WPI vs ASU vs Drop Year

International Students
1

<p>Heres my situation, I have been selected to 5 universities and have narrowed down the list to->
WPI - COA -56000$ - 21000$ scholarship----------> 35000$
ASU - COA - 39000$ - 5000$ scholarship-----------> 34000$</p>

<p>My third option is taking a drop year and applying again.</p>

<p>I am leaning towards taking a drop year because, I am starting two websites and startups are way too troublesome, I think I may not be able manage startups along with engineering so I am thinking of taking this year off and working on websites.
Plz everyone help me in deciding, do highlight pros and cons of taking a year off</p>

<p>My intended major is Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Econonomics or Computer Science.</p>

2

<p>First of all congrats on getting into the colleges you mentioned above. Now back on topic, I dont think dropping a year is a good because if your websites are just a flop and no one likes it then in that case it would mean that you wasted a year for nothing.
Its a big risk if you drop a year but the choice is yours. If you feel that your websites will be famous and you have faith in them then maybe you can drop an year but be very sure on whatever decision you take. Just ask yourself that is it worth dropping an year for these websites.</p>

<p>Wish you all the very best! :)</p>

3

<p>My opinion, you should go to college, if money is not what is keeping you from going.</p>

<p>And $21000 is great scholarship amount, so WPI, it should be.</p>

<p>WPI is great college.</p>

<p>While nobody can tell you for sure whether taking a gap year is a good idea, only you can justify that to yourself, it will help if you read a little about pros and cons of both decisions.</p>

<p>And I am going to quote something I read,</p>

<p>"Why Should You Go to College?</p>

<p>There are many different reasons to go to college, and people need to identify what makes it the right choice for them. Here are some of the top reasons to go to college:</p>

<p>To pursue academic studies in an intellectual environment beyond the high school level.
To pursue a career or employment opportunity that requires college-level training and skills development.
To increase earning potential.
To achieve a higher quality of life for themselves and their families.
To meet new people, have new experiences, and explore new interests.
To achieve self-discovery and figure out what their calling is.
To acquire the social and/or career status and mobility often associated with a college education. "</p>

<p>And you read the following article to get a perspective…</p>

<p>[Cons</a> of a Gap Year - The Globe](<a href=“http://mhsglobe.com/article/OpEd/OpEd/Cons_of_a_Gap_Year/18276]Cons”>http://mhsglobe.com/article/OpEd/OpEd/Cons_of_a_Gap_Year/18276)</p>

<p>"Colleges help students focus on their passions, pushing them to grow and think in ways not possible in high school. Without this growth, a gap year could be a waste of time and a serious diversion from the important task of becoming an educated, complete person.</p>

<p>There’s nothing wrong with taking a gap year; it just has to be done at the right time. The right time is after college, and before the rest of your life."</p>

<p>Also, [Gap</a> Year / Time Out FAQs](<a href=“HugeDomains.com”>HugeDomains.com)</p>

<p>"How do I know if a gap year is right for me?</p>

<p>Read the following scenarios and see if any apply to you. If so you may be ready to truly benefit from a gap year experience.</p>

<p>Not ready for college. Perhaps you lack maturity, self-confidence,or have not clearly defined your interests or career options.
Burnt out academically-even before entering college, and want to take a breather so you can arrive on campus refreshed and ready to give your best.
Know why you are going to college, but want a competitive edge over other students. You want real life experience that builds your resume, and makes you more attractive to future employers.
Haven’t been able to chose a major and don’t really know what you are truly passionate about.
Haven’t been accepted to the college of your choice and want to use your gap experience to improve your application and make your more appealing to the school.</p>

<p>What are some of the characteristics of the students who choose to take a gap year?</p>

<p>Students who take a gap year tend to be self motivated, not afraid of taking a risk, not bound by conventions and open to explore their interests and discover their passions."</p>

<p>So you need to educate yourself, talk to your parents and teachers and then take an informed decision.</p>

4

<p>I guess you should take a gap year… Even if your start ups don’t work out, you’d still learn so much more!</p>

<p>But if you’re going for college, then you should choose WPI hands down… WPI is very similar to MIT and RPI and has a very entrepreneur friendly culture… You could definitely use the many opportunities they have…</p>

5

<p>Are you mainly looking to take a gap year, to work on your start ups, and re-apply to other schools where you get more aid? So is money the factor?</p>

<p>I agree with @anialways on gap year. You have to be seriously disciplined and we don’t know you personally. </p>

<p>I don’t know the start up culture in India but it used to be that you needed a college education to be taken seriously. If money is an issue with wpi (which I would prefer over ASU), then it may make sense to look at options in India.</p>

6

<p>Money is a factor but my parents can afford anything upto 35k per year, and I really like WPI.
But I believe that my web startups have potential and, even if I take a drop year I am kinda sure that I will be accepted to WPI with similar or even better scholarship next year, considering that I will raise my SAT score from 2000 to 2200+
and most probably along with 5----------> 5’s on AP’s
Downside-------->I have screwed my boards expecting around 60-65%</p>

<p>I have been working hard on the code since a month, and have found out that I need to put in great deal of effort into my startups so, what I am really concerned is that I may screw up my freshman year if I chose to enroll in Class of 2016</p>

7

<p>It looks like taking a gap year makes sense for you. The last thing you want to do is invest that kind of money in american education and not do well. Again, decision has to be taken with your parents input and support.</p>