<p>I was recently admitted to Cornell as a Meinig scholar, Dartmouth, and Oklahoma University. The reason I remain indecisive is because I am also National Merit and OU has a great tendency to treat NMs like royalty with fantastic financial aid, Dartmouth has a very appealing small size, and Cornell is offering the meinig distinction. If it helps, I am planning on going for Political science and Spanish as my majors. With an income just below $70000 and plans to attend an Ivy law school, would going to an ivy for undergrad be my best option or should I play it safe financially at OU with a secure package or go for Cornell/Dartmouth and risk higher student debt?</p>
<p>Congratulations on 3 fantastic acceptances!</p>
<p>With your stated family income, there will be no loan component to your financial aid package. Your package will consist entirely of grants and work-study (there are expected student and parental contribution amounts). </p>
<p>[Financial</a> Aid Initiatives | Financial Aid](<a href=“http://www.finaid.cornell.edu/cost-attend/financial-aid-initiatives]Financial”>Financial Aid Initiatives | Financial Aid)</p>
<p>I suspect that Dartmouth’s financial aid policies are similar. So you’ll find out soon enough, but I believe that the debt you will have to take on to attend either Cornell or Dartmouth should be minimal.</p>
<p>Both Cornell and Dartmouth place well into the nation’s top law programs. I do not know much about OU’s placement into law schools.</p>
<p>Good luck with your decision!</p>
<p>I’d risk the debt. If you look at top law placement the percentage of students coming from Ivies and the other top 10 or so schools is staggering. It will give you the edge. But beyond this the experience at an Ivy is going to be incredibly eye-opening and will give you a network for life. Its totally worth it, and with 70K income your financial aid should be pretty generous at Cornell or Dartmouth.</p>
<p>DD also accepted to these schools. OU, specifically for the NMS $$$. Watch out, though. You WILL pay at least $9,000 per year out-of-pocket. Given your family’s income, ALL of the Ivies are FREE.</p>
<p>Go for Dartmouth, they have the most solid undergrad program.</p>
<p>Major = ?
Engineering is definitely at Cornell.
I would say to just go to Cornell for any major - cause you’re posting here - but still, you should go to the college that’s best for your intended major.</p>
<p>If you want to major in humanities, go for dartmouth. Otherwise, Cornell</p>
<p>I was planning on going for political science and Spanish. I am loving all the advice so far, it is definitely helping my decision making.</p>
<p>How is Dartmouth any “better” than Cornell Arts and Sciences. People tend to think slightly lower acceptance rate equals better education… not true.</p>
<p>Go to Dartmouth! :)</p>
<p>Nah, go to Cornell.</p>
<p>Cornell destroys Dartmouth in engineering, so if you are interested in that, definitely attend Cornell. Cornell Arts and Sciences (the most directly comparable school to Dartmouth) has better math and science programs in general. But if you want to major in humanities, Dartmouth would be your best bet if you want an easy 4.0.</p>
<p>I don’t know that cornell “destroys” dartmouth in anything. They are both good schools. Dartmouth’s does have that statistic they brag about that their grads make the highest on average a few years after graduation, but that is not a reason to pick a school. Look at location, look at which school at which you will be happiest and makes the most financial sense and will get you to where you want to be in life</p>
<p>Cornell is better for the sciences (and hotel management) but Dartmouth has the advantage in humanities, which includes your intended majors of polisci and spanish. Both of them are likely to give you a relatively equal amount of financial aid you can work with, and if you’re looking into law school, I’d go for Dartmouth. congrats on all three!</p>
<p>Ahhhh, but if you have lots of APs and national merit, you enter as a second semester sophmore at OU, on a full ride that carries over to grad/professional school. DD could finish her MD in 5 years, or JD in 4 years (she will not do either). But, there are lots and lots of great options out there, to be sure. Should I mention REAL athletics? Nah. 'Nuf said.</p>
<p>Reading more I’d say Dartmouth between the two. Dartmouth’s resources in the humanities are absolutely incredible. The programs in language are fantastic and the study abroad opportunities for both majors will be unique to Dartmouth ahead of almost any school in the country. Dartmouth coddles its students, and gives them resources in a way I’ve only seen maybe Princeton parallel. I think you’ll like the tightknit community, alumni loyalty, available faculty, and friendly administration.</p>
<p>Coolrunning makes a fantastic point I think between the two ivies, Dartmouth seems to offer the more of what I am wanting but if my ultimate goal was to end up in an Ivy law school like Yale, would it be better to have a degree from Dartmouth or OU where more of my AP Credit would count and National merit would give me a cheaper double major and minor in just 4 years?</p>
<p>The AP credit isn’t going to matter, and law schools arent going to care about the double major. From the high school perspective these things seem to matter, but from the law school perspective they don’t. In fact, its in your best interest to retake classes from high school (sounds terrible) in order to get the best GPA and almost forget the AP placement. Not advocating it, but just highlighting the point. According to the data I have there are 35 students from Dartmouth at Harvard law, and 13 at Yale law (which is much smaller). There are no students at either law school from OU. </p>
<p>The odds definitely tilt towards the Ivies, its not even close.</p>
<p>I think Cornell’s Spanish program is really good actually. Humanities are not weak at Cornell, I don’t know where you got that idea. From the old NRC rankings (the new ones confuse me):
[NRC</a> Rankings](<a href=“NRC Rankings”>NRC Rankings)
[NRC</a> Rankings in Spanish](<a href=“http://www.stat.tamu.edu/~jnewton/nrc_rankings/area11.html]NRC”>NRC Rankings in Spanish)</p>
<p>But if you’d rather go to Dartmouth I won’t fight you. I hear it feels more LAC- like which you are free to prefer. Visit there though, make sure you fit there, and you like it.</p>
<p>OP: OU is an excellent choice with lots of AP credits. The NM scholarship can be rolled into grad school too! This is fact. Now, you might do a PoliSci in 3 or less years, roll into a MS in Spanish in the 4th and 5th years (again NO debt- fact), and then go onto law school (wherever – even OU’s) if that is what you want to do.</p>
<p>Warning: Whatever you do . . . do NOT ask this question given multiple Ivy acceptances on the “Parent’s Forum”. PM me if you need more help.</p>