Does anyone else have strict parents?Answered
I’m currently a senior and I’ve been accepted to several schools but my parents have made my decision on where to attend very difficult. They’ve agreed to pay for any local/state school I decide to go to as long as I continue to live at home and commute back and forth. I’ve also been accepted to some out-of-state schools, which are much more prestigious and where I’d prefer to go tbh, but they don’t offer very much financial aid. Should I settle and go to a state school for free or take out a few loans to afford living out of state?
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5 answers
Hi @pkw900, this sounds very challenging. If you were to go to a local state school, I would (1) make sure take advantage of all opportunities in that school including research - become a star; (2) get work experience relevant to your career interests (it will be easier living at home); (3) consider transfer to a more prestigious school after sophomore year - talk to your counselor; (4) save money and invest in real estate so that you could live away from your parents starting in junior year or graduate school.
You will have good chances of getting admitted to a highly-ranked grad school being #1 in a local school vs. students who might not be doing well at the more prestigious universities.
I'm really sorry you're in this situation, it sounds difficult. Like @stressedjunior said, this is a personal decision that only you can make. Consider if you're ok with living at home and commuting or if you think you'll miss out by not living on campus. Also think about how much in loans you would need to take out. It's not worth going way into debt if you can go to school free.
I agree it is completely up to you. I would go to the out of state college if it offers more opportunities and it will give you exposure to the real world. Then, if you were to stay living at home, when you got out into the real world you won't know how to live.
I guess this really depends on what schools you got accepted to and which ones you're waiting to hear from. While going to a prestigious school is great it may not be worth going into debt for. It also depends on your relationship with your parents. Can you see yourself living at home for 4 more years? Is there a chance you could move onto campus at some point? If you have a good relationship with your parents staying at home and going to school for free might not be the worst thing in the world. If you don't have the best relationship with your parents and can go to a school where you don't have to take out too much in loans, that could be good too. Ultimately this is a decision that only you can make
I'm sorry if this isn't helpful.. but that's a really personal decision, and it is based on your circumstances. You have to choose that for yourself. I'd say a medium between the two is going to an in state school and paying yourself, that would be cheaper than OOS.
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