If you are worried about prestige then it’s Swat and Bowdoin. Regardless of differences you can’t justify Swat.
I would accept UF and then first thing Monday have a $$ discussion with USC - ie what will happen in future years aid wise. Bowdoin too. Aid is a year by year. Are u prepared for big cost hikes in years 2-4?
That was not the experience of any of the kids I know who went to Bowdoin, pretty recently. It’s not a school that throws around NARP, there’s no vibe of the athletes dominating the culture or standing out and its extraordinarily easy to have literally zero interest in sports (even just watching) and find your crowd there. My son rejected a different school after an accepted student overnight because of the NARP thing. It’s not a thing at Bowdoin. Neither is conspicuous wealth or any preppy-vibe. Curious if you have a link to your point about the Bowdoin athletes having materially different test scores and GPA’s?
Seems like the most logical and ethical thing to do right now. I wouldn’t want my father to shoulder more burdens, but I also can’t help but feel disappointed going to my state school
It’s certainly more isolated than any of the other three on your short list. But it’s less than 30 minutes from Portland Maine, including by train directly next to the campus. Portland is not Los Angeles or Philly, in ways both good and bad, but it’s a real city with everything you would expect to find in one.
How so? There’s a full size chain grocery story just a block north of campus. And the main shopping district in town is walkable directly north of campus. It’s a summer tourist destination, not just a college town, so there’s many restaurants and shops.
USC is easily the most well known on your list. Bowdoin is comparably well known these days as Swath, which is to say not very by anyone who doesn’t follow elite LAC’s. From a grad school or employer perspective, they would be on par.
Overall these are all awesome choices. But so different – two massive schools, two small LAC’s. Urban, suburban. And in your case vastly different in cost, which matters more to some than others. I would focus on those and the quality of the major you’re interested in and less on who gives you a computer or “vibe” stuff which usually turns out not to be a big issue – you will find your crowd at any of these schools, and find things you cherish ad remember for your whole life about the environment around any of these schools, I guarantee you.
swat is out. It’s way more $ and doesn’t offer you anything more than Bowdoin- maybe less in terms of that marine stuff.
If USC or Bowdoin were slam dunk dreams for you then I would say go for it since they are pretty good deals.
But at least for Bowdoin you expressed some reservations. And ok maybe it’s not completely isolated from a few stores but let’s not pretend it’s in a metro area of any mind. It’s going to be a pretty quiet and campus-centered place (nothing wrong with that).
If you can get some financial assurance that USC will work out, I say go for it. But if not, UF will get you where you want to go and you will probably like it. And you will never have to see those classmates who follow you there if you don’t want to.
Imagine a population many times that of your hs. Each kid is making new friends. You’d have to seek people out to see them. To me you need to understand the financial risk for years 2-4 since your dad will be rearming those $ he gave away.
UF is safe in this regard.
Honestly, I think you’re extremely lucky to have UF as an option. It is a highly ranked flagship state school, T30 overall, in the nation, and certainly T10 for flagship state U’s. Academically, it’s got what you want/need, at a price you can manage, and if your interests should shift, it has many majors available. If your parent is unable to fund you, you can borrow in your name nearly all you need to get through, and with summer earnings or a small part time job, or being an RA in the dorms, you can manage it easily on your own. Sure, there will be frat parties. But it’s so big that there will be plenty of other people to meet, too, through shared interests.
A family income of 45K/yr with essentially no assets (that 50 K could be wiped out in a second by overseas relatives’ need) would have yielded a full ride at most Ivies and many of the T20 schools. There’s a reason for that - families with such shallow pockets NEED that full ride. They can’t afford to pay for their children’s college.
As it is, even with the great deal UF is offering you, you should be beating the bushes for outside scholarships to help to defray the costs of the last two years there. They’re out there, usually through academic/career interests, church groups, local civic clubs, etc.
Please eliminate the two of least interest right now. You have a day to decide and four options is two too many at this point. Just say “I don’t want to go to those two” and think about which of the two remaining ones make you feel excited and happy.
Can your family easily afford USC or Bowdoin? Personally, I like Bowdoin, though USC is probably a lot more rah rah. Weather in So Cal is boring, too much smog, too hot. Snow and four seasons are nice. But it’s your choice. Bowdoin is NOT isolated and there’s a proper airport 30 minutes away.
If money is going to be a problem though, UF is the only one that makes sense. What does you family say?
On $45K annual income and typical assets, Bowdoin, Swarthmore, and USC should be expecting you to pay very, very little. The Swarthmore offer is inexplicably, unacceptably insufficient, and as generous as Bowdoin’s offer is by comparison, it too is nowhere near what it should be for that type of household income.
Unless USC comes in with a very low EFC, no-loan package, I think you need to commit to Florida (and thank goodness you have such a strong state flagship).
Just to clarify, my dad only got divorced this year, so the colleges took account of the 2020 year where my parents made 90k/year
My dad said he can easily afford Bowdoin, but I doubt it. With my grandparents’ deteriorating health, he might have to send more money overseas for the next few years. They are not very into the college process as I am so they are letting me make the best judgment.
Yea maybe I exaggerated the Bowdoin’s isolation, but it’s definitely something that I will have to get used to if I decide to go there
Ouch… maybe they did not believe that uninsured medical bills could be that high outside of the US…
But what will Bowdoin (or maybe USC) financial aid and net price look like in future years when your father may not be sending money (or as much) to his parents to help with uninsured medical bills?
I still have to wait for that response from my financial aid counselor
Yes, agree that many students can do well in various environments. In terms of choosing based on fit, most students’ notion of fit starts with affordability and academic programs / majors, with anything else being a luxury within those constraints.
These can be issues with future year financial aid.
It looks like UF is the only college in the list that does not have a high risk of you having to drop out due to running out of money.
Hmmm.
This is real money for four years. So ask your dad how he will pay half of his annual salary each year to send you to college. Ask him if there will be enough money left over for food, bills, rent, mortgage, car, gas, health care, clothes, unexpected emergencies, and a million other things that cost a lot of money.
You have great choices, but it looks like they are unaffordable, so you need to go to UF.
Seriously. You know how many kids out there would give their left kidney to go to UF? They are turning down superstars. Their admit rate is low and for what it’s worth their US News rank is equal to elite UNC.
The issue is money and fit. Money is part of fit. Bowdoin is not big. UF is not small. One will be cold. One will not have football. The party scene will be smaller. One will live for football and always have ragers.
Are you assured you can afford four years at Bowdoin ? You’re getting a psych degree. Where you go matters little in most cases.
I can’t imagine the aid difference between SC, Bowdoin and Swat…even with the overseas payment. Something isn’t adding up….
Hence UF is the smart choice.
VEliminate Swarthmore from the list. You can’t afford it and if you want a prestigious LAC, you can choose Bowdoin. They are equally good.
Eliminate USC. Financial aid is not likely to break in your favor. There is too much uncertainty. And if you prefer a large, warm climate school, you have a great option with UF.
Now you are down to two: Bowdoin and UF. They couldn’t be more different. First, have a real heart to heart with your Dad about money. Make sure both are really doable.
Now, ask yourself what kind of college experience you want. If you want to really know your professors; prefer small intimate classes with lots of discussion; lots of intellectual discussion and a social life heavily centered on a close knit campus community- choose Bowdoin. That’s why students go there or to the other highly regarded LACs.
If you want something larger, more urban, with more diversity, more activity, and anonymity, choose UF.
You will succeed down either path. It’s up to you to choose what best fits you.
Blockquote
Reading through this thread, I agree with a lot of what others have said.
Students frequently underestimate the academic strength and the value of their in-state public universities. From where I sit (way to the north and east of you) the University of Florida is a very good university. If you are from Florida then yes some of your classmates will go there. However, many, many other students you do not know will also go there, and there will be a lot of very strong students and a lot of opportunities at UF.
I spend quite a bit of time relatively near to Bowdoin. I agree with others that there are multiple stores very near by. Many of these are tourist oriented. However, the grocery store that is about a block from Bowdoin is very good. There are many very good restaurants (and great gelato) right nearby also. Bowdoin is also very well regarded by anyone who pays attention to LACs, and this will include graduate school admissions anywhere in the USA. This will also include many employers.
Swathmore is just too expensive. Forget about it.
USC is a good school, but it is a long way away and I do not see any important advantage over UF. It sounds like you do not know yet what it will cost which I think means that you should assume that it will be unaffordable until proven otherwise.
In your situation I would go with the “excellent least expensive” option. As is true for many students, this means your in-state public university. You are fortunate to have such an excellent in-state public university in UF.