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Damn it. I hate myself. I thought Illinois Institute of Technology was my final choice, but i am filled with doubts again. IIT vs the University of Idaho, UI:

IIT's pluses: focused on engineering, new experience, gave me lots of money, average prestige, more challenging

IIT's minuses: reviews at http://www.studentsreview.com/IL/IIT_c.html, crime in chicago, fear of new experiences, don't know anyone, lack of social life

UI's pluses: I know many people, some ppl who will graduate next yr from my school will go there too, on of the best public engineering progs in the northwest, so it's not too bad, wired (technology and stuff), close to home, cheap, I've already studied there for a couple of weeks -- wasnt too bad at all, Moscow, ID has a Jack in the Box, so i could transfer there and keep my current job, UI is accepting ALL of my college credits (~30, lower level), is actually GIVING me english credits for 34 on the ACT, excellent reviews at http://www.studentsreview.com/ID/UI_c.html

UI's minuses: crappy location (nothing to do in the town), not focused on engineering, so it has all those General Ed req's, not challenging (but that's also a plus cuz i can be on top of the class)


Fin aid is important to me, cuz my family can only pay around 3-4 thousand a year in cash.

Costs: at IIT, I would go to the NEW dorms, which are way more expensive but are much better. They are High Tech Architecture style or something like that. The elevated train system is right by the dorms, u can see trains out the windows. Special insulation is used to eliminate the noise. IIT will cost be 31000 a year (not including personal expenses). IIT is giving me 22000 per year for 4 years (as long as I maintain a 3.25) and I also have 3500 in outside scholarships for only the first year.

At UI, it costs 8216 dollars per year. For the first year, I will have a total of 10000 dollars in scholarships, so i can keep some cash for personal expenses. However, the following years' scholly will reduce to either 5750 or 3500 dollars -- i dont know if two of the scholarships are renewable. I will have to check on Monday.

SO... where the hell do I go?

By Chillax (Chillax) on Saturday, June 07, 2003 - 12:38 pm: Edit

every place has general ed. requirements. dont fool yourself eh

By Quarky (Quarky) on Saturday, June 07, 2003 - 12:55 pm: Edit

LOL, I know. But IIT has virtually no gen ed reqs. It's all engineering-focused, which is what i like. So, can anyone suggest where I shd go?

By Uncchlocalmayor (Uncchlocalmayor) on Saturday, June 07, 2003 - 12:58 pm: Edit

do extremely well at UI and transfer somewhere else--just a suggestion.

By Sandy (Sandy) on Saturday, June 07, 2003 - 01:11 pm: Edit

I would say IIT. If you are able to pay somehow, you can go there for your first year and may be try transferring to Caltech next year.

By Quarky (Quarky) on Saturday, June 07, 2003 - 01:16 pm: Edit

Well, I can afford IIT -- no question about that. For one, my family will contribute 3-4 thousand per year, leaving only 2000 (or less) to loans. So, when I graduate, I will have no more than 8000 in loans to pay back. You know, 22000 per year is 88000 that they are giving me!!!

But... at UI, the costs are lower and I would be more comfortable. Although I have a surplus of scholarships for the first year, my family will have to contribute money for the next 3. But... I would prolly walk out of UI with no loans at all!

Basically, for the first year, I have 5412 dollars to pay to IIT (loans and family contribution come in here). At UI, I can get 1784 in cash and don't have to pay them anything from family contribution+loans (so i could save that family money for future years). UI might be a better alternative financially, but i also respect IIT's generosity, considering its much higher costs, as compared to UI.

By Quarky (Quarky) on Saturday, June 07, 2003 - 01:17 pm: Edit

Oh, and my plan IS to try to transfer to a highly-ranked place like Caltech. UI is worse academically, but at least it has clubs and everything, so I can do ECs to impress Caltech or other school. At IIT, the above reviews show that there aren't many ECs available.

By Thedad (Thedad) on Saturday, June 07, 2003 - 01:20 pm: Edit

IIT, for a number of reasons. Re UI, friends going there and a Gag-in-the-Bag...ulp, I mean Jack-in-the-Box...for the job are really dummm reasons.

For a technical major, IIT is *so* much better that if I were a Caltech admissions officer and read you dithering like this, I'd hit the "Reject" button in a nanosecond.

Is this the *real* Quarky?

By Sandy (Sandy) on Saturday, June 07, 2003 - 01:22 pm: Edit

I still believe IIT is a better bargain. Caltech will surely like to see someone who has been more challenged academically. As far as ECs go, I am sure you will find some that you can get involved in. If not, you can start your own clubs, organizations, teams, etc.

By Texas137 (Texas137) on Saturday, June 07, 2003 - 02:11 pm: Edit

I'm with Thedad. If your goal is to transfer to someplace like Caltech, this is a no-brainer. IIT is a better technology school than UI and you can manage the money difference. I doubt if colleges care about ECs for transfer students, and even if they did, involvement in a research activity at IIT will mean much more than being the president of the Glee Club at UI. If "comfort" is a major issue, than why are you focused on transferring to a college a thousand miles away? Are you going to know a lot of high school buddies if you end up at Caltech? Will you be close to home? No, and no. So these should not be reasons to choose UI.

By Apguy (Apguy) on Saturday, June 07, 2003 - 04:36 pm: Edit

"Is this the *real* Quarky? "

Yeah it is. If you click on the profile, his username is (Quarky). The impostor's read (__Quarky)

By Quarky (Quarky) on Saturday, June 07, 2003 - 11:50 pm: Edit

OK, thanks for your advices. yes, I am the real Quarky. I will address your advices further by person:

Thedad:
"Re UI, friends going there and a Gag-in-the-Bag...ulp, I mean Jack-in-the-Box...for the job are really dummm reasons."
I agree that the latter is a dumb reason. The former, however, is a comforting factor. It is easier to fit in when there are familiar faces around me. Plus, we can easily study and work together and I won't have to search for study partners.

You said, "iit for a # of reasons." Can you name those reasons please? Thank you.


Sandy - I have no further questions.

Texas - there are research opportunities at UI also. I currently live in the Southern part of Idaho, so California is not that far away. Caltech is certainly much closer than IIT. UI is, of course, the closest. I won't know any HS buddies at Caltech, but my former Russian bridge partner attends USC and lives in a Pasadena apartment, plus I can meet a few guys via e-mail (I already met one Russian Caltech student via the Internet, so I can get at least a couple of contacts).

Apguy - -affirmative. Do I really sound that dumb??? I was in a hurry when I created the thread.

Something that really scares me is that the review website says that IIT students report IIT as lacking social interactions, so what if I end up having little to no social life? I know that wouldn't happen at UI.

By Thedad (Thedad) on Sunday, June 08, 2003 - 01:26 am: Edit

bump

By Quarky (Quarky) on Sunday, June 08, 2003 - 01:44 am: Edit

Gracias, sen'or. Thedad -- you post rather frequently and with great help. I was wondering if you would be willing to provide a brief bio of yourself. I am interested in it.

By Quarky (Quarky) on Sunday, June 08, 2003 - 01:14 pm: Edit

bump

By Thedad (Thedad) on Sunday, June 08, 2003 - 03:00 pm: Edit

Quark, as to your first question, part of obtaining the best out of college is to strike out into new territory, leaving the safe and familiar behind.
It's a question of development and growth. Beyond that, IIT is so superior to UI in terms of technology-oriented education that it's just silly to even have the discussion.

===

As to your second, I was something of a rolling stone for quite a while.

The most germane points of my background, on the surface, to this forum is that I worked as a mid-level financial aid type (Veterans benefits) for a private SoCal school and as a counselor in the School of Engineering at UCLA. I've remained engaged with UCLA and many academic issues because my spouse of some 20+ years is either an upper-middle or lower-upper admin type at UCLA with contacts and interactions across a wide variety of departments, including both Admissions and the Chancellor's office.

The not-so-noticeable-at-first part of my background is the rather wide range of experiences that I bring to looking at and analyzing issues. Various jobs I've held include working on test/evaluation for the F-14/Phoenix fire control system, staffer on a U.S. Senate staff, paid staff on two Presidential campaigns (neither one won or my personal history might be a bit different), a stint in direct marketing for which I undoubtedly owe time in purgatory, public relations on the agency side with clients that included Microsoft (I wrote the press releases for the original Flight Simulator and an upstart operating system called DOS that was going to challenge the megalith CP/M), freelance writing that includes everything from software documentation (Norton Utilities, some UNIX-based stuff), marketing materials, magazine articles, ghost-written articles for corporate VIP's, book reviews on military history and politics, and about ten science fiction and fantasy stories in various magazines and anthologies. For the past 13 years I've been a self-employed businessman.

I'm also volunteer director of marketing for a ballet company, have served on the board for a non-profit that raises funds for public schools, am on the executive board of the high school orchestra's booster group, am finishing up a two-year stint on Site Governance at the high school, head up a traffice task force for the PTSA, and am one of the school's hosts for visiting college reps.

In my copious spare time, I make hit-and-run posts here and on a college-related athletic board as well as a board devoted to science fiction writers and their fans.

My personal preferences tend to incline towards tea, cats, and Democrats over coffee, dogs, and Republicans. Two of my favorite quotes are "We Virgos don't believe in astrology" and "In literature as in love, we are astonished at what is chosen by others."

By Quarky (Quarky) on Monday, June 09, 2003 - 12:27 am: Edit

Wow. No comment. Can you PLEASE email me at medvedbr@hotmail.com? I wanna talk to you about some things.

BTW, I am a 100% match for your personal preferences: I drink coffee only 2-3 times a year during some all-nighters (i dont even drink coffee when my friends + I go to coffee places), i love cats and cannot stand dogs, and I also prefer Democrats to Reps.

By Thedad (Thedad) on Monday, June 09, 2003 - 01:31 am: Edit

Some of my best friends are on the opposite side of all three but it's an interesting group of litmus tests.


I'll drop you a line tomorrow.
I'm on stand-by to type some of D's English paper as soon as she finishes the handwritten draft.

By Quarky (Quarky) on Monday, June 09, 2003 - 01:51 am: Edit

ok, thanks a lot.

By Uncchlocalmayor (Uncchlocalmayor) on Monday, June 09, 2003 - 09:50 am: Edit

your D can't type her own papers?

By Thedad (Thedad) on Monday, June 09, 2003 - 10:31 am: Edit

She can but she can't do three things at once.
She had SAT II's and two concerts to play on Saturday, leaving three projects for Sunday, along with other homework.

By Quarky (Quarky) on Monday, June 09, 2003 - 11:06 am: Edit

So when will you "drop a line?"

By Texas137 (Texas137) on Monday, June 09, 2003 - 01:25 pm: Edit

He said "tomorrow".

By Thedad (Thedad) on Monday, June 09, 2003 - 01:30 pm: Edit

But "tomorrow" has arrived, becoming reassigned as "today."

Though D and we are definitely experiencing her last couple of weeks of school as some sort of Lorenzian time dilation. Finals will be a relief compared to all the projects. Though the Caculus teacher is being a bit sadistic, imo, laying on one last test this week before the final next week.


Check your e-mail, Q.