Should I go to a state college and be 20k in debt, or a private college and be 90k in

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10-09-2003
Terrance

Should I go to a state college and be 20k in debt, or a private college and be 90k in

Should I go to a state college and be 20k in debt, or a private college and be 90k in debt.

I'm currently in a community college(I hate it, and feel like a nerd because I'm one of the few people that studies, goes to the library, and participates in class).

Anyways, I'm transferring to another college in the spring.

I currently have the option of going to-
-Bentley(38k a year)
-Northeastern(29k a year)
-UMass- Lowell(9K a year)

Umass- Lowell isn't a great school, but I'm not too worried about getting the best education I can(I try so I don't feel there's anything to worry about).

Anyways, since my parents are only paying for a percentage of my tuition, I was wondering what everyone's say is about me going to either a private college(and being 90k in debt), or a public college(and being about 20k in debt).

I'm probably going to go to a private college. But I'm still considering a public institution.
10-09-2003
golfinguy4

Depends on your major. For engineering/medical, I'd go to NEU. For business, bentley. For anything else, UMASS.
10-09-2003
joshdick

If you pay less for something, it's generally worth less. Employers see a difference between certain schools when they hire you. I realize that that isn't always the case, but it's something to keep in mind.
10-09-2003
whistlenm1

Go to state college (community college) get the required general education courses, I believe it breaks down to (12 Comm, 9 Math, 9 Humn, 9 Socs) depends on Degree and school acreditation anyway after that transfer into a school offering your "Career path".

So, my answer, both.

Good Luck! :D
10-09-2003
Geolingo

I agree that you should goto the small local school, a community college, or simply see if your desired university offers tests to excempt you out of certain classes that everybody has to take. 2 years at a community college to take care of boring english and sociology courses will save you a fortune, and when you finally get to the big school of your choice you can just focus on what you enjoy ( Since your here, its probablly coding =P ). As for public or private, i would say go private. Public schools tend to have alot more people that only want to party. Its impossible to get any work done. I went to a public university and it was of lower quality than a private school would have been.
10-09-2003
Terrance

I'm kind of fed up with going to a community college. I just went here because I didn't enroll in a 4 year college early enough to go there this fall.

Night classes are usually filled with professionals who are taking night courses to finish up their degree, but day classes are filled up with kids who barely graduated high school. Most students don't care about grades, a lot don't show up for class, and many fail.

I'm not saying everyone at the community college is like that, but the number is pretty high. I take my studies pretty seriously.

I'm pretty sure I'm going to go to a private college. And I'd like to thank everyone for their input, it has confirmed that I really would be better off at a private college. :)
10-10-2003
DISGUISED

Quote:

Originally posted by Terrance
Night classes are usually filled with professionals who are taking night courses to finish up their degree, but day classes are filled up with kids who barely graduated high school. Most students don't care about grades, a lot don't show up for class, and many fail.

I'm not saying everyone at the community college is like that, but the number is pretty high. I take my studies pretty seriously.

You'll find people like this no matter where you go. I went to a private school and we had more people like this than I care to admit. I didn't mind it too much until I had to carry the majority workload during countless group projects just to ensure that work was completed on time and to my standards.

I'm like you though; I took my education very seriously, and worked very hard while in school. I’m sure you can imagine my surprise when I found these same types of people in the workplace after graduation :)

One thing to keep in mind is that in today’s world, grades aren’t everything. I'm not saying become one of those people, I'm just saying beaware that grades alone are not going to get you into the career of your choice.

What are the Qualities and Skills Rated as MOST IMPORTANT by U.S Employers?

1. Communication Skills (Verbal and written)
2. Honesty and Integrity
3. Teamwork skills (Works well with others)
4. Interpersonal skills (relates well to others)
5. Motivation/Initiative
6. Strong work ethic
7. Analytical skills
8. Flexibility/Adaptability
9. Computer skills
10. Organizational skills
11. Detail oriented
12. Leadership skills
13. Self confidence
14. Work experience (relevant to position)
15. Friendly/Outgoing personality
16. Internship experience
17. Tactfulness
18. Well-Mannered/Polite
19. Grade point average
20. Work experience (any)

Based on a survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers Published in Job Outlook 2003

- Best of luck to you in whatever you decide
10-10-2003
the Wookie

Quote:

Originally posted by joshdick
If you pay less for something, it's generally worth less. Employers see a difference between certain schools when they hire you. I realize that that isn't always the case, but it's something to keep in mind.

not for your bachelors

im planning on going to suny stonybrook, which is ~10k a year, and its concidered one of the top colleges for computer science and computer engineering

also, private schools and most def ivy league schools, you have TA's teaching most ofyour classes, not the professors. theyre busy with research and grants and what not. you find the same education usually wherever you go.
10-10-2003
alpha

Quote:

Originally posted by the Wookie

also, private schools and most def ivy league schools, you have TA's teaching most ofyour classes, not the professors. theyre busy with research and grants and what not. you find the same education usually wherever you go.

I only have one class this semester that has a TA, and that is a lab.
10-10-2003
Terrance

Quote:

Originally posted by DISGUISED

One thing to keep in mind is that in today’s world, grades aren’t everything. I'm not saying become one of those people, I'm just saying beaware that grades alone are not going to get you into the career of your choice.

I typically don't care too much about my grades in particular, I only did a 3.0 in high school (note: a lot of what I learned in high school I didn't care about). But my goal (okay dream) is to get into Harvard B-School.

I don't necessarily study just to get good grades, I study because I love what I'm learning. I'm a business major, and I love studying business and doing case studies.

Quote:

Originally posted by DISGUISED

- Best of luck to you in whatever you decide

Thanks :)
10-10-2003
Terrance

Quote:

Originally posted by the Wookie

also, private schools and most def ivy league schools, you have TA's teaching most ofyour classes, not the professors. theyre busy with research and grants and what not. you find the same education usually wherever you go.

But the competition is tighter in ivy league schools, which makes the majority of the difference.

It's been said that ivy league schools are a waste of time and effort, and that you can get the same education at non-ivy league colleges. But you have to remember that the better the school you go to, the better the people are around you.

Just a few quick facts:
-Did you know that 20% of Harvard grads go on to pursue medical degrees.
-84% of entering Harvard freshman graduate in 4 years.
-47% of entering UCal-Berkeley freshman graduate in 4 years.

That's comparing the top private school vs. the top public school. In the long run, the better school you go to, the better chance you have of ultimately succeeding in your career. There can be a big difference in the education you get between a public and private school (with many factors being the cause, usually less classes taken by fresh/soph at public colleges, more partying, more drop outs, etc).

Picking the right college is very important for people who don't know what they want to do with their lives. But if you know what you want, it's not quite as important.

Although, the top schools remain at the top regardless if you can find "just as good of an education" somewhere else.

I'm sorry, I don't mean to argue. But I just wanted to point that out to other people on the board.