So I have been trying to decide between these three schools but I am not sure which one I should go with. There are things that I like about all of them while there are also things that I dislike. Some of the biggest factors weighing on my mind are the following
UCI:
The negatives: Far from home, costly, social scene is dull (or so I hear)
The positives: It’s a UC school with the best program for me, it’s in California which is where I’ve wanted to be for a while, and it has a nice climate!
Penn State:
The negatives: decently far from home, costly,
The positives: Very good school with a good program. It has a good social scene as well as great academics. Most of my family is leaning towards Penn State
FSU:
The negatives: Starting in the Spring Semester
The positives: In state tuition, won’t be too far from home, good program, original top choice
FSU would have been an easy pick for me if I was accepted for the fall but since I was accepted for the spring, by biggest worry is that I will miss out of a lot from the fall semester and I’m going to show up like a stray dog. At the moment, I’m leaning towards Penn State but the price is holding me back from finally deciding. I’m currently going in for Criminology for FSU and UCI, Political Science for Penn State. I have until Friday to make a decision and could really use some input! Thanks!
I am going to FSU this fall, and it sucks that you got put in for the Spring. I am by no means a professional, but the best advice I was ever given was “Don’t fall in love with a college you cannot afford.” You do not want to be in debt, especially for undergraduate. And if California is really where you want to go, you can always move after college. Besides even if FSU doesn’t have the best program for the area you are interested in the lessened stress of costs will probably equate in better grades. Again, I am no expert, that’s just my two cents, hopes it helps. Good luck, and congrats!
Can you appeal to FSU to start in the Fall? Is there a waitlist?
How would you pay for PSU? What are your parents saying? If going to FSU would require your parents to cosign a bunch of loans that you would have to pay for, then that is crazy. If your family is affluent and will happily pay for PSU, then fine.
I’ve known students who have gotten admitted for Spring and attended. It does put things on hold a bit but once you are there you’ll jump in with everyone else. FSU is good for your major and was your FIRST choice. Makes good financial sense also. It’ll be well worth it to wait.
Think of it this way–one semester wait will save you X dollars over 4 years (I’m making up numbers but if Penn is JUST 10K more a year that is 40 K. That would be equivalent to making 80 K/year for a 6 month wait. WELL worth it. Get a job and save some money in the meantime. You’ll be sitting pretty.
You can appeal for Fall (wouldn’t hurt) if you feel that strongly about it but I think FSU in your case would be a no brainer.
Looked up tuition for Penn State (guess it depends on campus). That 6 months is worth up to 90K to 100K! If someone told me I could save nearly 100,000 dollars just by waiting ONE semester (not even 6 months!) I’d do it in a FLASH! ESPECIALLY for your FIRST CHOICE school.
To jjac97:
That’s very good advice indeed! Thank you for your input. Congrats on FSU yourself, hope to see you there!
To mom2collegekids:
I don’t think it’d be a good idea to appeal since I have already appealed their original decision which led me to get accepted in the spring.Going to PSU would probably mean getting a bunch of loans which is why I am leaning away from it. I want to attend but I don’t want to be covered in loans.
to Gouf78:
Very true indeed! I did get into the main campus for Penn so the amount it would cost in comparison to Penn state is quite pricey! I guess picking my first choice over Penn isn’t a bad idea, I just hope I can find my way at Fsu coming in late. In the fall months that I’ll be waiting, I will probably start taking classes in the mean time.
We see a lot of these posts from OOS kids, and as a CA resident I’ve decided to raise $1 million for UC. I just need to help persuade 10 kids to come to CA. If you choose UCI over your much less expensive instate option there’s no benefit to you, but it means $100K in OOS tuition for UC.
Please let me know I can count on your help raising this money for UC!
I don’t doubt you will find your way just like a ton of other kids have and will. This is such a small blip in life you won’t notice it later on. You WOULD notice an extra bill in your life for the next 20 years. Believe me.
To mom2collegekids:
I spoke with my parents about it and at the end of the day, they’ll agree with any decision that I make. My mom even wants me to go to Penn State, and my dad wants me to have the best experience that I can.
@mikemac
I haven’t made a final decision yet but that is an interesting goal that you have. I’d like to know more about it.
@gouf78
haha, yeah I will. I’m just caught up on making sure I get the full university experience after missing out on a lot in highschool due to attending a small institution. So missing out on things like orientation and the opening football game and such seems like a huge downer. I’m sure in the long run though, it’s just a small bump that I’ll forget about!
@moooop
I did call in about it and they said that I couldn’t attend in the fall. The only way would be if I reapplied and there is no guarantee if I do. They did say I could take up to 12 hours in credits at any regionally credited institution, including Tallahassee Community College. Though, I’m waiting to hear back from USF so I might do my first semester there.