<p>I enjoy both Georgetown and UMich about equally although GTown has a preppier and more competitive feel, at least for me, while Umich seems much more chillaxed. My dilemma is that I want to study International Economics and GTown obviously has a lot to offer from that perspective yet the huuuuge price tag is my utmost concern. On the other hand UMich has offered me a $10,000/yr scholarship and is cheaper overall so the final price tag is much lower than that of GTown. Yet I'm not sure if their international studies program is worth taking up for the cheaper price versus GTown's awesome, yet restrictive, SFS program. On that note the SFS program is REALLY restrictive as in not many electives to be taken and such and also extremely rigorous. I fear that I'll be an average student (although I tend to thrive in competitive circumstances) whereas at UMich I would probably stand out a bit more academically. Basically I am wondering if the SFS program is really worth + $60,000 or whether UMich (about $20,000 cheaper) is a good enough replacement for the price? Thank you so much for your input :)</p>
<p>Where do you want to work, how much will the extra cost strain your family, and where do you think the better fit is? Michigan is a great school and I don’t really think Georgetown is worth that much more than Mich unless you want to work in government, NGOs, or otherwise want those kinds of DC connections. And I say that as someone planning to attend Gtown SFS in the fall with a major in intl econ ; ) </p>
<p>Both of your options are rad as heck, so unless the DC thing is really what you want, I would go Mich. I mean, I DO STRONGLY want the DC thing, and I would still be reluctant to choose SFS in your situation, my family absolutely couldn’t afford it.</p>
<p>@energia thanks so much for responding! and yes the DC thing does weigh very strongly for me especially since I want to go into kind of a diplomacy, foreign service, kind of mishmash thing, while Ann Arbor is a small city less oriented towards that kind of thing. As far as fit goes both schools offer something totally different yet I can see myself going to both. Truthfully I find it much harder to think about giving up GTown than UMich but then I find myself thinking bout the $ and cost. Money-wise my family would have to stretch finances to the maximum for GTown as in no wiggle room for vacations and such. Btw it’s awesome your doing internat’l econ at Gtown next year 
Hoya Saxa to ya and thanks again</p>
<p>Well, if the foreign service is your aim and you want to position yourself well to climb in the State Dept, SFS is hard to beat. If your parents are supportive of Georgetown and their support will mean graduating with little or no debt at either school, then the final question is this: </p>
<p>Will you regret spending more money at Georgetown and not getting all the career advantages you might have expected more than you will regret going to Michigan and finding that your colleagues from Georgetown have significantly better placement and advancement in the State Dept, non-profits, CIA et al?</p>
<p>These are the two extremes, and I’d imagine that it will balance out somewhere in the middle.</p>
<p>Either way, I’m still not worried about you, you’re going to be fine. I would like to see you at SFS next year, but I hope it’s because it’s the right decision for you. ; ) Good luck! Hoya saxa!</p>
<p>GU is a great institution, as is Michigan. However, attending GU isn’t the gateway to enter the Foreign Service, CIA, FBI, insert-any-US-Govt-entity. The advantage GU provides are year-round NGO and US Govt internships opportunities. Whereas at Michigan, you may have to take a semester off or spend a summer in DC. But, you don’t have to intern in DC to build a competitive resume for a career in with the US Govt.</p>
<p>Insofar as a big chunk of the entry-level hiring the federal government does is through internship programs that convert over into full-time offers, I would say that it is a pretty big advantage. The Foreign Service or becoming an FBI Special Agent is a bit different, as they have very specific intake processes. Federal employment more broadly, though, tends to be surprisingly ad hoc in that regard. They like hiring interns because they’re a known quantity.</p>