Deciding whether or not to stay close to home can be tricky. Is staying close to your family a benefit or a distraction? Will you love living far away or get too homesick? If you’re trying to decide between an in-state and an out-of-state school, take a look at some of the advice these collegiettes had to offer about both.
Out-Of-State Schools
The drive (or plane ride) can oftentimes be a bummer, and when you’re missing Mom’s cooking you can’t just pop over for dinner when you feel like it. But getting introduced to new surroundings is a great thing, and you can learn a lot about yourself by living in a different environment.
Con: Rooting against your beloved home team. You grew up watching your favorite sport and bleeding their colors and have been to all of their games. Not being home to attend games or watching them play your new school can leave you with mixed emotions! “I’ve been a Florida Gator all my life, and it’s really hard to root against them in sports, especially because Vanderbilt and UF are both in the SEC. I’m not gonna lie- I will sometimes wear my UF sports bra underneath my Vandy shirt at games!” -Stacey Oswald, Vanderbilt University ‘15
Pro: Living completely on your own. It can be easy to lean on family when you need something, so living farther away can help you build more independence. “I knew that eventually I might get a job somewhere across the country or even out of the US, so getting the experience [of living on my own] in college was important to me.” -Elizabeth Schmitt, Mount Holyoke College ’15.
Con: Distance from friends and family. Perhaps the biggest concern for most students, the farther away you are from you’re family, the harder it is to see them regularly. “Travel time [is a con], especially when you need your family most,” says Rachel Lytle, Pennsylvania State University ’13.
Pro: More career opportunities. Certain areas of the country are better for your future career than you might be able to get by staying in-state. “There are so many opportunities here that I just couldn’t get in North Carolina,” says Mary Bryce Hargis, University of Southern California ’14.
In-State Schools
The familiarity of home can be a lifesaver when things get confusing and tough, and if you’re close with your family you’ll be able to see them a lot more than you would if you went out of state.
Pro: In-State tuition can be cheaper. Although normally only true for public institutions, usually the in-state tuition is cheaper. “Number one would definitely be tuition! Though sometimes it’s not always the case, cost of tuition is much less for in-state students,” says Chantal Johnson, James Madison University ’14.
Con: You see the same people from high school. Again, this happens a lot more at public institutions, but sometimes you don’t get exposed to as many new people when you already know a ton of people in your freshman class. “I knew a girl who ended up transferring [from an out-of-state school to an in-state school] because she felt that everyone who went there already knew everyone else,” says Darci Miller University of Miami ’13.
Pro: Scholarships and financial aid. Many schools offer scholarships and financial aid to in-state students. “Going in-state can be great for getting better scholarships and financial aid,” says Katherine Mirani, Northwestern University ’15.
Con: Not experiencing different cities. “You don’t get to see what living in another state or part of the country is like. Possibly you could get too dependent on ‘home’,” says Alex Horvitz, Tufts University ’15.
Pro: Mom’s cooking only a short drive away. If you need a break from the dorms or don’t feel like cooking for a night, it can be nice to head home for the evening to grab a meal with the family. “If I miss my family it’s easy for me too grab a dinner with them. You can bring your friends from school home for a wonderful home-cooked meal!” says Alex Horvitz, Tufts University ’15.
If you’re already in college, what’s your take on the in-state/out-of-state debate? If you’re still in the college application process, are you applying to both types of schools, or just one?