Sooooo basically I just don’t know what to do so I’ll try and paint the best picture I can. I applied to about 10 schools, got rejected from my top 2 and I’ve narrowed it down basically to these three choices. I applied engineering to all three, but I honestly don’t know if that’s what I want to do.
JMU:
In-State: $25,780 Total
Clemson:
Out-of-state: $50,200
Penn State:
Out-of-state: $51,572
Breakdown: I might be able to get a scholarship from JMU (3.7, 33 ACT, some Leadership/Internship not much though). I want to be independent and get through college without having to use up all my parent’s savings. I also have a little brother who is about to enter middle school and it wouldn’t be fair to him to use up all their savings on me and leave him dry. Seeing as money is a pretty big deal, JMU seems to be the best but I don’t know if I will fit in at all. Clemson seems to be the best fit socially and academically, and might be a better balance between football/parties/etc and school/studying. Penn State is a little too big for me but their BioMed Engineering is the best out of all three schools.
Footnotes:
Penn State and Clemson are not giving me any money.
I was admitted to summer session for PSU BME which will add about 10k to those first-year numbers.
If I decided on not being an engineer or a biology major, I would most likely become a teacher (Clemson and PSU are 31st and 25th in the nation according to one ranking)
The cost differential is too huge to not choose JMU, especially considering it will drain your parents’ savings. Regardless of your major, neither Clemson nor Penn State are worth an extra $100,000+ over the next four years. Pick JMU.
The thing is that JMU is pretty big which means you will probably find all kinds of people. I’m sure there will other students to bond with and befriend. How would you describe yourself and what makes you think you won’t fit in at JMU?
I have a nephew at JMU and one who was just at Penn State. The two schools (and Clemson, from what I know of it) seem fairly similar: large. sports and Greek presence, friendly, not near much of anywhere else. Penn State is larger, and Clemson and Penn State have clearly higher profiles both in sports and academics. But I would think there are a lot of similarities between the people who go to each of them.
What are your other choices (and their net cost)?
Neither Clemson nor Penn State are worth that much money, especially with the cost differential with JMU.
There may be a possibility that you like better than JMU without being as expensive as either Clemson or PSU.
I’m not trying to spam so I’ll do my best to answer all your questions in one post:
Why I don’t think I’ll enjoy JMU: From what I have gathered so far JMU will be a very similar experience to my Northern Virginia High school social experience, with a lot of similar people going to attend. In high school I feel like I have been categorized and “been put into a box”(especially since my high school student body is all kids I grew up with) and college is the one chance for me to finally be who I am (boisterous, loud, and outgoing). During my HS experience I actually left to try out boarding school in southern virginia, and from a social standpoint it was the best experience as I finally broke out of the standards I was held to at my public school.
I don’t know if this is just a personal issue but I do feel like it is important when I am making my decision.
Fitting in: I’m not completely sure about becoming a member of a Fraternity… I’m just not that type of person. Drinking and other stuff is not necessarily my cup of tea. With that being said I do love to socialize and I enjoy going to parties that aren’t too hardcore. I would describe myself as someone who likes to have fun but also needs engaging and, as pretentious as this may sound, intellectual conversation. I don’t know if JMU is the best place to find that balance that I need.
Other Choices: I got into VCU (which seems to be better from a diversity perspective) but the COA is a little higher at 28,361 and George Mason: 28,288. I do not know how VCU compares academically, especially for the programs I am interested in, with these other schools but I really did like the campus when I toured last spring. George Mason is a little too close to home (right down the street) and I only applied as a super-safety just in case.
Your concern about bumping into HS classmates is a common one for kids applying to in-state schools. The desire to try something new is completely understandable. If you go to Clemson, you will be in a place with largely SC students, and with Penn, PA students. I truly think that you will find your place in any of the three schools. The campus is large, and first years are spread out all over the place. Also, you will find that people disperse as they hit college and develop separate lives. That said, the concept of “fit” is real, and you need to decide if those feelings/expectations will negatively shape your experience at JMU if you attend. My older son had the same concern about JMU, and wound up in South Carolina/Columbia. Ironically, he realized in his last few months of school that a classmate who he never knew before was attending USC, they hit it off, and will be rooming together sophmore year… For us, the cost of attendance was very close for in v. out of state. In your case, you are looking at an exceptional difference in cost. I don’t think that any of these schools supports a $25k a year difference in price. Even assuming that you have a way to borrow that type of money, it will take you forever to pay that back. Based on what you have described as your intended course of studies, I don’t think that the difference in school is worth it. Congrats on some wonderful acceptances.
@MYOS1634 Out of JMU and VCU which would be the best in terms of Value of Degree, Quality of Education, and General Academics? I have done a bunch of research and VCU is ranked 66th BME, but JMU is also ranked 38th General engineering for schools that don’t offer a doctorate. A lot of the research that I have done so far has only made this harder to pick between the two…
There is also a strong possibility I end up switching my major so do I only look for which school has better academics overall?
@seahorse18 Have you attended one of the JMU accepted student days? My son flew down yesterday and will attend the Monday session. Perhaps you’d get a better idea about potential peers in your major if you did.
How many students are in your graduating class?
Roughly how many do you think will attend JMU?
I completely agree that this is a major decision, and that “fit” is a very important component, but concerning yourself with <30 kids in a freshman class of 4,500+ might not be the best metric.
Granted, I graduated from JMU back in the Stone Age, but I lived with 5 other guys in a suite my freshman year and I never remember seeing 2 of them ever again the 3 other years…
If my son decides on JMU he’ll be the first person from his high school ever to attend. He’ll know nobody. He doesn’t seem to care, but we’ll have to see how it plays out. He’s already identified a couple clubs he’d like to join. I think, like him, if you actively pursue an entirely new group of friends you’ll be able to shape your college experience more to your liking. That obviously applies to any school.
JMU and VCU are equivalent academically speaking. However their environment and vibe are different, so you should try and spend an overnight at both, attending classes, visiting the library (does it make you feel like studying there?) and the gym (will it welcome you?), eating in the cafeteria (are kids social or do they eat staring at their phone)?