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Originally posted by gehzumteufel Anyone have any good reasons for going one way or the other? I am starting school in Jan at a jc just to get the Gen Ed out of the way and transfer credits, but I am torn on whether to look at going to a public or private uni. Cost is not a serious difference as UCLA, Stanford, and USC are all at 36kish/yr.

I like how you're American, yet used the term "Unis" to appear European and hip. Kudos.

A lot of the private universities have some sort of 'meet your need' program which basically says that if you get accepted, they will help you work out the financials so that you are able to attend. They do this through a combination of scholarships, grants, and yes, loans.

What sucks is the federal student loan program was modified somewhat recently and there are less funds to go around. I'm sure most schools have work-study programs, and many will cover your tuition (either partial or in full) if you become a RA (resident assistant).

As someone else mentioned, taking the pre-reqs and transferring in is a good way to save money. Just make sure the credits will transfer and you are able to get accepted as a transfer student. I'd talk directly to the admissions office of the universities to which you're interested in attending.

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Originally posted by ******** Quebec has really cheap CEGEPS. Quebec is one of the lowest cost places to go to school. If I didn't get free money attending here I'd consider going to a Quebec Uni - once I get my french skills higher. Especially if I could get an exchange or french study program.

CEGEP is not uni, and quebec unis are only cheap if you live there. I'm paying <2k/yr, but an international student with the same courses would be paying ~15k/yr, plus housing, plane tickets, etc.

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Originally posted by gehzumteufel Anyone have any good reasons for going one way or the other? I am starting school in Jan at a jc just to get the Gen Ed out of the way and transfer credits, but I am torn on whether to look at going to a public or private uni. Cost is not a serious difference as UCLA, Stanford, and USC are all at 36kish/yr.

get a real education and move to england!

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Originally posted by gehzumteufel That is the thing, cost wise they are basically the same. Stanford, if you consider all the fees (they also include a 12k housing figure in this fee) is 52k. UCLA, not including housing, is 38k. They are basically the same. So cost is kind of moot between them.

How in the fuck is in state tuition in California in the $40K range for a public college? I could go to any of the major state schools here and pay less than $9K a year for undergrad. Paying $30K+ for undergrad is crazy.

Ben, you need to do your research better. You also can not assume you will be guaranteed admission to Stanford. Never think any degree will allow you to work anywhere in the world. As someone who knows a little bit about professional recruiting, American citizens getting work abroad has been on a severe decline for the last few years. This is steady regardless of the reputation of the institution a degree has been obtained from.

Do not think because you go to the "600$ jean" universities that you will have a leg up on the rest. Yes, there are some advantages to prestige...but they tend to also have a lot to do with what friends you have among the alumni and what contacts you get with the people in the profession of your choice.

Knowledge is very important in life, but often professional progression is more reliant on who you know than what you know. What happens if you spend 150k on an education, only to find out that you do not end up working in the field of your choice? Don't discount this fact, as a large majority of people (this is a Canadian problem as well) do not end up in their field of choice, especially in very specialized fields.

if you can
- be paid up in full 5 years after graduation.

-put a feeler out with companies related to your interest before you start studying in your field to accomplish a realistic perspective and not one given to you by greedy admissions officers. If their insight is positive, then take that to the bank more, and it is a good way to make contacts and show initiative even years before graduating.

-be sure there will be 0 regrets with choosing a field with such a huge financial commitment. If anything were to fuck up (never say never) that is a big bag of debt to be holding for failure.

-make sure you can even get a loan that big with a bank. They are not giving it away to just anyone these days.
then you should CONSIDER Stanford.

keep in mind that Cinderella stories where people with lower income backgrounds go to the big uni and hit it big are by far outnumbered by those that get nailed by debt that can be a crippling obstacle for many years.

knowledge is knowledge no matter where you learn it, contacts are a trickier story. People that go to these schools usually can afford to. Ask yourself if you can, especially considering that it might be a decision made during one of your country's worse financial periods.

also...do better research, i scanned quickly and your numbers are off.

be careful and good luck.

dreams unfortunatly sometimes only remain dreams. Reality is always there.

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Originally posted by elFreak keep in mind that Cinderella stories where people with lower income backgrounds go to the big uni and hit it big are by far outnumbered by those that get nailed by debt that can be a crippling obstacle for many years.

coming from someone that is part of the latter, i must say that you are dead on.

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Originally posted by elFreak -make sure you can even get a loan that big with a bank. They are not giving it away to just anyone these days. then you should CONSIDER Stanford.

Jay gives some good advice. There has been a lot of difficulty in the student loan business here in the States over the past two years or so, and some banks are beginning to be more cautious about granting loans. I work at the school with the highest tuition in the country, and I can tell you that finances are increasingly a problem for many of our students.

A couple of things that you're going to want to think about :

- Reputation of the university in the field. As Jay says, it's not all about reputation, but it is a substantial leg up on the competition. The unfortunate thing for you is that engineering is not cheap anywhere, so you're going to be looking at an expensive institution any way you cut it. Be sure you're looking at schools with a large alumni base in the field.

- Cost of living v. tuition - what is the breakdown in costs of the school? The price quoted is typically Tuition + Room & Board - this could potentially be reduced by commuting from home or living off campus.

- Part-time options. Not ideal, but the opportunity to work while going to school can be financially attractive.

- Regional/national. Think about where you want to work. If you're going to stay in California for your first job, then you may want to think about a regional or local school. Stanford is a national powerhouse, but when compared to UCLA in California it might not be a difference-maker. However, if you're thinking about the East Coast... San Luis Obispo may not be a huge help.

- First job v. career. What kind of job do you want right out of college? This is really the only time what college you went to is a huge help. Landing your first job is difficult, and this is where a big-name school can help, but after you've worked in the field for a few years nobody will care where you went to school. They'll care about your job performance. You may still be paying off loans at this point, so it's something to take into consideration.

- Specialization. Every school has a different set of professors known for different things. When looking for a grad school students are encouraged to take a look at the faculty and their relevant research interests. Since you're thinking this will be a terminal degree, it might not be a bad idea here either. What professors teach at Stanford? Berkeley? UCLA? What are their interests, and how compatible are they with your own? Do they offer the opportunity for students to help with research? Working with a professor on their own projects can be the most fundamental way of getting a leg up on the competition coming out of college. Saying you went to Stanford is helpful, but saying you went to UC-Davis and worked with Dr. So-and-so, the leading expert in the field of Quantum Mechanics, can be much more impressive.

/2 cents

edit: I'll only add that the main difference between public and private is funding. Public schools are typically more research-based. Tuition is low and public grants are high. Private schools are going to be more class-based. Tuition is high, but the number of instructors is high as well, driving class sizes lower.

So weigh the chance to do research at a big state school vs. the opportunity to actually have contact with professors rather than TAs at smaller private institutions.

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Originally posted by gehzumteufel Cost is not a serious difference as UCLA, Stanford, and USC are all at 36kish/yr.

UCLA 36kish a year? LMAO. It's about 21K. UC Santa Cruz is the most expensive UC in the state and its still only about 25K. Like the previous posters were saying, if you can't even do proper research, don't even bother wasting your money.

i've gone to private high school, college and grad school and all i gotta say is i owe a lot of money. i got a great education but if one is so determined they can get a great education anywhere...

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Originally posted by Ygrene I once saw Swamper peel off 4 or 5 $100 bills from a fat roll and say this to Donald Trump: "Go clean yourself up; you look like a bum.". And then he threw the bills right in Trump's face/hair! Then Swamper and his entourage of 30, who were all wearing TA monogramed Rolexes, left the room and flew to Hawaii for a few hours because Del wanted fresh coconut. To his defense, Trump didn't even really look like a bum.

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Originally posted by elFreak

Good advices jay!

well i think u should consider carefully about borrowing all this amount of money
u want to go into the nuclear field did u inform yourself about the real opportunities and needs in the US? and if it would be later why not possible to work abroad?
i think that like jay wrote what matters a lot is the connections u can get through universities.
like this year i chose to go in a tiny university which is pretty unknown here but on the other hand ive seen the network and the partnerhips offered by the master i chose on.
here at least if education is about the same, same courses at the end what is important to keep an eye is the contacts u can get from.(at least one the last year here)

good luck ben

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