<p>Hey! So basically, I’m an Indiana resident who’s in a financial situation such that I won’t get much, if any, need-based aid, but also can’t afford going to a really expensive college that won’t toss money at me. I have a pretty good idea of where I’m applying, but the most realistic choices are IU and the New College of Florida. I intend to go into at least English and a social sciences topic and immediately going into grad school to become a tenure-track professor, hopefully publish creative writing too. I have a 2340 SAT (800CR/740M/800W), 3.94 (or s/t idk) unweighted, solid recs and essays etc etc so I won’t have any problem getting into either one and I’m definitely national merit so I’ll be able to get 8-9k/year for IU and 17.5k/year from NCF (no community service to speak of though so I don’t have a chance to win a Wells scholarship or anything lol).</p>
<p>My question is, which one is better for me? I’m very much leaning toward NCF but my parents seem to think that IU will get me a better education. I’m a bit acquainted with both of them, but basically I want to get a bunch of second opinions on both of the schools’ englishy social sciencesy writingy programs, and which of the two would better prepare me for getting a good deal to a great grad school.</p>
<p>wow, these are quite different schools. I’m having trouble imagining the student for whom these are 1 and 2. NCF is known for grinding its students into grad school applicants. It is not for everyone in the way JHU engineering is not for everyone. Have you looked at any tuition scholarships at schools that won’t leave you feeling like a sharpened pencil? You can do the grad school sharpening yourself and not have to go to a B1G school. How about Alabama, Clemson, South Carolina, Pitt, Tulane, WashU, URichmond, etc.?</p>
<p>IU’s off the rack price for an in-state student is less expensive than NCF after your scholarship. Your potential scholarship at IU makes the difference even more stark. Going on to grad school I would try to keep the UG costs low. </p>
<p>keeping the costs low isn’t so important. if you cannot get into a PhD program in English that will pay your tuition and room and board, you probably shouldn’t be going. There’re no jobs, so there’s no point in anyone going into debt. </p>
<p>They’re 1 and 2 for me for purely circumstantial reasons. I don’t particularly WANT to go to IU, but the places I really want to go (Reed, Bard, Macalester, Stanford) are pretty solidly priced out of what I can do. IU and NCF both have me graduating without any debt, but the NCF with merit scholarship price of 21k/year plus transportation and personal costs is the high point of my comfort zone. I LOVE the curriculum structure of NCF (I’m a curious dude, I wanna be able to take a lot of different classes and all that) and I love that it sharpens me into a grad school applicant because that’s where I’m going ASAP, and tbh grad school odds/preparedness is the thing I care most about by far. We want to make sure that I go to the place that’s better for me educationally, and I don’t want to seriously consider NCF if it isn’t better than IU (which my parents seem to think I’m karmically destined to attend).</p>
<p>I wouldn’t say NCF is better but it’s a different environment (irrespective of the FL vs. IN issue).<br>
Student Faculty Ratio - NCF - 10:1, IU - 18:1
%age classes >49 - NCF - 1%, IU - 18%</p>
<p>if you’re a small classroom, intimate setting, close relps with profs, work and work and work kind of student, then NCF. If you want to have a life outside of school and school friends, and still get a good education that will prepare you for grad school, IU. </p>
<p>We just visited New College with our daughter. I found out about it on CC and thought my D should look into it. We happened to be taking our vacation in Florida this year in the nearby area.They definitely gave the impression that they are recruiting high stats out of state students. It’s a very unique college and would encourage you to visit if at all possible. Their stats are actually pretty impressive. My D decided that it would not be right for her though. Interestingly, our student guide was asked about attending graduate school immediately after graduation and she said “no” because she felt pretty fried. </p>
<p>@goingnutsmom, I would also suggest that the OP does not have to go to school immediately after u/g. In fact, I would encourage OP to do anything but that. I know as parents we don’t like that pause, that interruption, because we know too well that time waits for no man or woman. Still, students who enter grad school, PhD programs in particular, have a higher drop out rate, in my experience, than those who are a little older, a little more experienced, a little more accustomed to severe criticism, and have a little larger social network. Students who do very well in u/g are not necessarily prepared for the differences grad school brings.</p>
<p>With those numbers, you have a shot at generous merit money from a number of different small LACs, not just NCF. Maybe you’re excited about that one because it offers merit money guarantees, whereas for most colleges, you’ll have to apply and wait and see. But that’s exactly what you should do. There are some terrific LACs where you might get merit aid. Grinnell, Rhodes, Earlham, Kenyon, Lawrence, and Beloit all come to mind for an Indiana resident who loves Reed/Bard/Macalester. Kenyon is a particularly strong choice given its writing program and dedicated scholarships for creative writers.</p>
<p>There are definitely many LACs with good merit money. I have to say that by alumni results, NCF looks very impressive, however. The only public LAC that looks as impressive as the top private LACs. If that is the environment that the OP wants, I don’t see why people think (giant) IU is as good or better just because the parents think so.</p>
<p>^ I saw one person up-thread recommend IU over NCF, and not because of parents. The majority of responses recommended looking at more than two schools and added specifics of the type the OP liked.</p>
<p>I would apply to a number of schools which interest you. Many of them, like Bard, don’t advertise all their merit awards - and you could be pleasantly surprised. And Stanford offers generous financial aid even to those with (what I consider) relatively high incomes.</p>
<p>Based on what you said, and especially grad school prep, I’d go with NCF, but also Kenyon, Hamilton, Knox, Hampshire, Wooster, Sarah Lawrence, Bennington; if you’re a girl, most of the women’s colleges.
Many LACs are 100% need but ALSO offer merit to students who don’t qualify for FA but whom they want (ie., you).
Are you sure Macalester doesn’t offer merit?
Apply to UChicago because it sounds like you would enjoy it there (it’s like NCF, except bigger and freezing ) - unless you’ve run the Net Price Calculator and it’s out of your price range (they’re more generous than average, ie., a 180k income does not totally price you out of FA.)</p>
) - unless you’ve run the Net Price Calculator and it’s out of your price range (they’re more generous than average, ie., a 180k income does not totally price you out of FA.)</p>