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Hey everyone...I live in pa, and my parents are only partially helping me with money...is it worth it to take out the extra in loans to attend william and mary? I want to major in public relations or journalism. I like both schools but I feel that I may have worked too hard in high school to attend psu...what do you think?

By Mamamiles (Mamamiles) on Friday, April 18, 2003 - 12:24 pm: Edit

It really depends on what kind of environment you prefer and how much extra money you'd have to borrow. There is a huge difference between a large university like PSU and a small one like William and Mary, and as an out-of-state student, you are lucky to have been admitted to WM. Have you applied for independent scholarships, etc. to help with the cost of WM?

My daughter will be attending WM as an in-state student, but we were so pleased with the fit to her needs/learning style that I think we would have borrowed to send her there if she was an out-of-state student. Are your parents willing/able to take on some of the debt? You don't want to graduate and be in a bigger hole than necessary. Sit down and take a look at the long-term implications of the additional debt and decide whether it will be reasonably manageable.

By Marcie (Marcie) on Friday, April 18, 2003 - 12:33 pm: Edit

I would advise going to Penn State, getting great grades, building up your portfolio, getting to know your professors, and then going to a top grad school for a master's in PR or journalism. You will be far ahead on that route rather than a BA from WM plus debt load.

By Stalski4 (Stalski4) on Friday, April 18, 2003 - 01:12 pm: Edit

Thank you all for your help. I have applied for scholarships and have been awarded only $2000 a year so far. Im still considering both colleges. Mamamiles my parents wont pay more than 9,000 a year with or without loans. I do feel proud that I was admitted to WM out of state, thats one of the reasons I think that I would be cheating myself not to go there. Thanks again for your input!

By Mamamiles (Mamamiles) on Friday, April 18, 2003 - 01:12 pm: Edit

Marcie has a good point. If grad school is in your plans, PSU would probably be a sensible decision.

By Mamamiles (Mamamiles) on Friday, April 18, 2003 - 01:15 pm: Edit

I understand your dilemma. Maybe you can talk to the Financial Aid folks at WM and see if they can help you come up with some additional money if your heart is set on it. But I am sure you will also get a good education at Penn State if it doesn't work out.

By Breeze (Breeze) on Friday, April 18, 2003 - 10:43 pm: Edit

That's a tough one Stalksi. Call up W&M and claw tooth-and-nail for that extra money. If nothing comes of it, you can go to PSU knowing that you left no stone unturned.

By Hash (Hash) on Saturday, April 19, 2003 - 01:52 pm: Edit

Yeah Breeze and Mamamiles have made a good point! Go for it ! and for a grad school PSU would be great and W/M has a very bad marking system !

By Macsuile (Macsuile) on Monday, July 05, 2004 - 08:34 pm: Edit

Here are some stats on William & Mary:

- Second oldest U.S. university
- Oldest U.S. law school
- Birthplace of Phi Beta Kappa
- Thomas Jefferson's alma mater
- Most selective U.S. public university
- Third highest SAT scores in the South (only Duke and Rice are higher)
- Highest entering student GPAs in Virginia
- Fastest growing university endowment in Virginia
- Best physics, history and biology departments in Virginia

As you can see, William & Mary has an amazing academic tradition. Yes, the grading scale is somewhat deflationary and the course offerings are not as extensive as some other Southern schools, but William & Mary is a school high on tradition which doesn't subscribe to fads where everyone graduates cum laude and there is a supermarket of course offerings. The school is committed to the British university model which is human-scale as opposed to other university models which focus on research and increasing enrollments. W&M may not be for everyone but a degree from there has timeless substance, something you can't find from most other U.S. schools which are constantly trying to reposition or recreate themselves.