- there HAS TO be another alternative - don’t tell me you only applied to two colleges. If you did, give us your stats and budget we’ll help you find colleges still accepting applications.
- how good is the GD program? A strong program (professors with an extensive network, excellent record of professional placement) is essential - if the degree leads nowhere it won’t have saved you money.
College A is not a good fit. A 12-pt difference means the classes’ pace and depth won’t work for you. In most cases of similar mismatch the high scoring student had too few if any peers and couldn’t handle a class where classmates wouldn’t show up for exams, where the readings were explained rather than discussed in class…and left. Transferring, they couldn’t get the scholarship they would have had as freshmen if they had picked a better fit that still offered scholarships.
Sometimes, the cheapest offer isn’t the best value. If you think of a car, if you can’t afford the brand new 25k model, you’re better off with a used 14k version than with a 1k clunker because the clunker will leave you stranded by the side of the road instead of reliably (if less comfortably) taking you where you need to go.