What are the pros and cons of attending college out of state?
As of right now I am debating between attending a UC that has offered me almost no financial aid and a college in New York that has offered me a considerable amount in scholarships. What would be the pros and cons between the two? Would the cost of living expenses in New York outweigh the scholarships that they have provided?
#college
2 answers
Nicole’s Answer
I think I would group the pros of attending school out of state in the category of personal growth, meaning, you can learn a lot about yourself when you are in an initially unfamiliar environment. Certainly a con to attending school out of state is being away, even temporarily, from family, close friends and all the things you know about your home community.
I had a similar experience in that I was being offered more financial aid from an out of state school then from my in state school. In my case, the pros is that I had the opportunity to be physically close to areas (north eastern US) that I was familiar with. That level of comfort with the school location, the strength of the program that I was interested in and the comfort level I felt on campus were my deciding factors. The in state school that I was considering didn't offer as good a financial aid package and for me, at the time, the campus life seemed pretty stiff meaning not one that I felt matched my personality.
Every student can and should examine what matters to them when searching for where to apply and accept for college, just as you are attempting to do here :). Best of luck to you!
Ken’s Answer
Based upon my many years in Human Resources and College Recruiting, I have found that it really does not make a difference where you go to school. College, like any investment, is a matter of matching input with outcome and spending the least amount of money possible to get the best result. That result will be based upon your hard work and planning and on networking to make proper connections to assist in your career placement and advancement.
Ken recommends the following next steps: