As the leaves shift from green to warm shades of orange, seniors also find themselves undergoing change. For many seniors, the fall season means application season as thoughts slowly shift to leaving The Nest. But while this is a common experience for many members of the class of 2024, individual plans can vary greatly. While some graduates opt to remain close to home, others decide to fly far out.
“I’m applying to Texas schools because Texas has a lot of good schools, and it’s a lot cheaper,” senior Parinita Chilukuri said. “Also, since I’m used to the environment, I think it will be a lot more comfortable for me.”
However, not all students are following this path. Among those is senior Abdurraheem Sheikh who is exploring out-of-state colleges.
“I think a lot of the schools that are worth applying to for my intended major are better out of state,” Sheikh said. “And to be honest, with all the hard work I’ve put in until now, I would be really disappointed with a small in-state school like UTD or UT Arlington.”
Leaving Texas is also part of the plan for senior Rida Zaki who is hoping to gain new experiences.
“I’m applying out of state because I want to explore other places for better opportunities,” Zaki said. “I’m excited to find community that I am comfortable with and find new friends.”
Sheikh sees the value in Texas schools but has set his sights on out-of-state schools.
“Other than UT Austin or Rice, I feel like I should apply to schools that give me an environment to grow and meet like-minded people,” Sheikh said. “I think other than those two schools, all of the schools I’m applying to are out of state because that’s where the growth is, that’s where the hard work is, and to be honest, that’s where the top 20 schools are.”
Despite the benefits of in-state colleges, Chilukuri acknowledges there could be some disadvantages with staying in Texas.
“I’d say that one of the cons would be that I won’t be able to experience other locations and cultures,” Chilukuri said. “I think college is a time to develop your own independence and have new experiences and environments, which usually means moving away from home. But I still feel like I’ll have a lot of new experiences.”
One of the most common concerns during the application process is the cost of tuition, which tends to be higher for out-of-state schools.
“I think the price is the biggest [con],” Sheikh said. “In-state private schools or out-of-state private schools are around 68k per year, which is a lot of money.”
Although in-state tuition is cheaper, finances are still a concern for students, out-of-state or not.
“The biggest pro of only applying to Texas schools are the financial benefits since I don’t have to pay out-of-state tuition,” Chilukuri said. “However, this doesn’t mean that it’s cheap. College is still very expensive, so that was definitely a big factor in my college decisions.”
