No financial aid from USC
Lots of aid from USD and Honors
Thoughts?
@love2learnnnn
What are you studying?
What can you/your family afford (USC is crazy expensive without help.)
Grad school?
Don’t cripple yourself with debt.
@CaliDad2020
At USD, I’d study International Relations and eventually minor or double major in Italian. I was given the Presidential Scholarship and am able to be in the Honors Program.
At USC, we are appealing the financial aid package as I have two other siblings also going to college next year so three kids in college at once. I’d study Italian at USC and eventually add on International Relations.
I would like to go to graduate school at Georgetown so that is a great point…
Having a Presidential Scholarship will be prestigious on your resume for internships and on your application for grad school. Being part of the honors program will have you meeting the other top students at your university, and getting special opportunities. Better to be a standout student and have college be affordable, than struggle to pay more at a place that is less eager to recruit you and where you will just be another paying student among the crowd.
@love3learnnnn agree with @mommyrocks - unless money really is not an issue (and with 3 kids in college there’s not many folks it’s not an issue for) or there is a really, really compelling argument in favor of USC (maybe if you were in CA or desperate to study with a particular teacher/program - I would go where the resources will be most easily accessed. SC is big, and while it’s a great school, they hire from the same pool of academics as USD.
Additionally, it looks like USD has a masters IR program that I would imagine solid UGs could make use of.
Some other things to consider:
Study abroad: great for all students but extra-great for PS/IR students. Can you do study abroad at USD and apply your scholarship money (usually can, but worth checking) Would you be able to afford it if you went to USC?
Could you do a progressive/accelerated degree of some sort at USD and get out with a masters in 5 years? Maybe they would extend the money?
It is really hard for a young person to understand just how much debt of 20, 30 or 40k can drag on your opportunities when you get out of college, esp if you want to do grad school. I would be very wary of turning down a good financial option unless you have a really compelling reason. (and btw, I have a kid at USC and think it’s a great school. As a result I also know how much it costs to go to college. Even with aid USC adds up quickly.)
@love2learnnnn one last thing that I hope goes without saying: this is really a convo you need to have with your parents as well. With 0 fin aid and 0 financial help you would leave USC with a $250000 debt (if anyone would lend you that money.)
Obviously that is untenable even if you wanted to go. Also, since you have good money from USD, you can always push USC and see if they’ll find some merit money for you too. Might not work, but they worst that will happen is they will say “no.” and you’ll have the same choice.
@CaliDad2020 Wow thank you so much for your thorough and meaningful response. I will be going to visit USD next weekend. I really appreciate your time and consideration in your comments. I will keep you updated and informed. I’m from the Bay Area so all the schools I was accepted to are in California. A lot of people have been mentioning to me what @mommyrocks covered in terms of what a Presidential Scholarship and Honors Program will look like and do for me on a resume for graduate school, internships, and jobs.
My mom went to USC, and I love everything about the school. We are appealing the financial aid which is what one of the employees in the office said to do considering one of my siblings will be in college but also out of state meaning more expenses. It really depends with what they come back with.
If USC comes back with money bringing the tuition down similar to USD, which would you say to go to? Do we tell USC what USD offered?
Thank you both!!!
@love2learnnnn If your mom is an alum, USC has some alum scholarships. I don’t know how they are distributed. Obviously SC does have some leeway with merit money in departments, but I don’t know how much they can, or are willing, to move to students who have less financially onerous choices. I would guess some money frees up at this point as some of the guaranteed scholarship kids select other schools.
Absolutely you can tell USC what USD offered. You don’t need to lay it out like “match this offer or I’m going to USD” but there is no downside to being perfectly honest, explaining that you have a sibling going out of state, the finances are too steep for your family to swing without help, another school has been very generous, but you love USC and would love to figure out how to make it work for you and your family. USC knows how expensive they are and they understand the financial strains it can cause. Be forewarned, though, that you also have to be prepared for the harsh reality that they may decide there are other students who they would rather entice with their limited aid budget and you might therefore get a “we understand your position but there is nothing else we can do at the moment” response.
But it never hurts to ask, especially if the scenario you present is real and you do it as soon as possible, to allow SC to see if there is money to be had.
Hope this helps. Best of luck. You have two great choices. Pick the one that you and your family can afford, esp. if you’re looking at grad school.