All my decisions are officially out now, and I’d like some advice. I’ve been accepted to Wesleyan, and with a financial aid package, my cost of attendance looks to be around $20,000. I’m in-state for UNC, and I’ve been invited to Excel@Carolina, but my financial aid offer hasn’t come out yet. As a NMF, I’ve also been accepted to Arizona State with a full tuition and an extra scholarship, and I’m in the process of applying for its Barretts Honors College. Here’s what I’m looking for:
I’m hoping to double major in biology and computer science, at least until I decided which one I like better. I’m also into dancing (to kpop and for winterguard, specifically) and band. Which one has the best options of all that? How is the LGBT+ community at Wesleyan? Also, a little shallow, but how are the dorms and food there? Is Wesleyan worth paying maybe double my state’s flagship price? If so, is there any way to request for more money?
UNC has come back with grants and loans. Technically, UNC is giving me less aid, but since it’s piled on top of in-state tuition, it’s actually cheaper, so it would cost me $8,000 up front to go there. Does Wesleyan match offers like that?
I’d recommend going with UNC over Arizona State – consider travel costs, as well as academic reputation of the respective programs. Wesleyan is an interesting offer; it’s not a bad deal, but I don’t think they are in a position to match. I could be wrong, and it does not hurt to try asking them. Whether it is worth doubling your in-state flagship offer is more a question for you and your family; for something as excellent as UNC, I wouldn’t recommend much of anything in student loans.
On the UNC board the OP explained that she has been selected for the Honors College with a substantial merit scholarship. Unfortunately, all aid at Wesleyan is need-based. There would be no point in trying to bargain them down to the level of a non-need based scholarship.
I think the OP said she was applying for Arizona Honors, not that she had been admitted to UNC-CH honors. If she got into UNC-CH honors with in-state tuition, I’d go for that. Many people from my high school chose that route over Yale, Brown, Williams, Penn, Swarthmore–a few got the Morehead–and later ended up at Ivy grad schools or as analysts, etc. at top IBs (yuck). Still a good deal if not the Honors College, but not the same. I’d save the money. Wesleyan is wonderful and perhaps worth it if you want the LAC experience, but it won’t open any doors that UNC can’t.
She got into UNC-CH Honors with enough merit money to bring in-state tuition (which, btw, was higher than Wesleyan’s EFC), down to $8,000 for a family in the top bracket of all North Carolinians financially: