HELP with decision making

[neuronerd1]

Dilemma -
I am deciding between 3 programs: UCali-Santa Barbara, UM-St. Louis and U Hawaii. They are all solid programs and fit my research interests. I love everything about UCSB except the lack of financial aid: awesome mentor, great location, friends in the area . . . but, the other two offer guaranteed tuition remission and stipend. I figure my amount of debt when I graduate (if UCSB) will be about 75K to 100K.

Other info: My family lives in St. Louis and my boyfriend is moving to southern California.

Advice is most appreciated!!! Thanks.
- nn

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[deleted176373]

Dilemma -
I am deciding between 3 programs: UCali-Santa Barbara, UM-St. Louis and U Hawaii. They are all solid programs and fit my research interests. I love everything about UCSB except the lack of financial aid: awesome mentor, great location, friends in the area . . . but, the other two offer guaranteed tuition remission and stipend. I figure my amount of debt when I graduate (if UCSB) will be about 75K to 100K.

Other info: My family lives in St. Louis and my boyfriend is moving to southern California.

Advice is most appreciated!!! Thanks.
- nn

Pick something funded! My 2 cents, you are going to be in debt regardless and you won't have time for the BF anyway.

Mark

 

[shock-me-sane]

funded! Based on nothing else than location do Hawaii! Besides all your friends and family will want to come visit you.

 

[EquestriAnn]

OH MY GOSH if I got paid to live in Hawaii, I don't know if I'd be able to pass that up!!!

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

OH MY GOSH if I got paid to live in Hawaii, I don't know if I'd be able to pass that up!!!

Just be aware cost of living is EXPENSIVE in Hawaii....simple things like eggs and milk are more, not to mention rent/housing.

 

[LeeS]

Hey neuronnerd1. Good luck with your decision. I may be your classnate as I am planning on accepting my offer from U Hawaii. Luckily I was able to visit and loved the research, faculty, location and admired its collaboration with the state dept of health. I also find out there is the availability to do some of your assesments on neighboring islands (assuming your in clin psych). Regardless of all this, I sympathize my family does not live in the USA so hawaii is FAR and as for your byf that's a hard factor in your choice- its really down to what school option you are distinctively drawn to and your plans as a couple. Best of luck whatever you choose! Oops as a side note groceries are pricey but generally I feel at least that the stipend plus small loans means graduatin with about 30k (5yr phd) debt without any extra income is the safe scenario though the debt cld be lessened if you manage to gain more income/ grant funding/etc

 

[kamo]

I wish I had this dilema! Anyway, I agree with others here. Go funded, unless your boyfriend is going to pay you 75-100k to go to school in CA.

 

[neuronerd1]

I know that going to a funded program is definitely the more practical thing to do but Hawaii is SO far away from everyone I love and didn't you notice the for UCSB? Is it not possible to pay back the student loans?

 

[JR in SB]

I'm actually going to go against the grain here. I think that if you really like UCSB, and its a good fit for you that you should go for it. There are some ways to find funding at UCSB, and while you will certainly aquire debt, it shouldn't be anything that would be unmanageable.

 

[mewantphd]

what program is this? i didn't think ucsb had clinical psych programs?

 

[EquestriAnn]

Well if I had a funded option that I liked vs. a non-funded that I loved, I would probably choose the former. I just can't imagine being in >100k debt after graduating, but that's just me. Are you totally sure it's completely unfunded? Is it a master's program? If so, that changes things a bit because a lot of master's are unfunded and that's only 2 years of debt rather than 5-6.

 

[LeeS]

What are your research interests? It seems that if you can study more or less a similar topic at St. Louis then at Hawaii, you can go funded at St. Louis and be close to your family without the debt.

 

[Jon4PsyD]

Go with UCSB! I'm going against the grain too. Honestly, go where you're HAPPY. If you and your boyfriend are that serious and you can't be a plane ride away from him, and you love the school that much, you guys can work together on the financial sacrifice if you'll be happier being together.

Hawaii is amazing. Is this their Clinical program? I spent 10 days in Hawaii this January (Honolulu was actually my LEAST favorite of all the island ports our cruise ship went to). But my gosh, you're talking $3.90 for gas, $10 hot dogs at 7-11 (I am not making this stuff up), $4 Coca-Cola's. It will equal out! LOL. As for St. Louis, your family is there that could be tempting.

Jon

 

[kyril]

are ther any TA options at UCSB? some places only give you a few thousand for TAing, some pay you at adjunct level, and some give you tuition remission. Also, depending on how coursework and externships are set up, you may only have classes your first 3 years ()maybe 1 or 2 your 4th that you can tack onto the 3rd) so that's 3 years of tuition and living, not 5 or 6. iof you know what you ant to do there and who you want to do it with, and yoou can get your masters done with her/him during those 3 years, I've known 4th years whose dissertations were expansions of thier masters, and were able to work while doing the dissertation. then you get paid (poorly, but paid still) for your APA internship usually.

it's a lot of ifs. what do your parents think (if you usually respect thier opinions on big issues)? they may have had thier own tough choices, thing i love vs. debt ot other long lasting consequences. you can pay student loans back,but very very roughly speaking, if it's 50k, look at 5-600 a month, 100k, well over a thousand a month, easily.

 

[LeeS]

Go with UCSB! I'm going against the grain too. Honestly, go where you're HAPPY. If you and your boyfriend are that serious and you can't be a plane ride away from him, and you love the school that much, you guys can work together on the financial sacrifice if you'll be happier being together.

Hawaii is amazing. Is this their Clinical program? I spent 10 days in Hawaii this January (Honolulu was actually my LEAST favorite of all the island ports our cruise ship went to). But my gosh, you're talking $3.90 for gas, $10 hot dogs at 7-11 (I am not making this stuff up), $4 Coca-Cola's. It will equal out! LOL. As for St. Louis, your family is there that could be tempting.

Jon

Jon4 Psyd raised some good points in terms of your choice but I have to disagree on one of his points, you will not be taking on 100k debt for gas and groceries in order to go to Uhawaii, it will not "equal out", I spoke with other graduate students and I did not get any impression that the load debt was anything close to that high. I cant afford that level of debt so I was very investigative into the cost of attending. Groceries are pricier but I did not encounter those prices (outside gas) though I am sure they do exist in the tourist areas of Honolulu. UH is close to a Safeway and there is also a Sam's club in the area. The stipend is decent and if you rent with others you can find a room for 500-700...If you have lived in a major city such as New York, San Diego, etc...prices are relatively comparable...

 

[JockNerd]

haha I don't think a couple extra bucks in food bills will make the debt load "even out," especially since cost of living in Cali isn't exactly cheap either.

Don't go anywhere you'd be miserable, but if you'd be happy at one of the funded programs and UCSB would bring only an incremental increase in happiness, go funded. Seems like a clear choice to me.

 

[Jon4PsyD]

It probably won't equal out but it's sure going to cost a lot of money to live there. Gas (no public transportation), Rent, Food, and airfare to see the boyfriend & the family, is definitely going to addd up. 75k in 4 years maybe not, but I'd wonder if I stiped would cover all those expenses.

But great point about Southern Cal being very expensive too (Unless your boyfriend is going to let you live rent free at his place)

Jon

 

[Messipsych]

.

 

[JR in SB]

what program is this? i didn't think ucsb had clinical psych programs?

Yes they do. Its a combined program (counseling/ clinical/ school psychology) and its housed within the education department.

 

[LeeS]

It probably won't equal out but it's sure going to cost a lot of money to live there. Gas (no public transportation), Rent, Food, and airfare to see the boyfriend & the family, is definitely going to addd up. 75k in 4 years maybe not, but I'd wonder if I stiped would cover all those expenses.

But great point about Southern Cal being very expensive too (Unless your boyfriend is going to let you live rent free at his place)

Jon

I just want to clarify some of these details if anyone besides neuronnerd1 is interested in attending Uhawaii.

There is public transportation on Oahu and its considered one of the best in the US, its literally called TheBus and it serves the whole island of Oahu. You can call at hotline and they tell you exactly when the bus will arrive at your local stop. Its cheap ($40 ride all you want monthly pass) compared to other large cities (75 Metro Card NYC) and you can get to campus easily on a local or Univ express bus-it is very popular with students. There is also TheBoat a superferry which takes you to other major islands. Plus there is a fare war right now btwn island airlines so interisland travel is quite low. Travel really only affects you at practicum level but clinical students have relied on public transport to get places without needing a car, though some chose to purchase a car-its not a necessity.

Airfare-it is common to attend a conference such as APS once a year, I was told that typically students get there return airfare tickets to conferences on the mainland paid for and they pay the difference to fly on to other locations from the conference spot. So at least one if not possibly more of your tickets to the US will be more or less paid for, with the small fare diff btwn the conference city and your destination being funded yourself. Not any different than costs other people face at other funded programs.

Food-They have plenty of Farmers Markets, swap meets and cheap hole in the wall asian restaurants. You can easily buy lunch/dinner for $5-$10...and get your groceries for less.

The stipend is on the generous end compared to most funded programs, its not the cheapest place in the whole of the US to live but its definitely not any worse than Ca, NY, or any other major urbanized area.

When I asked currently attending graduate students what was the hardest part of the location of the program it was not cost, it was distance.

 

[timecoloured]

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[neuronerd1]

Thanks for your help. I'm still deliberating but trying to decide by the end of the week. I'll let you all know the outcome.

 

[neuronerd1]

Hi all,

So, for better or worse I accepted UCSB's offer. It just feels right.



I'm SO happy that this crazy admissions process is FINALLY OVER!!!

 

[LeeS]

Hi all,

So, for better or worse I accepted UCSB's offer. It just feels right.



I'm SO happy that this crazy admissions process is FINALLY OVER!!!

Congratulations! Good luck with your doctoral studies and I am glad you decided what was best for you...

 

[EquestriAnn]

Hi all,

So, for better or worse I accepted UCSB's offer. It just feels right.



I'm SO happy that this crazy admissions process is FINALLY OVER!!!

Congrats! I'm leaving Southern California when you will be coming here, so please enjoy the weather for me

 

[JR in SB]

Yay!!