My choices are Santa Clara University, University of San Diego, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, and Providence College.
Santa Clara is my top and I really want to go there but unfortunately, I did not get any aid so I would be going there for $61k per year. I’ve called the financial aid office and they said theres nothing else they can do.
The University of San Diego offered me a scholarship and aid that would essentially cover my total cost of attendance (would eventually have to pay back $45k of federal loans) but I want to get out of MA because i really want to experience and venture the world outside of MA. This is basically my second top.
Umass-Amherst has accepted me into the honors college, giving me in-state tuition, and scholarships so I would be going there for 1/3 of the cost if I went to Santa Clara-but I really don’t want to go there because I could not see myself there. My parents are pushing me towards this school but I’m set on Santa Clara or anywhere other than Umass tbh.
Providence College is not necessarily my top but if I can get an athletic scholarship, then I may reconsider it.
At all my schools, i would be studying in the business school. I want to know what are the upsides and downsides of going to each school, what each school has to offer after i graduate in terms of helping me find a job, and how each school would look on my resume.
Based on what you have told us, the University of San Diego is clearly the best choice – from an economic standpoint certainly.
It sounds like Santa Clara would cost about $200k more over four years than USD – that’s just way too much of a difference, IMO. Heck, if it were Harvard I still wouldn’t advise taking on $200k more of debt.
It sounds like you don’t like UMass. I strongly advise you to avoid going to a school of which you are not fond. Especially since you have a relatively affordable school, USD, as an option.
Have you visited USD or Providence?
If you can afford to visit USD, you should – that way you can get a true feel for it.
Wait to hear back from PC on the scholarship – if you do receive one and you like the school, then the U of San Diego has some competition.
@prezbucky - U of San Diego is not the best economic choice! U Mass is.
@617hat - It looks like USD has given you the maximum Perkins Loan as well as the maximum Direct Loan. $45k is too much for an undergraduate degree. Yes, you want to get out of MA. but you can’t afford to just yet. That is what your parents are trying to tell you. Run the numbers again very carefully: http://www.finaid.org/calculators/awardletteradvanced.phtml The difference in the debt that you have to take on for USD and UMass will pay for a lot of things. You move to CA the day after you graduate from UMass.
OP said that he’d (or she’d) pay one-third at UMass what (s)he would at Santa Clara. If Santa Clara is ~$60k per year, then OP will pay ~$20k per year at UMass if his or her math is right.
$20k x 4 = $80k
$80k > $45k
(that is based on OP’s information being correct)
So even with the travel to and from CA, it appears USD would be less expensive for OP. (unless OP wants to clarify that it is not…)
College is too short and important to spend at a place you don’t enjoy/prefer. (unless it’s the only feasible choice, and UMass is not the OP’s sole option)
Well, it’s unclear - OP, you said you would have to pay 1/3 of Santa Clara’s cost. Does that mean your family would have to pay it out of pocket? Would you have to take loans or something?
I agree that students should go where they really want to go if it’s financially possible, but at the same time I have seen lots of students turn up their nose at their own state’s public universities simply because they want to leave the state/be far away from home and not because they actually don’t like the school.
Nevertheless, it sounds like USD is the most affordable option for you unless I am misunderstanding your aid at UMass. It’s also more where you’d like to go.
Santa Clara sounds unaffordable for you and your family.