Estrella
Would it be better to go out of state or stay in state for college?
HI, I'm a sophomore at Sumner Academy and I was wondering which kinds of colleges would be better to go to. I'm really thinking of going out of state, but I'm not so sure if this is a good idea. I also need help in choosing what college I want to go to. I have no idea yet on what I want to do, and I have no idea on what college I want to go to. I just need a bit of advice on choosing the right college for me. #college #advice #out-of-state
3 answers
Jacob Bryant
Jacob’s Answer
Dear Estrella,
This is a great question. There are a lot of factors that go into choosing where to go to college. Some of the most important ones are
1) do they have the major that you want to study or, if you're not sure of the major, do they have the majors you think you might be interested in?
2) do they have the other clubs and activities that you would be interested in doing?
3) will you be able to pay for it without taking on too much debt?
4) does the culture of the school seem like a good fit for you? Don't make too much of this - if the school is big, you can often find a good group of people to spend your time with.
In my opinion, in-state versus out-of-state is not that important, because you can often find the major that you're interested and great friends at either. Typically, in-state public universities are less expensive than out-of-state public universities or any private university. Private universities will sometimes offer more scholarships, though, so they can end up being a similar price.
Another thing to think about is whether you want to live with or close to your family during college. Going away can be helpful for being more independent, and living in a dorm is a great way to get to know a lot of people. However, it's obviously more expensive than living at home, probably about $10,000 more per year.
Jacob Bryant
Jacob’s Answer
Whoops, one more thing! You mentioned that you are not sure what you want to major in.
I would think about two things - first, what do you like to do? Do you like helping people? Do you like working with kids? Do you like analyzing problems? Do you like selling things?
Second, I would think about what majors might help you get a job. There are some jobs that always need more people - like nurses - and others where there are too many people and not enough jobs - like actors.
Ideally, you would be able to have both something you like doing and something that is employable be your major and your career.
What are your answers to these questions?
EmilyAnn DeChiara
EmilyAnn’s Answer
No matter where it is, college will take you out of your comfort zone. It is unlike any environment you've probably ever been in and from day one you will feel that independence. While my state school is within reasonable driving distance from home, I have never felt too close to home or like I was in my own backyard. A few people from my high school go to my college, but I hardly ever see them and have made new friends. It is nice to be somewhat close and have a few reminders of home while still being totally independent and separated.
Another huge plus is that going to school in-state is usually a lot more affordable than going out of state, and I can say that I'm so glad to not have the weight of larger student loans on my shoulders. You will most likely get a great education and experience wherever you go, so a lot of times it isn't really worth the extra money to go somewhere else if you feel you'd be happy at your state school. I love my school and every day I'm glad I didn't choose to pay 3x as much to go somewhere else out of state.
Originally, I only applied to my state school as a backup, but ended up choosing to go there over about 5 or 6 other schools I got into. My advice would be to have an open mind, because going to school in your state probably won't be nearly as bad as some people think.