<p>I had my mind set on Amherst College … until I received a notification from University of Michican @ Ann Arbor that not only had I been accepted into the Honors Program, but I have been rewarded $5,000 per academic year in merit scholarship. This amount, subtracted from the already cheaper UMich tuition (although I am OOS), suggests that I will be paying approx. $20,000 a year in tuition fees at Michigan. Now I’m having second thoughts about my college choice!</p>
<p>What do you guys think? Is the money worth it? How might such a decision sway my future job opportunities/graduate school admissions? (I am considering law school).</p>
<p>Michigan is one of the top public universities in the country because of its well-regarded graduate programs. The Honors Program is a nice touch, and promises talks, dinners, and a handful of classes with other honors students.</p>
<p>Michigan is $46,999 for underclassmen and $49,451 for upperclassmen. What you’re saying is that you got ~22,000 in need-based aid, and an additional 5,000 in merit scholarships?</p>
<p>Did you receive any aid at all from Amherst? If you’ll be paying 85,000+ for a Michigan degree and 250,000+ for an Amherst degree, the decision is quite clear. But, if Amherst has already given you a respectable award, you may consider pressing the Financial Aid Office to be more generous to lure you back.</p>
<p>You have to decide whether the Amherst experience is “worth it.” The Honors Program is whipped cream on top, but Michigan is still Michigan, and completely different from Amherst.</p>
<p>With regard to law school in particular, undergraduate institution would only adversely affect you if you were to attend a school completely unheard–you would be fine at Michigan. Consider also that you’ll be in waist-deep in debt after law school.</p>
<p>If difference in cost between Amherst and Michigan is tolerable, you can follow your instinct, attend Amherst, and look forward to the best.</p>
<p>I agree with kwu. U of M and Amherst are completely different experiences that appeal to very different kinds of people. My dad was in the honors program at U of M back in the day, and he said that he got a good education in spite of the place, not because of it. Other people thrive in that kind of environment</p>
<p>You and your family need to do some soul searching and figure out which environment would be better for you and whether the difference is large enough that you and your family can swallow the cost difference. You have ~8 days. Good luck.</p>
<p>Short&sweet, I saw this thread and immediately tried to recall posting it because I honestly thought I did. I, too, am deciding between UMich Honors and Amherst with the intention of going to law school, but my cost would be about the same for either institution. </p>
<p>The only thing helping me make that decision is that I just returned from a visit to Amherst and didn’t feel like I fit in at all. The College is amazing, but I think I’d be happier at UMich, despite the opposition from a lot of people (I’m in-state for UMich and a lot of my teachers want me to get out of the state to experience life elsewhere). </p>
<p>In the end, though, it should come down to what feels right to you, especially if financial aid isn’t an issue.</p>
<p>If you’d like to commiserate, feel free to PM me and we can discuss our “high class problem,” as my English teacher put it. XD</p>