I’ll try to keep this short. I was accepted to UConn’s Honors program, and just RD for Rochester.
I will be majoring in something biology-related, and I plan on going to medical school after attaining a post-secondary education.
I live in Connecticut, so UConn tuition would be in-state.
Here’s the issue - both schools ended up having roughly the same net price.
If I were to attend UConn, I would be taking out roughly $21,000 in loans for the first year (family contribution will probably be low). If I were to attend Rochester, I would be taking out roughly $23,000 in loans for the first year.
I know that Rochester is a “better” college than UConn in terms of academics and research opportunities.
Rochester’s tuition is most likely going to keep rising a lot more than UConn’s tuition will.
Rochester has access to the UR Medical Facility, while UConn offers a myriad of clubs and organizations.
My friends are also going to UConn. It may not seem like a big factor to you, but it took me over a year to open up to them. I probably wouldn’t have been accepted to Rochester had I not opened up to them. I don’t even think that I would’ve been accepted into the honors program at UConn. But that’s probably hindsight.
The answer is probably clear-cut to you guys, but I’m in a world of mess right now.
I can’t think of any other information at this exact moment. I’ll add a few comments as I do more research.
Also, my father was unemployed in 2014, so he never filed a tax return. He found a job in 2015, but wasn’t able to file a tax return in time for the 2016-2017 FAFSA/CSS
As a mom of a freshman…who happens to be at UCONN…and a science major, this is what I would tell my child…go where you believe you will be happy. Where you feel most comfortable…actually I did tell her that…people told us Penn State was a better school, and told us to spend less and stay in state( Rutgers in NJ). There is no definite" better" school…there is the better school for you, especially with cost being almost equal. Also do not diminish the importance of the social aspect…it’s very important. Clubs and activities, it’s how to make friends, it’s what will make you happy.
You realize you cannot borrow that much in your own name, right?
The federal student loan limit for your first year will be $5500
(https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/types/loans/subsidized-unsubsidized).
Are your parents willing (and able) to borrow the rest in private loans?
It sounds like you need more financial aid (or else a less expensive college.)
UConn offered me around $5500 in federal loans a year (subsidized, unsubsidized), but the rest in Federal Parent Loans (I assume that this is the Parent PLUS loan?).
On the other hand, Rochester offered me $7000 in federal loans a year (subsidized, unsubsidized, perkins). I would have to take out roughly $16,000 in private loans.
Sorry about the confusion.
I should also mention that I would have to pay another $2800 (per semester) for meal plans at Rochester. Meal plan is covered in the UConn financial aid package.
I really do not have any insight into the decision beween UConn and Rochester. My d is a Rochester grad but not in sciences. I know that her friends who were in the sciences had outstanding research opportunities and good grad school outcomes. You do have to realize that in addition to tuition increasing every year, room and board and student fees generally increase year to year as well. Sophomore housing is more expensive than freshman housing, although if interested and you qualify and are willing to take on the added responsibilities, you can apply to become an RA and have housing cost deferred but I have no idea how competitive it is to become an RA. Younger d did have a hallmate who became an RA and older d at Brandeis had a friend who was an RA for 2 years.
Yes, I am instate for UConn. Unfortunately, I come from a low-income family and my parents cannot provide me with much support.
Rochester and UConn are actually my cheapest choices. I’ve already declined admission to Michigan, Boston University, and Stony Brook because they did not provide me with sufficient aid.
I believe that I did. I completed the FAFSA to the best of my ability, and my father completed the CSS Profile (I found some errors and told him, but he never fixed them, and ended up submitting it anyway).
UConn practically provided me with 100% financial aid if you include loans. It was the same with my friends. They also technically recieved 100% financial aid (same scholarship, without the grant)
Rochester provided me with a $52,900 financial aid package ($9000/year scholarship, $33,900/year grant, the rest in loans).
At a selective private school like URochester, a middle income family (~$60K- $70K income/year) might be offered about $40K-$50K in scholarship/grant aid. The college typically also would offer a quote for “estimated self help”, which might include a $5500 student loan + ~$2K in student work.
I would not consider any loans beyond that “self help” amount (up to $5500 federal subsidized/unsubsidized) part of the “financial aid package”. Additional loans are a possible source of money you might consider using to cover some of the Expected Family Contribution (EFC). If you need $16K or more in private loans (in addition to the “self help”) to cover your EFC, then in my opinion you really cannot afford this college. You may want to consider a gap year to apply to more affordable schools, or else enroll in a public school within commuting distance from home that is still accepting applications.
It would not be a good idea to enter medical school already carrying over $80K in undergraduate student loan debt, in my opinion. Medical school is even more expensive than college, with little or no financial aid usually available other than loans. For URochester students, the average debt at graduation (including only those students who have borrowed) is about $31K.
Appeal the financial aid. You don’t need to deposit until May 1.
Rochester is supposed to meet full need, but when my daughters applied there, we found the admissions office, let’s just say, not well run organizationally speaking. It wouldn’t surprise me if the financial aid office is run the same way and miscalculated. It’s a very nice school, so I wouldn’t hold it against them, but make sure the CSS is fixed, and appeal the financial aid. Have your parents use the telephone and actually talk to someone.
By all means appeal the financial aid if it appears an error was made.
However, it may be the case that the OP simply cannot cover (except through private loans) an EFC that was fairly calculated.
Rochester’s offer apparently is $42,900 in scholarship/grant aid plus some “self help”.
The COA is ~$66K.
It looks like the EFC is about $16K.
The family isn’t able to cover any of that?
Yes, appeal. But if you did not apply to any of CT’s less expensive 4-year campuses this year, I would explore either spending a year at community college or taking a gap year and applying to more affordable options for next year. I think this is too much debt, especially for a biology major looking at grad school.
I’m unsure as to what my family can or cannot cover. The Cost of Attendance is more like $73,700 (approximately) after adding on meal plans to their estimated COA of $68,100 a year.
My brother will also be attending college in the 2017-2018 year.
I’m sure that my parents can cover some of it, but not all of it. My biggest concern is the whole Academics vs Tuition aspect of it.
Do I take on a larger loans so that I can possibly go to a prestigious university for a chance to go to better medical school and become a fantastic surgeon? Or do I settle with the school that costs less and doesn’t fit my preference of education as well? I’m worried about the interest as well.
(Yes, I do realize that the university will not determine my medical school, and that the medical school will not make me a great doctor).
And how exactly does one appeal? I’ve never heard of this before.
Op the meal plan is typically included in the published cost of attendance. It’s the board part in room and board. Based on the FA letter we got from UR this year the 2016-2017 COA is around $68,000 and includes a meal plan
I can tell you that my cousin, who struggled between the decision of Notre Dame or UConn, decided on UConn and was glad he did. People come from all over to attend UConn. It is a beautiful campus and everyone can find a place to fit in. Cousin said that when his friends came home on their breaks from school across the country, he could see ALL of them because he was already here. The new friends he made were from the tri-state area, as well, so he WILL stay in touch with his college friends through his life. This will greatly influence my decision as well. Rochester did not offer me as much $ as you, but other things bothered us. Taking the train home to Springfield mass station is 9 hours on the train, then another hour home. Those winters at ROC are unimaginable to us in CT. Lake effect causes snow every day. The demographic at ROC is only 25% made up of kids from north of DC. Good luck having a lifetime college buddy from ROC. Your career will be based on YOU, not the school you attended. You will find out. Good luck and make the smart decision.
Do not go to those pricier schools for the prestige. It is such a big scam. Take the cheaper option and find out that your career will be based on you - not the school you attended,