too much money...what to do?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Scripps College
1

<p>hi everyone. i really really wanna go to either scripps or pitzer..but im having money issues. my family didn't qualify for any need based aid...and although it won't be too much of a burden on us to pay for scripps or pitzer...my parents are still concerned. they are asking me why i'd want to pay $46,000 per year when i could easily go to some UC for way less. they just dont understand why i'd choose claremont. its so frustrating! the reasons i like scripps and pitzer are just not good enough for them. also, they expect me to know what i want to do before i enter college so that i dont "change my mind" and make a mistake. ive been telling them that wont happen to me..but it jsut isnt working....please people..help me. </p>

<p>for current students @ scripps, how are you dealing with the money issue?
and for future students...how are you planning on paying?</p>

<p>and...does anyone have parents like mine who expect them to have a career in mind b4 you start college...
the thing is...i know what i want to do...but they think if i go to a place like scripps or pitzer...i will change my mind and in the end "mess up" and wanna try something totally new...</p>

<p>ok anyway, i dont really know if this whole thread makes sense...but if you can understand what im getting at after all this rambling...please help me.</p>

<p>thanks a bunch!</p>

2

<p>In the best of all possible worlds, students would not be required to declare a major when they enter college. Ideally, a college experience should be an opportunity for students to explore new areas of knowledge before they decide on an academic focus. For a student who has a clear focus at the outset (such as engineering), it does make sense to decide in advance since it would be almost impossible to finish in four years unless you begin the major in year one. Most other majors are more forgiving.</p>

<p>Your parents need to know that it is common for students to change their minds two or three times (or even more!) about a major at UC campuses as well as at other colleges and universities. Finding something you love to study can never be a mistake. It can take time to do that.</p>

<p>Regarding a UC campus vs. a liberal arts college, the experience will be very different. One is not better than the other in an absolute sense -- it is sort of like comparing apples and oranges. If you find yourself drawn to one more than the other, and you have the opportunity to choose, the chances are you will be happier academically and socially at the one that seems to be a better fit. Only you can judge that. And only you and your parents can do the cost/benefit tradeoff. But I hope you can convince them to take a broader view of what a college education is all about. Good luck! I am a university professor, for the record.</p>

3

<p>Yes, your parents need to understand that college is supposed to be the place where you figure out what you love to do. If you already have a set path, you could miss many great opportunities.</p>

<p>I am a prospective student and we are in the same financial situation, able to pay but its still alot! I am just applying for as many local scholarships as I can get my hands on. It may not seem like much, but a thousand dollars can really help when you have to pay for things like books or school supplies. Also, throw a big graduation party and people will give you lots of money! ...hopefully</p>

4

<p>Well, if changing your mind is a concern of your parents, then how about this (and I'll say now that all "facts" are 100% anecdotal):</p>

<ul>
<li>I have a friend at a UC (Irvine) who has had a lot of trouble deciding on a major. She's been through chemistry, dance, political science, criminology, and international relations, to name a few. Her biggest troubles were:</li>
</ul>

<p>(1) Lack of guidance.
(2) Classes filling up so that she didn't get much chance to "experiment."
(3) Intro classes that are capped to upperclassmen. A few of the majors she wanted to try had intro prerequisites, but they were full or unworkable for her entire first two years, and after that, were closed to upperclassmen, effectively shutting her out of the programs.</p>

<p>And she went in to college "knowing" her major (chemistry). But when she changed her mind, the support system for figuring things out and getting back on track was just not as strong as it needed to be.</p>

<ul>
<li>Meanwhile, I came in to Scripps with NO clue what I wanted to do. What I ended up with was:</li>
</ul>

<p>(1) Excellent and personal advising, a totally available career center that hosts events such as "What can I do with a major in _______" and "How to choose a major." There's also a "major fair" at the very beginning of the year (possibly orientation...I don't recall), and the general ed. requirements are designed to allow students to explore a wide variety of subjects (ditto Pitzer's GEs, but the two schools go about it in totally different ways).
(2) Excellent facilities for almost anything I was interested in pursuing, and no huge barriers to what I could or couldn't take. At bigger schools, I had trouble b/c I didn't know if I wanted to do English or engineering, but they required students to apply to the College of Engineering, College of Arts and Letters, etc.
(3) Classes that are generally very easy to get into and professors who are, by and large, Hell bent on making life work for their students.</p>

<p>This isn't at all to suggest that UCs don't care about their students or don't provide great opportunities, but there are barriers and bureaucracy that come along with having to deal with many thousands of students vs. 750-900 of them. Both Scripps and Pitzer will get you out in 4 years, so you should definitely not be stuck paying for another year on account of your indecision (unless you voluntarily take time off). Yes, there are trade-offs...variety of course offerings being one of them. But practically speaking, I've been able to get all of the courses I need/want, and I haven't missed that course in Feminist Russian-Cuban Protest Literature of the 14th Century. Like I said, my own indecision was one of the primary reasons that I chose Scripps over larger schools. It may be counter-intuitive, but in my own experience, it worked out for the best.</p>

<p>Disclaimer: There are definite benefits of UCs, and I very nearly ended up at one myself, so please don't take this post as ANY kind of a knock against big schools. The information is anecdotal, clearly one-sided, and directed specifically towards the OP's mission.</p>

5

<p>Paratha101 - You might try budgeting out the true cost of both UCs and privates to get a real comparison of cost. Here are things to consider. </p>

<p>The UCs are crowded. Some are overcrowded. Lots of students cannot graduate in their major in four years because they cannot get the classes they want. Pitzer and Scripps will both get you out in four years. So, the first thing is, compare the cost of four years of private to five or six years of public.</p>

<p>What will the cost of housing and food be for a private versus a public? Bear in mind that at the Claremont colleges you can usually live on campus all four years. In a UC you may have to live off campus starting your sophomore year. One cost of living off campus may be a car. You will not need one at Pitzer or Scripps.</p>

<p>What are the tuition increases likely to be over the next six or seven years? Compare the Claremont schools to the UCs. The UCs just had a big price hike this year; but, the privates have also been increasing rapidly in cost.</p>

<p>If you spend 6 years at a UC versus 4 years at a private, what is the opportunity cost of those two years? How much money are you losing because you are going to school and not working?</p>

<p>Will you get a better education at a private, and will this translate into a more successful start to your working life?</p>

<p>These are some of the costs to consider. A little research and you may discover other costs to compare.</p>

6

<p>paratha 101, I believe we are in a very similar situation. I want to go to Scripps, but both my parents don't want me to, since it cost so much. My parents are stuck in the middle, they make too much to get a lot of financial aid, and not enough to pay for my education straight out. </p>

<p>I plan to pull out student loans, get a job, get scholarships, eveything that I can to raise enough money to go to Scripps!</p>

<p>I wish you the best of luck, follow your heart, don't let your parents run your life and keep your head up!</p>

7

<p>Paratha101 & artistpb,</p>

<p>Have you been able to convince your parents about enrolling at Scripps?</p>

<p>Just wondering if your families went to Spend a Day in Our Shoes Day last Friday and if that helped.</p>