Hello, 1aracam1,
On a completely different note, I would add this. You may wish to
advise your nephew to do an on-site college stay at each school. If
he can spend 1-2 days living on campus with a host student, he will
have a much better idea what life is really like at both campuses.
Encourage him to attend a few classes, chat with a few professors, and
get an idea what life is like in the town over the weekends. Many
colleges have "prospective student" programs available, and many high
schools even consider these types of visits as "excused" absences.
Your nephew can then decide which school he prefers to go to. If he
chooses a school based on reputation alone, he may find that he is
uncomfortable living there, for whatever reason. Transferring to a
different college can be costly, both in time, academic credit, and
tuition. Many schools will have limited scholarships available to
transfer students, reserving the bulk of their financial aid for
incoming freshman--therefore reducing what is now a full scholarship
to only a partial scholarship. Depending on his course load, and
where he transfers to, your nephew may lose credit hours, requiring
him to spend more time/money to make up the credits at his new school.
Even if he chooses a less reputable school based on his preferences,
it may work out better in the end if he finishes his degree without
transferring.
This was my experience as an undergraduate: I applied and was accepted
to three schools. My frist choice had the best reputation, second and
third falling under slightly less excellent reputations based on size
and name recognition--though they were fairly comparable. When my
financial aid was worked out, each school cost within $1000 of each
other per year for tuition. After staying for a few days at all three
schools, I actually realized that the most reputable school was the
worst fit for me personally. I would have been lost there and would
have chosen to transfer if not drop out entirely. The school I ended
up choosing was originally at the bottom of my list, but I was happy
there and have never had the quality of my BA questioned.
In any cse, congratulations to a young man who must be remarkable to
be offered full scholarships to study engineering!
Regards,
Anlon |
