4yr scholarship to a safety or full pay to a reach?

College Search & Lists
1

<p>So amongst the colleges that I’ve gotten accepted to, two of them are giving me a headache. So I ask CCers for help.</p>

<p>[ *]Safety: Oxford College of Emory University</p>

<p>Oxford College is one of Emory’s colleges that specializes in liberal arts education. After 2 years on Oxford campus (Emory’s original campus long time ago) that’s about an hour away from Emory in Atlanta, students are automatically transferred (given that they have good academic standing) to Emory main campus. </p>

<p>Oxford is offering 4 year half tuition scholarship that extends to Emory University.</p>

<p>I’ve visited there but I wasn’t my dream campus. It is very very small. (takes about 3 minutes of walk from dorm to a class room) and extremely isolated. The students (participated in a 208 English class during visit) struggled on materials other visiting scholars and I either learned in AP Eng in HS or found not very challenging. Overall, I wasn’t very impressed.</p>

<p>On the other hand,</p>

<p>[ *]Reach/slight match: University of Notre Dame</p>

<p>I was extremely happy to find out that I got into a top ranking school like ND. I feel good about attending there and I’m pleased with its religious affiliation. However, it doesn’t offer me any kind of financial aid. </p>

<p>I haven’t visited there yet (will be soon). Despite the cold weather of Indiana, I would like to attend ND.</p>

<p>If I haven’t mentioned it yet, I’m an international student and therefore, it is impossible for me to get need-based financial aid and extremely difficult to get any other forms of aid.</p>

<p>That being said, I don’t know what I should do.</p>

<p>This is what I think
Oxford
Pro:
-Money
-From what I observed and heard, courses don’t seem very challenging. -> high GPA
-Automatic transfer to Emory University
Con:
-Small campus
-Isolated location, practically in the woods
-I heard that students who were accepted to Emory University disdains transfer students from Oxford because Oxford and Emory have very different selection criteria.</p>

<p>University of Notre Dame
Pro:
-The name
-High school spirit
-Catholic affiliation
Con:
-Must pay full tuition and room&board
-Will I fit in? (I’m asian)
-From what I’ve heard, very challenging courses?</p>

<p>What do you think?</p>

2

<p>Take Emory. I don’t see how Emory is any easier to get in or any worse than Notre Dame.</p>

3

<p>bummppppp…</p>

4

<p>Oxford College of Emory (selectivity-wise) is somewhat similar to community college (I exagerate somewhat but you get a point). So, mathematically speaking you van think of this option as paying room and board only for first two years and then full-freight for last two (at Emory).</p>

<p>Most likely you will be the strongest/one of the strongest students at Oxford college and this is not very stimulating to have such an environment.</p>

<p>One more risk factor is that if you don’t like it there and transfer (which might not be easy) - it will mean that you have been paying half an Emory tuition for a school that is not worth it.</p>

<p>Do you have a third option ?</p>

5

<p>i say go with oxford, simply because you get an automatic transfer to emory with a high gpa base</p>

6

<p>If you are asian, like me, then challenging shouldn’t be a problem, as most people are trying to avoid “asian” schools, lol. And by the way, in case you can’t fit in, they are always Chinese Student Associations in each school, so you may find your soul mates there.</p>

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<p>thanks everyone</p>

<p>any more opinions/suggestions?</p>

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<p>bumppp;…</p>

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<p>emory .</p>

10

<p>

</p>

<p>So don’t worry about the lack of challenge.</p>

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<p>None, ND is MUCH MUCH HARDER to get into than Emory. Are you kidding me?</p>

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<p>Would it look bad to grad schools even if I get good GPA at Oxford? (considering many people saying that it’s not a very challenging school)</p>

<p>I’m just wondering if it’s the same thing as in HS. It is much more impressive to adcom if a student gets decent grades at a very challenging school than getting good grades at not very challenging school.</p>

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<p>Exactly how much more money will ND be? I assume you are only getting half tuition but that you have to pay full room and board to Emory. My guess is that ND will be about $64,000 more expensive for 4 years. Is this right?</p>

<p>Call ND. Ask about scholarships for sophomores and juniors and the number available in your major, GPA cutoffs etc. You can try and be an RA and cut down costs but there is no guarantee. These options might also be available at Oxford/Emory for you to cut down the cost.</p>

<p>Only you will know the answer to how much additional debt you will want to carry.</p>

<p>A degree from Emory would be awesome. Do you have it in you to get everything you can out of Oxford and become their star student in the midst of an underwhelming environment. 60 weeks of school at Oxford for an additional $64,000in your pocket. Hey, that’s about a thousand dollars a week savings! That might be enough to convince you right there. Grad school will see a degree from Emory. Just as good as ND.
I know you have to go all 4 yrs. to realize the $64,000 but it’s the Oxford part that seems to worry you. Thats why I looked at it this way.</p>

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<p>It’s the $64,000 question.</p>

<p>I’d take Oxford -> Emory, mainly because of size. With AP Credits, would you have to do a full 2 years at Oxford College?</p>

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<p>Definately read the thread by taxguy in the parents section of CC. Bottom line, unless you are wealthy, you have to ask a serious question: do I want to come out of college with so much debt that it prohibits my options post-status/prestige/ego/phantasy/rah-rah that the debt becomes a kind of ‘big brother’ that manages the next decade or so of your life. Purchase quality goods, but do not assume that brand ID is highly correlated with quality or that brand ID will pay for itself over the long run. Four years from now you will need money. That is the only thing that we all know with certainty.</p>