Stevens or Binghamton? Help me decide please!

bandgeek055
Mon, 08 Apr 2013 20:23:35 +0000

I have narrowed my college decision down to Binghamton and Stevens Institute of Technology and am having trouble deciding which one to go to.
I live in southern NY, which puts me about 2 1/2 hours away from Bing and 1 1/2 away from Stevens. I plan on majoring in computer science and also playing the saxophone in music ensembles at either college.
I really like both schools, but liked Stevens a little better. It is my financial situation that is preventing me from deciding. With all of the scholarships I got from Stevens, the total cost is down to $33,000. I didn’t get any scholarships from Bing, so that cost is about $23,000. I qualified for the $5500 federal direct unsubsidized loan at each school. Next year my brother will also be in college, so my EFC will be cut in half and I will qualify for more aid. I only have $3000 in my 529 savings plan and will probably get a few thousand dollars in scholarships from my school. I will definitely have to take out thousands of dollars in private student loans over the course of my college years.
I know Bing is cheaper, but Stevens has the co-op program and is regarded as a “better” university. Which one do you think I should choose?

Also, does anyone have any information to offer about private student loans?

I would really appreciate any help, advice, or info I could get about these schools or loans, as I’m really in a bind. Thank you!