Split between 2 colleges please help??

College Search & Selection
1

So i just got rejected from my dream school(univ of Maryland)… Pretty depressed but oh well.
Yea so my next 2 choices are university of pittsburgh and rutgers university

Here are the prices for each:

Upitt: 25,750 including dorms and books. I got 18,500 fafsa aid.

Rutgers: 26,180. With no reply regarding fafsa aid yet.

I live in new jersey.
I plan to major in computer science
Im gonna live on campus
I like to party but not gonna join a frat
Definitely gonna play intramurals(football,volleyball)
Like urban and suburban just the same

In your opinion, which one looks like a better fit?

Thanks

2

UPitt. It’s better ranked academically & not too pricey.

“I live in new jersey.
I plan to major in computer science
Im gonna live on campus
I like to party but not gonna join a frat
Definitely gonna play intramurals(football,volleyball)
Like urban and suburban just the same”

Lol you just described me

3

<<<,
Upitt: 25,750 including dorms and books. I got 18,500 fafsa aid.
<<<

Is $25,750 your annual net cost AFTER the $18,500 aid?

What was that aid? Unless you’re an independent. It would be very unusual for you to have received $18,500 in federal aid (which the FAFSA app is for).

What is the exact breakdown of your aid?

Will your parents pay the remaining $25,750 per year? If not, how will that get paid?

4

<<<,
senior right now. So it looks like in ap physics C, i wil be getting a D. The concepts are just hard and I cant do well on the tests. My classmates share the same problems. I was accepted to the following colleges EA
Rutgers
Univ of pittsburgh
NJIT
Temple

My senior year mid year grades are:

ap calculus ab:B
Advanced topics in computer science: A
Ap physics c: D
Consumer economics: A
Principles of engineering: B
Language arts:B

So yea if i keep up these grades and try to bump the D to a c in second semester, will i be okay?
What will happen if I get a D for the whole year? Im really worried
Thanks
<<<<

this is a bigger problem

5

UPitt all the way. Much better school.

6

I agree and would choose Pitt if prices are close and both are affordable. But yeah, you need to get that AP Physics grade up to a C for the year (get a tutor, see the teacher after class often, do extra problems…whatever it takes).

7

Wait until you get both aid packages, and run the numbers here: http://www.finaid.org/calculators/awardletteradvanced.phtml

What exactly is the breakdown of the “FAFSA Aid”? I don’t see how you can get that total. Is there a Perkins loan in addition to the regular student loan? Is there a really figure for federal work-study?

8

@happy1
@mom2collegekids

The first semester ended in january and i ended up getting a c in ap physics.

9

Excellent. Hope you have a great college experience. BTW I know a few people who wen to Pitt and loved it.

10

UPitt, if it’s affordable.

11

Pitt if it’s affordable.
Do not take private loans (especially since NJ has njloans, which are much better.)

12

You can’t make a decision yet because you don’t have an aid package from Rutgers - you can’t make an actual affordability comparison without that.

Also, what does “FAFSA aid” mean? the FAFSA is simply the application that makes you eligible for federal and institutional aid at most schools. “Aid” can be anything from grants (which are non-repayable) to loans (which are). What do you actually have?

Also, the amount of the grant is irrelevant if your family can’t pay the remaining costs. Can they?

13

Careful to consider what’s a loan and what’s outright grant/sholarship. If scholarship, what are the terms to keep it year to year. FIRST gather all the aid information.

14

U of Pittsburgh for sure. Congrats! (as long as it’s affordable for your family)