Hello Everyone, which college should I pursue?
I have 60 credits as part of an associates degree from a NY community college.
Alongside few pvt schools, I got accepted into Rensselaer Poly Inst. and City College of NY-City University of NY.
My major is Mechanical Engineering and due to few personal and family issues I had to take a brief break from college after starting at Wichita State University.
Now,CCNY Grove School of engineering’s Mechanical Engineering is decent and their programs are quite good. I will get FAFSA to cover my tuition and fees there and I can commute from home where I live with my mom and a college going sibling,who are dependent on me. I look after our family by working off and on campus for last 5 years. So,going to CCNY will make everything comfortable except I am not sure if its worth to let the chance of going to RPI go away.
Rpi’s cost of attendance is 66k(tuition:48k+undergrad fees:1.2k+Residence:14k+Books:1.2k +personal expenses1.5k+loan fees$40)=66K.
They offered me (after an appeal) leadership grant 12k+RPI scholarly grant 8k+ access grant 4k+ fafsa $5700+ Government loan
12k(subsidized 5.7k + unsubsidized 7k)+ work study 2k = 48k in the packages they offered as I explained above.
Despite my family’s extreme situation they expect me to pay out of pocket or taking loans of 18k.(they do NOY offer full ride,I asked already)
Now,if I do NOT live on-campus residencesand do not worry about books and personal expenses then I can cut off that 18k entirely. In that case, I have to live off campus which will make me to take about 7.5k in loans a year(rent +expenses).
But while I attend RPI or CCNY I have to support my mom and sibling by at least $600-800 a week. My plan was to work off and on campus. As my work study will take away 2k, I will rely on on-campus jobs.
Last few years I have been working in NYC’s cocktail and various bars as bartenders so that I can afford myself for my future academic endeavors by working off campus. Working in that hospitality industry has been part of tmy plan to go to a good engineering program.
I haven’t done well at my first college due to few personal issues,yet, in the community college I turned around and have done excellently. Mostly A&A+s, undergrad research, peer mentor for freshmen, a small electronic project, tutoring calculus and art history classes, was elected secretary of the honor society Phi Theta Kappa.
Now I am not sure what should I do.
Moving to RPI wi be a big overhaul,yet,I am 26,if I don’t take risk now when will I do so?
And RPI has a great Mechn.eng. program. They have research opportunities in Aerospace as well(my first college major was Aerospace engineering).
I want to work for one of the major Aerospace companies or NASA.
Any of your questions,comments,criticism, or anything will help me make this super-critical decision of my lifetime.
Thank you for your valuable time.