<p>I know that I am counting my chickens but now that I got into Stanford EA I feel like my odds of getting into the other schools I applied to have gone up. The other schools on my plate are Harvard, Vandy, and Duke. I applied to the Chancellor's Scholarship at Vandy which is full-tuition and I applied to the Robertson at Duke which is a full-ride. My family will not be eligible for any need based aid. However, the prospect of paying 52 grand a year is daunting. My family and I would be able to make it work but it would require a lot of sacrifices. I have also lived in Orange County, CA my whole life.</p>
<p>My question is, if I got the scholarships and was accepted at Harvard where should I go? Are Duke and Vandy so far out of Stanford and Harvard's league that I should not consider these? I know that I am going to have to figure out the Stanford vs. Harvard question on my own but any more info about either would be appreciated. </p>
<p>I also am about 90% positive that I would like to go to law school. If I went to Stanford or Harvard I would come out with a little debt from there but I would incur the full debt from grad school because my parents will have to help my sister pay for college who is 4 years younger then me. If I went to Vandy or Duke on scholarship I would have no undergrad debt and my parents would be able to help me with some of law school.</p>
<p>I haven't expressed all my concerns or given out all the circumstances I am facing because that would take far too long but if anyone can help me with the information presented that would be great. Thanks.</p>
<p>Damn I almost feel like I wrote that post because the same exact thoughts (down to the same schools and the 4 years younger sister) have been going through my mind ever since December 12. I am, however, looking at med school rather than law.</p>
<p>haha thats funny. where are you from? what are your thoughts on our predicament?</p>
<p>Alabama haha. I'm not too sure. I didn't apply for the Robertson in time, so Duke is looking like a no-go over Stanford (even though I love Duke and the prospect of double majoring in BME/Econ is looking very appealing), but I did apply for the Cornelius Vanderbilt at Vandy. As for Harvard, I'm almost positive I'd pick Stanford bc I plan on majoring in biomedical engineering, but a significant difference in financial aid packages could change my mind. I've also applied to Penn and Hopkins. This is all, of course, assuming I get admission into the mentioned schools. As confidence-instilling as SCEA admission to Stanford is, for all I know, it could have all been luck...</p>
<p>What kind of reception does Stanford get in Alabama vs. a Harvard? Everyone on the West Coast thinks the world of Stanford but is that the same in the South?</p>
<p>Entirely subjective and IMHO: </p>
<p>Duke+full ride > Stanford > Harvard for the future doc.</p>
<p>Duke+full ride > Harvard > Stanford for the future lawyer.</p>
<p>Vandy+full ride vs Stanford or Harvard would be a tough choice and probably depends on your financial situation.</p>
<p>Congratulations both of you and just wait until you find out the results of your apps...maybe you won't have to struggle with so many choices?</p>
<p>a full ride at Duke? i would NEVER turn that down... especially if you have lived in Orange County CA your whole life. </p>
<p>part of the Stanford appeal for me is that it's on the other side of the country. if i was from Cali, i probably wouldn't want to go there as much as i do now.</p>
<p>and while Stanford is a great school, Duke has a great reputation as well. and the school experiences are very similar, if you look at size, well-roundedness, athletics, etc. </p>
<p>Stanford is great, but if you had a full ride at Duke, why would you choose to incur debt at Stanford?</p>
<p>I think you should go to Duke if you get the Robertson. That way you can save your family (and yourself) so much money for paying for an undergraduate degree that will likely be almost on par with either Stanford or Harvard. If you get the scholarships for undergrad then your parents can help pay for grad school and you'll be able to start your professional career debt free. I do agree with Vicariousparent though that Vanderbilt gives you a significant dilemna. Vandy won't close any doors to the prestigous grad schools but it really isn't mentioned in the same breath as the other 3. Good luck and maybe the admissions/scholarship committees will make your choice(s) a bit easier for you. Then again, since you were one of the few to get into Stanford EA, maybe not!!!</p>
<p>If you get full scholarships from either school, then you will be able to do some negotiating with the Stanford financial aid offices. You won't get full, but they are bound to improve or at least give you some sort of package.</p>
<p>Brendan,</p>
<p>What authority do you have for this? The OP indicated his/her parents would not qualify for any need based aid and I'm pretty sure Harvard nor Stanford offer any merit based aid, only need based. Also, neither school advertise scholarships the way Duke and Vanderbilt do. So, do you have some inside info about this. What you say makes sense but I'm not sure it exists.</p>
<p>Stanford gets a great reception from those who are educated enough to know about its prestige (ie teachers, parents of college students, etc), but for your average joe (and even most of the teachers, parents, etc) Harvard receives a lot more prestige in the South. That's not going to really influence my decision however because I know that any employer or grad school will view them under equal light. Nevertheless, if I did happen to get into both schools (by some miraculous stroke of luck) then I would almost surely pick Stanford for undergrad BME and pre-med unless there was a significant money difference. Even then, I'm sure Stanford would be willing to match. If I managed to get into Jerome Fisher at Penn that would be a pretty tough choice to make though...</p>
<p>I would probably take a full ride at Duke over any of these, but considering I did not fill out a supplement for the Robertson, I find that highly unlikely. A full ride at Vandy (which is probably harder to get than admission in HYPSM) would also be hard to turn down considering I'm less than 2 hrs away. Of course, as MOMofknowital said, Vandy is very clearly one good notch behind the other 4, but not a bad education in any way.</p>
<p>Of course, all this speculation is a bit early considering I haven't gotten into any of these others, let alone any scholarship $$.. I guess I should add that we will get the big goose egg in terms of need-based aid.</p>
<p>First, full disclosure: I am a current Robertson</a> Scholar based at UNC-Chapel Hill who will be living at Duke next semester as part of the Robertson program.</p>
<p>I wanted to offer some thoughts on the Robertson program, and similar programs such as the Morehead-Cain at UNC-Chapel Hill, that might help you or others in similar situations as you consider the various potential opportunities headed your way.</p>
<p>1) $200,000 is no small thing, even for comfortable upper-middle-class families. As you mention, saving this money now gives your family incredible financial flexibility that will enable them to help you more down the road, for grad school or other major expenses. </p>
<p>2) Duke alone is extremely strong academically, and I know people who chose Duke over Stanford/Harvard without merit money.</p>
<p>3) If you were to go to Stanford/Harvard, how would you be spending your summers? The Robertson gives you extensive funding to do incredible things with your summers that you would be highly unlikely to be able to do otherwise, both for financial reasons and because many of the projects and opportunities offered in the summer are developed specifically for people in the program.</p>
<p>4) Which leads me to a final point about mentoring. It may seem trivial, but in my personal experience the advice and support of the program staff can be extremely helpful in navigating a large research university and in developing close relationships with faculty. Other program perks, such as funding to travel to conferences and to take professors out to dinner, also really add to the undergraduate experience you will have.</p>
<p>thank you very much thoughtprovoking. im glad i can get a first hand account of what robertson is like. do you plan on going to grad school? if so, is robertson the kind of program that really helps pave the way for you in terms of letters of rec and the "perks" you get at duke or unc?</p>
<p>also, is there any animosity between you and duke kids because you are such heated rivals? or do you feel like a part of both universities?</p>
<p>MOMofknowitall: I have talked to several Stanford students through facebook and here who have their own personal anecdotes about negotiating from no FA to some FA. Furthermore, this is the advice that was given to me from my own college counseling office. It makes sense, and it could not hurt to try.</p>
<p>Also, I would advise not reading into the tone of posts here too much. It's easy to pick up on nonexistent connotations on message boards. I did not intend to sound like an authority.</p>
<p>Uncertain2009: I am currently looking into MPP (Masters of Public Policy) programs, although I could always end up down the MA/PhD track too.</p>
<p>The Robertson does not just pay for your undergraduate education and say “good luck” – it actively supports you throughout your college years, locating resources that will help you pursue your goals – or, if it can’t find existing resources, creating them. </p>
<p>For example, I am interested in politics and public policy and had an opportunity to attend the Democratic National Convention. The Robertson program flew me out there and paid for my hotel. But the support is not just financial. Someone else I know is interested in starting a film company; the program is helping him locate potential clients and develop a business plan. A recent alum started a</a> boarding school for girls in Kenya and the program helped him develop a fundraising plan and find donors.</p>
<p>The unique “dual citizenship” at Duke and UNC-Chapel Hill gives you access to the faculty, research, and cultural activities at not one but two of the world's greatest universities. Although in my heart I feel my true allegiance is to UNC (particularly in sports!), I feel comfortable on both campuses – and as I said, I am living at Duke this coming semester.</p>
<p>^DANG thats amazing ..........</p>
<p>hearing annecdotes like that make me realize that if i were lucky enough to get a robertson scholarship that it would be foolish not to take it. do you remember around what time of the year you knew they were interested in you? did they call in february about setting up a phone interview?</p>
<p>I got a letter via FedEx at the end of February inviting me to participate in a phone interview.</p>