<p>So I recently received a full-ride scholarship to my local CSU. If I choose to accept it, I will be stuck at home for the next four years of my life. I feel like I worked so hard in high school for nothing because that means that I will be going to the same college as all the dumb people at my school who don't care about school at all. It has been my goal for the past five years of my life to get out of this stupid town I live in. Does anyone have any experience with choosing to stay home for college? Do you regret it at all? What are some pros and cons, because right now the only pro I can think of is that I will save money and I have about 100 cons. Also, how much money can I get in student loans? I won't get any financial aid and my parents are like, "If you can go to college for free, why should we pay for you to go anywhere else?" My dad doesn't even want to pay for AP tests this year because he thinks it is a waste to get college credit for classes that I could take for free at a state college.</p>
<p>I was in exactly the same situation as you three years ago. Guaranteed full ride (and then some) at the local state school of questionable academics, parents who were heavily pressuring me to go there (including withholding financial support if I didn’t but buying me a car if I did,) wanting to get out of that area and stay out, etc. Except I can’t answer from the perspective of someone who did stay at home, because that isn’t what I did.</p>
<p>A lot of people are going to tell you to go to the local school. Save your money. Some might even tell you to try to transfer after a couple years. Or move out to an apartment after a year. Bull. If you’ve got the grades get out of there and never look back. Your parents will either come around or not, and if they don’t then take out the loans you need, get a job now and save, and start applying for scholarships yesterday so you can go where you want. I’ve seen one too many people “settle” for the local school because of the money and they’re for the most party bitter and not at all happy with their decisions.</p>
<p>Go for it.</p>
<p>Chuy is aboslutely right, go for it.</p>
<p>Are you talking about CSUN by any chance? It’s not a bad school but it’s so freaking close to my own house, and I totally understand why you want to leave. I suggest you to run far, far away and experience something other than your hometown. No, really. GET OUT!</p>
<p>Try making a case for how, if you went to another of the schools you’ve applied to, you’d be more motivated and focused and there could be better grad school and job prospects, resulting in a higher salary.</p>
<p>Don’t stay, it will ruin what should be a great 4-year experience.</p>
<p>That would suck. Don’t do it.</p>
<p>…and if you do, don’t make complaint threads on CC. We told you not to.</p>
<p>P.S. That’s why I didn’t apply to any schools near home. I didn’t want that option on the table at all. Deceptive? Yes. Worth it? Compared to the kids who stayed home and well…never left, HELL YES.</p>
<p>I don’t know about others but I would hate to be stuck at a school for “dumb kids”. </p>
<p>I am already having a hard enough time finding academic peers at a nationally ranked college - if I had to go to a school where people weren’t even close to the top 10% of their high school class, I would probably drop out of college because I would be so miserable. Retaking classes because I couldn’t pay for the AP tests? … I hated my first semester in college academically because I was taking two classes in which I already know 50% of the material. I don’t know how I would handle a full schedule of classes where I already knew 80% of the material in each.</p>
<p>So I agree with the above posters: if you can find a way to go somewhere else, do it!</p>
<p>IMHO, one of the most important factors in choosing a college is the quality of the student body. You will be missing out on a lot if it’s weak, or only partially focused on the academic side due to other distractions (granted, some may be out of their control, such as jobs to fund said college education!)</p>
<p>Among other places my S will be applying to USC next year. If he gets in, it will be tuition free because my H is on faculty. Even though we live less than five miles away, we’ve already committed to S that we will pay for his on campus housing, apartment, etc. and will treat him like the independent adult he is. That means no just “dropping in” without calling first, not asking for him to drop by too often just because he’s around the block, etc. etc. He will simply not get the college amd life experience he needs if we do that. We have a good road map, since H got his undergrad in the same city as his HS and his parents were very respectful in this way.</p>
<p>He’s already said that if he’s lucky enough to get into USC and UC-Berkeley, it will be a tough choice for him. But he’s a Jr so we’re miles from this yet.</p>
<p>A wise man once told me…</p>
<p>“Whatever u do, go as far away as u can for college, don’t stay in your home area, u need to go out and experience life”</p>
<p>if you have a full ride, why do you need to live at home? won’t room and board be covered?</p>
<p>keep in mind that even if you’re living CLOSE to home, you’re still at college. i live about 25 minutes from my school, live on campus, and i definitely don’t feel like i live at home. it’s FAR more convenient than overbearing (mostly because my mom will take me to lunch every so often, i can go home quickly to grab things i left behind if i need them, i can run back to apply for summer jobs at home, etc.).</p>
<p>I think everyone is different, I am actually quite nervous leaving home as I want to stay here in LA, and not leave. But if UCLA would not accept me, I think I would have to leave to my next closest school which would be UCSB. I am like very, very worried I dont get into my dream school which is very close to where I live, northridge is also close and if I were in your case, I would be very happy. No way do i want to leave, but thats just me and I know many students like to leave to be free but like you say theres a lot of pros and cons, to me there is more pros in staying at home, and the only con I can think about is of dying and not eating my good food that there’s here, and not being with my parents. I’d artheer save my money, chill, stay calm, study hard, and then leave when I graduate.</p>
<p>^^You need to grow a spine and get out of your comfort zone. You’re setting yourself up for a huge shock upon graduation when you find yourself leaving the nest, on your own and having no idea what to do to be self-sufficient.</p>
<p>^^^</p>
<p>agreed, go out somewhere far</p>
<p>u need to expeirence life in a new setting</p>
<p>u never know, if u stay home u may end up living there all your life, how boring is that?</p>
<p>I wouldn’t attend a university where I had to stay at home, no way.</p>
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<p>As someone who wasn’t close to the top 10% of their class, that’s a bit insulting…</p>
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<p>i graduated well within the top 10% of my high school class, but you seem like someone i would NEVER associate with. </p>
<p>with an elitist attitude like that, how many “academic peers” have you found at your “school for smart kids”?</p>
<p>I knew I would get these comments and I am sorry if I offended anyone. Let me make my earlier statement more politically correct.</p>
<p>I don’t care how most of the students around me did in high school or how they are doing in college for that matter. I also acknowledge that most students have interests and commitments that are non-academic. All I am looking for are a number of people with a similar level of interest and aptitude for my major as me, and a number of classes that are targeted at students like me and not students seeking to finish the major with the minimum number of required classes and as little work as possible. I am having a hard time finding that at my college, and I assume I would have an even harder time finding that at a college where the average SAT score is however many points lower. </p>
<p>But maybe students’ interest in and aptitude for academics are completely unrelated to the selectivity of the school, and I really am the ******bag everyone now thinks I am.</p>
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<p>Advance credit is always worth more than credit taken during your college career.</p>
<p>For one, it means you have more time to add to your degree.</p>
<p>If your parents are willing to let you live on-campus, then I would reconsider. I live 45 minutes from my school, within the distance that I could stay at home and attend classes, but I live on-campus because I would otherwise be miserable. It’s perfect because my parents have given me plenty of space and only occasionally ask me to come home (someone’s birthday, etc.) I’m also on a varsity team here, so that helps my case and am very involved in other areas. My parents can’t tell you what classes I’m taking, what I do most of the time, etc. and as a result it’s about the same as if I lived far away. Actually, I think they’re less concerned about keeping contact because they know I’m so close.</p>