<p>Hey guys, my friend had the choice between CALS at Cornell for $30 grand a year (NYS resident) or Penn CAS for $50 grand a year...he chose Cornell and is starting to regret it for some reason so I was wondering what you guys would choose if given the choice?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Myself, I would probably choose Penn, because I really feel that taking out extra loans would be worth the difference between the two. However, Cornell is still a great school with many opportunities, and for most people the difference in money almost makes them the same, so I would say there’s really no wrong choice for most people. He shouldn’t regret choosing Cornell, because that would just make him dislike his freshman year. If he still feels he made the wrong decision after freshman year, he can transfer out.</p>
<p>If it’s about the money, fine - go to Cornell.</p>
<p>Otherwise, the vast majority of people making that decision would have chosen Penn - but I’m sure that Cornell kids will soon descend on this thread claiming parity.</p>
<p>If he thought that Cornell was a better “fit,” then he should have no complaints.</p>
<p>Penn but for the money Cornell.</p>
<p>Of course you should choose penn! How could anyone not! I mean it’s the best school everrrrrrrr.</p>
<p>^^That didn’t come out in all caps.</p>
<p>Definitely Cornell! A fine Ivy League school for $80,000 less? Besides, that dangerous big city stuff may not be for everyone.</p>
<p>I don’t think this is a judgment that can be made without knowing more about your friend’s personality. 10 years in the future, the prestige/strength of program factor between Penn and Cornell is going to absolutely negligible. However, how happy your friend is going to be for the next 4 years is going to depend on a) how much debt he will be shouldering and b) where he feels more at home.</p>
<p>I had a similar situation and ended up choosing Penn because finances weren’t that big of a deal and I felt like I fit better there. But if I was going to graduate with that $80,000 + more as debt, my decision would have been starkly different.</p>
<p>Penn over Cornell, because I’m a city person, but Cornell wins 100/100 times because of the money. That’s huge.</p>