<p>I've already posted this on the Georgia Tech forum, but I want to see what y'all say. I am trying to decide between these two universities. I'm going into Mechanical Engineering and have been accepted to both. I really want to go to Georgia Tech. I visited campus and loved everything about it--in addition to the reputation, job opportunities, and academics of its engineering, of course. Mississippi State is my state engineering school. I visited just last week and, while the campus was nice, it didn't really impress me (also the fact that its not on nearly the same tier as GT). Here's my dilemma: COST. Mississippi State will be almost a free ride for me because it is in-state, but I don't like it near as much as GT. Georgia Tech will cost me a lot more money, but I would much rather go there for engineering, and I've been set to go there for 4 years. </p>
<p>I have a plan to pay for Georgia Tech which will end up costing me about $60,000 in loans. However, while I'm in school, I factored in 1-2 years of co-op and a part-time job to raise money to help pay off loans while I'm still in school, allowing me to only have about $24,000 in loans (interest and everything) to pay off after graduating. I know plans could change, but assuming the plan doesn't fluctuate too much, is it reasonable to go to Georgia Tech?</p>
<p>GT costs about $40k per year OOS. </p>
<p>How will you be paying for most of those costs? </p>
<p>How much are your parents paying each year? What are they saying?</p>
<p>Did you apply anywhere else? If you didn’t want to go to MSU, did you apply anywhere else besides GT?</p>
<p>I don’t know of it would really be worth the money to go to georgia tech but it’s definately a really good school. Good luck with your decision.</p>
<p>Well, I factored in the scholarships and Federal grants I know I have at this point, a part-time job (part of which goes towards college), and Stafford subsidized and unsubsidized loans. I factored in room and board for my freshman and sophomore years, but plan to live off-campus at a relative’s house during junior and senior years, saving about $9,000/year there. I factored in about three semesters of co-oping which I estimate would bring about $30,000 to put towards college costs and a few thousand more for living expenses. When figuring up private, subsidized, and unsubsidized loans, I went ahead and incorporated interest. With the co-op money and job, I can pay higher interest private loans off very early and still have enough to pay the remainder of tuition my junior and senior years.</p>
<p>I applied to one other engineering school: Colorado School of Mines. I have a $12,000/year scholarship to there plus grants and a few private scholarships, but I’ve never visited the school nor do I know the area or anything. It’s still on the back burner, just in case.</p>
<p>My parents will give me some money for personal expenses, maybe a little for college costs, but definitely not much. </p>
<p>I think I may be able to shave a semester off at Georgia Tech, too, by taking summer classes at a local community college, mainly english, humanities, and social science classes (I already know those particular classes will transfer.) So that would save me about $14,000 at Georgia Tech possibly.</p>
<p>???</p>
<p>What exactly is in your aid pkg from GT?</p>
<p>how much in…</p>
<p>fed grants
fed loans
university grants
university scholarships</p>
<p>I don’t see how this is worth it. MSU has a respected eng’g program. You’re not going to get paid more for graduating from GT.</p>
<p>What scholarship do you have at MSU?</p>
<p>@lsutigers Thanks!</p>
<p>Per year:
$5,550 Pell
$2,000 Fed Supplemental Grant
$2,600 GT Scholarship
$1,000 Elks Scholarship (possibly more)
$3,500 Subsidized Loan
$2,000 Unsubsidized Loan
$3,000 Family Trust Fund
$3,500 Private Scholarship
$5,000 Part-time Job</p>
<p>$28,150 of $38,638 for room, board, tuition, and fees. During junior and senior years, it goes down to $27,088 for tuition and fees. </p>
<p>Actually, I very well could be paid more as a GT graduate. While Mississippi State has a regionally respected engineering program, it is not on nearly the same tier as Georgia Tech. GT is an internationally recognized engineering school. The only school that surpasses it on the east coast is MIT. The job opportunities it provides is incomparable to Mississippi State. </p>
<p>Cost is a major factor in my decision, but I don’t want it to be the only factor.</p>
<p>*$1,000 Elks Scholarship (possibly more) - Is this a one time award for frosh year only?
$3,000 Family Trust Fund - is this family money? Will this need negatively affect your EFC next year?
$3,500 Private Scholarship - is this a one time award? or multi-year.
*</p>
<p>And, no, GT grads don’t get paid more.</p>
<p>And, you’re very low income…who is going to qualify and co-sign for those private loans?</p>
<p>Elks covers 4 years. The trust fund does not impact my EFC in any way. It is money from an account that one of my grandfather’s cousins set aside for me and cousins of my generation. $3,500 is renewable.</p>
<p>So you are saying that graduating from a comparable engineering school such as MIT, Berkeley, Stanford, GT, etc. will look the exact same to an employer as going to a normal state school? No. I realize that there is not a principle that says graduates from one school will make more or less than graduates from another school…for the same job. But that’s the difference. Graduates from a school like Georgia Tech will have access to better, higher paying jobs. Where you went to school isn’t everything, I know, but it does mean something.</p>
<p>About the private loans…if not anything else, my aunt can co-sign with me on them if my parents cannot.</p>
<p>You seem pretty set on Tech so go there. Take a chance and see where life takes ya man. Just make sure to do what’s right for you</p>
<p>Thanks, I do like Georgia Tech a lot more than MSU or any other college I applied for. I could see myself there. Cost IS a major factor in my decision, but I also want to be happy in my college years.</p>
<p>Borrowing more than the maximum Stafford Loan will require a co-signer. If you need to borrow more each year, that person will have to be able to qualify each year. Get your co-signer into the bank or credit union right now, and make certain that this will be possible. All to often people qualify one year, but don’t in the following years. Please be aware that if anything would happen to your, and you would not be able to pay off that loan, the lender will go after your co-signer. Anyone who co-signs with you should be a person who is willing to take on that responsibility. Run your numbers again here, and see what they look like: <a href=“Your Guide for College Financial Aid - Finaid”>Your Guide for College Financial Aid - Finaid;
<p>A number of parents who are working engineers or who are managers who hire engineers have written about entry-level engineering salaries. No, you don’t start out at a higher salary because you graduate from GA Tech. Period. It may be easier for you to meet recruiters, but you won’t get more money. Recruiters hit all of the larger universities. If you have concerns about recruitment at MSU, contact the Career Center there, and ask.</p>
<p>Well, I decided to go to Mississippi State!</p>
<p>Wow, I just read through this whole thread and the way you wrote about GT, it sounded like you were definitely going there.</p>
<p>I had a similar situation as you. I was accepted to GT and NCSU for engineering. GT would cost about $60k in loans over the 4 years. But, I ended up ruling out GT.</p>
<p>When you think about it, the only difference between engineering salaries is the type of engineering you do. For example, chemical makes more than mechanical. After you get your first job, it’s really all about how you perform at your job and your presence in the workplace. Your undergraduate education puts your foot in the door, and the rest is up to you. Sure, GT might give you access to more companies, but just having an engineering degree is respectable. It will feel great not graduating with any loans hanging over your head!</p>
<p>Plus, there’s always graduate school!</p>
<p>Go G Tech, youll get a better job a lot quicker then you would from mississippi state.</p>
<p>I know, I even surprised myself! I’ve been pretty set on going to GT no matter what, but at the end of the day, I couldn’t pass up a free ride to MSU. Tech is such a great school but I don’t regret my decision. Plus, as you said, I could always do grad school there. I could possibly even transfer there as an undergrad after 2 years or so if I wanted to. </p>
<p>Thanks for the advice, all of y’all posters! Y’all probably think I’m weird for changing sides so quickly lol. But As much as I argued, I did keep in mind everything that y’all had said and ended up choosing Mississippi State. Thanks!</p>
<p>Jetsfan…not necessarily. Miss St is strong in eng’g and students get recruited. My kids high school sends a number of kids to MSU for eng’g, and those kids get good jobs.</p>
<p>Good luck at MSU.</p>
<p>I don’t think you’re weird. Choosing a college can be tough, especially when you have your heart set on one. But I think you made the right decision, and you will likely find a wealth of opportunities from Mississippi State. Good luck to you!</p>