<p>i was admitted to NYU, Vanderbilt, Auburn, and the University of Tennessee at Knoxville (my state school). i’m also on the waiting list at Harvard. my parents will pay $20,000-$25,000 of my college cost. given that i like all the schools pretty much equally, what would you choose in my place?</p>
<p>i’ll subtract any scholarships i have and the amount i could make working during the summer and a little during the year and give my yearly cost, including the cost of living</p>
<p>Auburn: $16,000-$18,000 (also i get a free laptop, a research grant, and i’m a Presidential Honors Scholar)
UTK: free, up to $2000-$3000 over costs, which they would pay back to me (also a free laptop, $4000 study abroad, $5500 research grant for my senior thesis, and i’m in the most honors program and the most prestigious possible honors community with early class registration and expanded library access and stuff)
NYU: $59,000-$60,000
Vandy: $40,000-$43,000
Harvard: $47,000-$48,000 (if i was admitted from the waitlist)</p>
<p>the catch with the university of tennessee is that i would have to give up my position on the harvard waitlist before harvard releases waitlist notifications. also, i’m planning on going to graduate school, and i’m trying to avoid making my parents co-sign for loans. if everything was free, i would go to vandy or harvard. so if you were where i am, what would you do?</p>
<p>so 60K in loans from Vandy? vs a free ride to Tenn - i Say Tenn. Ask mom and dad to save the $ for grad school or a down payment on a home later in life!</p>
<p>If your parents will chip in $25,000 and you borrow the Stafford loan maximum $5,500, then you have $30,500 before any money you make with a part-time job or that you pull out of your own savings.</p>
<p>Basically, this takes NYU right off your list. Vandy is out of your price range too unless you have a secret stash of money and/or the ability to earn about $13k in your summer job and during the school year - actually it would need to be more like $15k to account for all of the taxes. Harvard has its own particular financial aid formula, and if you would get off the wait list, it might be affordable - look at the Net Price Calculator at the website to find out. You could check the Harvard sub-forum for information about how many students tend to get in from the waitlist each year so that you will know if it is worth your time to stay on it.</p>
<p>Realistically, your options are Auburn and UTK. Both of those are fine institutions, and being in the honors program at one or the other will definitely give you a lot of perks. I would recommend that you concentrate your energies on learning more about these two so that you can decide which will work best for you.</p>
<p>congrats on the waiting list at harvard, though! you must be a fantastic person! I guess in the end it just depends on the environment you want and the cost.</p>
<p>Help me with the math here. Are the amounts listed for Vandy, NYU and Harvard your COA after grants and such are subtracted? In other words, is $60K what you would have to pay per year to go to NYU? Then subtracting $25K you’re left with $35K as a gap? Because no way is that workable. Same with Vandy if you are left with a gap of $18K per year after your parents’ contribution is added in.</p>
<p>I may be biased, but I would go for Auburn! I am also a Presidential Scholar there and will be a freshman this fall. I have loved the campus everytime I visit there, and everyone is always so helpful.</p>
<p>Based on college costs alone, Auburn or UTK. Realistically, the UTK deal sounds amazing, and it is an “Honors” program, so that will look good to grad/professional schools.</p>
<p>You can’t afford any of these options except UTK and Auburn. I don’t believe that Auburn is worth $68k more than UTK, especially given the honors privileges you will have at UTK and the fact that you say you like them equally. If you’d lived and breathed War Eagle your entire life, there might be a little room for debate, but if you like them about equally and one’s free, easy call in my book.</p>
<p>You aren’t giving anything up when you leave the Harvard waitlist, because you can’t afford to go even if you get in. Even if your parents are willing to co-sign, you absolutely should not go $80,000+ in debt for a Harvard undergrad degree – and I’m saying that as a fanatic Harvard booster/alumni interviewer. Go be a superstar in Knoxville and have the time of your life.</p>
<p>I’m a little biased since I am a current undergrad, but come to Auburn I am a current Honors college student and although Honors college classes are not always my favorite (due to difficulty) I can tell you the advantages you will have will make them worthwhile. You will have priority registration over non-honors students, which means if you register on time, waitlisting is rare. You also have the advantage of living in the Honors Residence Halls, either in the Village (new apartment style living, which I lived in last year), or the Upper Quad (BEAUTIFUL W.P.A. era dormitories with hard wood floors and a view of Samford, in which two rooms of four residents share a bathroom). If Auburn is affordable, I highly recommend it. And this was my second to LAST CHOICE school. That is right. I planned to attend a small, northern liberal arts college until I crunched the numbers. But lo and behold, here I am, an upcoming junior and totally satisfied with my decision. In fact, even if I had the money, I don’t think I would change my decision. You will make friends in the honors dorms (which I recommend living in the quad/traditional style dorms. From experience I can tell you that it’s hard to make friends living in an apt. style dorm) You will more than likely LOVE your profs. The campus is beautiful. The Auburn Family is awesome. And endless opportunities await you. This is a school who in the past few years has produced Goldwater, Fulbright, and Rhodes scholars, in addition to an Academy Award winner. And ranks second nationally in enrollment of National Merit Scholars. Okay… I’ll shut up now. One more thing: WAR EAGLE!</p>
<p>If you’re trying to avoid having your parents co-sign, then your only options are schools that will cost you about $25k or less ($20k from parents and $5k from student loans). Besides, many parents WON’T co-sign because they know it’s very unwise.</p>
<p>Besides UT and Auburn, there isn’t a school that won’t require co-signed loans and big debt.</p>
<p>There isn’t much difference between UT and Vandy…not enough to justify giving up the free ride. So, UT is the best choice.</p>
<p>What is your major and what will you likely be earning upon graduation?</p>
<p>Wait…can you clarify…will your parents pay $20-25k per YEAR or TOTAL for all 4 years???</p>
<p>If you take the full ride undergrad (so that your parents don’t have to pay the 80-100k), will your parents be able to then support you in grad school, if need be.</p>
<p>to answer some of the questions:
yes that’s the cost at vandy, harvard, and nyu after all the money they gave me and after counting about $3000 a year that i could make (i’m being conservative here). in short, no nyu didn’t give me any money, i just included it because technically it’s an option</p>
<p>yes my parents would probably pay a good part of grad school if i didn’t make them pay for undergrad</p>
<p>my parents would pay $20-$25K per year. and i’m undecided on my major. and there’s the real possibility that i could do something like the peace corps where i wouldn’t be making much money right out of school</p>
<p>@lynxinsider, hahah i like that idea, actually my parents did kind of mention a new car if i don’t make them pay for college</p>
<p>@hanna, that’s actually really really helpful to me to hear that.</p>
<p>i guess mostly what i’m asking is, i know i would have to take out a good amount of money in unsubsidized loans to go to harvard or vandy, two of my dream schools. assuming i got into harvard. but i also know that the deal at auburn is very good and the deal at UT is excellent. would i be giving up too much by taking one of those deals instead of sticking it out for harvard or vandy?
i feel like most of you think i really would be better off taking one of the scholarships?</p>
<p>@Ag22392 i visited auburn in february, i really liked it. everybody was really friendly and the tour of cosam was pretty impressive. i’m actually kind of having a hard time comparing auburn and knoxville because they’re pretty similar in a lot of ways</p>
<p>Without question, you are better off going to Auburn or the University of Kentucky. There really should be no debate, given the amount of debt you would incur at any of these other schools. Congratulations on having been accepted to all these outstanding schools and ending up with two eminently affordable options among your acceptances.</p>
I am a current Honors college student and although Honors college classes are not always my favorite (due to difficulty) I can tell you the advantages you will have will make them worthwhile. You will have priority registration over non-honors students, which means if you register on time, waitlisting is rare. You also have the advantage of living in the Honors Residence Halls, either in the Village (new apartment style living, which I lived in last year), or the Upper Quad (BEAUTIFUL W.P.A. era dormitories with hard wood floors and a view of Samford, in which two rooms of four residents share a bathroom). If Auburn is affordable, I highly recommend it. And this was my second to LAST CHOICE school. That is right. I planned to attend a small, northern liberal arts college until I crunched the numbers. But lo and behold, here I am, an upcoming junior and totally satisfied with my decision. In fact, even if I had the money, I don’t think I would change my decision. You will make friends in the honors dorms (which I recommend living in the quad/traditional style dorms. From experience I can tell you that it’s hard to make friends living in an apt. style dorm) You will more than likely LOVE your profs. The campus is beautiful. The Auburn Family is awesome. And endless opportunities await you. This is a school who in the past few years has produced Goldwater, Fulbright, and Rhodes scholars, in addition to an Academy Award winner. And ranks second nationally in enrollment of National Merit Scholars. Okay… I’ll shut up now. One more thing: WAR EAGLE!</p>