My University Choice: BU vs GWU

I have to choose if I am going to college for the 2019-2020 year by May 1st. Through some whittling of my own and cleaving by admissions counselors I have two front runners: George Washington University and Boston University. Thankfully, these two schools were my top choices going into the admissions process but this has left me in a situation where I do not know where to go. This coming Saturday I will be attending Boston University's accepted student day and the following Monday I will be at George Washington University's accepted students day. In lieu of my final visits here are my stances on each school.

Cost of attendance

I received no need-based financial aid from either university. Continuing this congruence I received Boston University's Presidential Scholarship and... wait for it... George Washington University's Presidential Scholarship. BU's award would give me $20,000 per year and, yep, GWU's award is worth $2..., nope not this time, $24,000 per year. GWU award definitely makes me lean towards GWU because cost is a huge factor, but what really makes GWU win at price is that its tuition is fixed, unlike BU's tuition, and my aunt and uncle live in Washington DC.

Boston Universities tuition is not fixed which means that each year I am at the school my tuition would rise, the BU website and mailed packet say an average of 3.8% per year. This means that my starting tuition of $54,720 would be $61,198 for my senior year. In comparison, GWU's starting tuition is higher at $56,845 but the tuition would be equivalent and then less than BU's tuition after my first year.

Boston University Tuition ($) | | George Washington University Tuition ($)

Year 1 54,720 56,845

Year 2 56,799 56,845

Year 3 58,957 56,845

Year 4 61,198 56,845

Total 231,675 227380

The other large factor in price consideration is that my uncle and aunt live in Washington, DC, and are in the process of purchasing a house which is 15 minutes walk from campus. The house has multiple rooms that are often rented to GWU student(s). My first year, I would definitely want to be in a dorm like the majority of the other freshman, but for subsequent years it would cut out around $10,000 in room and board prices. This advantage though is made harder because GWU students are required to live on campus for the first three years. If I were to try to stay with my family, there is a process in which you can request to live off campus. I am not sure how my situation would be reviewed, but it is something to keep in mind.

Side note--> It is very economical if I am given the wonderful chance to stay with my aunt and uncle, and I love them, but it is a hard choice because as a college kid you always want to live with your friends. I am not sure how many rentable rooms there are in the house so that is another thing to keep in mind if I want to live with friends. I know that ten, twenty, or even more years down the line I will be like wow cutting out room cost would be, was, or could have been such a blessing, but it is hard to feel that in the moment.

Other Aid:

$3,500 in subsidized loans || 2,000 in unsubsidized loans /yr (Federal)

$10,000 /yr (Grandma <3)

Total Costs | BU ($) (Four Year assumption) | | GWU ($) (Four Year assumption) |

| (tuition + room and board) | | (tuition + room and board) |

| - (scholarship + other aid)) | | - (scholarship + other aid) |

| 296,315 - 120,00 = 176,315* | | 284,820 - 136,000 = 148,820** |

*Assumes no help from outside sources like parents

**Assumes no reduction in cost from room and board and no help from outside sources like parents

Location

George Washington University: Washington, District of Columbia

Boston University: Massachusetts, Boston

I am proud to be from an area near Boston, and like Boston as a city, but it is a place I have lived near and been to a lot in my life already. I have great memories of Washington, D.C., having gone to visit my Uncle quite a bit. The city has so many things for me to explore like the museums and the local nature. Location wise, GWU wins far and away compared to BU. Being in the heart of the capital, getting to possibly internship at one of the Smithsonian museums or work with a congressperson, are opportunities only available in D.C.. Each time I have been to D.C. has made me want to come back, and that tug is something I would be hard pressed to give up on.

Planned field of study

I want to become a high school history teacher. Through clubs, working as a teaching assistant, and other activities, I have been introduced to teaching and I have really loved coming up with ideas to help students. I have learned how cool and intriguing history is through great teachers and experiences, like writing an epic research paper, that have shown me how stimulating history is to the mind.

At Boston University, I was accepted into the double degree College of Arts and Sciences and Wheelock School of Education program. Through this program, I could get an undergraduate degree in history, or a different subject in the CAS while also getting an undergraduate teaching degree. While undergraduate teaching degrees only allow a teacher five years to teach before getting a masters in education, I would have the chance to join a school straight out of my senior year and earn my masters in the summer. This program also guarantees my acceptance into the master's program at Boston University's Wheelock School of Education.

At George Washington University, I was accepted into the Columbian College of Arts. In the College of Arts, I could earn a degree in history or any other major offered. GWU also has a five years BA/MA social studies education program where I could earn an undergraduate in history and a masters in education.

Both schools and their colleges offer wonderful opportunities but a couple of clear differences in depth and flexibility shine through. Boston University has the coolest history classes I have seen at any school. The history department has classes about Armenia and Antiquity all the way to modern-day geopolitical issues. These courses are all backed up by the great Boston University libraries. George Washington University has interesting history classes, but nothing stood out beyond the norm as Boston University's classes did.

If I went to Boston University through the double degree program, I would get great first-hand teaching experience as an undergraduate. This experience is wonderful, but some of the in university classes worry me because if I have to still receive my masters I wonder if I will have to take similar courses as a graduate student again. One thing George Washington University offers is flexibility because to complete both a College of Arts and Science degree and an education degree as an undergraduate at BU would make it hard to transfer subjects if I decide I want to do something else. At George Washington University I would apply for the five-year master programs at the end of my sophomore year so I would know better if becoming a history teacher is what I truly want.

My Future

In the end, the three above things are the biggest influences on my final choice. George Washington University is cheaper, around $30,000 less than Boston University, and could cost even less thanks to the graciousness of my D.C. family. Boston University has some of the most interesting history classes and I would love to be able to attend them. Also, going to Boston would give me a clear and easy path to becoming a history teacher right out of college. What this easy path forgoes though is flexibility, which George Washington University would give me as I would decide if I wanted to pursue being a history teacher at the end of my sophomore year. I then would work towards my masters in a five-year program. Right now, George Washington University is my top school, and what puts it ahead of Boston University is its location. I love Washington D.C. and all the opportunities there, but in addition, if I went to Boston University I might never leave Massachusetts. I like Massachusetts, but being able to explore the wide world is a modern-day blessing I do not want to miss out on. If I went to BU, I may become a teacher and then work in the local Boston area, with yearly diminishing chances that I'd ever go somewhere else. In Washington, I would already be in a new place, and just by going I would have helped myself learn how to jump into new regions for the future. In addition, I just feel excited about going to George Washington. It was the school that after I visited the first time made me giggle with joy, and while I did romanticize some schools after visiting them and looking up programs, classes, and rankings, George Washington University was the school which made me so excited just being there.

Final Verdict (Before attending admitted students day)

85% to attend George Washington University

14% to attend Boston University

1% other