Trying to Decide on a University... WWYD?

[Ianthe]

I am trying to decide on one of 3 university choices. I will be done with my community college after this Spring. All 3 have pros and cons, here they are:

Utah State University:
Pros:

• I qualify for full 2-year tuition scholarship
• Student Family housing paid for through grant money
• Close to family
• Small town: safe for family/kids
• Great programs for both DH and I in our field of study

Cons:

• USU has a strict no-alcohol policy in all student housing, even for people who are of drinking age, living in an apartment. (We are very much beer/wine with dinner kind of people)
• Conservative community (we're pretty progressive hippy-dippy types)
• Cold/Snowy Climate
• Not so many Childcare options
• I know I wouldn't be happy living there

Oregon State University
Pros:

• Great programs for both DH and I in our field of study
• Progressive Community
• Family Student Housing
• Excellent Childcare options
• It's Oregon! We LOVE Oregon
• Safe/Small city

Cons:

• Out-of-state tuition/COL higher
• Employment is scarce
• Far from family
• We will both have to WOH while working on our degrees

Eastern Michigan University
Pros:

• I believe I would qualify for/receive enough scholarships to balance out costs
• Out of Utah!
• Student Family Housing Options
• Easier program for DH to get accepted into
• More progressive Community

Cons:

• School doesn't have the best reputation
• Far from Family
• Michigan Economy/Employment
• Safety Concerns

Also, if any of you have any personal experience with any of these choices, feel free to share.

THANKS!

[JollyGG]

As someone who graduated college over 10 years ago and hasn't even put a 25% dent in her student loans. I personally, would let the finances rule out and would go with the school with the scholarship and housing grant. Money would be the deciding factor for me. I assume this is only for 2-4 years. I can live anywhere for that long if it means having no debt at the end.

[notneb]

In your situation, I would choose Utah State. The major factors for me would be safety, finances and a great/well respected program. Being near family would also be a huge pro. It sounds like you won't love living there, but it will only be for a few years.

On the other hand... I don't know what you and your DH's fields of study, expected income and expected cost of going to school in Oregon are. It sounds like you would much prefer living there. If the amount you would need to take out in loans is small enough and/or the amount you can expect to make after you graduate is large enough that you can repay the loans within a few years of graduating, it may very well be worth it. What is living in Oregon for the next few years worth to your family - how many years of student loan debt?

[LynnS6]

Great program + full financial aid? No contest. I'm afraid it's Utah. If you can avoid being saddled with debt, it's worth a couple of years of living somewhere that's more conservative than you'd like to be.

[Magistra]

I mostly agree with the previous comments. But... how long would you be there?

For us, 2 1/2 years was doable in a place we didn't like (weather, too big a city, far from family, trouble getting the help our son needed), but then we really had to look at other options. Luckily I'm able to finish the last couple years of my program distantly, so I didn't have to bail on the program completely.

Your situation has the advantage of having family nearby, which was a driving factor in where we've settled now. And the financial aspect is pretty huge. If you can get a sense of where you want to head after finishing your program, you might be able to set some goals (making employment connections, checking out schools, etc) that would help you keep your eyes on that.

[Maluhia]

Utah.

I can't imagine they'd check your wine levels in your home, but if you did not want to break the rules you could have wine on your date nights at a restaurant.

I'm often surprised at how much I like places I think are going to be too conservative or no fun for my wild liberal self. I promise, with the right attitude you can find joy in many places you might not expect. One of my crunchiest most liberal friends is a Mormon woman living in Lehigh

[Ianthe]

Originally Posted by Maluhia

Utah.

I can't imagine they'd check your wine levels in your home, but if you did not want to break the rules you could have wine on your date nights at a restaurant.

I'm often surprised at how much I like places I think are going to be too conservative or no fun for my wild liberal self. I promise, with the right attitude you can find joy in many places you might not expect. One of my crunchiest most liberal friends is a Mormon woman living in Lehigh

I read in the student housing regulations that they didn't allow any alcohol whatsoever, and it is groundss for getting kicked out! I mean.. I'm not an 18 yr old kid living in the dorms, ya know! Then I read in the reviews that people purposefully "told" on people who did break the alcohol rules!

I don't assume that all mormons are ubber conservative.. I have lots of crunchy LDS friends. But SLC is soooo much more liberal than Logan!

OK, so I am majoring in Anthropology, and DH a Masters in Natural Resource Management. I might just go with Utah, even though I REALLY want to move away from here! Hopefully after we get our degrees I can start a graduate program in Oregon, and DH can find a good job there!

[Carita]

yup - graduate assistantships will typically pay tuition plus living stipend, so saving oregon for grad school is a great idea. If you are done at your CC, It doesn't sound like you have that much more time. Plus, it IS close to family, and I think its really nice for you kids to be able to see them especially when they are young.

[pranamama]

I think Utah is the best, Oregon would probably be my first recommendation if you wouldn't both have to work, working and going to University is stressful and you wouldn't get to enjoy the local flavor that much.

Are there bars near the University in UTAH, they are probably a few that may have like-minded students in them if alcohol is not allowed on campus LOL

[fresh_veggie]

Probably Utah.

I'm down in Provo...I get most of my stuff paid for (Pells), which is a big deciding factor for me. Having no debt (or little) at the end will be a huge relief to me, personally.

There is the extremely conservative, no-alcohol, small town thing.. but I deal with it. DH and I find ways to have fun...and seriously, would they really check your room for alcohol? You can just say you use wine or beer to cook. We say that, or would if they ever checked. USU is in Logan, correct? I really get your "out of Utah" thing...I've been here 3 years, and yes, I miss where I'm from, but there are lots of things to love about Utah if you just look. (It snowed a quite a few inches earlier today, so I'm having to look really hard...lol).

Best of luck!

[Lil'M]

I would go with Utah also. If it's just for a few years and a means to set up the rest of your life, it seems worth it to me. If dh and I were both students, and had to work as well, that would be harder on our kids than if we didn't have to work and had family support nearby. I would place that above me not living in exactly where I wanted to temporarily.

[Ianthe]

Originally Posted by pranamama

Are there bars near the University in UTAH, they are probably a few that may have like-minded students in them if alcohol is not allowed on campus LOL

There might be ONE bar, if at all. Honestly.

Originally Posted by fresh_veggie

Probably Utah.

I'm down in Provo...I get most of my stuff paid for (Pells), which is a big deciding factor for me. Having no debt (or little) at the end will be a huge relief to me, personally.

There is the extremely conservative, no-alcohol, small town thing.. but I deal with it. DH and I find ways to have fun...and seriously, would they really check your room for alcohol? You can just say you use wine or beer to cook. We say that, or would if they ever checked. USU is in Logan, correct? I really get your "out of Utah" thing...I've been here 3 years, and yes, I miss where I'm from, but there are lots of things to love about Utah if you just look. (It snowed a quite a few inches earlier today, so I'm having to look really hard...lol).

Best of luck!

Oh, the cooking excuse is a great one. I have no idea if they will actually check, but from what I read on the reviews of the school- a lot of people like to be "tattle tales".. Hopefully it would be different in Family Housing though.

You are all right.. I think I just needed to hear it, because my heart is torn- and my head says, "Just go to USU for a couple years."

[rcr]

Yea, I am also one with HUGE school loan debt. Avoid that if you can.. even if it means living in Utah.

Eastern Mich has safety problems? Hmmm, not sure about that. I think it is very safe.

[SoulCakes]

My student loans are UNBEARABLE. Please save yourself the debt.

Stick out Utah and move to Corvallis after. This, coming from one of Corvallis' hugest fans - the town is not only wonderful, but has the highest cost of living in Oregon. If you want to live there on a more permanent basis, better to not have the extra tens of thousands in debt!

[feminist~mama]

Utah. I have tons of student loans and they suck. It's only 2 years.

[Ianthe]

Originally Posted by rcr

Yea, I am also one with HUGE school loan debt. Avoid that if you can.. even if it means living in Utah.

Eastern Mich has safety problems? Hmmm, not sure about that. I think it is very safe.

I am just going off what I read in the school reviews, and that it is a much bigger city than Logan and Corvallis. I have heard great things about Michigan (besides the Detroit area), esp Ann Arbor, so I am sure I would love it.

[oceane]

if you can get tution covered in Michigan I would absolutely leave the small town. But it really depends on what is more important to you: if you both had to work in Oregon, you'd have money but not much time to spend it on the activities you'd like to do. But with tuition covered you'd have time to actually do something progressive in the place you're in!

[staceychev]

Consider how much you'll make after school as well. It's one thing to be saddled with student loans when you're going to be a doctor or an attorney. It's quite a different thing when you're going into anthropology!

[ArtsyMomma]

It would be a financial decision for me....Utah. I would continue to look at Michigan too, just to see if there are more options regarding tuition, etc. I'd also look at dh's educational costs (IE: If he got a free ride to Michigan, or lots of scholarships it might be a better $$ situation).

I have about 9000 in student loans right now, that I really wish I didn't have.

[plunky]

I would try to find other options. I don't agree with the folks who say you should go to Utah if it is so counter to your values. It's very possible that that culture will permeate everything on campus.

Maybe it would be possible to find a _city_ that had several places that both you and your DH could apply. You don't have to go to the same school if there are several in close proximity.