<p>I have been trying to decide between three colleges for the past two months, and I now need advice. So here's what it look like:
TCU - full tuition
Tulane - 1/2 Tuition, applied for full tuition, but don't know yet
University of Denver - 1/2 Tuition
(I am in the honors college for all colleges)</p>
<p>Ok here is the problem:
I live around TCU; however, TCU is literally the perfect college for me - I love the community on campus, the big sport teams, Greek life, club gymnastics, programs, options to study abroad, internships, research - it has it all, except for the distance factor. I really want to get the full college experience, and I know it is possible to have the college experience, but I have been so set on experiencing a new city that this distance factor weighs heavily. </p>
<p>So with this in mind, I have looked at both Tulane and Denver.
Pluses for Tulane - prestige, NOLA?
Problems with Tulane - I'm not a huge partier, and I'm afraid that partying dominates the social scene, athletics not as big but I can get over that
Pluses for Denver - extended family that lives within an hour, outdoorsiness of Colorado
Problems with Denver - No Football, but i guess I could get into hockey, and I don't know as much about Denver in the research and internship areas</p>
<p>(I'm thinking pre-med track or engineering, if that makes a difference)</p>
<p>So I'm stuck. Am I letting the whole idea of the college experience get to my head? Should I go to TCU since I know I will be happy there and just get over the fact that it is in the same city that I live in? (Oh yea, and my mom works at TCU, but I wouldn't see her on campus because she's in a different department) Or what college might fit best? I just don't know how I am ever going to decide! Any advice would be awesome! Thanks.</p>
<p>How do you pass up full tuition at a school that sounds like a perfect match for you? Keep in mind that if you live on campus, it will feel like a different than living at home in the same city. Summer internships in other cities and study abroad would give you the opportunity to explore new cities and cultures. Also, nothing says you have to stay in Ft. Worth after college! </p>
<p>You sound divided between familiarity (TCu) and discovery (Tulane, UDenver).
Are those the only 3 schools you applied to? Or are they the front runners right now?
How much would UDenver cost? Can your parents afford it? It may be an alternative.
Yes, TCu seems a no brainer, but if your parents have the resources to pay for another college and don’t mind doing so, you could try Udenver and discover life in another State and another city. You could also simply have your parents send an email to UDenver, indicating it’s your top choice, and (attached scan of award letter from TCU) you got a better offer from another school and were wondering whether they can improve their current offer. Some colleges try to “match” offers (although UDenver wouldn’t offer you full tuition, they may increase your financial aid package with small institutional grants) while others absolutely don’t.
All in all, though, you seem to really like TCU, and living on campus will feel very different from living at home. Now, of course, it’ll still be the same city but you can weigh your priorities for another month at still, perhaps do an overnight there, then visit UDenver and/or Tulane and do an overnight there too, see if the other schools increase their FA offers, etc.</p>
<p>You have a full tuition scholarship at what you feel is the “perfect college” for you. Even if you are close to home, college will provide a new and different environment for you to grow. My S ended up at a college not too far from our house (it was the best fit after looking at many schools) but he lived on campus and had a full and exciting college experience. We made a conscious choice to treat him as if he was hours away and did not expect him to stop home for every little thing and we never just dropped by his school. For him it was a great choice. And you can still do a program abroad or even a semester at another school if you want to experience life elsewhere. Or like my S you could end up going to grad school halfway across the country!</p>
<p>@MYOS1634
These are just the forerunners. I applied to thirteen…something I would never advise anyone to do. Denver costs approximately 19,000 for tuition right now, and unfortunately I received the biggest scholarship that DU offers. I spent the weekend last weekend at TCU interviewing for the chancellor’s scholarship (currently I have full-tuition because my mom is on faculty, but hopefully I will earn it myself). I am visiting Tulane this weekend, and I have tried to see if I could stay with a current study, but they don’t have a program for that unfortunately. I have such a busy schedule, but maybe I will be able to get up to visit Denver on last time. The only think that kills me about Denver is no football - which may seem crazy, but hey I’m from the south and love my football. But I could always get into hockey I guess.</p>
<p>@happy1
Thanks for the insight! I really hope to have the opportunity to study abroad! And there is always grad school to move across the country. Thanks, this makes me feel better about possibly choosing TCU.</p>
<p>You really sold a TCU in your post - sounds like your favorite. If you live on campus it will feel different. A full ride will potentially give you the resources to travel during the summers, take an internship out of the area, live away from home, etc. I went to a big football school - so I get it - games are fun and a huge part of the social atmosphere. It’s ok for that to be a consideration in your choice. Don’t force those other schools to meet your requirements just because they are away from your home town.</p>
<p>@jkeil911 @vamominvabeach
I have always thought that I would go away for college, so I guess when I realized the perfect school was right here it kind of freaked me out. So I guess I’m TCU bound, GO FROGS!</p>
<p>Good luck to you kac - I think you made the right choice. Now you’ll be essentially free of debt, get a great education, enjoy some football, and have some extra money to see the country and the world through other avenues!</p>
<p>And if you want to discover some other places, you can do a semester away (such as a semester in DC, or at an “exchange campus” somewhere in the US) AND a semester abroad (and even add a summer abroad, an unpaid internship in NYC…). Since you’re going debt free, you can use the money you’ve saved to have outstanding experiences that will complement your education oncampus.
CONGRATULATIONS!</p>
<p>good advice here. You think you know TCU now, but you will find a different TCU once you’ve been there a semester. If being too close to family is an issue, ask them to respect your privacy and not come to visit you except when you ask them to or when you can plan an on-campus event like a ball game. Make it part of your attendance agreement, and hold them to it. That is, announce in advance your expectations and expect people to agree to them–but don’t just expect them to know your desires! They may be as excited about your going to TCU as you are and have all kinds of expectations about what it means for THEM. Seriously! Set some limits in advance. You can announce your expectations very gently; then show a backbone if you need to. </p>
<p>Congratulations. And I do agree with the advice above. My son sat down with us before he chose to go to college nearby (like you, the nearby school turned out to be the best fit after looking at many choices) and we all agreed that we will treat him as if he were hours, not minutes away. And we all honored the agreement throughout his four years. He didn’t run home with laundry (yes, it goes both ways, you need to be independent as well) and we would never drop in on him or expect him home for minor things. Admittedly a few times it was convenient that he was close (ex. when his laptop died I drove down with an old/extra one he could use until his was fixed etc.) but in our experience there was really no downside (and he did do a program abroad and went to grad school halfway across the country). </p>
<p>I hope you have a great experience at TCU. </p>
