I have narrowed my college selection down to two choices. UMN or USD. With scholarships USD would be about 5,000 dollars more per year. I live near the Twin Cities. I want to go to San Diego because I love the ocean and want to experience a new location. The University of Minnesota is cheaper and closer to my family. Which school is “better”? Is USD worth the extra money? Does anyone have experience with either of these schools? Which one should I pick?
My son attends UMN (OOS) and having a good experience but if you can afford University of San Diego I think it would provide a broader experience than staying near home. A friend’s son is attending USD International business and loving it (good student and soccer player). it’s also much smaller than UMN so the experience in that respect would be vastly different.
Will you need to borrow the extra $5K/year? Or can your family readily afford it?
What type of IR work are you interested in? In general, west coast schools tend to have a stronger focus on IR in Asia, if that makes a difference in your decision. But you should evaluate the major requirements, courses offered (don’t just look at the catalog, as they sometimes list courses rarely offered — look at the actual registration for a fall & winter semester if you can), size of department, etc. See what off campus/abroad opportunities both offer, as that is likely to be an important part of your IR education.
Don’t forget that San Diego will cost more than that $5K difference in tuition. Cost of living is significantly higher in San Diego, and you will need to factor in travel costs as well. Certainly the first year in college you’ll go home at least twice if not three times. That’s six flights from Twin Cities to San Diego and back… during the most expensive seasons.
That said – is the $5K+ per year doable for your family? Can you lessen that amount by working during the summer?
If yes, I’d say consider San Diego… not because it’s “better” – but because going to school in a very different part of the country is an education in and of itself. It’s good to learn how varied this country is. It’s why I encouraged my Colorado/California-raised daughter to go to school in Boston.
USD if the extra cost, including travel, etc., is not too onerous for your family. Both very good schools. Weather wayy better. It can be good to experience different places if one is up for it, and sounds like you are.
If the extra cost is too onerous, though, you can get a great education at Minnesota and move to CA after graduation. Good luck!