<p>Am considering turning down USC's $20,000 Merit Scholarship to attend Tufts with probable $0 aid. Am very interested in IR and know that Tufts is top notch. Parents are having a hard time turning down $80,000 over 4 years with a sibling going off to college in 3 years and me going to grad school. Am not too keen on USC due to size, location, # of students from my HS that matriculate to SC, Dad is SC grad and have been going to football games and events for years...it all seems so familiar. Am I crazy?</p>
<p>One consideration might be taking that impending grad school tuition load off your parents. Say you'll pay it yourself. Most people do! Take loans, and work a few years between undergrad and grad to save up some money, too.</p>
<p>How about going to Tufts for grad school?</p>
<p>The Fletcher School at Tufts is primarily a graduate program, although it is possible to major in IR as a Tufts undergrad. If I were you, I'd go to USC, work for a few years and then apply to Fletcher. It's really silly to turn down $20K. Also, Fletcher tends to recruit students who have some work experience rather than taking kids right out of undergraduate school. My niece went there a few years after undergraduate school--she worked for a an environmental consulting firm that did work overseas.</p>
<p>^ ^ ^ Tufts' undergraduate IR program though not a degree from Fletcher is still among the top 3 undergraduate IR programs in the country. The undergraduate IR dept may grant you a degree through the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, but it is actually run out of the Fletcher School. Same building, and many of the same professors, too.</p>
<p>I have a great deal of respect for Tufts, probably one of my favorite U's after U/Chicago and Brown. One of their grads, aside from having some deplorable political opinions, is one of the most impressive specimens of her generation that I've met. If you're in SoCal, I also believe there is value in going to school in a different part of the country.</p>
<p>The most important question: Can your parents afford Tufts out of pocket? Sure, they may not be "keen" on it, but can they realistically afford it without financial risk?</p>
<p>That's a question only your parents can answer. If the answer is a resounding, "yes" then Tufts is a strong possibility. If the answer is a "maybe," then you have to listen carefully to the reasons why they are nervous about paying $50,000 out of pocket. If the answer is "no," unfortunately, Tufts isn't an option right now. </p>
<p>So, my advice is: have a heart to heart with your parents. Discuss alternative ways of funding such as PLUS loans if necessary. Weigh the strengths and weaknesses of each school individually, as well as in comparison. And, hopefully, the path you should take will become clear.</p>