Kelly Said:

Should I join the Sierra Club? Could it help me get scholarships?

We Answered:

Sierra club is a bunch of old hippies from the 60s. The young people in Sierra Club are about 50.

Diane Said:

How do you finance a private college education?

We Answered:

I think you should do more research on public universities. Private univestities do tend to have smaller classes, but not necessarily so better facilities and definitely not so better professors. Go to your state university's website, pick a department and look through the backgrounds of the professors, and I bet you'll be very impressed.

I went to a public university, and granted I would have preferred some of the classes to be smaller, not all of them were huge. Most, in fact, weren't, even those during my first two years. For my larger classes, I made the effort to make sure that my professors knew me because I knew that with an auditorium of students that was the only way - I talked to them after class, went to their office during office hours if I had a question, etc. Also, the facillities were excellent and the campus was gorgeous.

If the $15,000 school is more affordable than the $50,000, I say go for the cheaper one. You're still going to get a great education, and when you graduate and the reality of the public university loans really hit, you'll be very grateful that you didn't make a decision that would leave you so in debt you can't think straight. That's awful for someone in their 20s to go through, and it may possibly hinder you from doing other things you want to do - travel, buy a house, etc. Keep in mind that when you graduate, you'll be making an entry-level salary. Even if you graduate with a degree that will make you really good money - like chemical engineering, the amount in loans you'll have to take out for a private college education may be overwhelming. Also keep in mind that you may one day want to go to graduate school, and may need to take out more loans.

But then again, if your heart is set on the private school, find out what financial aid package you can get, and try to get as much money in grants as possible. You might end up with a great package that allows you to go there with little worry about student loans. It's possible.

Regarding finding scholarships, this is a good start:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=how…

Also, check with the private college and find out what scholarship opportunities are available. I know I'm biased since I loved my public university and don't know first hand what the experience of being at a private one is like. Just do lots of research and choose what's best for you. Good luck, and which ever way you choose, make the most of it, study hard and have fun. You only go through college once.

More info here:
http://www.fool.com/foolu/askfoolu/2001/…
http://www.essortment.com/family/college…
http://ask.metafilter.com/66696/What-can…

Ralph Said:

Colorado School of Mines...scholarship and admissions help?!?

We Answered:

Check out their website to find out about their application and deadline and see if they have any scholarships online. Most schools do, so I think this would be a great place to start.

Craig Said:

Torn between Engineering and Architecture?

We Answered:

Of course. What you need is civil engineering. You still use those programs you're beginning to love but you use them in a more structural design way. I guess you could say that a civil engineer is an engineer that know about architecture ;)

Julian Said:

Need help making college decision for engineering!?

We Answered:

Make this a business decision. Whichever school leaves you with the least debt is the place to choose. If you go on to a graduate program, nobody will care where you got your Bachelors, nor will anyone care on your second job

Believe me, you do not want any more debt than is absolutely necessary.

Contra the other answer - your parents do have enormous input here. They are paying the difference, right? You need to respect that and thank them.

Cassandra Said:

What should I major in? Aeronautical Engineering or Political Science?

We Answered:

yes aeronautical engineering does have a crapload of math and if you're not good at math you will not succeed unless you spend ALL of your free time studying, spending time with tutors, etc. college will be very long and boring and life is too short not to enjoy it. if all you want to do is fly, you don't need an engineering degree for that. the engineering degree will allow you to sit behind a desk all day. you should go for the political science degree. you can always join the military and become a pilot through the military. if you dont go into the military, you can still take flying classes elsewhere.