My Top 4 Colleges

College Search & Lists
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Hi want to be more precise with the information that I give here for who that may be reading to help me decide with my choice. All the schools that are listed below are out of state schools from where I live. I took dual enrollment courses the summer before my senior year, I am almost done with my associates. I have a 3.79 GPA at my community college with only 2 b`s. I am thinking about double majoring in college, business administration, and computer science or finance. I would feel comfortable traveling far way.

Top Five

  1. Penn state: DUS
    net cost : $25,699
    Pro: My family lives in new york, so I would be close to family and it would be easy to visit

  2. University of Aberdeen: Business management and international relations
    Net cost: $24,905
    Pro: I`ve always wanted to study abroad, Scotland is beautiful

  3. University of Alabama: Business administrative
    Net cost: $40,837
    Pro: had great greek life, college y feel,

  4. Loyola university of new Orleans: International Business
    Net cost: $14,545
    Pro: New Orleans is a beautiful places, has a great social scene

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Interesting school set.

If you want to study abroad in total vs. just a semester or year, well that’s super unique.

Curious why Alabama is so much - given their crazy merit. But since it is $15K more than PSU, you can’t go there. Bama is nice and lots of smart, Northeasterners - but they’re going because their tuition is paid. So in your case that’s not the case.

So then, unless you want to study abroad, you are down to PSU and Loyola. That’s a big difference in price.

So the question is - do you want a - not rural - but a far out there, huge school, in the middle of nowhere although it’s a neat campus.

Or do you want a small school in the city…oh and it’s Jesuit.

It’s really those two - and you can study abroad a semester or year…or do you want to study abroad period…then there’s your answer.

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Note that the UK system is pretty foreign to Americans. You’d get tutorials but your marks will come down to big tests at the end of the year and you’re expected to do a lot of self-studying. Basically, imagine your HS GPA being set by the scores you get on your AP tests senior year.

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If I were you I would probably choose Penn State. They have a good reputation in both business and computer science and your cost is very good there. PSU is also in a very nice college town and is known for having a great campus. You can still do a semester abroad at PSU, which will be a lot easier to take on than fully committing to a school abroad. The other factor to consider with cost is how much money travel will be for these schools. Penn State is your only school you don’t have to fly to, since you indicate your family is in NY, and some of your schools are going to have much more expensive flights, especially Aberdeen.

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You’re going to be in for a rude awakening at Aberdeen. I strongly advise you against attending Uni there. Their system is much different to ours. You’re going to have to be extremely self motivated, take a lot of notes, set a self-determined study and reading schedule, there will be little advising available, and you run the risk of feeling that you are floundering. Your housing might be determined for the first year, but then you will be on your own. Campus life isn’t really a thing there. You’ll be in Aberdeen and expected to live your own life. Why not study abroad for a semester if you really want that experience?

Your choices need to be PSU or Loyola. The tuition at Bama is not justifiable. PSU has plenty of Greek life and rah rah atmosphere. The campus is lovely. I don’t know anything about Loyola NO. Of the four you have listed here, PSU, in my opinion, has all you need along with a good reputation that will set you up for a good career. The alumni network is very strong. I’d go with PSU.

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OP: I am familiar with 3 of the 4 listed schools. I think that you need to fully understand your options from DUS at Penn State before committing.

Will you be permitted to declare business (finance) or CS (computer science) as majors or is entrance to these majors restrictive & competitive ?

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Are you sure about these numbers? Alabama is very generous with merit for OOS students and Penn State is known for being stingy. I’m trying to understand why a student would qualify for substantial aid from Penn State yet get nothing from Alabama. The situation doesn’t make sense to me.

If these numbers are right the I agree that the choice is between Penn State and Loyola depending on what you are looking for.

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I too love New Orleans, so this would be an easy call for me. Save $40,600 and study for 4 years in New Orleans? Easy decision.

The Loyola campus is adjacent to the Tulane campus in New Orleans. Literally right next door. Quiet residential neighborhood within walking distance of the Garden District. The St. Charles Avenue streetcar runs right in front of campus and can take you over to the French Quarter just a few miles away.

Loyola students can cross register for corses at Tulane - 6 credits per semester - opening up a whole additional world of academic opportunities. And you can walk to class while you’re doing it. Loyola offers a Washington semester at American University in DC. Since you’re interested in international business, this provides opportunities to be exposed to the world of international diplomacy in Washington. You can of course also opt for study abroad for a year or a semester since that appeals to you. Many opportunities.

Loyola is a fine university. I’d take the money and run.

Just one clarifying question. Since you’re completing your associate’s degree, are you planning to spend 4 years at college?

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All good advice above. It really comes down to how well you think you can do at PSU. You’re not a direct admit to Smeal. Smeal is competitive, especially Finance. I think I remember hearing that you’ll need a 3.6 GPA for entry into Finance. The other areas in Smeal are less competitive but you’ll still need to do well but I think the required GPA is a 3.2. What would you major in if you didn’t have a 3.2 GPA?

Loyola is a nice option B.

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I applied later to the University of Alabama then my Penn state application, got accepted in late march for university of Alabama

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Oh, you didn’t beat the - I think it’s 1/15 for auto merit.

Note to future readers - you need to apply early, not late.

So is it Penn State - huge. Or Loyola…small but as Bill Marsh pointed out, is set up to take some coursework at Tulane.

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Great question, I plan to transfer all of my credits that would qualify toward whatever university that i plan to go to

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Information update, just spoke with a person from University of Alabama distant learning team, when I applied to the school I did two applications one for campus and the other for distance learning, got accepted to on campus if I decide to do the distance leaning the tuition would be reduced to the amount of classes that I decide to take in the fall, spring and I they told I can start with distance learning then change to on campus

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Why would you want that option when you have cheaper options that allow you to study on campus?

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Aberdeen is a GREAT acceptance, part of the " Four Ancient ones" … but not really practical. None of your credits would transfer and it’d be really difficult. You’d have a “6th century” seminar and 3 other courses each semester, about 12 hours of class, lots and lots and lots of reading and the equivalent of a final paper every month in every subject, little to no advising, some support (a mentor and tutors).
Unless you’re 100% sure you want to study in Scotland and get a Scottish degree, you’re better off spending a semester in Scotland and, if you really loved it, returning for a 1-year Master’s degree. :slight_smile:

With Loyola NOLA, you can do “direct enrollment” at the University of Edinburgh. In addition, they have lots of programs with Ireland, Spain, South Korea…

With Penn State, you have

  • embedded programs: you take a regular course on campus and it includes a study abroad component.
    There’s a program for Schreyer scholars and Paterno Fellows* where you complete the Arts Gen Ed requirement then go to London to see plays, visit, and then on to Edinburgh.
  • you can participate in summer research at Aberdeen (Biomedical sciences) or Glasgow (STEM, psychology, geography)
  • you can spend a summer or a semester abroad especially designed for future business majors, in Australia, in the Czech republic, Paris, Amsterdam, Lisbon, Barcelona, Singapore…

DUS is what students are before they’re allowed to “progress” to their major. You need to complete some pre-reqs and you’re only admitted to Smeal once you’ve passed them all and have a 3.2 GPA (Finance is higher). There are alternate majors such as SODA, Economics, Labor Relations, Organizational Psychology, Environmental Business, Enterprise Design Integration…

Loyola is much smaller, Jesuit, humanistic, in a nice area of a great, historical city. Smaller classes, more personalized advising.
Penn State is a huge university, with over a hundred majors, large classes unless you’re a Paterno Fellow Aspirant*, a big sports culture, lots of “school pride”, in a college town.

*Paterno Fellow Aspirants: declare they want to take up the challenge and by that declaration are made “aspirants”. They take Honors classes and seminars alongside the Schreyer scholars and in order to “stay” in the Honors College they must meet certain grade requirements. They can take (say) Honors Economics in a small group where they know everyone, instead of being in a large lecture hall. Paterno Fellows Aspirants can be DUS if they suspect they may end up choosing a major from the Liberal Arts. If, after 3 semesters, they don’t, they’re no longer Paterno Fellows (but at that point they’ve either realized they like a major in CLA or no longer need the special classes in Schreyer.)

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