College

[icelandic_iceskater]

Hey all. I need advice.

So right now I'm looking at three colleges. Marain College, Holy Cross College, and Aquinas College. HCC is my #1 choice.

I've been accepted into a scholarship program at Marian that requires me to decide by April 7th, aka the day after tomorrow, if I'll be attending there. Marian is a nice school about 4 hours from my house. They're offering my $22,000 in scholarships and grants, leaving about 8-10k per year left to be payed (including books.) If I went there, I would mostly likely graduate with about $30,000 in debt. Apparently their school offered my one of their top 5 financial aid packages, and I've been contacted by them every week or so to see where I'm at in my college decision. I guess they really want me there or something. But I don't know if I want to go there... I would double major in religious education (mostly theology credits) and either elementary education or graphic design. I've been hearing from a few different sources that they have issues with their theology. The college is also a seminary, but I've been told by students that the seminarians go elsewhere for their theology classes because Marian's is so unorthodox. They were left out of the Newman Guide to catholic colleges partially because of this.

I'm also not sure if I like the idea of being a 4-5 hour drive away form my 6 younger sibs, and the rest of my fam. And for the past 4 or so months I've been having anxiety issues, which I'm hoping is seasonal. But if it's not I'm not sure how I'd do with that away from home and unable to come home for a weekend. I've been freaking out if I feel trapped in one location.

So yes, that's that school

Aquinas's theology is about as orthodox as Marians. They're offering me similar aid as well. Their school is in danger of loosing their catholic status, but on the plus side they are not even an hours drive from home. If I went there I'd probably transfer after two years. They're pretty much at the bottom of my list.

Then there's Holy Cross College. They are orthodox, hardcore catholic... kinda like mini diet Steubie type. They're only 1.5 hours from my home so I could come home for sib's birthdays and whatnot. Only prob is that they offer little to no scholarships. I'm still waiting on financial aid info, but from the looks of things I'd be lucky if I got off with $7,000 in scholarships and grants. This would leave over 20k left to pay. I would most likely graduate with at least $50,000-$60,000 in loans to pay off. The types of jobs I hope to work are not high paying. But I love everything about their school! They have this thing called a "Mission Team" that's a group of students who go to daily mass, have weekly meetings, regularly do service projects in the South Bend area, go on a servicey type pilgrimage to Lourdes every spring, etc. I've pretty have my heart set on going to this school. I've talked to someone I know who goes there, and he absolutely loves it. And yeah. I kinda feel like maybe God's wants me to go there.

But I don't know. I feel like it would be stupid to throw away all the aid Marian and Aquinas are offering. And the being in this scholarship program at Marian could make it easier for me to get into grad school and/or find a job.

blahhh. My other option is to go to a community college for a year or two, then transfer. In which case I would get pretty much no scholarships from Holy Cross, and Aquinas and Marian would depend on my G.P.A. If I were applying now as a transfer student, I'd most likely get $5,000 less aid than I am. ish

Would it be worth taking the risk of throwing away everything I have at Marian in the off chance that I'm able to afford Holy Cross? I don't know... and my mom's not being much help. If anyone has any advice, or wants to share their experience with something like this or anything, I would GREATLY appreciate.

wow this post came out A LOT longer than I had planned. Sorry about that. Thanks to anyone who took the time to read all of it!

[eagle_eye222001]

It seems to me that you need to decide if the extra $20,000 in debt is worth going to the college you want to go to with the more orthodox teaching.

I'm studying mechanical engineering so I can't help much with theology degrees or anything along those lines

Pray you decide wisely



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[icelandic_iceskater]

thanks ^^ I think (after like 12 hours of obsessing over this constantly, stressing out, crying, blabbing to friends, etc) I've decided not to go to Marian. The only plus side to Marian is that it costs half the price. I'd rather pay double and go to an orthodox college. only prob is I may not be able to afford it, and if I can I'll be graduation deep in debt. but I guess if God wills it, it'll work.

I really hate college decisions.

[Brother Adam]

You can survive on $60,000 in debt on a job that pays between 30-40k a year. You will be poor, feel like you are a making a McD's wage, but if you are doing what you truly love and serving God, it can be worth it. i know. personally.

[Lilllabettt]

delete

Edited April 6, 2009 by Lilllabettt

[Maggyie]

I would go to Marian or Aquinas for two years and then transfer to HCC. College debt can damage your vocation whether it is to religious life or marriage!

[jiyoung]

I go to FUS right now, and I went to community college for my first year. I actually really highly recommend community colleges...well, at least in the California system, anyway. Most, if not all, of my classes were taught by professors who held doctoral degrees, and the one-on-one attention was great. It tends to be cheaper and there is actually financial aid available--so much so that I was essentially paid to go to school my first year because of the overabundance of grants, plus a tuition & fees waiver I received. However, that was my own personal situation. You really need to weigh all of your possible options. Figure out how much coursework exactly you could take at community college, and whether it will all transfer. How much would it cost? Compare that to how much it would cost to go to each school.

You do have to think about more than just the cost of tuition, though. You're right in being concerned about how solid the theology education is. It is possible to pick carefully through the faculty and choose professors who won't teach you heresy, or be self-educated enough that you can see through it. However, the problem is that heresy can be very subtle and work its way in without raising any red flags--scary. Of course, you should always be on your guard.

How sure are you that you want to do theology? What are your career plans? What other talents/passions/options do you have? Keep in mind that there are few jobs in academic theology, and that jobs in catechetics don't really pay well. Going to community college and completing general education courses gives you the chance to dabble in other things before making a very expensive commitment. You might find yourself more drawn to another field as you grow and learn more about yourself.

I personally realized that I wasn't meant to be a catechist a year or two ago, and that I wasn't really interested in academia, even in the field of theology. However, I had been developing my skills in music, and began taking voice lessons in order to prepare to transfer to a music school. I've completed all my auditions and applications, and am in the process of figuring out where I'll be next year. I'm starting to realize that there's a process of evaluating all sorts of "costs"--financial aid is a very, very big factor for me, because I already have several years of loans taken out. However, the school that may possibly offer me a full ride because of my financial need might not be the best place for me to be as far as training. So do I take the nearly free ride at the expense of giving up more frequent performance opportunities? The school (Northwestern) has a fabulous music program, but because of its grad school, I as an undergrad transfer student would probably get little more than a solo in choir, if anything at all. Because I'm preparing for a career in opera (hopefully), I need something more like lead roles in operas. So...you really have to figure out what's best for you, and not only focus on the financial aspect, but realize that school is very expensive and especially in theology it's hard to make enough money to pay off those loans--much less raise a family.

Oh, one more thing--this is something that I've been thinking about a lot because I've been in this Franciscan environment for several years and am not looking forward to the exaggerated secular nature of music programs all over the place. The school you choose might not be a good Catholic school, but you should consider what kind of opportunities are available to you in the area. A secular school may have a good Newman's center, or a great parish nearby. If the Catholic activities, volunteer opps, etc. appeal to you, look and see if they have any of those in the area. There are lots of options, you just have to start looking around.

I hope this helps...if you have any other questions feel free to ask Choosing colleges is really hard, I never thought I'd have to do it for undergrad again...lol.

[Extra ecclesiam nulla salus]

is this the Holy Cross in Massachusetts?

Edited April 6, 2009 by Extra ecclesiam nulla salus

[icelandic_iceskater]

[quote name='Brother Adam' post='1825684' date='Apr 5 2009, 10:38 PM']You can survive on $60,000 in debt on a job that pays between 30-40k a year. You will be poor, feel like you are a making a McD's wage, but if you are doing what you truly love and serving God, it can be worth it. i know. personally.[/quote]
that's good to hear.

I'm still waiting on aid, but I think there's a change it may be a little less. I'm hoping. but it's good to know that it's do-able.

[quote name='jiyoung' post='1825706' date='Apr 5 2009, 10:57 PM']How sure are you that you want to do theology? What are your career plans? What other talents/passions/options do you have?[/quote]
I'm planning on double majoring. I want the theology, but I also want a job. Hopefully either elementary education or graphic design, depending on which college I attend. I eventually hope to get married and volunteer for the church, I figure the theolgoy degree would be good for that. (but you know. I'm cool if that's not what God has planned) That and the fact that I kinda want to know this stuff. But it won't be my only degree.

Thanks for your post! it was very helpful. I plan on coming back and reading it tomorrow when my brains fully awake.

[quote name='Extra ecclesiam nulla salus' post='1825712' date='Apr 5 2009, 11:02 PM']is this the Holy Cross in Massachusetts?[/quote]
nope- South Bend, IN

blah. I'm still not 100% sure. The only thing I like about Marian is the cost, but the cost kinda matters a lot. I love everything about HCC except the cost.

[Nihil Obstat]

That is an enormous cost for school. How much of that is the cost of living away from home?

I'm just surprised because tuition isn't even near that much for me...

[eagle_eye222001]

I think you need to ultimatly go to HCC. However you need to find the most inexpensive route. Calculate what it costs if you go to community college or what-not and then transfer. Then compare that to going to HCC overall for four years. See what the difference is. That might help.

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[tinytherese]

I've been going to one two year school so that I can transfer somewhere else and I have to say that if you really want to graduate on time then just stay at a community college for one semester or two and then transfer. Any longer than that and you might have to stick around for an extra semester or two at your next school to make up for what you are lacking. I know that the economy is rough these days but think about more than just the next four years. Also think about your life after college. What will you miss out on by not attending your dream school and what opportunities did you miss? How will it affect you in the long run, money aside? If you want to volunteer at a parish then you want to give the parishioners your best and not feed them heteroxy. Pope John Paul II said that you are not alone in discerning your vocation. We must live for God and we must live for others. Try reading up on "The Meaning of Vocation."

[icelandic_iceskater]

[quote name='Nihil Obstat' post='1825926' date='Apr 6 2009, 12:54 AM']That is an enormous cost for school. How much of that is the cost of living away from home?

I'm just surprised because tuition isn't even near that much for me...[/quote]
it's about $30,000 a year by the time you factor in books and whatnot. It's actually on the cheep end of private catholic colleges in the U.S. I think room & board's around 12k-14k per year. ish.

blah. I have to mail my little "are you attending Marian college check one [yes] [no]" card thing early tomorrow morning. I'm still not 100% sure...

thanks for the advice/suggestions all. I REALLY appreciate it. lol. like, a lot.

[Nihil Obstat]

[quote name='icelandic_iceskater' post='1826177' date='Apr 6 2009, 08:57 AM']it's about $30,000 a year by the time you factor in books and whatnot. It's actually on the cheep end of private catholic colleges in the U.S. I think room & board's around 12k-14k per year. ish.

blah. I have to mail my little "are you attending Marian college check one [yes] [no]" card thing early tomorrow morning. I'm still not 100% sure...

thanks for the advice/suggestions all. I REALLY appreciate it. lol. like, a lot.[/quote]
Wow. You have my prayers.

Not to brag at all, but for perspective for where I'm coming from... I'll be paying $7000 a year, give or take a few hundred. That's living at home.
Not like it's a bad school too. Quite well regarded.

[icelandic_iceskater]

ooh, not bad! ^^ are you going to a private school or a... providence school? (is that what they call state schools in Canada? lol)

I got my award letter today. I think I will be able to afford Holy Cross! They're giving me $15k-ish in grants and $8k-ish in loans. I also applied for a couple small scholarships this week, so I'm still waiting to hear back from em on that. This still leaves 3-5k to pay plus books and whatnot... I may have to take out another 2k or so in loans and I'd be graduating with around $40,000 to pay off (at the most). But I think it's do-able!



now I'm really anxious/excited/nervous/really want to look through a course catalog