UPCOMING DECISION ASSISTANCE

[drowles]

Hmmmmm..

Just got accepted to UGA this morning..  
So, assuming I went, Id be paying 25k my first year and probably pay instate tuition as a resident for my final two yrs (Ive already inquired about this and have been told that this is the normal procedure for out of state applicants)..

I have also applied to pt programs at Gtown and GW where I currently live and am employed. If accepted, I am sure I will get very little money.. so that is what 35k per yr?!? plus a higher cost of living in DC!

On to my question..

It seems to me that it may be wiser to go fulltime to a top tier, fairly decent school, than stretch myself to working a job as an engineer to pay off school while attending part time at a school like gtown or gw...

I mean.. are the job prospects THAT MUCH better at schools like gtown, gw, emory, or other mid top tier ranked private institutions (where I will be paying an arm and a leg if accepted) than UGA...

All this, is of course, speculation.. but I am wondering what other peoples thoughts on debt load vs. reward of attending a higher ranked institution are..

[desi]

Hmmmmm..

Just got accepted to UGA this morning.. 
So, assuming I went, Id be paying 25k my first year and probably pay instate tuition as a resident for my final two yrs (Ive already inquired about this and have been told that this is the normal procedure for out of state applicants)..

I have also applied to pt programs at Gtown and GW where I currently live and am employed. If accepted, I am sure I will get very little money.. so that is what 35k per yr?!? plus a higher cost of living in DC!

On to my question..

It seems to me that it may be wiser to go fulltime to a top tier, fairly decent school, than stretch myself to working a job as an engineer to pay off school while attending part time at a school like gtown or gw...

I mean.. are the job prospects THAT MUCH better at schools like gtown, gw, emory, or other mid top tier ranked private institutions (where I will be paying an arm and a leg if accepted) than UGA...

All this, is of course, speculation.. but I am wondering what other peoples thoughts on debt load vs. reward of attending a higher ranked institution are..

UGA has excellent placement stats.  Though in Atlanta, you are competing with Emory and GSU (Emory does have somewhat of an edge), you will do fine if you bust ass and are at the top of your class.  However, I think GW and GULC are much better options because of their location annd the fact that DC is a primary legal market with much more jobs than Atlanta. 

However, I heard the women in Athens are just splendid if you like the Southern belle type.

[drowles]

Not worried about using my engineering degree unless I decide on patent law... besides, I got my engineering degree from a school just as reputable as GTech (In fact, I got accepted to GTech and didnt go)..

Anyway, am I hearing that you have to graduate in the top 20% at UGA to get a decent job whereas at Gtown or GW this wouldnt be the case.. I didnt think that was true!  Im also thinking that fulltime program would allow me to have a life... A pt program, while working 9-5 as an engineer may be a bit much.. Thanks for all thoughts in advance!

[!@#$%]

And yes, I agree, female prospects are better here than DC, though on campus at GW or Gtown may be different.

WRONG!  http://milwaukee.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=milwaukee&zu=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.forbes.com%2Fsingles%2F2004%2F06%2F23%2F04singleland.html

[GoDawgs]

Athens isn't a city so it wouldn't be included in that survey.

[!@#$%]

DC is still ahead of Atlanta, which is the next closest thing.

[mfitz]

Yeah, but in athens, it's all innocent "i went to private school" college girls that are begging for corruption...

Ok, maybe that's uncalled for, but I was one of those super-innocent "Southern belles" when I first went to college.