<p>I got the regents invitation letter from Berkeley, and I also got a likely letter from Stanford. I also got into UCD as a regent scholar, and they are giving me practically a free ride. These two schools are my dream schools, and although I'm super happy that I got into them now I'm stuck with the problem of choosing. Before I was sure I wanted to go to Stanford but now I might want to major in business so Haas seems like a good choice. So my problem is should I accept the full ride to UCD because I will probably go to grad school, or what?</p>
<p>If you think now that there is >50% chance that you will go to grad school, you can be pretty sure that you WILL go. These days undergraduate degree is not good enough for most high achievers. Given that, there is no point in spending much to get the first degree. Take the full ride to UCD.</p>
<p>I know that UCD is the better option, but I still can't help feeling that I'd be missing out on a lot at Stanford or Berkeley. Davis just seems so boring to me.</p>
<p>if you do end up getting the regents to berkeley, then that might be a better choice. stanford might be more prestigious but keep in mind that their tuition is twice as much as berkeley's, and if you count the regents, it'll probably be 4 times as much.</p>
<p>Stanford's tuition is more like 4 times that of berkeley.</p>
<p>Stanford opens oppurtunities that just aren't available to most students. The oppurtunity to even be given a chance to decide to go or not is so rare. Will you find yourself in debt? Most likely. But will you be able to pay it off because of better opportunities after graduation? Will being at Stanford make you much happier than at UCD, something you may or may not be able to measure in an economic figure? Also, do you qualify for financial aid? Stanford may not be as expensive as you make it out to be.</p>
<p>unless you get a full ride to stanford it's pretty hard to beat out berkeley regents. you end up paying just your efc if you do get the regents (or even less depending on other scholarships)
oh and by tuition i meant total cost of enrollment including dorms and such. my bad.</p>
<p>My son was in a similar dilemma between UCB and a free ride at UCD. We told him it was his choice....and after much thought, he selected UCB.</p>
<p>Talk it over with your parents because only they really know what the family's financial situation is.</p>
<p>You must be an outstanding student! Good luck!</p>
<p>Wait till you get finaid info from all the schools. Regents at Berkeley + its prestige + your like of it (vs. your perception of "boringness" at UCD) would probably outweigh UCD's full ride. In addition, Stanford -- a top private with an enormous endowment -- offers excellent finaid, so it might even be a better deal than Berkeley (though it really does depend on your efc/situation). So just wait it out. =)</p>
<p>Well I was looking on the stanford website and according to it it states that students whose income is less than 40K a year gets a full ride? I fit that category, so does that mean I am eligible for a full ride to Stanford?</p>
<p>Don't misconstrue that to mean that you don't have to do anything. You'll probably have to do work-study stuff, make summer contributions (working), and maybe take out some loans. But yes, such a financial position is possible.</p>
<p>I was just checking on the Stanford stuff tonight, to remind myself. The 45K or under "no tuition" thing is not a free ride; the student is still expected to contribute $1,700+ per year in work, and take the max student loan each year. So it ends up being almost 4K the student ponies up the first year, and more after that.</p>
<p>^^ it makes you wonder: what the hell is the point of Questbridge, in the case of Stanford? Low-income students who apply would probably get the same financial aid package if they did it regular decision, no? Sad I never realized this.</p>
<p>$16000</p>
<p>for a stanford education is a steal</p>
<p>would be foolish to go to others for 0$</p>
<p>you will probably make 50k+ out the door with stanford if you find a job. and can pay it off easily.</p>
<p>Kyle, the point of QuestBridge is for colleges to get a better picture of low-income students. Having a 20-page application shows a lot more about an individual than a shorter one.</p>
<p>^^ but all that they'd find out about you RD would be what they found out about you in the QB app, even financial position.</p>
<p>After looking at the Stanford site on their financial policies, it seems that QB does have a few benefits: all you have to do is do work/study and summer stuff, and you've made your contribution. In contrast, if you're a RD applicant, you're expected to work a job (50% of your earnings, minimum of $1700 for freshmen, $2100 for others), take out a small loan, do work-study, and use 35% of your assets to pay for Stanford, even if your parents' income is <45k.</p>
<p>1700/year is about 6 hours a week, it's practically nothing.</p>