My College Pack

5 Comments on “Help Choosing A College… Only 2 Days Left Before I Need To Enroll!!!?”

1. 
   NotAnyon
   February 19th, 2010 at 11:16 pm

   Miriam:
   This is an opinion question, so there’s no one “right” answer. If there is a right answer, it’s one that is so unique to you that you are the only one who can answer it correctly. I’ll offer an opinion, but I hope that you’re not going to let a stranger make this big decision for you. My hope is that my opinion will help you ask yourself some important questions, and that you’ll find the answer to your predicament by answering them.
   There is a tremendous amount to be said for keeping the expenses of your education down. If you attend a college that strains the reasonable bounds of what you and your parents can afford, the consequences of that decision will be with you for a long time.
   In the short term, you’ll have less money to spend on the things you’ll want to do in college. Unlike high school, most of your college time is not spent in the classroom. That’s not to say that you won’t be spending a lot of time studying and reading and learning outside of the classroom time, but you’ll also have a lot of social opportunities, whether it’s hanging out with your friends, grabbing pizzas at 2 in the morning, or maybe taking a spring break trip to someplace warm and sunny. There’s definitely something to be said for pocket money when you’re in college.
   In the long term, there is a very real cost to building up a student loan balance, and if the loan gets substantial enough, you’ll be making those payments for many years after you finish school. Those extra costs may well affect what kind of apartment you can afford, what kind of car you can drive, and what kind of vacations you can take – for a long time to come. Walking away from school with a degree in your hand and no debt is something that’s well worth aspiring to.
   All of that having been said – every school is different, and you’ll be spending 4 years (maybe more) in that place. You may well meet your significant other in college (many people do!), and if you’re here, and they’re somewhere else, you might never get to meet! You’ll thrive in an environment you enjoy – if you don’t like your roommates and your classmates and your professors, you’ll be miserable, and your school work is sure to suffer.
   Ask yourself this – is Lafayette SO MUCH better than your second choice that it’s worth the many years that it will take you to get out from under that extra financial burden? Did you love it that much more, and can you see yourself being that much happier there? If you can honestly say “yes” to all of those questions, then it may be that Lafayette is the only school for you. If Lafayette would be really cool, but Quinnipiac, or one of the others was pretty nice, too, then maybe it’s worth your while to pass on the #1 and take a shot on the #1-A.
   All of those are good schools – but there are very real differences between them. Only you know what kind of environment is going to work for you. Big school? Rural school? City school?
   Maybe you can give #1-A a trial run – head off there for a year, and if you’re miserable (I bet you won’t be!), you can always think about transferring. Your choice of college isn’t a marriage – it’s much easier to divorce your school than it is your husband.
   Anyway – like I said – I’m offering only an opinion, and my opinion is basically that you think long and hard before committing to a school that’s really going to beat you up financially. Sometimes turning down the preferred choice because it’s financially prudent is the difficult, but right thing to do.
   Just remember – you’re going there for 4 years – I’ve already finished school. You’re the only one who knows what’s best for you. Trust your instincts, but be smart.
   Good luck!

2. 
   Bill S
   February 20th, 2010 at 1:48 am

   Lafayette is probably the best academically, but Quinnipiac is a fine school. You should also find small classes there, and it’s not that far from NY by train – and Hartford (oooh!).
   Rutgers is a large state university and will have the most broad academic choices but also the largest class sizes.
   Getting out of school without huge debt is certainly something to take very seriously.

3. 
   Bill
   February 20th, 2010 at 6:41 am

   Go to Quinnipiac Don’t incur college debt if you can avoid it. I have seen far too many people crippled by it. It remains with you long after the college experience has finished.
   Thanks
   Bill

4. 
   Izzie.
   February 20th, 2010 at 10:27 am

   so cheap. you’ll get the same education. maybe taught differently…you dont wanna have to pay back major loans…

5. 
   Kwon
   February 20th, 2010 at 5:05 pm

   Rutgers is a great school..
   education pays offfff