College is always a big step on peoples lives. In some cases it is when you pack up and move out of your house: the first taste of independence. For others, college is just moving onto harder levels of school. No matter what, it is a major change in your lives. Most people have a good grasp on what they want to go into as a profession by the time they leave high school. Some people know what they want to be when they are 6 years old, others it takes a little longer to figure out what you really want to do for the rest of your life. Once you have some clue as to what you want to go into, it comes time to choose a college. It may not seem that bad, but there are a lot of choices you have to make. One very important choice is do you want to go to a private or public college or university? This blog entry will be looking at both the advantages and benefits of public and private, as well as the disadvantages of either.
First off, what is a public college and what is a private college? A public college is an academic institution financed primarily by tuition, endowments and state or local taxes. Tuition for in-state students is reduced and programs and policies are state-regulated. In other words, it is a college that the state owns. It is also a college that is easier to get into and if the college that you are looking at is in the same state that you live, you get better benefits. A private college is an academic institution financed primarily by tuition and endowments. This means that the state does not own it and it is harder to get into. Just looking at these definition, it does not seem like there are that many differences, but you would be wrong.
There are many differences when it comes to public or private, I am really going to focus on 3 main ones. The first on is price. Prices for every college vary, but there is a notable difference when it comes to public colleges and private colleges. A private college is more likely to be on the more expensive side compared to a public college. Almost all private colleges have the same tuition price.The average price for a private college is about $30,360 a year now vs the price of a public college which is about $15,836. That is a major difference of about $14,000. BUT even if private colleges are more expensive, don’t rule them out as an option for you yet. Because private college are more expensive, they are more likely to give you financial aid packages that help you out even more. So when looking at a college, make sure to look at the financial aid packages because they could make the private colleges more of an option for you.
Another difference between private colleges and public colleges is the atmosphere on campus and off it. If you were to go to a private college, then the community that you would be in would be very close knit. Your teachers would know you by name, just like they would know your friends by name. If you like working in smaller groups and enjoy that close knit community, then a private college is right up your ally.On the other hand, a public college might be more what you are looking for. A public college offers larger groups of people. You will not know everyone that goes to school with you, and if you get a thrill from that big city lifestyle and living then a public college is the way for you to go.
The third aspect of colleges that is very important to look at when choosing between public or private colleges is living. When I say living, I mean the sports, sororities and fraternities, dorms, and stuff like that. If you were to look at a public college, the living style is much different then it is at a private college. Dorm life at a public college is more like small apartments. Also, freshmen are allowed to choose what dorm they would prefer. Private colleges, not all but most, don’t let the incoming freshmen chose where they want to stay because they don’t want them to be overwhelmed with all of the choices they must make. Private colleges also don’t have any sororities or fraternities usually. Both public and private have sports, though it is usually a bigger part of life for public colleges then it is for private.
So there are many things to take into consideration when choosing a college. I hope that this has helped out when it comes to choosing between a public or private college. Though there are many differences between private and public colleges, there are also similarities. Just remember, find the college that is right for you.
A special thanks to:
http://www.essortment.com/family/collegesprivate_svsf.htm
http://money.cnn.com/2006/10/24/pf/college/college_costs/index.htm
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/13/education/13voices.html
http://www.spotsylvania.k12.va.us/mhs/Academics/Guidance/Junior/colvocab.html
