Hi everyone!
I’m an international student from Brazil. I was accepted into these two universities and I’m really excited. They’re the only ones I’m considering right now (Also got into Clark COA 50k and U of Denver 65k). Anyway, I know it’s kind of late but I contacted Temple and I can still send my deposit. I made my deposit to Fordham the next day after I was accepted but now I’m having second thoughts. Fordham is going to be 70,000$/year. Temple is going to be 30,000$/year (I got a 9,000$/year scholarship; tuition is around 26,000$). Is Fordham worth an extra 160,000$? My family can comfortably afford 30,000$, but 70,000$ is a very different story. It’s going to be very difficult and risky. How does Temple compare to Fordham? Is the difference in quality of education very significant? I’m still undecided as to what my major is going to be, but I’m thinking economics/business/mathematics with a double major in a science like geology or environmental science.
I had my heart set on NYC and Fordham Lincoln Center was one of my top choices, but I’m not sure if it’s wise to spend more than double of what Temple would cost. I guess my main concern is whether a degree from Fordham will provide me with much better opportunities than one from Temple, in which case my family would take a big loan to cover the costs.
What do you think I should do?
Thanks!
My S went to Fordham (Rose Hill) and had a great experience, but if your family can’t comfortably afford it, Temple is a good option and probably makes more sense.
This is crazy talk. Grab the Temple offer while you can. There are no known outcomes for most undergraduate degrees, much depends on how you find and take advantage of opportunities. There is no way you can justify 40k more in borrowings. Temple is right in your budget so you aren’t going to be damaging the family finances. Temple is a public school so it is larger and will have larger classes presumably. Going to a private like Fordham comes with certain luxuries but that price is too high. And an enviro engineer isn’t going to have a different job coming from one school than the other. Pay by location is often higher and NY salaries are higher but so are costs of living. And some of those areas of study are not going to get you a job with a visa as an undergrad. You will be subject to CPT/OPT rules for in school and immediately after. You might want grad school but you will reserve some funds for that. Keep your options open by going to Temple. You will get chances to visit NYC.
My son is at Temple, now, as a transfer. He has lived in Philadelphia for several years. My husband and I both attended college and lived in NYC. With the money you’ll save by attending Temple, you can go into NYC for weekends or explore internship opportunities. Philadelphia is a great city for young people. It is actually better than NYC because it is much, much more affordable. You can share an actual house with fellow students for much less in Philly than sharing a tiny apartment in NYC would cost. There is a very lively music and arts scene for that very same reason: the artists can afford to live in Philly. Long-term career opportunities in Philly aren’t great, but it’s a terrific city for students and young people.