<p>My son has narrowed it down to these two very different schools. We live in Michigan, so over 4 years it will be $100,00 less than Macalester. When is is worth $100,000 to go to a school? Is it ever worth it? They are both great schools, just wanted to hear from people who picked the more expensive school - was/is it worth it?</p>
<p>If you can afford the $100K and are willing to pay then it might be worth it. Not to me. You already know the schools are very different in the size/type so the atmosphere will be totally different. But it’s not like UMich is bad…</p>
<p>“But it’s not like UMich is bad…”</p>
<p>Spoken like somebody who lives in Ohio. LOL. Seriously, Michigan for 100 grand less than MacAlester is the way to go. Remember you can make a large school small, but you can’t make a small school large.</p>
<p>Did you apply to the Residential College at Michigan? That seems like the obvious path if you want an LAC-like experience.</p>
<p>A lot of people would pick Mich > Macalester if costs were even. Mich + $100k > Macalester is a no brainer.</p>
<p>“But it’s not like UMich is bad…”
It is ranked in top 10 for most disciplines. Facing similar dilema, D accepted to UMich CoEngineering and Carnegie Mellon. We are in-state and make too much for fin aid so it looks like UMich which on most lists ranks just above CMU. But also think D should learn that high price doesn’t always mean better…</p>
<p>There is no way on Earth a Macalester education is worth 100K more than Michigan - that notion is ridiculous. Do yourself a favor and go to Michigan.</p>
<p>We are certainly of the opinion that it wouldn’t be worth $100,000 more, but Dad and I are Michigan alums so I was concerned my own bias could be clouding my vision. My son is practical, he can attend Mich and have some $$$ left for grad school or down payment on a house, so that is his choice. Thanks for taking the time to reply.</p>
<p>These schools are way too different to compare. If Macalester is truly the better fit for your son, its hard to believe that Michigan could ever feel “just as right”, even if you furiously gloss over the course catalog for hours and try to assemble a class schedule with LAC-like enrollments.</p>
<p>I would check out Michigan’s Honors College and the Residential College as Hanna suggested. Personally, I found the Residential College kids kind of strange when I visited 5 years back.</p>
<p>It it was Williams, Amherst or HYPS then perhaps, but Michigan is arguably a BETTER school that Macalester and you can make a large university “small” by taking smaller classes, visiting office hours etc.</p>
<p>So what if your own bias could be clouding his vision? From a biased perspective this one doesn’t seem like much of a contest.</p>
<p>I think the original posting was asking for comments from people who chose the more expensive small college over a prestigious, but public university. And I think just about all students who choose a selective LAC over their state’s flagship do just that. So, your question is why choose a liberal arts college. The answer is usually for small class sizes, access to professors who concentrate on teaching undergraduates, personal attention, individualized academic advising, active alumni network, prestige among a select group, ability to work with professors on research etc., ability to play a sport for non-superstars, feeling of community and belonging, and (although kind of obvious) emphasis on the liberal arts. What LACs generally don’t have: big-time sports, lots of name recognition from those outside of academia, teaching assistants, thick course catalogs with more courses and majors than one person could ever take, thousands of students and and any graduate students. Many LACs (like Mac) do not have fraternities. </p>
<p>If you’re looking for a quantitative answer - what’s the best price - you already know the answer. To pick a LAC, you need to consider the qualitative data.</p>