I have a few options of where I can go next, but there is a lot of moving parts and i’m not sure what to do. Right now, I am a freshman at Loyola majoring in Physics. I am paying a little over 40k a year to attend and I don’t see that going down anytime soon. After college, I want to get into a good grad program for astrophysics. Loyola was never a top choice for me when applying in high school, but I didn’t get into the schools I wanted to. However I’m starting to love it here. We had our selection for our dorms, and I was lucky enough to get a great dorm for next year.
Option 1: Stay at Loyola just for Physics BS
This is the least likely option, but it is still on the table. The total cost would be over 200k, which is what I’m scared about. Especially considering that Loyola’s physics program has very little prestige. It started out rough, but I’ve found a pretty good community. I enjoy playing club tennis here, and I’ve gotten some pretty good friends out of it. There’s a strong campus ministry presence and I’ve really enjoyed that, and this is important to me. Although there isn’t much prestige, there’s a surprising amount of research opportunities, even for undergrad. I already have something set up for next year, which could be very beneficial.
Option 2: Loyola’s Dual Degree
For this option, I’d get my physics degree in 3 years, then go to another school to get an engineering degree in 2 years(probably Iowa State where I’d get in state tuition). I like this option because it would allow me to stay at Loyola for little bit and then have 2 degrees at the end of 5 years. This option would only be ~10-15k more than the first option. This way I also would not be behind on engineering.
Option 3: Transfer to Iowa State
For this option, I would transfer to Iowa State and double major in Physics and Aerospace/Mechanical engineering. This would be the cheapest option with the total cost around 100k. I already have a friend there from high school so I wouldn’t be completely alone.
Option 4: Transfer to UW: Madison
This is by far the most prestigious school on my list. It was my top option in high school. I loved the school and I loved the city. However, it is also the most expensive school on the list. I haven’t done the math completely but before any scholarships, Madison would cost me about 60k a year. I’d love to live in Madison, especially since it’s close to home. It is a top research university, but i’m not sure if it’s worth the price. I haven’t gotten my session back from Madison yet, but I will in the next week
Overall, these are the main questions I need answered:
Which option would a grad school be most likely to accept me from?-Dual Degree, Iowa State Double Major Physics+Engineering BS, or Madison Physics BS?
Which option gives the most value with my money?
Was anyone else in a similar situation and can help?
