<p>I posted the same message on the Cornell board but no one seems to be replying...</p>
<p>Cornell has the lowest relative endowment of any ivy league institution. It seems that they meet financial need with a lot more loans than do other ivies, so I was just wondering whether the education at Cornell (specifically the ILR school) is worth the cost. My family's income is only around 60-70k, and assuming that my parents won't contribute more than 6-7k per year to my college costs, what do you think my debt load would be by the time I graduate. If I decide not to go/don't get into Cornell, I will probably end up going to U-M (in state tuition + lots of scholarships = close to or full ride). I am interested in economics/international relations/business/law. Is the quality of education/reputation between Cornell ILR and U-M worth the price difference? Thank you.</p>
<p>Thanks a lot for all the replies, really helpful. Also, dreamkissed, U-M definitely has a better law school and that's what I'm thinking about for grad... I was just wondering whether I should invest in a "better" undergraduate education.</p>
<p>I chose Cornell over Michigan this year, but UM was my first choice for a long period of time. Personally, I know that Cornell and UM have programs of similar caliber, so for the cost difference (if you are instate) I would choose UM.</p>
<p>First of all, You don't know what the cost differential really is yet, for certain. ILR is a state school, and tuition for out-of-staters may still be somewhat less than the private colleges there. And you don't know yet what their aid package may wind up looking like for you, though you have expressed some legitimate concerns.</p>
<p>Secondly, the ILR school has a particular curricular focus that is not that common. If you really care about this particular program of studies, then you should determine how closely you can replicate it at Michigan. If you don't care about it, then Michigan may be an even better choice for you since you may have more freedom in course selection.</p>
<p>I would guess that a higher % of on-campus recruitment at Michigan is for Midwest area jobs, and a higher % for Northeast jobs at Cornell. With much overlap. But if you're looking to get out of the Midwest, Cornell might be a somewhat higher % bet for this. Maybe. And vica versa.</p>
<p>I would say cornell has higher prestige at the undergrad level, but a successful grad from Michigan will be in a pretty similar situation. Also, look to the other Ivies that give out better aid. You never know what you will get</p>
<p>yea i am applying to 1 or 2 other ivies but anyone's chances are obviously better at cornell... So is this ILR school a good reason to go to Cornell or not?</p>
<p>ILR will only make a difference for tuition if you live in NY. If you are from Michigan and are worried about money, I would suggest UM over Cornell. I think that Cornell may have better name recognition although the programs are ranked similarly. However, if you are worried about affording Cornell, then UM is the way to go.</p>
<p>hmm thanks a lot... I think I'll just apply and see how the financial aid works out... I just don't want to feel bad later and regret not applying.</p>
<p>People who say that Cornell's reputation or prestige are better than Michigan are not correct. There is nothing wrong with Cornell's reputation, but where it counts (corporate recruiters, grad schools adcoms, intellectual circles etc...), Michigan's reputation is just as good.</p>
<p>Alexandre, perhaps in academic circles Michigan is up there with Cornell but to the average person and many recruiters Cornell is considered better. I am not saying its reality, but it is perception. That said, I agree that a Cornell grad is not necessarily that advantaged over a Michigan Business major.</p>
<p>cornell will always be better than umich. atleast in reputation. its ivy league, that brand name is very prestigioius. if i were you, i would choose mich. you dont want to graduate with debt.</p>
<p>Slipper, you are wrong. I have yet to see a recruiter or corporate poll that places Cornell ahead of Michigan. In all professional circles, from the financial to the consulting to the industrial, Michigan is seen as better than Cornell. I know Investment Banks and Manufacturing giants rank Michigan at the very top. Academics also tend to see Michigan as an equal to Cornell. Only uneducated people are impressed by the lable "Ivy League".</p>
<p>Thanks a lot everyone, this is giving me a much better perspective. Perhaps being from Michigan, I am used to thinking that everyone here talks so highly about U-M just because they're from Michigan. But looking at some U.S. News rankings, it does seem that it has a very good reputation across the whole country.</p>
<p>Yeah Michigan is a great school, but Alexandre is wrong. I know, having worked at an east coast consulting firm and being at a top grad school that at least on the east coast Cornell has better awareness.</p>
<p>Slipper, I worked for Goldman Sachs in NYC. It doesn't get more East Coast than that. Michigan is prefered over Cornell for undergraduate and graduate recruiting. And last time I checked, McKinsey, BCG and Bain all recruited far more students from Michigan than from Cornell.</p>
<p>Blarney, the USNWR actually rates Michigan in the same league as Cornell (both get reputation scores of 4.6/5.0) as far as reputation is concerned. I went to both schools and employers have always been equally impressed by both degrees.</p>