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October 17, 2002
A: FROM MENTOR ELISABETH
MARLEY-KOONTZ IN TX
Alexis-
The best thing you can do is select the university that gives
you the
experience you are seeking (academic programs, extracurricular
activities,
type of students, etc...). State universities are often advertised
as being
less expensive, but private universities tend to have better
financial
packages to offer (because they are more heavily endowed).
I would encourage
you to not limit yourself based on the "type of university"
but to stretch
yourself and apply to the universities that you would like
to attend. It's a
good idea to apply to a "stretch school" ( you never
know exactly what the
admissions committee is using for selection criteria) and
a "safety school".
Concerning undergrad versus grad schools - that is very dependent
on your
chosen program of study. Some degree programs are most highly
ranked at
state universities, while others programs have high rankings
at private
universities. Regarding funding, some degree programs support
research
assistantships, which means that you perform research for
a professor, and
the professor then pays for your tuition and a small monthly
salary to cover
living expenses. Engineering graduate programs (in the US)
use this model,
and you can obtain a PhD without actually paying any money
for tuition.
October 15, 2002
A: FROM MENTOR SUZANNE FRANKS:
Alexis, I'll try to answer some of your questions. I think
you can
get a good education and a good preparation for life at almost
any
college or university, as long as it is the right match for
you and
what you want. It needs to be a place where you feel comfortable
and have the opportunity to explore all your possible interests.
That's
not necessarily the most expensive, the most prestigious,
or the
largest college or university. Having a diploma from an ivy
league
school can certainly create advantages in life but you can
have
a successful rewarding life in which you make important
contributions without having gone to an ivy league school.
"Public ivys" are those public universities that
have gained such
a strong reputation in research, teaching, funding, exclusiveness
in terms of students admitted, etc. that they are considered
similar
in prestige to the ivys. (and sometimes are similar in terms
of
snobbishness and competitive atmosphere, though generally
not
as expensive.) If money is an issue, then I say go to a good
public
undergraduate school, because for graduate school, especially
in
engineering and science, you usually get paid to be a student
and
get your tuition paid for you, so it's a better deal to be
a grad student
at a private university than to be an undergraduate there.
**********
October 15, 2002
A: FROM MENTOR DEBORAH GRUBBE:
Go to the best school you can go to for
your major that meets your other needs like cost, location,
etc.
**********
October 15, 2002
A: FROM MENTOR SNEZANA DALAFAVE:
There are no strict rules. It really depends on your subject
of
interest and on a particular college/university. Private institutions
are, in general costlier, but financial assistance is available.
What you should consider the most is if an institution is
more oriented
toward undergraduate or graduate students. My experience strongly
suggests that, in general, a four-year liberal art college
is better
for undergraduates. Usually, at these colleges:
1) classes are taughht by professors, not graduate assistants;
2) class sizes are smaller;
3) the greatest interest of faculty is teaching, not research;
4) if research opportunities exist, they are geared toward
undergraduate,
not graduate, students.
In many cases, after graduation, students find employment
in the region
where their college was. So, if you would like to live close
to your
family/friends, you should try to attend a college in or close
to the
state where you live now. This is not a strict rule, of course,
but is
something to consider.
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