UCLA Full Ride or Brown University yearly $10,000?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>UCLA is giving me a lot of financial aid. In addition, they gave me the Achievement Scholarship of $10,000 (renewable every year) as long as I remain in good academic standing (above a 2.0) and the Alumni Freshman Award of $1,000 (renewable every year). Combining all of the financial aid I received, I have a full ride to UCLA (including personal expenses, books and supplies, transportation, health insurance, etc). For Brown University, I have an EFC of $5320 (not including traveling), but I also am required to purchase their Brown Health Insurance (of $3225) since my health insurance ends this year once I turn 19 (I turn 19 this year). The HI is NOT part of my Financial Award package, so the HI is an addition, so I would need to take out an estimate of between $9,000 - $10,000 for Brown every year (for personal expenses, etc)</p>

<p>I have the dilemma of now knowing what to choose. My family is completely against me going to Brown University and will not support me financially (one, they are against me going, and two, we literally do not have the money for it since we live check by check). I am the first student ever in my hypersegregated Latino/ Hispanic school to get admitted into an Ivy League (I am a first-generation Latina student) and get a full ride to a UC, so mostly everyone at school is pushing me to go to Brown. My family is pushing me to go to UCLA.</p>

<p>At this point, I am ignoring their feedback because no one but one teacher that I deeply confide in is giving me the pros and cons of each option. I would be content in whatever of the two that I choose to go to. They all fell in as my top ranked schools. </p>

<p>Here are the pros and cons for each of my options:</p>

<p>UCLA
Pros:
- full ride (includes all personal expenses such as books and supplies, travel, meal plan and dorm, health insurance, etc)
- been on the campus before
- California resident
- government internships in LA (I want to be politically involved)
- undergraduate economics rank is higher than Brown's
- close to home (I can continue internships without having to travel during the summer)
- no work-study needed to pay for school
- I am an Alumni Scholar (meaning I get priority enrollment, housing, networks, etc.)</p>

<p>Cons:
- large class sizes (it will be less interactive and more lecture-based for my first two years)
- rank of school compared to Brown
- not as much academic support as Brown (you have to advocate more for help and should not depend on having your professor or student-teacher go to you if you need help)
- quarter system (fast-paced and stressful)</p>

<p>Brown University
Pros:
- prestige, reputation and rank higher than UCLA (Ivy League)
- many different networks and internships than UCLA
- small class sizes
- good academic support
- easy access to getting classes
- Open Curriculum
- access to career choices in the East Coast (a lot of political involvement due to peer connections and organizations)</p>

<p>Cons:
- never been on the campus before (can't go to ADOCH) or the East Coast
- cold weather is bad for my heart condition (my blood doesn't circulate well in my body, so my limbs turn numb, purple and get really painful under drastic cold temperatures) so I would need to by really good winter clothing (will need more $ for that)
- work-study needed (it is part of my financial aid package, so it will not cover my EFC) so less time to network
- no family support whatsoever
- student contribution increases to over $3000 after my freshman year (it is required for ALL Brown students to pay for the student contribution regardless of financial needs)</p>

<p>I tried convincing Brown's financial aid office about matching what UCLA has given me, but nothing can be fixed since my scholarships are merit and not need-based (Brown doesn't negotiate when comparing merit-based scholarships, ONLY need-based). They also cannot cover for my Health Insurance. I am currently trying to see what other health options I have. The largest subsidized loan that they can give me is about $4,500 (Stafford Loan). The rest would need to be covered with subsidized loans, so interest will accumulate. </p>

<p>My biggest plan is to go to law school after my undergraduate degree. I want to go to Berkeley's School of Law since UC Berkeley was my dream school (I got accepted to UC Berkeley for my undergraduate but I am not going because my expenses for it is equal to Brown's of about $9,000 - $10,000 a year). I will need to take out loans for my law degree, and yearly tuition for most law schools range between $45,000 - $50,000 (in-state) or $50,000 - $60,000 (out-of-state).</p>

<p>Most people say that where you go for your undergrad does not matter as much as your graduate degree. I do not want to have more debt when going to law school. But, I do not know if passing the opportunity to go to an Ivy League will be a mistake. </p>

<p>What other factors should I consider for both schools? What do you all reason I should choose and why?</p>

2

<p>Correction: The rest would need to be covered with un-subsidized loans, so interest will accumulate.</p>

3

<p>$40K total debt? That’s your cost of attending Brown; your benefits in for this u, including you feeling better about yourself in matriculating there have to be worth at least this amount, the $40K. </p>

<p>However, you stated that you want to attend Boalt, and it sounds like you would ditch Brown for Cal at a cost < or =, or even a tad > than Brown’s because Cal is your dream school.</p>

<p>What is it about Brown’s networking that will help you greater in CA over UCLA if presumably you want to practice law in CA? </p>

<p>Absolutely, UCLA is a more of a regional university in comparison to Brown, but the region which you desire seems to be CA, where UCLA would be as strong. </p>

4

<p>Ouch that is the most expensive health plan I have run across and I am compiling some comparisons for a few students who are in process of making choices like you are. UCs are really super generous in including the Health Insurance in COA.</p>

<p>The full ride and Alumni scholar situation at UCLA will make your life a lot easier. Brown is doable but only with your family cooperation and you will have to squeeze out the money. My daughter was able to make it work and the work-study positions are very good.</p>

<p>But why is your family so against it, and isn’t the cold weather thing a deal breaker anyway?</p>

5

<p>drax12</p>

<ol>
<li>Yes, that would be about my total amount for my entire undergraduate degree at Brown University. </li>
<li>If the full ride was for UC Berkeley, as prestigious as Brown University is, I would choose Cal. Their economics undergraduate major, the environment as well as the different university organizations that I am cognizant of made me fall in love with Cal.</li>
<li>As for the networking at Brown University, I know a number of different Brown alumni who had easy access to internships in their field (like in D.C.) based on the people that they got into contact with. Other than law school, I really want to work or intern in a law firm or participate in government agencies while I am in school.</li>
<li>I plan to stay in California.</li>
</ol>

6

<p>BrownParent,</p>

<ol>
<li>That is what began to discourage me as I looked at what I needed to pay for Brown University. The EFC of $5500 discouraged me because of my family’s inability to pay for my education, but I was beginning to work out some ways to work it out. Once I found out about the Health Insurance, I began to grow more discouraged.</li>
<li>The reason why my family is against me going to Brown is a mix of both financial and personal reasons. For one, it is more than UCLA. If Brown was offering me the same as UCLA, then my parents would not be against me going. Another factor is their fear: I am the very first child to go to a university, let alone the only daughter in the house and a first generation student. My parents came from Mexico and became U.S. residents, so this whole college experience is completely new to them.</li>
<li>At first when looking at my pros and cons, I didn’t take the weather into consideration up until I really sat down and looked at it. Some people that I know that went to Brown from California were able to overcome the cold weather. I am just not sure exactly how my own body can deal with it. I remember back in my sophomore year that I went to a religious retreat up in the mountains; it was 30 degrees fahrenheit outside, and I had to wear 3 pairs of socks on my feet because they were so painful. </li>
</ol>

7

<p>Also, you don’t really recreate your undergrad experience when you are in law school. Mostly likely you will look back and be happy wherever you attended, </p>

8

<p>BrownParent,</p>

<p>Thank you so much for your feedback.</p>

9

<p>OP:
If you can, visit Brown. We just visited an Ivy school and the environment can be intimidating. We could tell that majority of the kids came from very very affluent families. My D is actually full pay at this school and didn’t qualify for any financial aid but we still felt “poor”.</p>

<p>We didn’t feel that at UCLA or Berkeley.</p>

<p>Having said that, I would recommend Brown for you. If for some reason you change your mind going to Law school, your Brown degree and the connections you made at Brown is probably worth 40K. You just need to be aware of the environment that I described above and be strong to overcome it.</p>

10

<p>OP, how would you get that 10K/year? Above the Stafford Loan amount, you would need another loan. Who would cosign for that?</p>

11

<p>It sounds like the weather could be a dealbreaker… esp. in an area that regularly sees subzero temps during the winter months. If 30 degree weather makes your limbs painful, UCLA may be the best choice. Perhaps you could ask your doctor whether he/she thinks college in the Northeast is viable for you?</p>

12

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<p>Because you depend on your family’s cooperation with respect to financial aid forms every year, they actually have veto power over your decision. If they refuse to cooperate with financial aid forms the following year, they can force you to drop out of Brown. So if you want Brown to be an option, you need to convince your family to be cooperative about financial aid forms if you go there (and without asking them for any money).</p>

<p>$9,000 to $10,000 per year is just within range of student self-funding with federal direct loans and work earnings, so you may be able to come up with that (just barely) without additional family contribution or loan co-signing (but then you must have a job during school and/or summer to come up with the money). Loans that would require a co-signer (i.e. other than federal direct loans) would not be a good idea if your family is low income.</p>

<p>Remember also that law school is expensive, so you do not want to bring a lot of undergraduate debt along.</p>

13

<p>ucbalumnus,</p>

<p>What if I am a legal adult? Even if I file as a dependent, can I still take out loans under my own name? Do my parents require to co-sign anything even if I am already a legal adult?</p>

14

<p>Yeah, without the cooperation of your family I don’t see how you could swing it. You will need some upfront money. My CA daughter adjusted to the weather fine but didn’t have any health issues. She also moved off campus Jr year and saved a significant amount on housing and food. But she was never home Tksgiving or spring break. Even stayed one winter for winter term and another winter she was adding on travel to a semester abroad (fin’l aid covered that.) and she also stayed for research every summer, although she always had a couple weeks home. It’s a different life. </p>

15

<p>BrownParent,</p>

<p>So even then I would require to leave a deposit at least? It can’t just be in loans?</p>

16

<p>I would need to see your aid breakdown, but if is your total EFC then no you don’t pay that to the school up front. First, half that is for one semester, so about ,2,700. That is problably your books, personal and travel. If you print your fin’l package I can break it down. Maybe you have no fixed cost to pay because it is covered by the grants. Maybe there is even a little excess given to you. You have to buy/borrow/rent books upfront. You have to buy the health ins upfront. You have to buy plane ticket upfront.</p>

17

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</p>

<p>I’m sure that you’re the only one at your high school that has ever used the word “hypersegregated.” Please don’t say what high school this is, but I congratulate you for overcoming what seems to be a disadvantaged background to at least be accepted to an Ivy. Hopefully there will be more later. How many from your school attend Cal and UCLA a year?</p>

18

<p>drax12,</p>

<p>For this year, a total of 7 students (including myself) got admitted to UCLA, and a total of 6 students (including myself) got admitted to Cal. And, thank you so much for your consideration and kind words. </p>

19

<p>

</p>

<p>Financial aid forms as a dependent student require parental cooperation in filling them in (with their income tax information). Without their cooperation (even if they do not pay anything toward your college or co-sign any loans), then you will not get any financial aid (i.e. you would have to pay list price, which you obviously cannot afford). This gives them veto power over your college choice.</p>

<p>In other words, if you want Brown to even be a possibility, you need to convince them to support such a decision. (But even then, it is a stretch financially for you compared to UCLA.)</p>

20

<p>You’re welcome. So contrary to the rumor going around for awhile that Cal accepts students that UCLA rejects and vice-versa, I’m going to guess that all ~ 6 students were accepted to both. If both split the difference, maybe around 3 to each school for this admit cycle. </p>

<p>And I bet you caught my compound split infinitive: </p>

<p>"…I congratulate you for overcoming what seems to be a disadvantaged background to at least be accepted to an Ivy." If I remember my grammar classes correctly, the “to be accepted” was divided by the “at least” part, and should be correctly stated, “”…I congratulate you for overcoming what seems to be a disadvantaged background at least to be accepted to an Ivy." Actually the trailing part, “accepted,” may not be part of the infinitive, but rather, only the “to be.” In any case, “to” and “be” should not be separated or split. </p>

<p>Best of luck in whatever decision you make. </p>