I'm stuck and need any help i can get. Decision.

<p>Ok, i'm new to this board and have read excellent posts. My problem is choosing between two colleges i've gotten into, University of Wisconsin and Indiana University. I'll explain my situation. I have a 1260 SAT, and around a 3.5 weighted. Honestly i dont even remember why I applied to Indiana and never thought i'd end up seriously considering it until they gave me a $5,000 a year scholarship. Money is an issue, having a sister who is a junior at University of Wisconsin, and here lies the problem. I know you should not pick a school purely based on its reputation or statistics, but for me i cant help but to consider it an important factor. Wisconsin was the school i didnt think i could get into, all of its requirements being right around what i have, and I was deferred. Having been to the campus several times to visit my sister i know i would have a great time there. I recently went to visit Indiana (got back yesterday) and was hoping i wouldnt like it making my decision easier, but that wasnt so. I loved the campus and was very impressed making my current decision even harder. Part of me is thinking - Well i'd have a great time at both, and i like them both, why not go to the one with the better reputation. The other part of me is thinking - I'd have a good time at Indiana, it does have some good programs, why not make it easier on my parents and save them money. I think I may feel more comfortable at a school that i know is the best i could go to, and would work harder surrounded by the "level of student" (which may or may not be different from Indianas) that would be there, but how much does it really matter? Will I have more opportunitys after graduating from a higher ranked college as opposed to one slightly lower? Is the more impressive name and reputation worth the $20,000 that i'd be saving from Indiana? I've always felt that it was, and on top of it i like the campus, but i really dont know what to do. Would i be selfish and short-sighted to choose Wisconsin? Any help would be great, thanks so much for reading.</p>

<pre><code> -A very distressed adolescent
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<p>Do you know that IU will really be cheaper after Financial Aid? Might the aid packages be similar, with your $5000 merit scholarship at one school match in need-based aid at the other?</p>

<p>well my sister did get financial aid at Wisconsin, $6,000 a year, which i'm hoping i will get too or at least something close. That would make the cost of the two around the same, but i'd still have to pay the financial aid back. I was under the impression that IU wouldnt give much financial aid because they already gave me a scholarship?</p>

<p>Okay, don't think about the money for a moment, think about courses, majors, ec's and grad school....if money was not the issue, if it was the programs, where would you go....</p>

<p>also, your sis is a junior, so hopefully she has one more year...</p>

<p>If your sister is a junior, then you will have only a 1-year overlap that your parents will have more hardship. Besides, if you filled out FAFSA, for that 1 year, 2005-06, their EFC would be half as much as it was for the past 3 years. Have you received your F/A package yet?<br>
It would not hurt to call F/A offices at both schools, because once they admit you, ofcourse they would like you to attend.</p>

<p>If money wasnt a factor i'd go to Wisconsin. It has a better business school, and everything seems to be more competitive and higher ranked. It also kinda bothers me that it seems like Indiana is so easy to get into, accepting 81% of the applicants. They dont require an essay or recomendations on their application, and during the information session they said how they dont weigh SAT scores too heavily. In a way it feels like all the work i've done isnt worth it since i could have done much less and still end up at the same school.</p>

<p>I tend to agree with Dpianin. If money wasn't an issue, I'd go with Wisconsin. Indiana isn't a bad choice but does not have the national reputation that Wisconsin does. That said, a difference of 5,000 or 6,000 a year isn't really huge --- by working summers, you can make a few thousand and the amount of loans you might incur to go to Wisconsin won't be horrible. If you can honestly say to yourself that you will NOT look back longingly at giving up Wisconsin for Indiana, then go to Indiana. If there's any doubt, figure out a way to make the money work. Good luck!</p>

<p>oh great, i also just got into northeastern today. Its my dream #1 cuz i loved boston but i knew i'd never go because of the price. I bet if i beg to go to northeastern wisconsin will seem alot cheaper to my parents.</p>

<p>Wisconsin's reputation is far superior to Northeastern's, so it doesn't seem as though there should be much competition in any case.</p>

<p>so is the general consensus that i should not let the cost stop me from going to Wisconsin, and that the reputation is worth it? You think it will help me in the long run going to Wisconsin over Indiana?</p>

<p>If the difference was/is $10,000 or more a year, I'd say that would start to get dicey. At $5000 or $6000 a year, the difference isn't all that great. As I said, find a job (summer and during school), take out a loan, and apply for any private scholarships and upperclassman scholarships you can now and when you get there. But, only YOU can decide if you want to put all that extra effort in to attend UW.</p>

<p>I would take UW over Northeastern any day, Boston or not.</p>

<p>UW is an absolutely amazing school, a "public ivy" and all that. The added prestige to a degree from there is worth any money issue, imo. Remember, you can always take out loans!</p>

<p>(If I /had/ to go to a Midwest school (thank goodness I don't), it would have been UW, hands down)</p>

<p>5-6000 seems like a lot but you will earn that back quickly!!! Don't be afraid to invest in yourself! Go where you want.</p>