Which college to choose?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Ok so the prblem here is I don't know which college to choose. </p>

<ol>
<li><p>UMaryland- I got into the engineering which is ranked 17 in the country. I also got into their a special program However I am OOS and the cost is HUGE. After grants the school still costs about 31k.( not including loans, 24k including loans and work study)I have no idea how this can be paid because my EFC is EXTREMELY low. However, I like this school the most( near city, top ranked, diverse, nice campus)</p></li>
<li><p>my state school I got a scholarship + aid so this school costs very little. Less than 4k a year. I really rather not go here as most of my school goes here, and I am just not impressed with the area either. The engineering is not ranked great( 50's).</p></li>
<li><p>Northeastern- I received a LOT of money from this school including a small scholarship and this makes this school VERY affordable. I don't think the engineering is ranked high, if at all. However, the co-op would give me experience despite less prestige. The money recieved from co op would assist with the costs too. My parents can afford this school pretty well, after aid it costs about 9k/year. I never really considered this schol much and just applied because. However, after getting accepted it seems more appealing. Its in the city which I also like. However, the trimester system doesn't sound like a good idea to me, and friends will constantly be leaving to co-op. also, this school is the least diverse( I am URM)</p></li>
</ol>

<p>rutgers and northeastern are about equal right now, rutgers possibly more.
so, can anyone provide me with insight?</p>

<p>Technically , I have 3 more schools to hear back from also, but I don't want to think about them unless I actually get accepted.</p>

2

<p>I’m going through a similar decision process right now, and because it seems like Rutgers and Northeastern are both affordable, I would recommend visiting both of them even if you have already and trying to get a sense of which one would be a better fit. They both sound like good opportunities, so I’d recommend continuing to look into the strength of each school’s engineering programs and trying to look into every aspect of each school (curricula and course offerings, social scene/clubs offered, etc) so see which one you think you would be happiest at. Good luck with your decision! :)</p>

3

<p>thank you for your response. any one else? part of me feels like UMD’s prestige is worth the price and I know I am running out of time to make a decision please help??</p>

4

<p>What specific engineering are you interested in? If unsure, how easy is it to change to a different engineering major at each school?</p>

<p>A trimester calendar is like a semester calendar, except that instead of two 15 week semesters and a shorter summer session, there are three 15 week trimesters. This may accommodate students doing co-ops better.</p>

<p>If you are still $24,000 per year short after grants, loans, work-study, and what you and your parents can pay, then Maryland is unaffordable and you have been effectively rejected (by being given insufficient financial aid).</p>