Hey guys, so I’m having a really hard time choosing between three colleges.
I got into Chapel Hill and I’m out of state so I’ll have to pay the out of state tuition every year but I know it’s one of the best public universities in the nation
I also was accepted to Elon and am up for a few scholarships, so I feel like I could get some money from them
And finally, USC offered to cut my tuition in half yesterday, so four years at USC would cost way less than half at either Elon or UNC
I may want to go to grad school as well, but i’m not positive. What school should I go to?
What is your major and what do you think you might go to grad school for? Which school do you like the most? Statistically you will hear that UNC is much better school, but if you need to save money for school, I’d go with your cheaper option. It’s what you individually do during the 4 years that matters and you can stand out at any of those 3 if you put your mind to it. My D is at USC and has an Ivy and “near” Ivy funded offers for her masters.
As of right now, I would like to eventually start a non profit organization of my own so I plan on majoring in international studies and public policy. I would get my masters in either public policy with a specialization in nonprofit work, or in education in developing countries. I don’t think a masters degree is necessary for this career path, but I feel like it wouldn’t hurt either
If USC or Elon is going to offer you a better deal and you want to go on to graduate studies, take the better packages. No amount of prestige will pay for student loans/debt. Such debt will and should prevent you from pursuing graduate studies. So I would take up USC on their offer. In my humble opinion, USC > Elon, simply because Elon is somewhat in the middle of nowhere and because you aren’t guaranteed those scholarships at Elon. See perhaps if you can wait it out until you hear about the scholarships that is if you want Elon over USC.
Another option is to apply for a lot of scholarships to afford out of state tuition for UNC Chapel Hill. However, I wouldn’t bank on scholarships coming through because they are fickle and just unpredictable. Congratulations on your acceptances! Best Wishes!
UNC does seem to have the most prestige, but if the finances are a huge difference, go with the best offer, and work hard and network well.
EDIT: Sorry, I misread something earlier and don’t know what to contribute anymore.
Can you look at COA (cost of attendance) and calculate
(tuition, fees, room&board) - (scholarships, grants) =
for each college?
Elon is just outside the City of Greensboro. That’s hardly “the middle of nowhere.” Also, I don’t think you will find an appreciable difference between UNC-Chapel Hill and U of S. Carolina, for your intended major, but USC is known for an excellent undergraduate International Business program.
USC is a great university; if you’re a resident, that cuts your tuition to just about $5,500 a year (total cost about $15,000). If you’re OOS that’s still only $15,000 in tuition (and a $25,000 cost of attendance).
You can’t make any decisions about Elon until you have word back about the scholarships. If the costs are similar, then it comes down to atmosphere. Elon is a small liberal arts college; it’s about 25 minutes from Greensboro, which isn’t that far, but could be really far if you don’t have a car. Being in a more suburban location might not bother you, though, and you might find that you really love the sort-of isolated feel. Elon has majors and minors in policy studies and human services studies in addition to international studies (and also minors in peace and conflict studies and poverty and social justice, which might be relevant to your nonprofit goals).
USC, of course, is huge, but as a large university will likely have more resources. They don’t have a public policy/policy studies major, but they do have international studies. You could also do a major in social work, which might appeal.
UNC is a great place but not worth going into huge debt for, especially if you want to start a nonprofit. Often people who begin their own businesses struggle for several years before they get it completely up to speed, and you don’t want to be struggling to repay your loan debt while you also concentrate on setting up your nonprofit.
UNC really doesn’t have anything for you in terms of your long-term goals, that I am aware of. Elon has the most areas of study that seem “right” for your needs. USC is a great deal, but I don’t know anything about what they have to study there. If they have anything like Elon’s “Peace and Conflict Studies” or “Poverty and Social Justice” or “International Studies” then I’d go with USC. Otherwise, I’d wait out Elon. (It is a beautiful campus, as an added bonus. Voted most beautiful campus in the nation this year.)