But you can only borrow 27k over four years unless you go to a legal loan shark.
You need to be realistic. You will lose all choice post grad.
There are less expensive schools based on your stats. You can still apply.
But your current besides UNR won’t work.
Maybe RIT but for that major ???
What’s the RIT cost - not including loans.
Does that include private loans? I’d like to keep those to a minimum, but I’m willing to take some on if the school I go to is worth it.
It’s a Poli Sci and intl studies degree. There’s maybe 5 schools worth it. Maybe.
None on your list.
If I go to RIT, where I was admitted with a double major in Poli Sci and I&GS, I would likely switch Poli Sci to Economics to make going there make a little more sense. I’d prefer Econ anyways. RIT would be around 24k/year.
Great. But what is the cash cost - not loans and is it affordable ?
How is their job placement ?
Are you open to other less expensive schools where you can still apply? If so, what is your UW GPA and test score.
I’m not sure what you mean by cash cost. That’s my cost of attendance after the aid they gave me. It’s definitely more affordable than a lot of my options, especially after the 40k my mom can contribute.
Job placement is pretty good I’m assuming. They have the 6th best co-op in the country. For I&GS, job placement is 75%. For Econ, it’s 100%. This is from their website.
My UW is 3.9, and I got a 30 on the ACT with 36 in English and Reading, but applied most places test-optional.
Btw UNR is known for IS. Not sure if you realize. Likely the best of your choices.
I knoww, that’s what makes this challenging for me, even though I know it really should be a no-brainer. I just want to get out of Nevada and my high school sends so many people to UNR it’s actually funny. This probably sounds so immature and silly, but if I can go out of state, I’d really rather do that.
What are your stats. Let’s find you affordable. California isn’t it.
Or is RIT affordable with no loans ?
You likely will not just see your friends at UNR. There’s lots of hs in LV and Reno and many will come froM CA. And Reno is close to the state capital. Another bonus.
If I go to RIT, I’d only need about 50k in loans. If I go to UNR, it’d be about 40k. First year tuition for me is around 16k and then based off of students I know that go there now, it’d be about 22k for the next three years. I have 40k that I can out towards school, so the rest will have to be loans and scholarships, but I’m not counting on the latter.
You’re right about UNR and not seeing just people I know, I know it’s a big school and lots of OOS kids go. I’d just really like to get out of Nevada, I don’t plan on living here my whole life and want to be away from what’s familiar. Combine that with the fact that my significant other is in CA, and it’s always been somewhere I’ve wanted to go to school, and you can probably deduce why I have such an affinity for it. I’m willing to go elsewhere, but I feel like no matter where I go, I’ll have loans, so I’d rather go to the best school I can for the least amount of money. RIT feels like that for me now, but that might just be because I’ve kinda watched my dreams fall apart in front of me lol.
Stats are below:
Class Rank - 34/828 (Top 4%)
30 on ACT (36 in Reading and English, STEM is not my strong suit lol)
Unweighted HS GPA: 3.906
Weighted HS GPA: 4.856 (not sure what weighting system we use, but the cap is 4.95)
IB Diploma Program last two years of high school, expected to receive the diploma.
Awards
National Expository Speaking Finalist - 6th place (speech and debate)
National Congressional Debate: House Semifinalist - 21st in the nation out of almost 500 (speech and debate)
National Original Oratory Quarterfinalist - 20th in the nation (speech and debate)
3x Congressional Debate Champion at University of Utah tournament (speech and debate)
State Congressional Debate Runner-up (speech and debate)
A bunch of other state/regional/local speech and debate awards (over 20 1st places)
Sun Youth Forum Room Representative
Degree of Premier Distinction (speech and debate)
National Hispanic Recognition Awardee
Extracurriculars
Co-president of speech and debate
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Student Visionary of the Year Candidate (I lead my team)
Historian of IB Council
Council member of my district’s Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council
Worked at Olive Garden in 11th grade
Work at a law office in 12th grade
Essays/LORs/Other
Wrote mine about speech and debate and advocacy (can you tell it’s kinda my thing), I think it’s pretty strong.
I don’t see that level of loans as feasible. Do you have a plan in place to get that level of loans? And even if loans are obtainable, do you understand the impact the repayment schedule will have on your life as a young adult?
I’d urge you to seek out affordable options.
Looks like UNR tuition is about $11k. Total including on-campus room and board is $23-29k. Do you live close enough to stay with your parent and commute? If so, and your parent is willing to subsidize you living there, that may be less expensive.
UNR scholarships indicate $3k first year only for 3.9 GPA and 30 ACT (one more ACT point would have gotten you the $8k scholarship for four years).
$20k first year living on campus would be a stretch budget – you would need your parent’s $10k plus $5.5k direct loan plus $4.5k summer and school year part time work earnings. For following years at $23k, the direct loans increase to $6.5k second year and $7.5k third and fourth years, and you would have to increase your summer and school year part time work.
So I’m confused - the UNR is all loans - you have $10K for school.
Perhaps you should got to Community College.
I know you don’t want to hear that - but you cannot afford these schools - and you will be strangled with loans - even $40K is too much.
Do you live in Reno or Vegas - can you live home and go to a school?
I live in Vegas.
At this point, is CC my only option?
or UNLV.
You are saying you only have $10K a year??? You’d borrow for Reno or anywhere else?
There are farther schools but then you have to get there.
Loans are always an option - but they have fees and interest. How will you pay them back?
I’m making my comment if you have only $10K a year.
Yeah that’s pretty much all my family can afford. I’m planning on paying back loans in school as I go while I work, and then paying the rest back after I graduate.
I’m not exactly trying to graduate debt-free here, I’m just trying to figure out what school makes the most sense to get a degree from for its cost.
Did you apply to UNLV?
It’s a National Student Exchange school, so you could spend a year at one of the California partner schools for your in-state cost: National Student Exchange - Campuses / Location
Wanting to break away from the in-state herd and have a new adventure is completely understandable. But doing this in California, given your financial situation, is not realistic. Sorry, but it’s just not. You aren’t going to get residency unless your parent moves to CA too - not possible until you are 24, unless you get married or join the military.
There are WUE reciprocity schools that would be more affordable. Some of the CSU’s on the list are still taking applications, but I don’t know if they’d be of interest. https://www.wiche.edu/tuition-savings/wue/wue-list-of-schools/ If you really want to see the world, Cal Maritime is still taking applications for their International Strategy and Security major. Gorgeous Bay Area location, small classes, summer training cruises, good employment outcomes… and it’s becoming part of Cal Poly SLO, so I think you’d end up with a Cal Poly degree. Full-pay COA with WUE is under 36K/year - no idea if they give merit, esp. for late applications.
But… if your parent contribution is only 10K/year, I still don’t know how you fill that gap.
To me, it looks like you need to commute to UNLV and parlay that into as much time elsewhere as you can, through National Student Exchange and/or study abroad.
Thank you for this perspective, this is helpful!
But you cannot get the amount of loans you need.
It’s ok that is all your family can afford. Love them and appreciate them.
But your plan is not realistic, and you are getting a degree that will either require more grad school, or will likely pay less than the cost of living.
UNLV tuition is about $10k… will your parent subsidize you living at home and commuting there? If so, then you may be able to get the total cost down to a level that needs only a direct loan and some reasonable amount of part time and summer work earnings.