i definitely needed to read this thread right now. i got into michigan ea (dream school) but i’m from pa so it doesn’t look affordable at all. i applied for financial aid but i’m 99% sure i don’t qualify, but i definitely can’t afford $70,000+ a year. i’ve applied to every single one of their scholarships but i’ve heard they’re nearly impossible to win for oos students. i also got into pitt with a scholarship (about 75% of tuition, i would graduate debt-free) and it’s a great school, the only things holding me back are that i absolutely love michigan and don’t want to go anywhere else, and part of me wants to go to a prestigious school, even though that shouldn’t matter. i’m going to attend both of their admitted students days soon. i really want to be optimistic about pitt because i’ve heard many great things. but it’s just hard giving up my dream school even though pitt is the obvious choice.
Graduating debt free is an awesome thing. It will give you way more financial freedom than you realize. You’ll be free to take that dream job which might not pay a whole lot right out of college.
Why?
Because you won’t have a massive loan payment to make each month.
Is Michigan a great school? Yes. But so is Pitt.
go and listen to Episode 250 of Your College Bound Kid. The last portion of that podcast is an interview with the Associate Director of admissions at University of Pittsburgh. the interview continues in Episode 252 and 254.
I suspect you would be just as happy at Pitt once you’re there. My S23 is accepted at Pitt with a $5K scholarship (in-state) and has acceptances with good merit at six LACs, but he’s going to turn them all down to take a full scholarship from the Univ. of Alabama. Graduating debt-free gives you so much more flexibility to decide what to do with your life. Try to resist falling in love with a “dream school.” Reduced to its essence, this is a business transaction. I told my S23 early on to use college visits as an opportunity to help him cross schools off his list, and to try to resist falling in love. I wanted him to stay flexible to the end, and fortunately he was. He started this process thinking he wanted to attend a small LAC, and now he’s going to Bama with 32K other undergrads. Alabama is a great school with a fantastic campus, nice weather, and a strong honors program. He knows he can always chase “prestige” later for his graduate degree with all the money he is saving now, though when the time comes I suspect he will be pragmatic about it once again. Good luck to you, and remember . . . 75% of your education is the work you will put into it yourself. Do you really want to spend tens of thousands more for the other 25%?
S22 applied and got into ASU CS in September immediately after the application portal opened. It was a huge relief for him and really helped him relax as he worked on his EA and UC apps particularly because he was going to apply to some really selective schools. I highly recommend this approach of finding a safety with very early decision so the pressure is off and the student can put their best foot forward on the applications.
thank you so much for this! this is great advice. i will definitely listen to that podcast thank you!
thank you so much for this, i really like this perspective! i agree, i really like the urban vibe of pitt and it has a lot to offer so i think i would find ways to enjoy it.
Pittsburgh is a great city full of recreational and job opportunities.
it seems really nice from what i’ve been looking at online, i’m excited to attend admitted students day! i know they have incredible opportunities in the medical fields, and i’m going into psychology which is more social science but i’m sure there will still be more opportunities there. i also have guaranteed admission into their graduate school of public health (all students applying for psychology are automatically considered) and i don’t know much about that school but it’s a good option to have if i wanted that.
@damibabs Pitt is a terrific school. And the reality is…U Mich is not affordable. So…love that terrific school where you got accepted that IS affordable.
thank you for that!
Michigan is top for so many grad schools - and with certain programs and fellowships, the cost would be nothing; such a better deal for OOS. You’ve already proven yourself to be Michigan caliber…if grad school is in your future, keep UM in mind for that. And have a blast at Pitt!
thank you so much for the kind words!
My D2023 only applied to 3 safety schools where she’d be happy. Her stats are competitive and would be in the top 1% of students at all elite schools. (36 ACT, 4.0/4.8, National Merit, Presidential Scholar Nominated, Star Student finalist, Leadership EC’s, etc.
Applying to dream schools that are not affordable or would bring on incredible debt is not on our radar. A stellar student can make their mark anywhere.
My first daughter graduated from a state flagship school in December with no debt. She started her CE job January 3rd with a high paying job in her field.
My second child, a male graduates from a state flagship school in May, also CE and with no debt. He also has accepted a high paying position starting 2 weeks after graduation. Both couldn’t be happier. Both applied to schools based on affordability.
So now my third has only applied to three, all of which are safeties. There are others with her same stats, also only applying to these same schools. The other thing they have in common is the scholarship availability of these schools.
Reaching for a school that would bring on incredible debt is quite risky. Based on the amount of citizens who are begging for student debt forgiveness, it is certainly an issue.
My D2023 does plan on attending an elite Law School. But only after undergrad when she believes she will be competitive for Scholarships making them affordable.
fsudad93 - you’ve brought up smart kids all the way around. so CE - computer engineering?
Ask yourself one simple question: If Michigan and Pitt had the same ranking, would this even be an issue? I can also tell you that you are getting very wise advise here from parents that have a lot more real world experience. I can tell you first hand that doing really well as an undergrad at any school can open doors at the loftiest of grad schools. I went from a small state school as an undergrad to a highly selective program for grad school. Never paid a dime for my education.
Also, I’d like to add that two really bright kids at my daughter’s high school were also deferred by Wisconsin. (We’re in Minnesota and have reciprocity, so lots of kids apply from here.) This is an incredibly competitive year across the board. Just know that at a state university, lots of kids who got accepted during EA will choose to go elsewhere once the regular admission results come in, so that deferment may well turn into an acceptance.
We’ve had the opposite problem. When I tell them where my daughter is applying, they say, “Oh, no, that’s very competitive!” As if (1) I didn’t already know that, and (2) my daughter couldn’t POSSIBLY get into a competitive school. I don’t bother reciting her GPA and scores to them, because it’s none of their business.
My first kid was undecided and CE was ranked as the #1 money maker. I suggested it and now all four are planning on computer engineering. My main point is there is nothing wrong with safety schools and might possibly be the best place to start and or finish ones college career. 
that’s a good way of thinking about it! one part of it is that michigan offers an interdisciplinary cognitive science major which i really wanted to pursue, and pitt does not offer it so i would just major in psychology instead. it’s not that big of a deal though because the fields have a lot of overlap. you’re definitely right though, prestige is a part of it for me even though i shouldn’t care about it at all. i’m attending both of their admitted students days soon, but even if i still like michigan more, i probably won’t like it $60,000/year more 
and i really should give pitt a fair chance because i recognize how good of a school it is too.
i really appreciate you taking the time to respond to me! everybody on this thread has been very helpful and i can feel my perspective shifting a lot 