I planned on transferring to Tech this next semester, but that fell through when I did not have an equivalent class for ENG 1102 since Emory only makes us take one freshman English class. Since I have a good GPA coming out of Emory my Tech advisor said he would accept me contengent that I took a class equilvalent to 1102 this semester somewhere. I would be able to start at Tech this summer.

Without all the huss and fuss, I cannot continue to justify taking out my own massive loans to pay for Emory. I also do not get good aid since I am still "dependent" on my parents since they pay my rent. To make it short, I have roughly 80 credits after a year and a half of school (AP and overloading semesters) and am at a crossroads. I can either take the semester off and work, or I can take full time classes at ASU. What would you do? I am leaning towards taking classes. They would start next week and I also have 4 incompletes to make up from Emory due to some uncontrollable circumstances that forced me to end my semester early last fall. Thank God, I had all good grades in my classes and was easily granted incompletes rather that having the classes dropped.

I am pretty pissed about all of this in general becuase I would like to stay at Emory since I feel nowhere in the SE can offer me the same education. It is also disappointing that I could have just gone to Tech or UGA for free (I would have actually been paid a little to go to UGA) out of high school instead of wasting $60,000 at a school I am not going to get a degree from. The good thing is, every single credit I have transferred to Tech, which is quite odd/unheard of.

Oh well, I guess the thread turned more into a rant than a deliberation, but thanks for listening. Damn, I am going to be in school for the rest of my life.

/rant

I was at the same crossroads as you at UGA. I planned on transfering after my 1st year but didn't have the right classes since all my UGA credits didn't transfer over. I stayed another year and finished everything up and transfered in after taking a calc2 course in Chicago during the summer. You gotta think about the long term, not about now. 60k may seem like a lot right now but it shouldn't dictate your decisions. Depending on your major, I'd stick it out at Emory. Its a great school but best of all it gives you an excellent college experience. There's more to school than just education, it's also what you learn from the people around you and your experience. Almost every post-graduate I talk to describes their college experience as the best time of their life. In addition, you gain as much from the people around you than you do from text books. You know the saying "You're only as good as the company that you keep?" I've learned that by transfering from UGA to Tech. While no disrespect to anyone but my friends at UGA had jobs at Wal-Mart and for UGA (dining hall, Ramsey Center...) whereas my friends at Tech have internships for NASA, Ford and other large corporations.

My 2 cents...

I was at the same crossroads as you at UGA. I planned on transfering after my 1st year but didn't have the right classes since all my UGA credits didn't transfer over. I stayed another year and finished everything up and transfered in after taking a calc2 course in Chicago during the summer. You gotta think about the long term, not about now. 60k may seem like a lot right now but it shouldn't dictate your decisions. Depending on your major, I'd stick it out at Emory. Its a great school but best of all it gives you an excellent college experience. There's more to school than just education, it's also what you learn from the people around you and your experience. Almost every post-graduate I talk to describes their college experience as the best time of their life. In addition, you gain as much from the people around you than you do from text books. You know the saying "You're only as good as the company that you keep?" I've learned that by transfering from UGA to Tech. While no disrespect to anyone but my friends at UGA had jobs at Wal-Mart and for UGA (dining hall, Ramsey Center...) whereas my friends at Tech have internships for NASA, Ford and other large corporations.

My 2 cents...

All great points, but it is hard to justify paying back 160k and depending on how long it take to pay it back that number could more than double. :dunno

Tech is also a great school too and I think I might fit in a lot better than I do at Emory. I mean you have seen me/know me and I am sure you know the Emory type. The only people I really like is my roommate and his girlfriend. My roommate has become one of my best friends in a short period of time and am not worried about losing a relationship with him either way I go. We would probably still live together.

Plus I am profoundly disappointed at the level of intelligence I have seen at Emory from the student body. The professors are all amazing and ridiculously smart, but students :nono.

Not to offend anyone at Emory (though you should not take offence if you are not one of these people), but most of the kids there a rich, pampered kids that do not give two shits that they are at a top 20 school (they give off a demeanor that they deserve it just becuase they are who they are). I have at times, not done the work I should be doing, but I never let my grades suffer. For example, my BIO 141 class had over 500 people in it and the test average for the year was like a 72. I made high A's on both tests that semester (98.4 and a 96) without doing hardly any work. I mean I read like 7 chapters the night before and went and took the test. See what I mean? Those 500 are not even the "regular/normal" 500 at Emory, they are all the "smart" pre-med kids. I just don't understand a 72 test average from kids that are supposed to be of a higher caliber. I mean there were at least 20 kids in my high school that I was more impressed with than most people I have met at Emory. I actually felt more challenged/threatened by students then then I do now.

As another example, my roommate had like a 110 test average in his CHEM class and over half the damn class was failing. To make it even worse, you had to take a placement test this year to even get into the Gen Chem class. Think what the failure rate would have been without that damn placement test.

/2nd rant

My two cents...you get what you pay for when it comes to education. I had to make a similar decision between taking a full-ride scholarship at William and Mary Law School or going to a top 5 law school and taking out $125,000 or so in loans. I chose the top 5 school and it was a wise investment. It is my opinion that people should strive to attend the best schools they can...

Well, if you want a challenge, Tech will give you that and it will give it to you hard. Tech has consistently been ranked at the top for education in regards to price. I don't neccessarily agree that you get what you pay for. Tech, UGA KSU, and State all cost the same but the education is vastly different and at different levels. Sure each has their strengths but cost doesn't always amount to the education you get. The main reason I'm in Georgia is because I can get a better education, or maybe the same as U of I, for nearly half the price. For example, my brother's school is more expensive and isn't ranked nearly as high as Tech. I didn't have the luxury of being able to attend Emory but I probably would have if money wasn't an issue. In fact, I might go to law school there. Shhhhhhh :shifty

My two cents...you get what you pay for when it comes to education. I had to make a similar decision between taking a full-ride scholarship at William and Mary Law School or going to a top 5 law school and taking out $125,000 or so in loans. I chose the top 5 school and it was a wise investment. It is my opinion that people should strive to attend the best schools they can...

It is definitly a tough call. I know I can get what I want at Emory and can double major in Neurobehavioral Biology, Biology, minor in Math, and finish in two years. I plan on going to medical school, but really just want to go to MCG, so that is not a huge deal in comparision to 40k a year.

I know grad school can be important, but is undergrad really worth 160k? I mean, if you went to a 160k undergrad, would you have still paid 125k for law school? I just do not know if it is that important when getting into med school, but I know I would get a better education at Emory regardless. I mean that classes really engage me and they are things I really want to take.

In fact, I might go to law school there.

Very good idea!

Very good idea!

Where did you go Bill?

I know a few people at Emory law and it is amazing.

This thread really makes me think Emory is worth it. I am glad I posted it.

Where did you go Bill?

I know a few people at Emory law and it is amazing.

I went to the University of Virginia, but I gave a hard look at Emory.

This thread really makes me think Emory is worth it. I am glad I posted it.

I agree.

I agree.

That and I am going to f***ing kill myself if I spend another second in my parent's house. I am ready to get back up to Atlanta and get a job with school so I can be as finantially independent as possible.

Just be thankful you have a good GPA and different options in front of you. I wish I could have done it again, so those options would be available to me. That being said, best wishes in what ever you decide to do.

Think of your schooling as a investment. While $200k+ sounds like alot...it's not alot for a lifetime.

While you're living with your parents and they help you out, some young people make a hugely smart investment by buying a house. You can't buy a house right now. So what's the next best thing? College. At first it may seem like alot of money. But you're talking about what gets your life started. This innitial investment can form your future. Go where you want to go and pay it off over 15-30 years. This is your home. ;)

If you can get out in 2 years, I say just go for it. I'm sure you've got more friends than just your roommate his gf, you just don't realize it. you'll be starting over at Tech so it'll set you back a bit in that department.

You can get a really good education at Tech, and I honestly don't think the name is that far off from Emory depending on the major(and for instance, in engineering it's obviously a "better name"). Yet I feel that you're probably getting your money's worth.

School is expensive, but doing the whole MD thing will have you able to pay it back in a relatively short amount of time.



I'm currently in a similar situation with my decision to go to a graduate business school. I'm pretty much set on the best regional business school, even though it'll cost me a bit of money compared to other options which are essentially free. The difference is I look back and see the value of a name associated with your education, so I'm going to bust my ass on the GMAT and see if maybe I can't do a veeerrrrryyyyy long shot application to Stanford or Harvard etc. to really see how far I can go(after racking up a quick $200k in debt.. haha).

I've got a life here already, but the temporary sacrifices are worth it if you're willing to put in the effort on your part IMO. You should probably feel the same way about your education at Emory.

If you can get out in 2 years, I say just go for it. I'm sure you've got more friends than just your roommate his gf, you just don't realize it. you'll be starting over at Tech so it'll set you back a bit in that department.

You can get a really good education at Tech, and I honestly don't think the name is that far off from Emory depending on the major(and for instance, in engineering it's obviously a "better name"). Yet I feel that you're probably getting your money's worth.

School is expensive, but doing the whole MD thing will have you able to pay it back in a relatively short amount of time.



I'm currently in a similar situation with my decision to go to a graduate business school. I'm pretty much set on the best regional business school, even though it'll cost me a bit of money compared to other options which are essentially free. The difference is I look back and see the value of a name associated with your education, so I'm going to bust my ass on the GMAT and see if maybe I can't do a veeerrrrryyyyy long shot application to Stanford or Harvard etc. to really see how far I can go(after racking up a quick $200k in debt.. haha).

I've got a life here already, but the temporary sacrifices are worth it if you're willing to put in the effort on your part IMO. You should probably feel the same way about your education at Emory.

Oh, I have more friends then just them, but they are one of the only ones I like and more importantly still chose to hang out with. My roommate form last year is a great friend too. I have chosen to make a few changes in my style of living the makes it very hard to hang out with the people I used to at Emory. Without getting too far into it, I chose about a year ago to not drink anymore.

On the other hand, Emory has an amazing B-School. The undergrad portion was ranked 5th in the nation last year and I strongly considered it for awhile.

Come to Clemson! Ive got a lake house you can chill in :D....

But my advice is to keep taking classes.... somewhere...

Your mom goes to college.

My two cents...you get what you pay for when it comes to education. I had to make a similar decision between taking a full-ride scholarship at William and Mary Law School or going to a top 5 law school and taking out $125,000 or so in loans. I chose the top 5 school and it was a wise investment. It is my opinion that people should strive to attend the best schools they can...

No offense Bill, but I couldn't disagree more. Perhaps it is the entrepreneurial spirit in me, but I think the original purpose of attending a top 5 school was personal differentiation in the marketplace or specific industry, but, as I am sure you've seen, the masters degree has become a commodity and is no longer a sufficent source to "give an edge".

If education/ differentiation is the ultimate purpose behind choosing a top 5 school, then my opinion would be to find an internship- carry someone's briefcase for a year, find a mentor and I assure that a more sufficient education will result. Assuming the internship/ mentor relationship is the proper one, not only will the educational value be better than a top 5 school, but the personal "mental Rolodex" will allow for opportunities.

This has been my personal experience, so take it what its worth. I have seen so many top 5 graduates run a company into the ground. Obviously my opinion is biased towards those that have an internal locus of control- who do not wish to compete in the job market based on GPA and school.

Oh, I have more friends then just them, but they are one of the only ones I like and more importantly still chose to hang out with. My roommate form last year is a great friend too. I have chosen to make a few changes in my style of living the makes it very hard to hang out with the people I used to at Emory. Without getting too far into it, I chose about a year ago to not drink anymore.

On the other hand, Emory has an amazing B-School. The undergrad portion was ranked 5th in the nation last year and I strongly considered it for awhile.

I went to undergrad bschool @ Emory :buttrock and I had a few friends from the bschool who went to med school. Also my brother is in med school @ MCG and he was an econ & poli sci major at Emory. He has classmates who went to Tech. Just goes to show it doesnt matter what your undergrad degree is in or where its from really if med school is the plan.

With that said, its really hard to get into med school and you want to be taught by the best so you can do well on the MCAT. I think emory prepared me well for what I do and I wouldn't trade the experience for any amount of money. I was in a similar situation as you (classified as a "dependent" and worried to some extent about the money). Similar to you, I came in with some AP credits and overloaded one semester to graduate in 3 years---- my advice: don't graduate early. Take your time, have fun, you have your entire life to pay back loans. Also I think if you’re not in school then after 6 months your student loans become due, so that’s something to think about.

No offense Bill, but I couldn't disagree more. Perhaps it is the entrepreneurial spirit in me, but I think the original purpose of attending a top 5 school was personal differentiation in the marketplace or specific industry, but, as I am sure you've seen, the masters degree has become a commodity and is no longer a sufficent source to "give an edge".

If education/ differentiation is the ultimate purpose behind choosing a top 5 school, then my opinion would be to find an internship- carry someone's briefcase for a year, find a mentor and I assure that a more sufficient education will result. Assuming the internship/ mentor relationship is the proper one, not only will the educational value be better than a top 5 school, but the personal "mental Rolodex" will allow for opportunities.

This has been my personal experience, so take it what its worth. I have seen so many top 5 graduates run a company into the ground. Obviously my opinion is biased towards those that have an internal locus of control- who do not wish to compete in the job market based on GPA and school.

In the legal field, the law school you attend opens a lot of doors, and the undergraduate school you go to is a major factor in getting into the top law schools in many instances...I would, however, agree with you regarding MBA programs.

No offense Bill, but I couldn't disagree more. Perhaps it is the entrepreneurial spirit in me, but I think the original purpose of attending a top 5 school was personal differentiation in the marketplace or specific industry, but, as I am sure you've seen, the masters degree has become a commodity and is no longer a sufficent source to "give an edge".

If education/ differentiation is the ultimate purpose behind choosing a top 5 school, then my opinion would be to find an internship- carry someone's briefcase for a year, find a mentor and I assure that a more sufficient education will result. Assuming the internship/ mentor relationship is the proper one, not only will the educational value be better than a top 5 school, but the personal "mental Rolodex" will allow for opportunities.

This has been my personal experience, so take it what its worth. I have seen so many top 5 graduates run a company into the ground. Obviously my opinion is biased towards those that have an internal locus of control- who do not wish to compete in the job market based on GPA and school.


i would disagree. first, you're assuming that being in a top 5 school and having a worthwhile internship/mentor are mutually exclusive --they're not. Second, being in the best school you can be at would lead to having a better internship. Don't you have a Private Equity/VC background? There's very little chance I can work at a decent fund without a top 20 undergrad degree, 2-3 years at a bulge bracket and somewhat of a rolodex. There are ways but 80% of the people have the resume.

I just applied for another loan. Thanks for the advice guys.

i would disagree. first, you're assuming that being in a top 5 school and having a worthwhile internship/mentor are mutually exclusive --they're not. Second, being in the best school you can be at would lead to having a better internship. Don't you have a Private Equity/VC background? There's very little chance I can work at a decent fund without a top 20 undergrad degree, 2-3 years at a bulge bracket and somewhat of a rolodex. There are ways but 80% of the people have the resume.



Well- let me try and explain a bit further. Time being finite (the big qualifier), I would rather see a budding entrepreneur spend the time post graduation in an internship, rather than attend graduate school- often times they are indeed mutually exclusive, as time is limited and you have to eat at some point.

Beneficial differentiation is perpetually the goal- whether in business or personal life. Assuming one is trying to find a job, why not make the competition irrelevant by either having intimate access to the network (ie, knowing the president of said company), or having experience and great recs from a significant player in the industry. Both can be achieved through finding the right internship.

You are correct, in my opinion- finding the right internship can largely depend on your credentials, but again, it is about differentiation. Why not become involved in the alumni program or befriend a professor, - both are avenues for making the nerdy 4.0 gpa student irrelevant when competeing for an internship.

I suppose I get frustrated by people who face competition head-to-head- not only is it stupid, but it is also costly and time consuming. As lame as it sounds, I really like Sun Tzu's Art of War, particually the quote that says, "water moving downhill does not try and overcome its obstacles, it simply finds a way around them"- very entrepreneurial in my opinion. If my competition is waiting on the field of battle, in parade formation- I will sit behind a hill with a sniper rifle. (courtesy of tim) Stupid example, I know- but you'd be amazed at how many business people believe that competition should be faced head to head.


I do have a background in VC, as well as having run and sold several startup businesses (two while in college)- I did not graduate with a 4.0, but I didn't have to. I learned the core material in college and learned the authentic material from mentors and advisors. I am constantly learning, surrounding myself with people smarter and more experienced than I am (which is easy).

As Bill said, it does depend on the industry, hence the broad suggestions enclosed.

I typed this quick, Bill- have at it.

I typed this quick, Bill- have at it.

It would take all day....I'll pass this time.

:wave

I hate Emory. Leave while you still can.

informative-subscribed

I hate Emory. Leave while you still can.

you kidding? you should spend some time at other schools and see what you've really got here- esp in the b-school

This could possibly be the most informative and valuable thread in the SE Section. Damn near deserves a sticky. :)

I'm soon to be getting started in the life chapter called college. ;) So this has been a very eye-opening thread.

One thing I do know is: Shit has a way of working out,
-Chris

my input would be, if you're doing business, Emory FTW

otherwise... uga I think would be a better choice, much more fun with the football, and academically the school had taken leaps and bounds in the past decade

my input would be, if you're doing business, Emory FTW

otherwise... uga I think would be a better choice, much more fun with the football, and academically the school had taken leaps and bounds in the past decade

Probably should have hit the honors program there from the start. Cannot argue with US News & World Report saying:

"UGA Honors program is an ivy league education for a public school price."

Plus, I would have gone for free. Actaully would have been paid a little. OH well.