Hello everyone! I’m in the same position as many my age at this point… I have to choose between two schools.
The first is UC Berkeley; this has been one of my dream schools for a long time, and I was incredibly happy when I saw that I was accepted. After visiting the campus, I feel that the academic rigor, resources, and culture is the right fit for me. The problem is its $65K price tag - I didn’t receive any financial aid or scholarships.
My alternate choice is the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. This has been my safest of the safety schools from the very beginning, and because my entire family (and entire community) has gone there, I find it incredibly boring. I know that it’s a great school, has the right programs for me, and that I’ll definitely be happy there at the end of the day, but there’s something self-defeating about going there? I know, I’m very pretentious for that. But by far the most appealing part of this school is the price tag - $20K per year with in-state tuition and the scholarships I received.
My parents claim that money isn’t a problem, but I’m having a hard time justifying making them pay over 3x as much per year. My end goal is to go to medical school, so my question is: is it worth it to splurge for the resources that Berkeley provides for pre-med students, or should I save for the long run? Help a girl out!