Best colleges, is it worth the tuition fee? (Albany, Union: student loans, transfer to)

[samnyc]

Hi,
My nephew will be graduating from high school in June 09. He is a B- student. I told him he should go to some local college to purse his business degree. But he wants to go to one of the best colleges. First, I don’t think he will get admitted but even if he did. Why spend $35K every year. After four years with books and other expense, he will have close to $150K on student loans. It’s totally waste of money; it will take long time to pay that off.

He is almost 18 years old completely clueless about financial. Just wondering if you have your son/daughter or any of your friends who is graduating this year and which college are they going to? Also the tuition fee?

Thanks.

[I_Love_LI_but]

Originally Posted by samnyc

Hi,
My nephew will be graduating from high school in June 09. He is a B- student. I told him he should go to some local college to purse his business degree. But he wants to go to one of the best colleges. First, I don’t think he will get admitted but even if he did. Why spend $35K every year. After four years with books and other expense, he will have close to $150K on student loans. It’s totally waste of money; it will take long time to pay that off.

He is almost 18 years old completely clueless about financial. Just wondering if you have your son/daughter or any of your friends who is graduating this year and which college are they going to? Also the tuition fee?

Thanks.

First of all, it depends what profession he wants to go into. When you say business degree, what does he want to do with it? For example, say he wants to be an investment banker. If you don't have an Ivy League degree (or at least graduated from a Top 25) and/or connections, it is almost impossible to get in. Some professions are pickier than others about what school their applicants come from, so in those cases, yes, you had better pay for a prestigious school or you will never get a job in what you want to do.

Now for his particular situation, a "B-" student will not get into Ivy League, probably not Top 25 either. What can he do then? The best idea would be for him to go into a 2 year college like Nassau or Suffolk Community and work hard on improving his grade point average. After 2 years in a school like this, he could then attempt to transfer to a better school so his 4 year degree will have the better school's name on it. I don't know if he will get into one of the very best schools as a transfer student, but he will get something decent I am sure with good grades because I believe among community colleges, Nassau and Suffolk are considered pretty good. And if the profession he is going to go into does not favor prestigious degrees, he doesn't have to seek one of the best schools anyway.

[raiser]

I agree with community college.. might as well save some money because all that matters is where you get the bachelors from. The other option is SUNY or CUNY schools. Barauch is one of the top business schools in the city if he's looking to get into that field.. and the tuition is cheap.

[TheTruth08]

I am also a senior in High School(Class of 09 woo) and I will most likely be going to a SUNY for school. SUNY's have a good reputation plus they are cheaper then Hofstra and Adelphi. Also Adelphi and Hofstra just aren't for me do to the fact that they empty out on the weekends. I would suggest you let him look into SUNY Oneonta, SUNY Albany, etc. But it is kind of late to be applying to colleges now. I got almost all my acceptances already, just waiting to hear on Binghamton.

Good luck.

[AndreaII]

To the OP: You don't say whether or not his B- average is in AP courses, honor courses or average courses. Makes a HUGE difference in where he should apply.

If he's footing his own bill, I'd suggest beginning at a state school, and if he's too late to apply there, then he needs to apply to a community college depending on where he lives - either Nassau Comm. or Suffolk. I'm positive that once a student completes (and passes) 2 years at Suffolk then they can walk straight into Stony Brook U. (SUNY Stony Brook has to take anyone who graduates from Suffolk Comm.) and begin their junior year and continue until they get their degree.

Another point, some colleges have rolling admissions where you can apply almost year round - check that out in the library in a Barron's college book or one of the other college books. They also state costs, etc.

My son is at a prestigious college in PA working hard (not hardly working), but we're paying his outrageously high bills. I myself went to a no-name college (at least not known in NY) and was the worse off for it - got no place finding a decent job; from my experience I really believe that as much as it's hype and buying into the whole marketing scheme of the colleges, employers feel safer with a prestigious name, and I wasn't about to take the same chance as I did with my son.

Hope this helps.

[OhBeeHave]

2 years at Suffolk then they can walk straight into Stony Brook U. (SUNY Stony Brook has to take anyone who graduates from Suffolk Comm.) and begin their junior year and continue until they get their degree.

Really? (Learned something new today!)

Does that apply for any CC and SUNY?

[raiser]

Oh yeah.. if you want Ivy League at a discount, Cornell has a agreement with SUNY for four of their programs.

Agriculture and Life Sciences, Human Ecology, Industrial and Labor Relations, Veterinary Medicine.

Other free top colleges on the top of my head are Cooper Union and West Point.

[okaydorothy]

words of wisdom ; let him go to a state school. The reason ; if his parents are footing the bill, he will party etc and not go to the classes.

A few years ago my dh went to Briarcliff for his batchelors. Now we were paying for it and he graduated with a 3.9gpa ; all this with two wee ones at home. But the kids that were going there on daddys dime,didnt show up, didnt study basically didnt care.

I am hoping to go back in sept but will go to suffolk. Its cheaper by far andknowing a few adults who did this, its fine.

d

[amyla]

I started out at Nassau Community College because my grades were so-so at best. After a year, and studying, I transfered to Suny Albany. I also took as many summer classes at Nassau as I could. Nobody really ever asks where you started from-it where you ended up graduating that mattered. That was 18 years ago.

[S.I.B.]

for many jobs, the name of the college on your resume is irrelevant. however, going to a name school is almost a necessity when applying to any of the top law schools, b-schools, and med schools. something to keep in mind...