<p>I got accepted to Rensselaer, Rutgers (New Brunswick), and Penn State (University Park). I’m interested in the hard sciences, so physics, chem, and maybe bio. My main factors for deciding where to go are the academics of the school, research opportunities, class sizes, and student life. It appears that Rensselaer would win in all categories except student life, so could that tip the scales to another school? What would you pick?</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>No one? You can weigh in if you’re only familiar with one school.</p>
<p>All of these are perfectly fine institutions. You can safely choose the one that is less expensive for you to attend.</p>
<p>Well they’re all around the same amount after financial aid, with Penn State maybe being the most expensive.</p>
<p>Sit down with a sharp pencil, a calculator, and the actual award letters. Start with the estimated Cost of Attendance (COA), and take out any figures they’ve included for books, materials, travel, and personal expenses. Use the result as the base cost.</p>
<p>Then subtract any grant or scholarship money that you don’t need to pay back. This should yield the amount that your family will actually be responsible for paying. Can your family pay that without any loans at all? If not, how much of that can be covered by Stafford Loans? Those are the only loans that you are guaranteed that you can get (provided of course that you qualify to file the FAFSA).</p>
<p>If you have been awarded any grants or scholarships, call the financial aid office to find out what you need to do to renew them each year. Will you need a certain GPA? What happens if your family’s financial situation changes?</p>
<p>If your family will need to take out more than the Stafford Loans, the place is probably too expensive for you. Some parents can afford to take on some Parent Loans each year to help spread the cost of four years of education over eight or ten years. But don’t assume up front that this is something that your parents can do. Make sure that you talk about it so that you can make the wisest choice for your future.</p>
<p>Thanks for the great reply. The costs of the schools aren’t a major factor. I have already gone through all the costs, and Rensselaer even tells you upfront the total cost to you. I am more interested in the difference in the experiences at each school.</p>
<p>Penn State. RPI is known for unhappy student life. I’d take RU over RPI and RU is very good in sciences with lots of industry support.</p>
<p>So why Penn State then?</p>
<p>Better college experience than other two overall. Students love PSU.</p>
<p>IMO, the main reason for any “unhappy student life” at R.P.I. would be the intensity of the academics. I did EE at RPI and was stretched to the limit. In the end though, it was worth it as my career is going quite well and the financial rewards continue to come. I feel Rensselaer prepared me to compete with the best and I’ve done that. </p>
<p>Some students thrive in R.P.I.'s highly focused technical environment while others are better suited for the more comprehensive universities like Penn State. Just on the academics though, R.P.I. is tough to beat.</p>