Silkroad Online Forums

Hey, SRF, I am currently a high school senior choosing colleges right now and I am currently narrowed down to this situation. My major is Chemical Engineering

1. University at Buffalo accepted. Need to get loans to cover $8,000 a year. Runs semester classes

2. Rochester Institute of Technology. Need to get loans to cover $17,500 a year. Runs a quarter classes

3. Drexel University. About the same as Rochester Institute of Technology.

My Preferences:
- School with co-op because I want to work in the field so I know what I want to major in.
- Primary Major Choice: Chemical Engineering, Secondary Major choices: Materials Science and Environmental Engineering

For those who are in college or graduated already, I would like you input and suggestions.
-Is it really worth it to be in debt for a good education?
-Does the name of the undergraduate school you went to matter on a job resume?
-Are quarter classes really difficult compared to semester classes?
-Any info about those 3 colleges mentioned would be helpful, please share with me.

This depends on whether you plan on succeeding or not. If you are going to half ass it then you might as well half ass it at something that costs less money, right? If you are going to try then the answer is really simple..

Absolutely.

If you're set on being a chem E undergrad doesn't matter, since you have to go to grad school that's all they're going to care about. As for getting into grad school, undergrad kinda matters but between those three schools doesn't matter too much (unless you want to go to grad school in one of their grad schools or a grad school near the uni), but not as much as the grades you get and extracurricular stuff you do like research. Oh, and the interview, interview's hella important.


Depends 100% on who you ask, and all I can really suggest is research the options that don't involve higher education first, too many people have the misconception that it's either go to college or work for their uncle/McDonalds.

Depends on what your major is. Take photography or any art majors for example; if you ask any successful commercial artist/photographer out there, you would probably get the same answer -- your diploma means nothing. It's your portfolio that counts.

Another example: I never applied for financial aid and never took out any loan since I can pay my subsidized tuition fee on my own. However, when it comes to getting a Masters degree, I would have to attend something like Columbia University which would definitely put me in debt. Fortunately, in my profession, there are some hospitals that are willing to sponsor me - which means they pay for my tuition and they pay me to attend classes.

You don't always have to take out a loan to attend an expensive college. Have you tried looking into scholarships?

Yea I used fastweb and applied to about 15 scholarships, but I didn't get any. I only can get merit scholarships but my GPA is 3.29 and SAT is only 1830.

"If you think education is expensive, try ignorance."

Go for the best you can. You will make everything back. Higher education really pays back in the long run.

Capitalist sales pitch.

Not all the time. Yes, education is important but being practical is, as well. This type of mentality is the reason why so many people are buried in debt. I'm not discouraging anyone from taking out a $20,000/year loan to pay for college but what I would recommend is not to think so little of it and think only about paying back those debts. Take a second to think things through and look at all your options and explore different routes. Some of them might extend your college for a few months to a year or so but you have to weigh that against the debt you would acquire. If you believe that it's the right route for you then go ahead.