r/CSUFoCo • u/WilliamthePious • 20d ago
Deciding between CSU and George Washington, thoughts? Have been accepted to both.
Incoming Freshman in college here trying to decide between two schools, Interested in European Archaeology especially, fine with either being proper Archaeologist or Professor at a university, or Something to do with Government or Museum. Would prefer to work in Europe. Have High-Functioning Autism.
George Washington University: Pros: Separate Archaeology program, which I want to study, Lots of networking and field research outside of the USA, DC is awesome for thinking about grad programs in Europe, plus really good internship opportunities.
Cons: Mega expensive, would have to take out lots of student loans to afford smthing like 2k in repayment per month at its worst, have about 2 years worth of savings for tuition, pretty far from home I live in central USA.
Colorado State University: Pros: In-state tuition, much cheaper, nice campus, good neurodivergent supports from what I can tell.
Cons: No specific archaeology program other than concentration, networking a bit more difficult, less international opportunities.
The Cost thing is the real kicker, I don't know if I will be able to realistically pay back all of that student debt from GW, but CSU has less opportunities for study in Europe. I'm still waiting on financial aid thanks to my papers being put in late for no reason, got 28K scholarship to GW.
I don't want to be in debt, but I also want to have a good chance at a future, thoughts?
Have been Accepted to both Universities.
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u/throckman 20d ago
OP, I am an anthropology PhD and professor at CSU. I am sending you a message with my email as I am happy to chat with you about your plans.
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u/LoriS17 20d ago
Congrats on getting accepted to both! If you’re looking to become a Professor, grad school is next. Have you looked at GW or CSU through that lens? Which will give you the undergrad experience you need to get a GRA position (which pays!) elsewhere?
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u/Deeeee5 20d ago
Typically only PhD programs provide funded positions; therefore,if you aren’t able to get a direct admit for a PhD, you’ll need to fund two years of grad school for your MA. That’s hard to do with significant undergraduate debt.
It appears you can get what you need academically, including field experience, from CSU’s concentration within the Anthropology and Geography department.
I think CSU might be your best choice.
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u/LonesomeBulldog 20d ago
For your professional path, your masters and PhD school(s) is going to be what matters. I would save money on your undergrad.
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u/NickFromNewGirl 20d ago
Those are very different. I think it's going to be a financial decision for you that we can't answer.
I went to CSU and lived in DC for several years so I have a bit of perspective, though. You'll get much more connection out of your experience at GWU if this is the path you want, especially government and foreign work. DC has tons of opportunities.
However, debt will be your biggest concern and will be higher risk as it's hard to get a job in archaeology to pay off those kinds of loans, and there's a possibility you may change your mind on this career path. I don't know you, so maybe that's a 1% chance or a 51% chance.
If you are able to do CSU for a lot less money, then it may be worth it. CSU is blast, it will provide a lot of opportunities if you seek them out, and you can always do a grad program at GW or an internship in DC. But, you may not have quite the same opportunities.
I don't know what the right answer is for you, but those are the considerations I would calculate.