30-50k in loans. My question is do you think the loans are worth it to stick to USC or should I go to a school like rutgers where i can get a full scholarship and finish almost loan free. Any input would be great, thanks</p>
<p>I've you've already been there for three years, I see no point in leaving now...</p>
<p>I'm a RU graduate and the father of a May graduate of University of Southern California. If you are in a major that offers a quick return, like engineering, than the loans wouldn't be so bad. But if you are in say film, like my son was, than the payoff could be years in coming and you will have the loans to pay off on a relatively low income. </p>
<p>Both are excellent schools. USC has a clear advantage as to weather and coolness and is academically superior. Its campus is beautiful. Are those things worth the cost?</p>
<p>if you wouldnt be transferring till after your third year i see no reason to switch. if it would be saving you all the cash all four years then i would think about it, probably do it. but since you will be done with 3 years, i say stay put and finish out at usc. its a good degree. while i have my doubts if it is worth 4 years or 5 years of full tuition, i think that if you will have completed 3 years their you would be silly not to get the degree from usc. plus lots of jobs in la, good weather, etc.</p>
<p>Is it even possible to get a scholarship as an entering senior?</p>
<p>If I did this then there would be two options. Either deferring this semester and transfering in second semester so I wouldn't have to pay this full semester(not sure how credit transfers would work but I have enough currently to graduate almost a year early from usc, although I doubt most will transfer over). Or transfering spring semester regardless and doing this semester. I am a business major currently going into real estate investing.</p>
<p>well if some of your units might not transfer and/or rutgers might have diff requirements to graduate, it could end up taking you longer as well. and if it took you a 1/2 year or possibly a year longer by the time you met rutgers diff university graduation and major requirements, then you could have been working and making 40k+ a year over the past 1/2 year or year if you had just finished out at usc. that would in itself be the difference in tuition between the two schools. it just makes sense to get the usc degree and finish out. the time to second guess the tuition at usc isnt after 2 or 3 years, but when initially making the decision to attend usc over less expensive schools. but that opportunity is now passed (2 or 3 years ago), so stay where you are at and finish out.</p>
<p>Are you sure that you can get a full scholarship as a senior who's transferring? Usually schools mandate that transfers do a minimum amount -- typically 2 years -- of credits at their college.</p>
<p>^^ i agree. i have never heard of someone transferring as a senior getting a full ride. but it may be possible, i just havent ever heard of it, and i imagine it doesnt happen often, if it ever happens at all.</p>
<p>I would be transferring as a junior, i only finished 2 years. but i see your points</p>
<p>Well, honestly only you know your financial situation well enough to decide this.</p>
<p>30K in loans is a pretty reasonable amount, and I think you should stick it out if you can get away with only that much. 50K is definitely on the high end, and if you are responsible for paying all of that off by yourself it will be pretty difficult. Also, I don't really know what it means to be "going into real estate investment", so I have no idea how much money you will need at the start of your career and how much you plan to be making, either.</p>
<p>Wait, you said you have enough credits to graduate almost a year early from USC? Why not stay there and finish in two or three semesters? Real estate careers need strong networks of friends, and you would have much more going for you by staying in one school. You seem overeager to make the switch; it makes me think that something else is bothering you. Or, you are thinking of starting your career on the east coast, in which case you'd have to weigh the prestige of a USC degree against the chance that things will work out at Rutgers.</p>
<p>Would your current school support you if you took off a semester or two to work? That might be the best option. Also, what are your chances at USC for a paid internship in junior or senior year? One problem with transferring is that you will be low man on the totem pole when it comes to any selective college program.</p>
<p>yea thanks for the valid points. I'm not trying to come off sounding overeager, I just need to figure this out quickly thats all. I actually really enjoy usc but I'm just struggling with the fact of how much loans it will be at the end. But I think the best option would be to stay and finish it off and just deal with the loans.</p>
<p>midwestern, to answer your questions I am actually kind of thinking of starting my business on the east coast. I have actually been making fairly good money on my own through business I have started and have done lots of internships already during the school years. I'm thinking of going my own way though instead of working for someone and I guess that is one of the reasons I have got into thinking about how to save more money. A collge degree is important but I just don't know if a USC degree over a rutgers degree is as valuable for someone who wants to continue on the entreprenurial path... i might be completely wrong, maybe im thinking about this wrong.</p>