USC vs UMD vs GW

So with the begging of April comes the end of college decisions. Currently I got admitted into the University of Southern California, George Washington University, and University of Maryland, College Park. In terms of what major, for USC I’m doing Business admin, but plan on minoring or double majoring in a science as well, for GW I’m doing Biomedical Engineering, and for University of Maryland I’m majoring in Business as well, with the Scholars program for Business and Economics. I’m having difficulties in choosing which to commit to, and was wondering which would be the best choice financially but at the same time academically.

USC is at the top of my list, and it is the most prestigious out of the three, but the high tuition and the fact that I’m a spring admit makes me hesitant. I’m still waiting for my financial aid statement, but I’m not 100 percent sure in how much that’ll help.

For GW I got a presidential scholarship, giving me $25,000 for the year (approximately half the tuition). I do like the atmosphere of the school, but I heard academically this school isn’t the best.

Finally for UMD, I am a resident of the state so even though I most likely would live on campus, the tuition would be much less than the other two. However I really don’t like the school, and wish to have a change.

I was wondering if I could get anymore insight. Thanks!

@DubJay2016 - First, congratulations on our acceptances. Second, none of these 3 schools is any more prestigious than the others. They are all ranked comparably.

How much can your parents afford to pay for your schooling? How much does each of the schools cost (tuition + room + board + fees - merit aid - grants)? It sounds like USC is not going to be affordable for you? GW is a very good school. I am not certain who is telling you otherwise. Given you live in Maryland, have you visited GWU? How did you like it? Do you really want to study biomedical engineering? If so, why did you apply to the business programs at the other schools. Can your family afford GWU? Have you been admitted to any other schools.

Of the 3 schools, UMD will be far and away the least expensive. You are fortunate to live in a state with an excellent flagship university. What is it about UMD that you do not like, or is it simply that you do not want to go to school in state? It really seems to be the best option. It has a strong business program, the scholars program is very good and it is the most cost effective.

A lot will boil down to what is comfortably affordable for your family. It sounds like USC is not affordable so cross it off your list. If you prefer GW and it is affordable, then go for it. My cousin went there and was very happy with her education and her overall experience. If GW means hardship/loans then UMD is a great in-state options.

@Themclos Thanks! So the reason I chose business for those two schools was because I personally thought that would be the path I want. Also both those schools are very strong in that field, so I was eager to explore. For GW, though, I know its strong in medical care so I chose biomedical engineering since, even though business is one of my major interests, I want to correlate it somehow with health/medical science. In terms of affording, GW would be realitvely affordable, and If I can negotiate with them we may get some more aid. In terms of costs this is how it would work out:

USC: the cost of attendance is estimated to be approximately 67,212, the tuition is a little over 50,000.
GW: the cost of attendance is $68,625, with the tuition of $51,875
UMD: Cost of attendance is 24,587, with the tuition of 10,000.

Also, @happy1 Thank you, I’m glad your cousin had a good experience!

Hi, I am a current GW student. Congrats on your acceptance! From personal experience, I have friends at UMD that like it ok. A lot of the social life is based off of fraternities/sororities. The campus is also not close to DC. It is about an hour to get from the UMD campus to the GW campus. I also had a presidential scholarship to GW, which are great! However, your total cost for attending GW is actually going to be $66,000. The tuition itself is $50,000, but there are many more fees, etc. GW would be a GREAT place to study Business. We have a great international relations program that is ranked top country-wide. I know many students who are in the Elliot School of International Politics who are smart and driven students. I also know many people studying Business who are enjoying it very much. I don’t know what you heard about the academics, but there are very high expectations of GW students and I know more people that work hard and get stellar grades. GW would be a great place also because of the unlimited access to internships and the support system. We have great career services and advisors to help you figure out your plan. Since you don’t live too far, I would suggest that you go to the Inside GW days, which are extremely helpful and would help you make a decision. I am actually going to be volunteering for those days! If you have any more specific questions, please don’t hesitate to ask. I do not know as much about the UMD system, but I can tell you GW services are really great. USC is also a great school no doubt. I don’t know willing you are to travel that much, but that will add money too to your college experience. If you have any more questions, please ask! I would love to help! Good luck!