I have narrowed my college choice down to two colleges. University of Colorado - Boulder to University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. I want to decide as early as possible so I can get housing settled in the best dorm for me at either university. I am an in-state Colorado student so going to CU would be significantly cheaper than going to University of Minnesota. However, my parent’s are able to pay for either of them, I still am taking cost into account, as to not be too selfish when comparing these two schools.
I would study business at either school, but at CU I would stay for 4 and a half years and receive my masters degree in Finance or Marketing with Undergrad in Marketing. At UMN however I would most likely only get an undergraduate degree in marketing. CU - Boulder was always a top choice for me, but a few things turn me off. Number one is that so many kids from my high school are going to attend CU, not that I don’t like these kids, but I want to meet new people.
However, I took about 15 credits during high school all of which I know will transfer to CU - Boulder but am unsure, and doubt will all transfer to UMN. I may also get 23 credits if I am to get a 4 on these AP tests I will be taking next semester. This allows me to graduate early from CU - Boulder, but really it will be a bit linger than 4 years because I want to go for the masters there as well.
Being away from family is not a problem as my parents and younger sister are not currently living in the country nor will they be while I attend college. However, my brother does attend CU- Boulder which I see as a pro, because I can always borrow stuff from him, but we will rarely see each other most likely anyways.
How do these two business schools compare? Is one significantly better than the other or are they both a bit above average but not amazing? Also, what are some pros of staying in my state vs. leaving? What would you do in my situation?Finally, do you think the undergrad + masters from CU will be much more worthwhile and a much better value than simply the undergrad from UMN?
I have lived in both places. Weather is a million times better in Boulder. I will never forget the first morning I awoke to the radio weather man saying “The temperature is -29 and the wind chill factor is -59.” It was Jan 4, and that was not the coldest it got.
I also was in Boulder at the same time as my brother. Rarely saw him, although I could see his apartment and car from my balcony. Did see his girlfriend occasionally.
I’m not seeing the upside to UM in your post. If your high school class is huge and has 1000 graduates (which I doubt it does) and even half of them go to CU (which I doubt they will), how often will you see those 499 students (would you even know all 499?) from your high school in a sea of 27,000 students? I’d think it likely you’d know 50 students from your high school class, and maybe a few from the previous 2 years. It isn’t going to be high school all over again. You might like seeing a few familiar faces.
It would seem better to be near a brother, especially if your mother and sister are out of the country for an extended period.
Thanks for the response @twoinanddone Kid of wishing I hadn’t wasted the money even applying to Minnesota now. -29 seems like hell. Very true that Boulder is a huge school with people from all over. What did you study during your time in Boulder?
An advantage to the Twin Cities is the larger number of employers and the opportunities for internships. Yes, it sometimes gets to be below zero but that is why people own coats and hats.
I see zero benefit to going to Minny over CU at a higher cost. I don’t even see any benefit at the same cost (maybe if it was something like ChemE which Minny is known for, but marketing, finance, biz? no.) Considering not only the cost, but also AP credits transfer, not to mention you really want to trade living in Boulder for Minneapolis? This is a no brainer.
As a Coloradan, I’ve known many kids who went to CU. ALL of them say, it’s a big enough a school for you to find your own tribe, whatever it is. It may take time, but you will. Their biggest beef wasn’t kids from their high schools, but rather lots of out-of-state (mostly Calif) kids with money, who came to Boulder because they couldn’t get into the Univ of California, and because they wanted to ski and party. But this group is totally avoidable as well. That’s the beauty of big schools.
The business school at the University of Colorado is up and coming. More and more, businesses are beginning to recruit out of Leeds. In fact, Goldman Sachs has been heavily recruiting here recently for the SLC office. The Leeds students are very bright and I enjoy networking and talking markets with them. My good friend just landed a high paying job at Ernst and Young. The internship and job placement is so good at Leeds. The University of Colorado is under appreciated IMO, it is only a matter of time before people recognize the real value of CU. Most of my professors are Ivy league educated; they come here because they love Boulder!
Also, school pride is on the rise!
SKO BUFFS!
At U MN where you admitted to Carlson?