<p>I was accepted at Rice, WUStL, Notre Dame, University of Oregon, and Illinois institute of Technology. I really want to attend Rice but they basically gave me no aid money so it would be 50,000 X 5 years. WUStL was a little better with a $10,000 scholarship but the fact that it’s a 2 + 4 program means it would cost more in the end.
My dad is giving me some money to help with college but I will have to go in debt for the rest. Oregon offered about 10,000 and IIT twice that so my dad wants me to pick one of the two.
Should I go with with a cheaper school or is it worth the extra money to attend a better architecture program? I know a solid education means a better college experience but does it also mean better jobs and salaries after I graduate?</p>
<p>First, congrats on all those acceptances! That is a pretty impressive list; you should be proud.</p>
<p>That being said, I don’t think Rice is worth that much money. Such a large amount of debt can be incredibly crippling, and Oregon and IIT are no slouch at architecture - they’re quite good actually.</p>
<p>I understand Rice is your dream school, and I know the feeling of having to turn down your top choice for financial reasons (for me, CMU did not come through with the aid). However, if you’re comfortable at Oregon or IIT, I would suggest going there. You’ll still get a very good architecture education. BUT don’t go to a college you’re going to hate for the next five years. </p>
<p>It’s tough making a decision, isn’t it? Good Luck!</p>
<p>Here is some advice I received from Rick12, a practicing architect based in Dallas, who often posts in this forum:</p>
<p>"My one bit of advice is to not graduate with significant student loans. The profession provides a fair wage, but not nearly enough to cover $100,000+ in student loans.</p>
<p>rick" </p>
<p>If you are interested, here is the thread where Rick’s response was posted:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/architecture-major/876849-smallest-profession.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/architecture-major/876849-smallest-profession.html</a></p>
<p>If it means going into debt to the tune of $200,000, I’d go somewhere else. There is NO way you are going to be able to pay that back on an Architect’s salary…especially a starting salary. And these days, it’s hard enough to get any job in architecture as it is.</p>
<p>The further you go out in time, the less people care about where you went to school. Starting salaries are generally low compared to other major professions, and you may not even get any benefits if it’s a very small firm (which many architectural firms are). Getting a good job generally means being in the right place at the right time in this profession. </p>
<p>Congratulations on your acceptances…try to visit your options and get a feel for how each school approaches architecture.</p>
<p>I love Rice. My wife went there for her MArch, and getting to know the 5th year seniors who were in her class I thought it would was a great undergraduate experience. However you have to be a little cold-blodded about it. Would it be worth graduating with $100,000 in debt? No, I don’t think so. Even at a 3% interest rate that would be about $1,000 a month for the next ten years. Would it be worth $50,000 in debt? Possibly. Look hard at what resources your parents are going to be able to give you and do the math. A good school might add 10% to your starting salary, but not enough to cover a significant debt.</p>
<p>rick</p>
<p>Thanks everyone for the help 
After reading the posts and thinking about it I decided to pick from my least expensive schools. Thankfully WUStL doubled their aid after I went and talked to the financial aid guy. Notre Dame’s aid was also a little over 20,000. At this point I am consideringt WUStL, Notre Dame, and University of Oregon because the cost for each is around 30,000.
Thanks again :)</p>