I’ve been accepted to William and Mary, Emory University, UT Austin with Liberal Arts Honors, and UCLA.
I have also been waitlisted at UC Berkeley, UT Austin Plan II Honors, UVA, and Washington and Lee.
Tl;dr: UT is cheap, everywhere else is expensive, where should I go?
I am a military brat who has lived all over the world, but is currently a resident of Texas. Because I’ve only lived here for a couple years, I have no objection to remaining in Texas for undergrad.
I am a Cognitive Science major who wants to continue my current research on mental health at university. Academically, I care about being able to conduct independent research as an undergrad, study abroad in Tibet, and quality of curriculum / great, accessible professors for non freshman classes. Non-academically, I want to be in a young, thriving city, I want top-notch peers, and I want the school food to be good and have vegan options for my pretentious butt.
I’ll take financials out of context for a moment and rank my preference for the colleges accordingly:
Note: I have visited
UCLA
Academically, the country’s second best public institution, in the country’s #1 city for young aspirational liberals. Award winning meal plan food where 50% of it is vegan. Big classes, competitive, many outstanding students and faculty, undergrad research opportunities, great CogSci programs with tons of connections to AI jobs when I graduate. Study abroad is lackluster, no Tibet, nothing unique to the psych department.
UVA:
Cross-apply everything I said about UCLA, minus the amazing city and food. Charlottesville kind of sucks. But I fell in love with the campus and student body when I visited, and they have both CogSci and Tibetan Studies. I would heavily consider it if I get in off the waitlist.
UT Austin Liberal Arts Honors
Does not have my major, but I might be able to make my own and call it Cognitive Science. UT Austin’s academics are less competitive, but it has great undergrad research opportunities, study abroad, and great faculty. The student body is not as high caliber as my other options. Austin is a thriving liberal enclave in Texas. The honors program also takes it to another level- I’ll be a big fish in a small pond living and taking classes with outstanding individuals. As a liberal arts honors students, I will have first dips on choosing classes, university resources, and access to a separate pool of scholarships and study abroad opportunities. In addition to the price difference, there’s a reason people have gone to UT honors over ivies.
UC Berkeley
1 academically, but grade deflation and super competitive. I’d rather go to UCLA. I’ve also read that the recent wave of “Bezerkeley” conservative propaganda has made it harder for grads to get jobs. I don’t see why I should go here instead of UCLA even if I get in off the waitlist.
UT Plan II Honors
Cross apply everything I said about UT LAH, except I have to take a ton of required classes. Plan II is literally a major in itself, and I don’t want to waste time and effort when I have a sense of direction.
Emory University
LA > Austin >Atlanta
I don’t like the vibes I’ve been seeing from Emory and its students. Seems to be a place for rich Ivy rejects. Grade deflation, small, elitist, been talking to employers, they think UT Austin has a better name than Emory.
However, Emory has great study abroad and has sent students to Tibet. Great professors, undergraduate research, and if we go by rankings, arguably the most prestigious on this list. I just don’t know if I would be as happy here.
Washington and Lee
Small and in the middle of nowhere. Not a lot of research, no cogsci. Outstanding in every other way.
William and Mary
Like UVA, but with grade deflation, more introverted and overworked student body, no cogsci, no study abroad in Tibet.
I just got back from UCLA’s Bruin day for admitted students, and… well, who wouldn’t fall in love with the school? If financials were not a significant factor, I would commit there in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, that is not the case.
Here’s what I’ve got right now:
-10k of scholarships, I can probably get around this much or more every semester, but let’s be conservative
~25-30k a year from my dad’s GI bill, depending on where I go
-100k MAX from college savings
Cost of attendance (out of pocket- this is applying the GI bill AND school-unique scholarships):
W&L: 25k
UCLA, William and Mary, UVA, UCB: 20k
Emory: 14k (thanks to a merit based grant)
UT: 0k
Basically, all these universities will put me in significant debt unless my parents give me every drop of cash (I have 2 younger siblings, so that won’t happen) or I’m able to win a few dozen miracle scholarships.
I intend to work after I get my basch before going to grad school.
What do you guys think I should do? Are any of these places worth the extra cost over UT? Thank you so much!
