Of my 12 total schools, one that I have applied to is Kent State University. I would be able to get free tuition if I were to go there. However, in terms of my GPA, SAT scores, and other aspects, I would consider myself somewhat over-qualified for Kent. I’ve applied to other schools, such as the University of Miami, U. of Maryland at College Park, and the George Washington University. These schools, I think, are more on-par with the academic scores and statistics that I have.
Obviously, though, I’ll have to see how much, if any, scholarship I get from these schools. It’ll be hard to top free tuition.
So, do you think it’s more worthwhile to go to KSU and not pay for tuition, or is it more worthwhile to go to a better quality school, like U of Miami or U of Maryland, and take out loans and have to pay them off over time?
By the way, I’m planning on majoring in Architecture and hopefully also getting an M.B.A. Luckily, Kent has a duel-degree program that combines these two degrees. Thoughts?
We know a freshman at KSU in the Honors Program there. She is interested in Architecture and possibly Photography. According to her mom, she is doing well and has found peers with the Honors. Is that a possibility for you? Free tuition is hard to pass up, but it is something you will need to decide. If you get a chance, a visit and meeting a professor in your major may help you decide. Good luck in your decision!
We are in the same boat. My daughter’s stats are much higher than the average at Kent but she wants to study fashion and Kent ranks very high for that program. How are you getting free tuition?
I think you should visit any of the schools that you get accepted to that are going to be affordable for you, and have the programs you want, and the career outcomes you hope for. The opportunity to get a college education with little or no debt would be a wonderful situation, and shouldn’t be ignored. I agree with above post to visit and talk to someone in the architecture department because that is most relevant to you. Honors program offers lots of opportunities for challenge, so talk to someone there as well. During the Admitted Student Day my daughter attended, people were divided up into very small groups to meet with professors in their intended majors; but if you visit on another day, I am confident you could have something arranged for you.
If the other schools mean you take on debt you can use this calculator to see what impact that debt will have on the rest of your life. Large student debt payments really limits your future.
Pay attention to the paragraph after the payment grid is calculated. It tells you what income you need to support the payment and avoid defaulting. Student debt is different because you can’t bankrupt out of it and defaulting increases the burden dramatically through penalty fees.
My sister goes there and while she doesn’t LOVE it (she had hoped for a NY school so Kent pales a little in comparison) she likes most of her classes, and has had more opportunities at Kent than she would have at other schools. She’s in Paris studying this semester on a full scholarship. So she has made the most of her a experience there.