<p>My D got into both Harvard with full pay and UC Berkeley with Regents Scholarship. We are not rich but just a few $k above Harvard's EFC. This means we have to pay $30k per year more than if she goes to UCB. Her interests is mostly in Soci Science area (Goverment, Political Science, Econ, and/or Business). She seems definitely also want to go to grad or professional school after undergraduate.</p>
<p>It has been gut-wrenching 3 weeks and we still can make up our mind. Is going Harvard really worth the $120k than going to UCB?</p>
<p>Your insights/opinion is greatly appreciated.</p>
<p>This is a very tough decision. Harvard has arguably the best PoliSci/Econ related departments in the world, but Berkeley is also a fine school. The cost of Harvard is significant, especially if she wants to go to graduate school, which will tack on tens of thousands more in payments. In the end, it is really up to your family situation. If you think you can handle the tuition for Harvard and then possibly graduate school, then you should definitely go for it. If not, Berkeley is probably the better choice. Another factor to take into consideration is the prestige of a Regent’s scholarship. At Harvard your daughter will be an average student, but at Berkeley she will be treated like gold. Read what Cal has to say:</p>
<p>i agree this is a tough choice but i have a few things i would like to point out.</p>
<p>the first is that regents scholarship isn’t really worth anything beyond the $1000/year or whatever you are getting. i received the scholarship myself and i know a lot of friends who accepted it and it doesn’t change their experience in any way (certainly not treated like gold).</p>
<p>you should also keep in mind that harvard’s financial aid is constantly getting better, which might help a lot in the 2nd, 3rd, or maybe 4th year (i know a friend who’s harvard cost has decreased yearly while he’s there, even though his family situation is pretty consistent). you should also consider talking to the harvard aid office since it is absolutely true that they are committed to not have cost be an issue in the decision.</p>
<p>personally, i think 120k is a lot of money, but i also think harvard (even just undergrad) is worth it, especially for political science and econ. if you had said CS or engineering, i might think otherwise, but there is no question that 120k more for harvard political science is worth it. try calling the office tomorrow, and good luck!</p>
<p>OK frankly, given the financial situation, I really think it’s ridiculous for her to go to Harvard unless she has a <em>clear</em> attraction to the social sciences department there. </p>
<p>Remember, basically any Berkeley department is extremely, extremely good, and it is <em>not</em> just a math and science school. 120K is a tremendously huge amount. It’s kind of like saying, what if I had to pay 120K extra to come to Berkeley for computer science – granted, some would call it the best place in the world to study some forms of CS theory, but going elsewhere and then going to Berkeley for <em>graduate</em> school might be the best option if I really wanted to benefit from such a thing. Unless the other choice I were looking at utterly sucked at CS. </p>
<p>The one reason to go to Harvard would be if there’s something other than academics about the school that is utterly perfect to your daughter, which is fundamental to her happiness and lacking at Berkeley. </p>
<p>Oh and as a last note, do not choose Berkeley because of the Regents’ Scholarship, unless it for some reason is giving you lots of financial aid (which does happen at times, for those with need).</p>
<p>Harvard. If you don’t qualify for the middle class aid, which is extremely generous, you have enough to pay, even if you need some time to pay off loans.</p>
<p>You can learn anything you need to know at Cal, but it is not like going to Harvard, and it will never carry the same weight in business/government.</p>
<p>Obviously, I don’t know your circumstances, and the $120K might be impossible. But the fact that you are not getting aid makes me think that it is possible.</p>
<p>^^ Yeah good point, I think it depends largely on what this daughter’s future career goals are. Academically, Cal is an ocean of challenging, good stuff, but definitely the Harvard name carries special weight in some circles. But paying 120K is definitely a huge deal! Be sure you’re getting compensated with good aid.</p>
<p>My cousin was accepted to Harvard but has to pay full tuition. He has a full ride at the state flagship plus monthly stipends. My aunt complained to my dad that she did not have $54k/yr to send my cousin to Harvard after mortgage and taxes, although the family is making $220k/yr. </p>
<p>They are so stressed out at the moment and can not make up their minds. The deadline is 05/01.</p>