<p>I have to make a tough choice between Stanford and University of Toronto.</p>
<p>Stanford: Costs $45000/year, No Financial Aid</p>
<p>University of Toronto: Costs $13000/year, with $3000 Scholarship plus other college & in course scholarships</p>
<p>I know Stanford is awesome, but that $45000/yr is kind of putting me back. My parents could afford me to go there, but it still looks expensive to me. I mean, they could use the money to buy a nice new car, house renovation etc. I simply don't want them to dig deep into their retirement savings. </p>
<p>Where do you think i should go? Is there anything i can do to reduce that $45000/yr without fin. aid (through part time job, summer job, out-side awards etc.)?</p>
<p>Tough situation. You could earm something in the school year and the summers but it can't compare to $45,000 (unless you have totally extraordinary luck!).</p>
<p>You never say how you personally feel about Toronto--only that Stanford is "awesome". For a moment, stop thinking about college rankings and consider whether or not you would be happy at Toronto. Some people thrive in certain atmospheres and campuses and others don't. You can get a great education at either school, but the name recognition factor is obviously greater at Stanford. But if you honestly feel that the life at Toronto is not for you (and you're not just hung up on ratings), no amuont of money can make up for feeling miserable. </p>
<p>Do you have time to revisit the two schools before making a decision? Some times a personal visit can clear up a lot of questions.</p>
<p>Do you know what you're majoring in? How do the departments and their profs compare at the two institutions?</p>
<p>Do you think you want to go to grad school? If you attend Toronto, will that extra money be sitting there waiting for you to apply to grad or law or med school? (It may depend how your parents would feel helping you in grad school. Some do and some don't.) Yes, it's easy to get loans for post B.A. but it's not fun coming out with thousands and thousands in debt if you can avoid it. </p>
<p>Only you can decide how these different factors add up. Good luck!</p>
<p>We could buy a new BMW every year that we send our D to college and our house could use some serious renovation. I'm not sure my D gave a moment's thought to those factors when she chose her college. How nice of you think of your parents.</p>
<p>But as a parent, I'm happy to do it. Maybe you should have a heart to heart with your parents. You may find that they don't care about new cars or carpet either.</p>