Emory will cost about 6k more for my parent’s than UT and I’ll be in about 22k in debt vs 15k at UT - really not too bad. My asian mom really wants me to go to UT because it’s close to home - she thinks that Emory isn’t “prestigious” enough like Northwestern or UPenn to warrant leaving the state and paying extra money. Pretty dumb tbh. Exactly how “prestigious” does Emory have to be lol?
Emory Pros:
- I really do feel like I’ll have no trouble fitting in here - a lot more people at Emory seem more similar to me and align to my interests. There’s kinda like this intangible feeling I get when think about Emory that I love.
- Gorgeous Campus
- Unique opportunity to explore liberal arts for 2 years before going into B-school. Honestly I’m not 110% if I want to do business.
- Opportunity to finally get to leave Texas and maybe get out of my comfort zone? - was never really a fan of TX tbh
- Goizueta has 30%+ people place in NYC, although it might not necessarily be for prestigious IB/Consulting roles.
- MUCH smaller class sizes/ manageable campus/student body
- idk my friends were impressed I got in I guess.
- 58/42 female-male gender ratio AYYYYY ( jk haha )
- Frat scene is less intense here than an UT so I might actually try it out
Cons:
-Need a plane.
- Disproportionately wealthy - might be harder to fit in with that group
-Might be more competitive/harder to stand out
- Honestly not any more intellectual than UT is - very pre-professional.
- Austin>Atlanta
- Absolutely need a car to get ANYWHERE
- Higher frat percentage ( 30% ) - In case I don’t like it can be kinda hard to avoid it Freshman
- I don’t know ANYONE there
- Costs 6k More
- Recruiting isn’t necessarily stronger than UT
- *** No (or extremely slim) opportunity to transfer into BHP at UT which will have significantly better recruiting.
- Parent’s don’t want me to go here very much
UT - Austin Pros:
- Chance to transfer into BHP which will offer amazing recruiting that Goizueta simply can’t match
- Extremely diverse/eclectic campus might make it easier to find my niche
- Known for being one of the most fun schools in the nation
- Very Walk-able; don’t really need a car
Cons:
- The culture just doesn’t seem to fit me as well
- BHP is extremely difficult to transfer into
- Kinda hard to explore majors and stuff at UT - I have to be a B-school major all 4 years
- Huge emphasis on athleticism and sports here; don’t really have a serious interest in being a huge part of school spirit
- The campus isn’t that pretty to me - although I could probably learn to like it
- Extremely Big - Might be harder to find long-term friends with so much people to deal with
- Extremely Large Classes
- Frat scene, while smaller ( 18% ) is EXTREMELY intense and I would for sure try to avoid rushing at all
What would you pick?
As you obviously know, both are fine schools but they’re so very different. You’ve listed several pros and cons for both schools.
I think the issues you’ve mentioned surrounding frats/location/walkability/class sizes – those things seem to more or less even out.
You’ll probably find your niche at either school, finding plenty of activities to enjoy and friends to enjoy them with.
To me, the key decision would be the money you’d save at UT vs. the increased academic freedom at Emory – financial fit vs. academic fit.
If you aren’t 100% sold on Business, the ability to take those first two years to explore at Emory could really be beneficial. You could then conceivably make a fairly easy transition into whatever major you chose.
The question to me would be, is that academic liberty worth the difference in money?
I don’t think you can make an incorrect choice. You certainly are going into it with both eyes wide open.
I’m am Emory fan who has a daughter who graduated from Emory and who is very happy with her experience. Yet after reading your pros and cons I don’t think there’s enough to warrant choosing Emory over UT against the wishes of your parents. It’s just my gut feeling.
OP maybe you can take a run at the financial aid office to see if they come up on their aid. I’m not really hopeful they will though based on my personal experience.
@kaukauna
Thanks for the help!
The thing is,my parents really aren’t staunchly against Emory. It really is just a preference; in fact my dad LOVES the idea of me going to Emory, it’s mostly my more pragmatic/cautious mother that would rather I go to UT… I do see what you are saying though…
I also managed to work with the FA a bit. So Emory managed to reduce my parent’s cost to only about 1.5k-2k more than UT, and slightly reduced my debt fom 7k more expensive to only about 5k more after 4 years.
The only thing that irks me is the chance to transfer into BHP. I feel like if I go to UT and I don’t get into BHP, I would regret not going to Emory. Also, EVERYONE on CC seems to tell people to choose a college based upon fit.
Not going to lie though, at this point UT really does seem more like a pragmatic decision, while Emory is honestly entirely based upon fit and the opportunity to finally get to “start over” on a new leaf. It just seems like my personality better fits a private school… Paying a similar price for a top 20/21 private school than I would at a (albeit very good) state school seems like a really good opportunity…
Fit is very important for sure. I now understand the degree of resistance to Emory being offered by your parents. It doesn’t seem that much. A difference of $5k over 4 years is very small. I did not know about BHP so I looked it up. It is indeed selective but I struggle to see the real advantage for the student. I can see the advantages for UT. It is a good marketing strategy by UT to attract really smart students. But that’s a superficial reading.
One other thing about Emory. My daughter was very pleased with her placement assistance and she was employed at graduation using things learned as an undergraduate and she is very happy.
Take your time, talk to people you trust and respect. If you come to a definite decision, make sure it is a good one you made and not one to please others. Best of luck to you.
Are you from Austin?
I am a huge believer in leaving your comfort zone for college and once again after college. Being in an entirely new city with an entirely new group of people around you will cause you to grow and adapt in ways you simply can’t do when you’re close to home. I know you listed knowing nobody there as being a con, but I think that’s a big plus. Without a safety net, you will become more independent and proactive in networking, making friends, etc.
If the money isn’t a big deal (and, I don’t think 7k is a big deal, personally), I would choose Emory for that reason. It is not why I went to Emory originally, but it is the biggest reason that, six years later, I am glad I did.
@aluminum_boat
I’m from the DFW area, so Austin will still be an extremely drastic setting than where I currently live. Its just that a bunch of people from my HS are going to UT also. At Emory I would know absolutely no one so that’s the distinction
For the cost, I’d go with Emory. The odds of getting into BHP are tiny and the learning conditions will be much better at Emory, not to mention that you’re not even sure you want to get into business. The 5K difference over 4 years is negligible - You’ll be paying public school price for a top private experience.
@MYOS1634 : As if there aren’t different tiers of public schools. The UT Austin range of schools are comparable to good private schools in general. The classroom experience of many 1st and 2nd years on pre-professional tracks will mimic those of public schools at many even top privates (more like especially). The only difference is that at Emory, since it wasn’t initially planned to grow into an R1 university, the large lecture classes are generally smaller than those at comparable peers (mainly because infrastructure doesn’t support it as well) but they are nonetheless still large lecture format. Don’t over-rate the private schools…and don’t under-rate places like Austin which typically offer much more tracks outside of the liberal arts entity (arts and sciences or arts and letters) than many privates. Many privates, at the undergraduate level, are known for extreme strengths in certain areas If this person isn’t sure about business, they should investigate the strength of the other disciplines they may have an interest in at both Austin and Emory.