Need Advice on College Selection

phantom
Tue, 19 Apr 2005 20:20:37 +0000

Hey parents…

This is my first time ever posting on the Parents’ Forum, but I am in need of some advice. I went through a very disappointing college decisions week, getting rejected from my top choice (Princeton) after a deferral, and waitlisted at my other top choices: Harvard, Columbia, and Cornell. Obviously, they were all reach schools, so I had mentally prepared myself for this possibility.

I was accepted at Tufts, NYU, and TCNJ and I need your advice in choosing a school. Financial aid is a factor. Income Bracket: $40,000 - $60,000.

My Options…

1) Go to Tufts: Pay for it by taking out home equity loans (or whatever they’re called). I’d be paying $10,000 more than what I would’ve paid at Princeton (I used their online calculator, which their finaid office assured me was usually accurate within $1000). I like Tufts alot, but I’m not smitten by it and I’d definitely give it up for a better-value school.

2) Go to NYU: I’m in the CAS Presidential Honors Scholars Program. I will be receiving a $25,000 merit scholarship. HOWEVER, the rest of their finaid package for me is all in the form of loans (Perkins and Stafford) and work study. Also, I’m not too thrilled about the aid in the form of loans. I like NYU alot too, especially since I plan to live in the city at some point in my life, but again, I’m not smitten by it and I’d give it up for a better-value school.

3) Go to TCNJ: Completely free, plus a new laptop and I’m in their Honors Program. It has a pretty campus and a good-sized school (about 6000 students)… I liked the school alot when I went to the accepted student day – BUT, my main concern is that it’d be too academically lax for me…classes will be not be what I’m used to (I come from a fairly competitive public school in Westchester), the students will not be what I’m used to…Plus, no one in my school, aside from my guidance counselor, has even heard of the school. Another big concern I have is…how hard would it be for me to get into a good grad school (say, Harvard)??? If I maintain a good GPA and graduate at the top/near the top of my class, will I be at a huge disadvantage when applying to a grad school like Harvard?

So the main question for me right now is…Is TCNJ a “good bargain” school where I can get a good education? Good enough for me to turn down Tufts and NYU?

One of the only things stopping me from choosing TCNJ is that I fear that after enrolling in TCNJ, it will be very difficult for me to follow my ambitions and eventually attend a school like Harvard or Yale for grad. I’ve read numerous posts on CC before about how students are smart to go to a cheaper undergrad school, save up money, maintain a good GPA, and THEN go to a top-notch grad school, but I’m still not totally convinced. I’m looking at the schools that TCNJ students attend after TCNJ and they’re all schools such as Rutgers, Michigan State, Texas A&M…

Finally, it won’t be a tremendous hardship to pay for a place like Tufts or NYU (mainly, I’m just reluctant to pay them so much more than I would’ve had to pay my dream school). However, if it IS very much worth it to go to an undergrad school with a name (for grad school’s sake), my family would be able to afford it without any sort of financial crisis occurring.

Thank you for all your help. I’m sorry for the long post.