Another Cornell vs USC case

My son got accepted to both Cornell & USC mechanical engineering dept. He gets no finacial aid from Cornell but half tuition presidential scholarship from USC because he is a NMF. So there is a $25,000/year difference between attending Cornell and USC. Any advice if Cornell is worth that much more money to attend will be appreciated. Thanks.

OP: We faced the same dilemma few years back. My daughter was also deciding between USC with half tuition presidential scholarship and Cornell (full pay). She also considered UCLA and Berkeley which is even cheaper since we are from SoCal. She’s a Junior at Cornell now. Does it worth the extra money? I can’t say because obviously she can’t attend 2 schools at the same time. One thing for sure, she met a lot of people and had experiences that she wouldn’t if she attended a California school. Also, Cornell is very hard/rigorous academically, probably harder than USC, so make sure that your son is up to the challenge.

Yes Cornell is at the to of the list for “most stressed out campus”.

Depends on the academic fit & kind of school she likes best. I think the academic clout & rigor is a bit more at Cornell, but the school spirit & sports atmosphere at USC is a big draw for some students. Plus, LA may be a pull, but maybe not for a SoCal native who is looking for a change. If you are not from SoCal or a warm place, no snow & shorts & flipflops 24/7 is nice.

Thank you all for your feedback. We are from east coast.

USC
Pros: weather, location, PAC 12 school (sports); lots to do in surrounding area (beaches, Hollywood, pro sports).
Cons: not as intellectually challenging as Cornell, location is in ghetto area, not an Ivy (prestige and distinction)

Cornell
Pros: prestige and distinction; close knit and supportive learning environment; more engaged professors; more nobel laureates to learn from; a true college town with beautiful natural surroundings; great food; safer campus/environment
Cons: the weather, the rural setting, hassel to travel to and fro

But it’s not just a four year decision, it’s a forty year one!