<p>Is there any feasible reason to study Econ at UChicago for 60k a year instead of studying Econ at the University of Michigan for 20k a year? Over four years, the difference is 160k. I just don't see myself going to a school for three times as much; is it worth it?</p>
<p>You answered your own question.</p>
<p>Well it’s obvious which direction I’m leaning, but I’d still like some outside advice from people that probably have more experience than me.</p>
<p>Oh God. Look, I attended UChicago and think it merits its #5 US News rating easily BUT…</p>
<p>No university on earth deserves a $160k premium over Michigan. Not Harvard. Not Stanford. Not Chicago. (I’ve attended all three–grad, grad, undergrad, respectively). </p>
<p>So don’t fall for the hype. Be smart. Save your money. You’ll get a great education at Michigan.</p>
<p>And I won’t be significantly hindered in terms of getting into grad school?</p>
<p>NO!</p>
<p>Do tippy-top work at Michigan, and you’ll be good to go anywhere.</p>
<p>Michigan is one of the great universities of the world, just like Chicago. It has a great faculty, and as an undergraduate there are very, very few things (if any) that you can do at Chicago that you wouldn’t be able to do at Michigan. (And plenty of things you can do at Michigan that you could never do at Chicago, like going to a semi-professional football game with 100,000 other people.)</p>
<p>Of course, there are significant differences in the “feel” of the two colleges from the standpoint of an undergraduate. Michigan is ginormous, and enormously diverse, although heavily weighted to people who grew up in Michigan. There isn’t any one undergraduate culture at Michigan, there are dozens of them. Chicago, at the end of the day, has three or four, and they are hard to tell apart if you aren’t clued into them – they’re all pretty academic. So Chicago will give you lots of support for being intellectual and into your studies. Michigan will give you that support, too, but only if you actively choose it. Michigan will also support you drinking yourself into oblivion, doing macrame, plotting revolution, stock trading . . . . You have to take more responsibility for yourself.</p>
<p>One thing to check out – but I don’t think it will make a difference in the end – is how likely it is that you will actually graduate in four years at Michigan. Because of budget cutbacks, etc., in many popular majors it is hard to get all the required courses in the right sequence without going a semester or two over. But that just means that the difference will be more like $100,000 than $160,000 (counting a year of full-time wages, too). That’s still a big deal.</p>
<p>this is a conversation you need to have with your parents and get their input.</p>
<p>The key question is, do you need to take out a loan to the tune of $160K? If so, U Michigan, hands down. It is way too risky to start your life with this kind of loan. It’s too risky for your parents to assume this kind of loan when they should be preparing retirement plans.</p>
<p>If your family can afford Chicago without taking out a loan either by you or by your parents, then it’s a matter of priority.</p>
<p>My son had a full ride plus stipend and travel expense deal from a university at the level of U Michigan. Essentially zero cost college education. We chose to send him to U Chicago as a full pay student: both our son and we are extremely happy with the investment. I think there is no way he would be getting this kind of education at the other school even though he was supposed to be in a highly selective honor program that comes with the full ride offer.</p>
<p>We are not gazillionaires, but other than basic food, clothing, shelter, best education for our kids has been the highest priority in our life, so the decision was a very easy one. </p>
<p>That said, you will be very well set for life with U Michigan education. So, either way, you will be fine.</p>
<p>good luck.</p>
<p>good answers</p>