Hello,
So lets start with my options. I am a Georgia resident and only applied to Georgia Schools because I don’t yet feel comfortable and confident to live that far from everyone I know. I Got accepted into UGA, Georgia State University, and I am waitlisted on Georgia Tech(waiting until may to see if I get in). I honestly dont know if I want to study computer science, but that is what I applied as because that seems to be the most obvious choice for me right now. The thing is, I would like to go to UGA if Georgia Tech doesn’t get back to me. UGA will have other courses that I can choose if i ended up not wanting to go to Computer Science and would allow me to live a little independently(which considering that my mom is about to leave my dad in the next month) sounds like a little peace and quite. Issue is that the college in total costs about 27,000 a year of which 10,000 will be paid for every year (I am qualified for zell miller scholarship which pays for full tuition). My dad said that he will also help to pay some of it(im estimating about 5,000-7,000 a year). Here is where i have to make the choice. I can stick with Georgia State University (not a great college, really meant for transferring), and transfer to Georgia Tech, which would allow me to live with my mom and save a good amount of money. However, if I transfer to Georgia Tech and find out that all of the sudden I don’t want to do anything with engineering then im screwed. to sum it up, UGA will cost a lot more than sticking with GSU and transferring but i definitely don’t want to graduate from GSU.
OK , so what is your out of pocket cost for UGA, you have a 10k scholarship , you think your day can do 5K , how about your mom? , you can take a federal loan for $5500, where does that leave you. I would go for UGA if you can swing it, it seems your safest bet, it is a good school no need to transfer and plenty of choices for you to find your way to what you want to major in.
Let’s leave GTech out of this discussion. It hurts to be wled, I know, but it only clouds the issue. You can put in a transfer application at a later date (form either school), but save that for a later date.
So, basically, go to UGA if you can afford it. If you can’t (and there is no shame in that) stick with GSU. That is also an excellent school that will open many doors for you.
Well, i assume i would be able to afford it. Its just a matter of how much private loan im willing to take in. I just feel bad because i worked so hard in high school and it hurts to go to GSU. However, i dont know if its smart to graduate from a better college with an x amount of debt. How much debt is okay?
Well i get 2300 worth of pell grant for now and 5500 from federal loans(about 8000). This leaves me about 2-4000 dollars that i have to accumulate through private loan. Im thinking its worth taking up the debt in case i rather do something else than computer science (which i rather be in GT for) because UGA focuses on broader studies than just engineering. I just dont know how much debt is smart to take in and how much i can silent my ego from going to GSU after grinding 4 years of high school with AP’s and high GPA.
You can earn 2-4,000$ Or more with a summer job and a part time job during the school year.
Ok with that delta it is more than doable, either a summer job or a on campus job, it you go on a payment plan , you can work and save up the cash for the last few monthly payments, also I would considered two things, one maybe ROTC? Second is look into being a RA your sophisticating year, room and board is paid for, my daughter wa sone, you will earn that free room and board but it saves a lot of cash.
I’d go to UGA with that little amount of debt. You will enjoy your four years and have many more opportunities than just CS if you change your mind.
If you’re doing computers, it won’t matter where you graduate anyway. All of these are great options, and it’s really impossible to go wrong with any of them. If you decide against computers, you still can’t go wrong because GT is has a lot more majors than just computers and engineering.
Here’s my advice…with your parents splitting-up, you would be better off staying far away from the drama. Whichever school you choose, you’d be wise to take a dorm and claim some independence, so you don’t get sucked into taking sides. Divorces do that.
$4000 of debt per year doesn’t sound too bad on its own. The true number is $9500 per year when factoring in FAFSA loans. These increase a bit for upperclassman, but only 1-2 thousand.
Interest rates for private loans are high (my dad has perfect credit & was offered a 12% interest rate…didn’t end up taking it).
$38,000 of debt plus interest…not impossible, but definitely a considerable amount.