Is my college decision stupid

[WildSkier21]

I’m currently a senior in HS and looking at colleges. I live in Boston. Right now I’m thinking of going to college out west. Is this dumb? I CLEARLY know that Boston has some of the best colleges in the world, and in state tuition is so much cheaper. But I can’t see myself being stuck here in Massachusetts for the next 4 years of my life when I could be skiing big mountains with real snow. I’m so sick of skiing small mountains with man made snow and getting excited for a 1cm pow day.

Ive been skiing out west 3 times and nobody can convince me that the east coast is better (Just my opinion)

Do you know anyone who has done the same thing as me? How did they end up?

Is this a bad idea?

 

[David Chaus]

It might be a bad idea if you value what a MA college with in state tuition can do for you, should you put some effort into it.
It’s a great idea if you value skiing more than the prestige and connections you would gain from a MA college.

Also, if you are going to be attending college as opposed to taking a gap year or two, you can get an excellent education in a lot of places. If you don’t yet know what you want to do, any place will do.

 

[Jwrags]

There is a lot of missing information in your OP. What are you interested in studying and who is paying for college? If you are a spoiled rich kid then by all means go West young man. If you are going to go in debt to pay for college then stay close to home with in state tuition unless you get a lot of scholarships. Maybe the best thing to do is take a gap year and be a ski bum and then decide.

 

[WildSkier21]

There is a lot of missing information in your OP. What are you interested in studying and who is paying for college? If you are a spoiled rich kid then by all means go West young man. If you are going to go in debt to pay for college then stay close to home with in state tuition unless you get a lot of scholarships. Maybe the best thing to do is take a gap year and be a ski bum and then decide.

Wildlife ecology

My parents are paying, i am blessed.

 

[Chris Walker]

I went to Colorado to attend college because of skiing. I was also blessed to have parents willing to foot the bill. I was coming from Ohio, so it wasn't really a matter of opinion that the skiing was better. The colleges in Massachusetts that are so prestigious are private, no? In-state tuition isn't a factor there. I believe you can find a great wildlife ecology program at a western university.

Opinions vary about the viability of paying big bucks for a college education outside of fields that will almost assuredly lead to a high salary, but as long as you have the means, (which doesn't necessarily mean you are spoiled by the way), I believe there is immense intrinsic value in a liberal education that will pay off in many ways over the arc of your entire life. I also believe there is potential for growth and development in venturing out-of-state to experience something different than what you are used to and to really get out on your own. My kid qualified for a scholarship in Boulder, but we are paying extra to send him to Washington for college, because we understand his desire to venture out on his own.

If you do head out of state, though, I'd just urge you not to follow my example. I got too caught up in the opportunities for recreation that Boulder offered, and before I knew it I had flunked out and ended up back in Ohio, having trashed a lot of my parents' tuition money. It sounds like you have an area you want to study and are motivated academically, so I'm sure you'll be fine, just wanted to mention it's possible to lose sight of the real reason you are there. Don't be like me.

 

[EricG]

I’m currently a senior in HS and looking at colleges. I live in Boston. Right now I’m thinking of going to college out west. Is this dumb? I CLEARLY know that Boston has some of the best colleges in the world, and in state tuition is so much cheaper. But I can’t see myself being stuck here in Massachusetts for the next 4 years of my life when I could be skiing big mountains with real snow. I’m so sick of skiing small mountains with man made snow and getting excited for a 1cm pow day.

Ive been skiing out west 3 times and nobody can convince me that the east coast is better (Just my opinion)

Do you know anyone who has done the same thing as me? How did they end up?

Is this a bad idea?

You don't have to stay in Mass.. Northern New England has some great skiing. UVM, UM & UNH all have sizable wildlife & forestry programs. With that being said I moved to Bozeman for school and I took the minimum credits to allow myself ample recreation time.

 

[Ken_R]

I’m currently a senior in HS and looking at colleges. I live in Boston. Right now I’m thinking of going to college out west. Is this dumb? I CLEARLY know that Boston has some of the best colleges in the world, and in state tuition is so much cheaper. But I can’t see myself being stuck here in Massachusetts for the next 4 years of my life when I could be skiing big mountains with real snow. I’m so sick of skiing small mountains with man made snow and getting excited for a 1cm pow day.

Ive been skiing out west 3 times and nobody can convince me that the east coast is better (Just my opinion)

Do you know anyone who has done the same thing as me? How did they end up?

Is this a bad idea?

It depends on your priorities and if you want/can to go to a top college/university or not.

I went to Syracuse University and did get some skiing in by driving to some local hills on days where they had good snow.

Looking back I would have been better off going to UC Boulder, maybe. I honestly wouldnt change anything because of the people ive met and the experiences I had with the choices I made along the way.

That said, In College you are going to be darn busy with school work so maybe being away from the Mountains is not a bad idea. You will have less distractions. Take advantage of the education and access to great people, make something of value to the world and then you might afford a House (or two or more) anywhere in the world and afford to ski whenever you want.

 

[Jwrags]

Please do not be offended by the "spoiled" comment. I was also blessed to have my parents pay for virtually all of my college and graduate school. We now pay for one kid to go out of state (UCLA) and likely will pay for private college for the youngest starting next year. The fact that you recognized you are blessed indicates you are not spoiled or entitled.

Think about what your priorities really are. Where are there good wildlife ecology programs? Are those schools close to good recreation? Would a gap year be better to accomplish your recreational goals and then start college? Would your parents negotiate with you about college? I offered to buy my son a new car and send him on a trekking trip to Nepal if he decided to go to an in state school (would have made up the difference in a year) but he wanted to go to UCLA. Perhaps you save your parents money by staying in state in exchange for a couple of nice ski trips out west each year during breaks.

Whatever you decide you need to be happy but don't lose sight of the fact that you are in school for the formal part of the education. There are a lot cheaper ways to get the "life" education.

 

[Sibhusky]

Wildlife ecology

My parents are paying, i am blessed.

My daughter majored in that at Montana State University in Bozeman. So you'd have Big Sky and Bridger right at your door. AND, I understand there's a way to become an instate student after a year by going part time and working (her boyfriend at the time pulled it off).

She was instate, but was also blessed. But because she chose a school instate (MSU), she not only managed to finish undergrad with money still in the pot (we stopped paying in when she started college), but use that leftover money to fund grad school. (She'd moved off campus to save money from Sophomore year onwards, much to our dismay.) And because she did teaching assistantships and got instate status in that state (not Montana), she finished her Master's with money leftover. I think she used part of that to buy a new car (but not all for some reason -- emergency fund?)

By the way, we'd looked out of state at some private schools. But I said to her, "They are three times the money. If you think you can get three times the education, go for it. But my experience is that what you get out of college largely depends on the student, more so than the school. And this school has more limited selections of majors. If you change your mind, you won't be able to just pick another without transferring, unlike at a large state university." So her first choice (and in fact her only application) was to MSU.

Now my brother went to Dartmouth for both undergrad and both Master's degrees and I went undergrad to a private school back East, so that was my heritage. I went to Penn State for grad school and that's what changed my mind.

 

[Sibhusky]

A separate note on your major, by the way. You will find yourself doing a lot of camping in the middle of nowhere for weeks on end, which can lose its appeal. Also, the jobs are largely seasonal and government dependent. Depending on government funding, you can be whipsawed around. Also, many of the jobs give preference to veterans. Just something to be aware of. After three years of that stuff, her grad degree is different.

 

[Nancy Hummel]

Where do you want to live when you finish college? Sometimes, meeting people and making connections where you want to live can be an important factor in obtaining a job that you want.

 

[Jilly]

I don't remember having any time to ski during the year. But then the University I went to didn't have a reading week. It was 16 weeks straight through. That has changed. But again, I didn't seem to have any money, nor a car. XC was right out the door step though. I only did a undergrad BSc. So I didn't mind losing 4 years of skiing. Did some over the Christmas breaks, but that was all. I definitely made up for it since.

But the idea of a Gap year has merits. Not sure if Americans are allowed in Tremblant's - Ski la Gap. But I bet you could get into the one at Whistler.

 

[graham418]

Skiing is for a lifetime. College / University isn't. Go to the best school regardless of location, get the dream job, and for the rest of your life, ski anywhere you damn well like

 

[EricG]

My daughter majored in that at Montana State University in Bozeman. So you'd have Big Sky and Bridger right at your door. AND, I understand there's a way to become an instate student after a year by going part time and working (her boyfriend at the time pulled it off).
.

There is the loophole if you drop down to part time and establish local residency. I opted to do that when I was there to save cash (self-funded education), but you have to be careful playing the health insurance game as my parents health insurance dropped me for the time I was part-time. MSU required us to have health insurance so I opted for the school plan (for part time students). It was a gamble and I lost as I ended up with shoulder & knee reconstruction during that window of time and the school plan for part time students was utter crap.

 

[WildSkier21]

You don't have to stay in Mass.. Northern New England has some great skiing. UVM, UM & UNH all have sizable wildlife & forestry programs. With that being said I moved to Bozeman for school and I took the minimum credits to allow myself ample recreation time.

I actually applied to MSU on Wednesday and so far it’s the only school I applied to. How did you like it there? How is the wildlife program, if you know anything of it?

 

[WildSkier21]

A separate note on your major, by the way. You will find yourself doing a lot of camping in the middle of nowhere for weeks on end, which can lose its appeal. Also, the jobs are largely seasonal and government dependent. Depending on government funding, you can be whipsawed around. Also, many of the jobs give preference to veterans. Just something to be aware of. After three years of that stuff, her grad degree is different.

I also applied to MSU for wildlife ecology a few days ago. So your saying your daughter could not find a stable job with her degree from MSU? I’m planning to get a PHD (at another school)

 

[EricG]

I actually applied to MSU on Wednesday and so far it’s the only school I applied to. How did you like it there? How is the wildlife program, if you know anything of it?

I loved the school and the town. I studied finance there so I can't speak about the wildlife program. My friends that studied ecology, wildlife and forestry went to University of Maine and University of New Hampshire. Bozeman was a great town but when you graduate there are very limited jobs and most students are forced to leave unless you want to work in hospitality of some sort. Rent of a decent apartment was kinda high based on what most people make. I was lucky to work in management at a local ski shop, but that still didn't provide health insurance or enough $$ to afford rent, insurance, food, beer, etc.. About nine months after graduation I was offered a position in NYC that I couldn't turn down as I was financially struggling trying to live there and student loan bills payments were adding up.

Don't worry about starting school with an undeclared major and give serious thought to what you really want to do.. I still work in finance, but along the way I thought I wanted to be in fisheries and ecology. So I completed a masters in fisheries and aquatic science, unfortunately I have never used that degree (have bills to pay for it though) because I could never afford to take a job that needed the degree.

 

[Pequenita]

I went to school where there was a regular weekday shuttle to the local hill. I don’t think I was ever on that shuttle because even though the access was easy, my schedule didn’t really work out, and I masochistically did a 3-season interscholastic sport. I don’t really regret not skiing a ton in college while I was taking classes, but what I do regret is never having been a ski bum during a winter I took off.

Food for thought.

 

[WildSkier21]

I loved the school and the town. I studied finance there so I can't speak about the wildlife program. My friends that studied ecology, wildlife and forestry went to University of Maine and University of New Hampshire. Bozeman was a great town but when you graduate there are very limited jobs and most students are forced to leave unless you want to work in hospitality of some sort. Rent of a decent apartment was kinda high based on what most people make. I was lucky to work in management at a local ski shop, but that still didn't provide health insurance or enough $$ to afford rent, insurance, food, beer, etc.. About nine months after graduation I was offered a position in NYC that I couldn't turn down as I was financially struggling trying to live there and student loan bills payments were adding up.

Don't worry about starting school with an undeclared major and give serious thought to what you really want to do.. I still work in finance, but along the way I thought I wanted to be in fisheries and ecology. So I completed a masters in fisheries and aquatic science, unfortunately I have never used that degree (have bills to pay for it though) because I could never afford to take a job that needed the degree.

Does MSU help students find jobs after graduation? When I visited and met with the teachers many of them said that a lot of the science students work with the NPS or NFS or other Montana State jobs. Im in love with Yellowstone and want to work either as a researcher or a park ranger. Will MSU aid me with the connections and stuff or am I on my own after graduating?

 

[EricG]

Does MSU help students find jobs after graduation? When I visited and met with the teachers many of them said that a lot of the science students work with the NPS or NFS or other Montana State jobs. Im in love with Yellowstone and want to work either as a researcher or a park ranger. Will MSU aid me with the connections and stuff or am I on my own after graduating?

lol. The job assistance I received was a grouchy lady pointing me to a cork board with different colored postcard sized job ad's on it (2001). Hopefully things have improved.

As part of your last few semesters your research project (possible internship) will provide you your best connections.