Should I Attend College in The Big City?

Cities have many jobs and internships: The college experience is expensive. Tuition for some schools can exceed the price of a luxury model car. And, if you add up the amount of tuition for four years at certain schools, you can drive a Bentley or 13 Toyota Corollas.

Many students will need to work during college, whether it be to serve lumpy “potatoes” in the dining hall, filing away thousands of twenty pound chemistry text books in the library, or selling super skimpy clothing at a cheap clothing story.

In cities, you can find a job on campus or branch off campus and find a job in the community. You have four years to experiment and try your luck at any crazy job under the sun, on or off campus, such as a docent at a museum or a promoter at a trendy club. You can even dress up as a character at a local amusement park.

You can also try jobs and internships in your field of interest. For example, you may want to work at a investment banking, law firm or accounting firm. Just don’t expect to become the CEO at twenty years old.


Remember that if you take a job off campus in the city, you should factor in travel time. Also, most off-campus employers won’t understand the excuse “I want to go to Miami for spring break so I can’t come to work for three weeks.” That would seriously disrupt production. If you find a job on campus, your supervisors will most likely accommodate to your hectic school schedule.

Cities can provide you with more organized excitement: Cities have stores, museums, movie theaters, restaurants and other activities that can provide you with excitement. However, for many colleges in the city, the on-campus social scene can be lacking and undeveloped.

For example, many students who attend schools in cities may not feel as attached to their colleges. Why support a football team who is 2-10 if you can attend the opening of the new club down the street? Colleges within cities may have fewer activities because students leave the college for their social outlets. Make sure you investigate the schools closely and decide if on-campus social activities are important to your college experience.

Cities can be expensive: It’s all relative right? Certain cities are more expensive than others. But for the most part if you are making a decision to attend school in downtown Chicago or rural Mississippi, I guarantee rural Mississippi is cheaper. Cities tend to be more expensive than rural areas. Your salary as, let’s say, a newspaper delivery girl will not extend as far in the city as it will in the rural areas. Plus there are distractions in the cities, which cost money.

Cities can feel less safe: People are a bit more cautious in cities when it comes to personal safety. Most people in Los Angeles or New York City wouldn’t dream of leaving their doors unlocked while completing their daily errands. Their neighbors would rob them blind. The moral of this story is clear: you should be careful everywhere. Lock your doors and don’t walk at night alone.

The FAFSA and the PROFILE

If you plan to apply for financial aid, you should fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/. The FAFSA is issued by the federal government. Whether you are considering attending community college, vocational school, or a four year college or university, start the college financing process by filling out the FAFSA. You must fill out the FAFSA to get federal financial aid. Even if you believe you do not qualify for government funding, you may still want to fill out the FAFSA. Many companies that offer private scholarships require information contained on the FAFSA. States also give financial aid based on the information on the FAFSA.

The information collected from the FAFSA helps determine 1) who qualifies for need based federal financial aid and 2) if the student qualifies, how much the student qualifies for.

The FAFSA formula calculates need based financial aid based on parent and student income and assets. The assets included in the calculation are cash, investments, and real estate (excluding primary residences). Retirement plans, insurance, personal debt and home equity are not included in the FAFSA calculation.

Colleges expect 35 percent of student savings to be used for the cost of colleges versus 12 percent of parent savings.

After determining parent and student income and assets, the FAFSA calculation determines how much the student and parent must contribute for college.

In addition, the College Board College Scholarship Service developed the PROFILE. The PROFILE allows colleges to ask different questions about additional income and assets not disclosed by the FAFSA. The PROFILE can also allow parents to explain high debt or special circumstances not disclosed in the FAFSA calculation.

In addition to the FAFSA and the PROFILE, individual colleges will ask applicants to fill out additional financial aid institutional forms.

You know that college is expensive!

The cost of attendance for college increases each year. Everyone should consider higher education. But, what exactly are the fees and cost associated with college? How can you cut costs?

Tuition: This is the cost of the academic portion of college. Tuition usually helps keep the lights on in the academic buildings and pays salaries. You can usually cut the cost of tuition by attending a public school or a community college for the first two years and transfer to a four year college. You can also find ways of cutting the amount of time you stay in college. For example, you can take Advanced Placement classes in high school, which may give you credit for certain classes in college.

Fees: These are the costs associated with registration for class. In addition, a college may charge you a fee for college sponsored activities. Let’s say the college decides to organize a line dance or costume party. The money to organize and implement this program will come from fees tacked onto your bill.

Room and Board: This is the cost of your tiny dorm room that you will share with four people and the marginal food you will be forced to eat. You can cut these costs by living at home with your parents. You can also get a roommate. If you have a kitchen, you can also cook a portion of your meals and downgrade your meal plan. In addition, your parents can investigate purchasing property in the town where you attend college. This way, instead of paying high rent for a dorm room or apartment, you can pay down a mortgage.

Health/Dental Insurance: You will need health insurance. You will get sick and need preventative care. Check to see if the school offers health insurance. Many health plans allow students to stay on their parent’s health plans until age 25 years old.

Books: The cost of books depends on how many and what type of classes you take. You can cut costs by buying books off the web or buying used books.

Extra expenses: These costs can fluctuate based on where you attend college. There is a cost associated with partying and other forms of entertainment. Also you may need to buy clothes, want to join a sorority or fraternity or travel abroad. You can cut down many of these expenses by not engaging in expensive activities.

An Admissions Decision: Denied, Accepted, Waitlisted

In April, a college will finally send all applicants back a letter, notifying them of the admissions decision. Here is a list of the possible decisions:

Denied: You may have received a letter, informing you that the college can not accept you for admission. It is not the end of the world. Most schools only have a set number of openings and a large applicant pool. The whole process is a numbers game. Don’t take it personal. Move on with your life.

Waitlist: Some schools have sent a letter stating that they are not rejecting or accepting you. They will wait to determine how many accepted students will matriculate into the college. In the middle of summer, they will notify you as to whether you will be accepted or denied. You can choose to stay on the waitlist or decide that it’s not worth the hassle.

If you have been waitlisted but are still interested in the school, send the college a well written letter further emphasizing your interest. In addition, send the college any awards or honors you may have received during your senior year and a final transcript.

Deferred: A college can defer a student if a student has applied early decision or early action. Deferral usually means that a college will not make a final decision regarding the applicant until more information is gathered or until a student is compared with the regular applicant pool. Make sure you send the college your final transcripts.

Accepted: You will receive some letters stating that you have been accepted. Celebrate your acceptances! Go out to dinner. You should feel proud of accomplishing so much. When you have decided to attend a school, make sure you notify the school in a timely manner. Make sure you submit your financial deposit before May 1. In addition, tell all schools that you do not wish to attend, that you are declining their offer.