Attention Whoring: Decision 2014

[H. Ross Peron]

As some of you may know, I am a high school senior and I have been accepted into several different colleges. However, as fate would have it, I was not accepted into some colleges nearby that would have allowed me to commute to school as my parents preferred. Incidentally I majored in history for all of them, as I intend to pursue a doctorate in that subject in the future. So the current options are:

Brandeis-This is my top choice currently, both because I like the city of Boston and it seems to be a good balance between a large research university and a liberal arts college. The main problem here is that Brandeis is on the other side of the country from where I live, which makes my parents very reluctant to allow me to go.

Dickinson-Not much recommending it.

Grinnell-Somewhat cheaper than Brandeis and they have offered me a free plane trip to Iowa so I could visit it. The main detraction to me is the fairly isolated location along with my parents' reluctance.

Lafayette-I have yet to find out whether I've been admitted here or not, but this college is by far the cheapest of the ones I've listed at around 4k a year before student loans and work (by comparison the others range from 8k to 10k a year). The same problems as Brandeis and Grinnell apply here.

UC Davis-An excellent UC with fairly good history and poli sci departments. It also has the advantage of being somewhat close to San Francisco (which is one of my favourite cities).

UCSB-Despite its Bacchanalian reputation, UCSB is a well-regarded school by most people. It addition, while I'd still have to drom, Santa Barbara is the closest of the colleges I've listed to my home which may help overcome my parents' reluctance.

Community College-What my parents recommend as they do not wish me to live away from home. Instead they wish for me to attend CC for two years before transferring somewhere else. In addition this has the advantage of saving large amounts of money which may be necessary for graduate school.

Other-I've been admitted to some other universities, so feel free to push for them.

Thank you in advance for reading this long post.

[PPT Spiral]

Assuming that your costs won't be totally covered by scholarships, aid, and your own money, go with a community college for two years and then switch to a university. You'll save enough to make a difference. I screwed myself over by deciding to just go right to a four-year university. Tuition truly kills a man.

[Simfan34]

Lafayette is a solid institution. I would recommend it. I have also heard good things about UC Davis. One of my best friends had Brandeis as his first choice but hated it in person.

As for your parents, I'm very sorry to hear that they are so delusional. Your chances would very low coming from a community college. As a grad student you'd likely be paid for at a PhD programme so there's no point in saving for that. $4,000 is utter peanuts, keep that in context.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

Brandeis would be my first choice, too, with UC Davis as my second. Do you know what you're planning to study exactly? You mentioned history and poli-sci.

[H. Ross Peron]

Brandeis would be my first choice, too, with UC Davis as my second. Do you know what you're planning to study exactly? You mentioned history and poli-sci.

Yes, I'm planning to double-major in history and poli sci.

[H. Ross Peron]

Lafayette is a solid institution. I would recommend it. I have also heard good things about UC Davis. One of my best friends had Brandeis as his first choice but hated it in person.

As for your parents, I'm very sorry to hear that they are so delusional. Your chances would very low coming from a community college. As a grad student you'd likely be paid for at a PhD programme so there's no point in saving for that. $4,000 is utter peanuts, keep that in context.

So graduate schools prefer a student who have attended a 4-year institution through their whole college career over a student who transferred?

[Aliens]

Lafayette is a solid institution. I would recommend it. I have also heard good things about UC Davis. One of my best friends had Brandeis as his first choice but hated it in person.

As for your parents, I'm very sorry to hear that they are so delusional. Your chances would very low coming from a community college. As a grad student you'd likely be paid for at a PhD programme so there's no point in saving for that. $4,000 is utter peanuts, keep that in context.

So graduate schools prefer a student who have attended a 4-year institution through their whole college career over a student who transferred?

Ideally, you'd spend all four years at one college if you want to go for your Ph.D. - in order to make things less difficult.  Letters of rec are very important for grad school, and they would most likely be from the professors in your department.  So all else equal, being there for 4 years rather than 2 years would probably increase your chances because you could take multiple classes from one professor.

[bedstuy]

You should obviously go to Grinnell.  Not even a tough decision in my view.  It breaks down for me into academics and culture.  You want good academics and a culture where you can be happy.

Grinnell is the best school by far academically.  It's also small enough that you will know all your professors in your department and have eaten dinner at their house.  The classes will also be small enough that you'll get to participate and engage with the discussion.  That's huge for becoming an academic and an educated person. 

Culturally, I think Grinnell is the superior choice.  It's also going to have nice, earnest, nerdy people.  Most colleges have that type of person, for sure.  But, I think the Grinnell center of gravity is really midwestern, friendly and cool.  Brandeis, I think, has a more East Coast snob vibe to it.  It does have the advantage of being close to Cambridge and Boston.  But, trust me as someone who has briefly lived in Waltham, the town itself is nothing special.  Also, the Brandeis campus is on a hill which is super annoying.   

And, don't worry about PhD programs.  That's ridiculous to think about at this point.  Hopefully, you'll come to your senses before long on that.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Whichever one is giving you the most money (relative to its tuition) or has the best Greek Life. Scout out liquor stores surrounding the universities and talk to seniors while visiting.

[Sol]

I'd say Grinnell- they have a very good reputation, and I suspect that they really want you (and would thus be willing to give ya a little more student aid) if they're offering you a plane trip. Aside from that, I'd say that UCSB seems like a good bet, given that you're instate and your parents's desire to keep you close to home.

[Donerail]

If you can do Brandeis financially, I don't see why not - it's your choice here. Impacts your future more than it does your parents. If you can't swing it financially, then go to one of the UCs. Where'd you get in that's 'other'?

[Oakvale]

Go to community college, use the savings to fund the necessary therapy to remove the desire to do a doctorate.

[Cincinnatus]

Go to community college, use the savings to fund the necessary therapy to remove the desire to do a doctorate.

Why would he want to do that when he can make the practical choice and amount a mass of debt for poor job prospects?  Seriously, don't forget that you can change your major at any time, most do.

[Simfan34]

Lafayette is a solid institution. I would recommend it. I have also heard good things about UC Davis. One of my best friends had Brandeis as his first choice but hated it in person.

As for your parents, I'm very sorry to hear that they are so delusional. Your chances would very low coming from a community college. As a grad student you'd likely be paid for at a PhD programme so there's no point in saving for that. $4,000 is utter peanuts, keep that in context.

So graduate schools prefer a student who have attended a 4-year institution through their whole college career over a student who transferred?

...yes?

[Donerail]

Obligatory warning against taking the forum's advice on anything - especially not an important life decision.

[traininthedistance]

Read this before you get your heart set on a history PhD:

http://www.swarthmore.edu/SocSci/tburke1/gradschool.html

And, keep in mind, this was written  several years ago (when the academic job market, bad as it was, was not nearly so obviously hellish as it is now), for an audience of college students overwhelmginly self-selected for being "cut out" for PhD work.  Do not dream of an academic career lightly; I did when I was your age and trust me when I say it f**ks you up but good.

That being said, if you want to even vaguely keep the option of an academic career open after that... do NOT go to community college, go straight to a 4-year institution, do not collect $200, etc.  Simfan is right on this point.

FWIW I voted UC-Davis but I can't say I'm confident it's the "right" choice.

[Indy Texas]

I got into Lafayette and visited campus the same weekend I visited Lehigh, which I also got into.

I didn't want to go someplace that small, but if I wanted to do the whole liberal arts college experience, I probably would've gone there.

From a value standpoint, UC-Davis would be the most practical choice.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

UC Davis sounds like it has the programs you want, you get in-state tuition, and I believe you're within a day's drive of your parents if not closer.

On the other hand if Grinnell is going to do a lot to help you pay to go there and not go into a lot of debt, then it might make sense to take bedstuy's advice, so long as you think you can handle being so far away.  Some people can handle being on the other side of the country from home at your age and some people have trouble with it.  It's just a matter of knowing yourself.

[bedstuy]

Another thing to keep in mind, UC Davis smells bad.

[Хahar 🤔]

Don't do political science. Certainly don't do both political science and history. Davis is a nice place. Santa Barbara is fine, but it was the best UC I got into and I don't regret not going. Please don't spend all four years commuting.

Another thing to keep in mind, UC Davis smells bad.

Davis is a cow town, sure, but it's not like we're talking about Coalinga here. I've never had any issues in the time I've spent there.

[MadmanMotley]

If it's a good community college, go there for two years (or see if they have an accelerated program), then transfer to a four-year institution. Debt is not a fun thing to live with.

[bedstuy]

If it's a good community college, go there for two years (or see if they have an accelerated program), then transfer to a four-year institution. Debt is not a fun thing to live with.

I really disagree.  We're talking about the best 4 years of your life.  You don't want to spend half of it with a bunch of community college nitwits.  You have to think of your social life going to a commuter school with community college type people and living with your parents.  That's miserable.  Not worth it, even if you save a few thousand bucks.

But, I would bet Grinnell is pretty good on financial aid anyway.  They have a bunch money because one of their graduates invented modern computers. 

[Napoleon]

Ucsb

[Хahar 🤔]

community college nitwits
community college type people

Really? I didn't go to community college, but a lot of my friends did, and that's a pretty sh**tty thing to say.

[free my dawg]

Ucsb