Chicago or Univ of Mich with $$$$

<p>I am a Michigan residence. It will cost me only 15K to attend Univ. of Mich. Honors Program over 4 years as they are giving me merit aid. If everything was equal, I would choose Chicago in a heartbeat. A rough estimate of financial aid indicates that it will cost be 90K ++ to attend Chicago. Is it worth around 75K to choose Chicago over Michigan Honors?. I intend to pursue a law degree, and could use that 75K later on.</p>

<p>Mich law school is gooooood. You'd wanna end up there anyways, right?</p>

<p>save your money. I'm in more or less the same situation, except I don't really have to pay anything to go to Michigan. and so yeah, I think it's going to be Michigan for me.</p>

<p>My son had that same choice a few years ago, UMich HC with merit aid vs. UChicago. He chose Chicago because he thought he'd get a better education there, he wanted to be further from home, and he wanted the advantages of living in a real city. He knew AA well because he'd spent two summers at UM debate camp, and thought he'd enjoy the "big ten" scene if he attended UM but would lose a chance to atted one of the strongest academic colleges in the world if he turned down Chicago.</p>

<p>save your money. Chicago is hard to pull a high gpa at. People there brag about their A's. Stick with Michigan.</p>

<p>Yeah, I live in Ann Arbor and did this program at Michigan law school over the summer.</p>

<p>It is so awesome, and you can get in really easily if you go to Michigan undergraduate.</p>

<p>I would say, seriously...go to Michigan.</p>

<p>Plus, didn't you get MEAP money? ;-)</p>

<p>The decision just got tougher. Chicago came with a generous aid package, and it should cost $50K to attend. $35K difference..... What to do? I guess a campus visit is in order.</p>

<p>Yea check them out man.</p>

<p>I am in the same type of situation: from michigan (I live in Redford right outside of Detroit), honors with some good aid (haha Gene: MEAP money) but I think Chicago is too good to pass up.... But that does not mean Michigan is not a great school... Plus the social life there is awesome as hell.</p>

<p>I am going to UofM friday and UofC monday... Should be good times.</p>

<p>$50,000 to attend for four years? Isn't that a really good deal? lol</p>

<p>Not compared to 15K at Michigan HC. I guess I am over being waitlisted at Princeton and Columbia. Leaning Chicago at this point</p>

<p>Vick, Chad H, Coquettish,</p>

<p>What did you guys recommend: Univ. Chicago with $45K per year in cost (I got only $1K/year scholarship from UC) or UM honors program with $19K/year final cost for me (I have $20K/year scholarship from UM and I am out-of-state). Simliar to some of the earlier posts, I am thinking of Law. I visited both campus. Kind of like both.</p>

<p>I chose U of M, and it was a gut wrencher. I still have not sent "No Thanks" letter to Chicago. I am Michigan in-state. Merit Scholarships along with local community scholarship has made Michigan a full ride proposition, while Chicago could run anywhere from 40K to 70K (I have a sibling who will graduate from college...so financial aid is a wild card at Chicago). I liked both campuses. I spoke to some former grads from my high school. All of them love where they are going so that was no help. Michigan Honors program seems to give its undergrads everything Chicago has to offer...and seems to be a better fit if only slightly.</p>

<p>To tell you the truth, I don't know if I have made the right choice, but I have to make a choice and $$ is a factor. Look at the bright side...you 'couldn't go wrong' with either choice.</p>

<p>Can't argue with that</p>

<p>with the amount of aid you are getting it might be quite worth $50k to be going here. Think not about the total costs but about the value you are getting for your money. 50k will buy you a 180k education here while its not very hard for people to get in state tuition and pay 15-20k for state schools so you are paying 15 for a 20k education. </p>

<p>It's still a lot of money but I know people who turned down even better deals at state schools to come here (as well as people who are full tuition everywhere they applied and still come here)</p>

<p>Save your money and go to UMich. I know two U Chicago graduates who had to go to the 2nd or 3rd tier law school because their undergraduate GPA was too low even with decent/good LSAT scores (grade deflation at U Chicago). Ranking of the law school is extremely important factor in getting a job in today's job market.</p>

<p>ottothecow: I understand. However, is U Chicago program far better than Michigan's Honors program? How does one knwo. The only data I could find (SAT + GPA) for entering class....kind of puts them at PAR.</p>

<p>DTan + Ottthecow+Vick: Is there a good way to compare the Honors program at UM vs. U Chicago. Thanks</p>

<p>Vick, Are you comfortable with your decision for choosing U Mich Honors for Chicago. I am in exact situation....I did chosse U Mich. Honors but having 2nd thoughts. I agree, it is gut wrenching. I got $20K in scolarsip and I a out of state. So my net cost is U Mich $20K vs. Chicago $46K. </p>

<p>Do you think about being disracted away from deep academics in U Mich? On the contrary do you worry about too much academics in Chicago and not enough "person growth" opportunities?</p>

<p>I TRULY apprecaite your input</p>

<p>I spoke to a former Univ. of Chicago Finance professor. He has also taught at Univ. of Michigan as a visiting professor. He said that there are very few vacancies for acadamic profession at top programs. Almost all can choose from very top candidates and that there is essentially no difference in quality of education at the undergrad level among these universities. What makes a learning experience is quality of students. It is arguable University of Chicago may have an edge in certain lower level undergrad classes in this aspect. I know a lot of 'average' kid that are attending Michigan (which may turn certain classes at Michigan into any average class at a state college). However, I should be getting AP credit for all the lower level classes, and Michigan Honors would minimize the 'smart kids in your class' advantage.</p>

<p>There is also some very groundbreaking research going on at University of Michigan. Michigan honors will get you preferred exposure to that if you want to get involved. </p>

<p>There were other minor factors in my decision too...I preferred the Ann Arbor neighborhood. Chicago's campus had that 'Harry Potter look' with haunted Gothic buildings. Surroundings looked a little depressing..... I am familiar with other 'smart' kids in Michigan attending Honors program. Then there is a $$ factor. I read somewhere that University of Michigan sucks up all the top students in Michigan that come from middle class families. I can understand why. Both are excellent universities. Chicago would be more of a fit if I were to go to graduate school.</p>

<p>Bottom line is that being at top of your class is more important in the long run to employers and graduate school...than which top 25 national university you attended.</p>

<p>UChicago definitely gave me more money than michigan</p>

<p>Vick,
I think you should be very comfortable with your decision. Michigan Honors is valid choice even if you don't factor $'s into it - especially if you like a large university. One of my son's friends is at Penn State Honors - and has taken beekeeping - along with his physics and math courses. </p>

<p>Selecting a college is sometimes a tough choice to make, and you always have to go back to what you truly feel is the best school for you - not your parents, or posters on discussion forums. You are of course doing so with incomplete information - but that's part of the challenge.</p>

<p>Vick: Michigan is a wonderful school even if one is not in the Honors program. I have always been envious of friends who live in the state who can send their kids to such a fine university. A close fiend's kid attends and loves it. She likes the schedule as well, I believe they are home for summer break now.</p>