Im going to college in the fall and am caught completely in the middle of picking Towson (Maryland) or Christopher Newport (Virginia)
I live in Maryland about an hour from Towson so it would definitely be convenient and more affordable. I have two of my best friends basically committed to Towson so I wouldn’t be so intimidated to start college.
CNU has an amazing campus. It is close to the beach and there is a lot in the area that I would enjoy. What is making the decision so hard for me is that I wouldn’t know anyone there to start and it is 4 hours from home. Im not good at adjusting to change so I am worried this would be too much of a step for me. On the other hand I have heard a lot of wonderful things about this school I just feel like I’d have to be able to really adjust.
Towson seems like the safer option but I am not sure if I should play it safe. Please give your opinions I need help!!
How much is the cost difference for your family, and how will you pay it? Is there anything you would need to give up (unpaid summer internships, study abroad, etc.) in order to make CNU fully affordable?
How easy would it be for you to get to and from CNU? Would you have your own car there, or would your family need to come fetch you at every holiday?
No matter which university you choose, you will be meeting a lot of new people on campus. Depending on your major, you might never see those high school friends at Towson unless you specifically make plans to meet for dinner or decide to live together.
I’m a big fan of Towson. Happykid transferred there after finishing her associates degree at Montgomery College in Rockville. Because she was a transfer, she never lived on campus. She didn’t have any trouble making friends because she’s very sociable and got to know everyone in her department.
My parents said if I really wanted to go to CNU we can do it financially however it is practically double the price because I’m out of state
Although they said I can I feel guilty using that amount of money. I don’t know if I’ll have to give up things but I wouldn’t be surprised if I did.
And although I do like Towson as well theres something in me that likes CNU more.
I will not have a car no matter where I go, I would have to get rides back and forth.
Christopher Newport University is around $35,000 per year for OOS students. Towson is about $24,000 for in-state students. So CNU isn’t twice the price of Towson; there’s about an $11,000 gap between them.
The student bodies are pretty similar - CNU’s average SAT scores are slightly higher (on average about 50 points in each section) but similar percentages of the student body were in the top 10%, top quarter and top half of their high school graduating classes. The average age of Towson students is a year older (21 vs. 20) and there are more part-time students (11% vs. 2%). Towson is more of a commuter campus whereas CNU is more of a residential campus, but that may simply be because Towson students get apartments together in nearby Baltimore whereas CNU is in a much smaller city setting.
Newport News is really beautiful, though.
Don’t attend Towson just because your two friends may go - a lot can change in the 2.5 months you have left, and students change their minds about where to go all the time.
I agree that you should wait until you get some aid packages.