UR vs UNC

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Rochester
1

<p>I am going to try to put in all of the facts without giving you my life story. I had sent in my deposit to UR already, as it was the school I liked and also fortunately the cheapest of my offers. And then, two days ago, I was emailed that the scholarship I was an alternate at UNC for came through, and that I was being offered a full ride. </p>

<p>In short,</p>

<p>Rochester--
+really like the area and the feel of campus on visiting
+the open curriculum is awesome and I was so excitied about the ability to deeply pursue disparate interests
+the proximity of the eastman school of music
+smaller size, which I feel more comfortable with</p>

<p>--however, even with their very very generous offer, there is still about 15,000 a year between room and board, travel, books, etc. which since I am not getting help from my parents, will be some $60,000 in debt over four years. (Although, I hope to have put away almost 14,000 dollars before leaving, and that and current income from jobs during school would help to mitigate this somewhat. So loans between 40k and 60k)</p>

<p>UNC
+costs of tuition, fees, room and board covered, thereby allowing me to graduate DEBT FREE!!
+ the possibility of graduate school opens up since I do not have to worry about the looming 60k before even adding grad school loans</p>

<p>--I am not as excited about their curriculum
--There is no school of engineering. I am not 100% committed to the idea, but I had thought I would try for it when I went to school. (I am honestly no longer sure how much of this idea was actually me wanting to go for an engineering degree or how much was simply that I thought ChemE would allow me to pay back loans before I have my mid-life crisis, but in the absence of an engineering school I am no longer very sure about what I would study, beyond that I will definitely pursue some foreign language for four years)
--I guess I could do a chem undergrad degree and try to do a grad program in chemE, if I really decide that's what I want to do
-- I am reaaaaallly nervous about attending such a big school
--I basically have not thought of UNC as a possibility in so long, that I no longer have any idea about whether its a good fit for me, and I just don't have a lot of time to decide at all.</p>

<p>In the end, I really loved Rochester. But the relief of no longer having to watch every single penny from every single paycheck, and feeling guilty whenever I go out to lunch with a friend because that's five bucks I could have put in the bank for school, is so great that I am seriously considering changing my mind now. Any advice? (Also, the enrollment deposit was non-binding right? I know that I will not get that money back, but am I legally bound to attend now? If so, then I guess that would make the decision for me...)</p>

<p>Thanks for any advice you might have for me, and sorry for the novel!</p>

2

<p>In the end, I guess you just have to weigh the costs and benefits of going. It seems to me like the benefits you get out of going to Rochester as compared to UNC greatly outweighs the actual physical costs of attending. Getting a job on-campus should be fairly easy, so that will definitely help alleviate some costs. You’re going to be spending four years at either one of these schools and it’s really not worth your time and money to go some place where you’re not happy.
Hope this helps…</p>

3

<p>My advice–go to UNC. It’s excellent school and you will find your place there. It may take time to do so, but you will. </p>

<p>Debt is something that will influence the next 10 years of your life. It may force you into a career field you don’t want and will certainly limit the kinds of places you’ll live, the kinds of jobs you’ll get.</p>

<p>PS. Enrollment is binding in the sense that you may only have an enrollment agreement with one school; however, you can withdraw your agreement at any time by contacting the admissions office (in writing, I’d also phone for courtesy’s sake) and telling them you won’t be coming. You won’t get your deposit back, but the loss of a few hundred dollars vs. prospect of graduating debt-free seems a small price to pay.</p>

<p>P.P.S Congratulations of your scholarship to UNC!</p>

4

<p>Money talks, but make sure you understand the renewal reqs for any scholarship. </p>

<p>This isn’t a huge problem for most undergrad schools but at many the more the scholarship the higher the gpa required to keep it. Some free ride deals are great but others may require a 3.5 or so. I assume the award isn’t contingent on you doing a specific program.</p>

<p>(This is a huge problem in grad schools, particularly law. The NYT finally picked up on this scam, meaning law schools luring higher scoring kids that prop up the rankings when their grading curve means only a fraction can keep their scholarships.)</p>

5

<p>Which scholarship did you receive?</p>

<p>The Johnston, Moorehead-Cain, Pogue and Robertson Scholarship all provide academic counseling and support as part of the services offered to scholarship recipients. There is also transition-to-college counseling and tutoring available.</p>

<p>D2 had a schoolmate who received the Moorehead-Caine. She had been orphaned shortly (4 weeks) before her high school graduation. (DH worked with her dad and he knew the family well.) The scholarship was a tremendous boon for her and the school provided fantastic support and transitions assistance for her. She’s graduating from from UNC this spring and will be attending grad school in the fall–all made possible by UNC’s generous aid.</p>

<p>The academic requirements for Johnston and Moorehead-Cain are quite lenient: 2.75 for freshmen and 3.0 for upperclassmen. Don’t know what the requirements are for the Pogue or Robertson, but I would assume they’re similar.</p>