Aaron Cevallos, a senior at Middletown High School had to consider 20 offers from colleges across the country before he made his choice.
The College of William and Mary would cover full tuition.
University of Alabama offered to pay not only for tuition, but also room, board and a stipend. Princeton, an Ivy League school, and Duke University were both ready to give Aaron merit-based scholarships and cover up to 40 percent of the cost of his schooling.
Aaron faced a question that many young people do - which college would be the best investment for his future, not get him into insurmountable debt and have the academics, location, athletics and social life he wanted.
In the last five years, Frederick County has seen a rising trend in the number of students going to four-year colleges.
Between 2002 and 2007, the percentage of Frederick County Public Schools students going on to a four-year college grew from 41.8 percent to 48.8 percent.
The trend has created a dilemma for many students, for whom the question is no longer ‘‘Should I go to college?”, but rather ‘‘Which college should I choose?”
In the end, Aaron Cevallos chose Princeton, banking on the academic quality, reputation and networking opportunities there to compensate for going into debt. Princeton also seemed to be a better fit for his chosen major - international relations - and is close to major metropolitan areas, such as New York and Washington, D.C.
In addition to scholarships from Princeton, Aaron will also have work-study opportunities and help from his parents to keep up with his tuition and living expenses. His mother estimates he may graduate with $30,000 to $40,000 in debt.
‘‘But we figured, in the end, his earning potential will be higher,” his mother, Teresa, said.
Education pays
When it comes to comparing colleges, many researchers seem to agree on one thing: students who work hard, have high GPAs and participate in internships and volunteer work are going to do well, whether they choose to attend Princeton, Hood College or the University of Maryland.
Many experts believe that simply going to college could often be more important than which college you attend.
‘‘A college education is a good investment in weak economies as well as in strong economies,” said Sandy Baum, a senior policy analyst at College Board and co-author of the 2007 College Board annual report ‘‘Education Pays.”
The typical expected earnings during the working lives of four-year college graduates add up to about $800,000 more than the expected earnings of those who only graduate high school, according to the report.
College graduates contribute more taxes, they are more likely to volunteer, vote, donate blood and be more open to opinions of others, the report states.
Elite colleges open doors
Offering the benefits of reputation and connections, elite colleges can open doors, helping graduates get better-paying jobs, Baum said.
Degrees from top-rated colleges could be important when the students know which path they want to take, she added. An aspiring engineer, for instance, may benefit from an MIT degree because it is known as the best in the field, she said. Elite colleges can also turn out to be less expensive for students from low- to moderate-income families, because of need-based financial aid packages.
Kristina Esposo, a 2003 graduate of Gov. Thomas Johnson High School, had a tough choice when she decided to attend George Washington University – a college with an estimated annual cost of $40,000. Despite the high tuition, Esposo believed that no other school in the area would be better equipped for her chosen major, political science. She financed her degree with help from her parents, scholarships and student loans. Esposo said her choice paid off.
‘‘The caliber of students that attend GW is different,” she said. ‘‘I think it played a tremendous role in my job search. I was able to complete four or five internships and I had a number of job offers by the time I graduated.”
Esposo now works at a think tank in Alexandria, Va. She is confident she will pay off her student loans in five to seven years.
State schools benefit many
Experts have good news for the hundreds of Frederick County graduates expected to start classes at in-state colleges, such as University of Maryland, Towson, Salisbury or Frostburg, in the fall.
For those who plan to go on to post-graduate education, these schools may be the best choice.
‘‘If they go to Harvard and get 2.0 GPA, they will still be in the same position as University of Maryland graduates who end up with 3.0,” said Nancy Hennessey, director of the Catherine Filene Shouse Career Center and Office of Service Learning at Hood College in Frederick.
A student who wants to pursue a law or medical degree, would still have to maintain a high GPA, score high in admission tests and distinguish himself through volunteer work or internships, Hennessey said. Outstanding students may even shine brighter on a campus where they are competing against students from one state, rather than from the whole country.
A 2001 study by the National Institute of Education Statistics at the U.S. Department of Education found that 1999-2000 graduates of for-profit public colleges earned higher incomes in their first year of work than their counterparts who graduated from public colleges.
But, when comparing the earnings of all private college graduates with the earnings of all public college graduates, the study found that private school graduates earned only $1,000 more per year.
According to Hennessey, the only area in which regional colleges fall behind elite schools may be alumni networking. ‘‘That is an advantage, particularly for someone coming from a disadvantaged background,” she said.
Earnings depend on type of college
A 2001 study by the National Institute of Education Statistics at the U.S. Department of Education compared the earnings of 10,030 bachelor’s degree recipients depending on the type of college they attended. Results are based on the earnings in the first year after graduates left college.
Graduates’ average salary
All public colleges: $32,594
All private nonprofit colleges: $33,595
Private for-profit: $45,668
