<p>Hey everyone, I've been wondering back and forth in my mind whether the University of Michigan is worth the expensive price tag since I'm an OOS student. I've already been accepted to LSA and have seen the campus/Ann Arbor which was a fantastic experience. However, with an annual cost for myself coming in at right around $48,000 I begin to wonder how much better of a school it is than my local flagship: the University of Washington. </p>
<p>UW would cost me a mere $21,000 in comparison yearly and would only be a 3 hour drive away from my hometown instead of a full 8 hour day of flight travel (I might add a round trip ticket for myself was about $750). I realize that it is one of the best universities around and for my major (business), Ross really would give me the best education I could want. However, graduating with an extra ~$110,000 in debt is a large amount. So is the UM really twice as good as the University of Washington?</p>
<p>P.S. I'll post something on UW's forum too so that I don't get the typical responses to "GO BLUE" just because I'm on UM's forum.</p>
<p>If you are paying for most of it, then go to UW.
If your parents are paying for most of it, then go to UM.
If you want to work in northwestern U.S. when you graduate, go to UW.
If you want to work anywhere in the U.S. when you graduate, go to UM.</p>
<p>$48k is like the same price as an Ivy. If I were in your situation, I would also heavily consider this. I think that your head tells you to go to UW but your heart wants you to go to UM. If I were you, I’d go to UW because you said you have to pay for it yourself. I know plenty of people that were like “Oh, my degree from X prestigious university will pay for itself” but they are in their late 30’s and still trying to pay off loans.</p>
<p>If you want to go to graduate school, DEFINITELY go to UW.</p>
<p>Edit: I didn’t know much about UW so I just researched it. I am quite impressed. UW is no pushover.</p>
<p>Judging only by the 100K discrepancy, I would recommend Washington. Would you buy a 100k house you’ve never been to before? Yes UM is better many respects, but if you are seriously considering UM you should visit and possibly stay for some time with a current student to gauge fit.</p>
<p>Fit has deeper implications that most people realize.</p>
<p>It’s hard to explain, but you should absolutely OWN the next four years like the greatest four years you’ve ever had up to this point. In the long run, a UM degree may have a higher return than UW, but who knows? Fit and better chances of thriving at one particular college can tip the scales of fortune, but the farther you look ahead in the future, the more uncertainty there is about the future.</p>
<p>I would visit if you’re serious about possibly choosing Ross over UW.</p>
<p>I think UW makes more sense. I agree that UM’s course fees are WAY too expensive. In the end, it’s not where you get the degree from but whether you fully utilized the resources you have at the university and whether you have the motivation to push yourself further. Successful people can come from almost any university, so it’s going to be YOU who’s making the difference. You’ll soon learn, especially if you’re going to do business, that a good uni may get you a job but whether you rise in the ranks and climb high up the corporate ladder depends on your work attitude and work smarts. </p>
<p>My two cents anyway.</p>
<p>If you are unsure I would choose UW. I would pick U-M only if you really want to go there.</p>
<p>If you need to take on the kind of debt you are talking about, then it is not worth going to UM. That is a big hole to climb out of; don’t go through that stress. And don’t discount the transportation costs. There are Thanksgiving, Winter and Spring breaks. UW is a strong school in its own right.</p>
<p>"$48k is like the same price as an Ivy."</p>
<p>chronome, that is partially correct. </p>
<ol>
<li><p>Ivies usually cost $5,000 more than Michigan. That’s ~10% more.</p></li>
<li><p>You say it as though Michigan were inferior to the Ivy League. It should be noted that there is no difference in quality or prestige between Michigan and several of the Ivies. </p></li>
</ol>
<p>To the OP, whether or not spending the extra $100k on an elite university such as Michigan is worth it depends on your personal circumstances. If you come from a well off family, paying the extra money for the social prestige associated with a mega elite university such as Michigan is worth it. On the other hand, if your family does not have the means and paying the extra money to attend a university will present a significant sacrifice on your family (or your) part, then I would say that the prestige assiociated with an elite university is not worth paying for.</p>
<p>If you were considering Sam Houston State instead of UM, I would say beg, borrow or steal to go to UM. But that is not what you are saying. Wash is one of the top public schools in the country, not as good as UM but still easily top 20 (public). It is a fine school, I would save the $30K/year and not look back.</p>
<p>Thanks for the replies everyone, I think after seeing Michigan in its campus day today I have a lot to think about. Ross, the business school I would wish to attend is really amazing and outstanding. However, I also found out today that I got accepted into UW’s business school as a freshman (similar to the Ross preferred admission idea). So after that I think I’ll have to wait until Ross gets back to me about PA before I make a decision. I will say that UM as a whole is an amazing university, I’m just not sold yet because of cost.</p>