<p>“In short, we are talking about two institutions of equal quality and reputation with a $100,000 difference in their price tags. So, like I said, unless you get a substantial amount from Northwestern...or unless your folks are so wealthy that $100,000 is insignificant to your family, I'd say go with Michigan.”</p>
<p>By this convoluted argument, nobody should ever choose Northwestern over Michigan, Berkeley, etc, in-state. You make it seem like Northwestern is a huge rip-off. Only about half the families at Northwestern make over $100,000 per year, meaning that many, many students are getting quite a bit of financial aid, especially seeing how the first-year price could total over $50,000. The price difference between the two schools is, however, not as exaggerated as many like to make it seem.</p>
<p>I think it should be noted that average indebtedness at Northwestern is $18,362 for 46% of students, and $22,312 for 42% of Michigan grads. So while Northwestern has more people with debt, Michigan has a higher average debt amount…….</p>
<p>"go to Michigan. Save the money"</p>
<p>-Go to Northwestern. Save the money..... :rolleyes:</p>
<p>KK, NU costs $45,000/year. Michigan costs $20,000/year. That's the price tag of those two universities for Michigan residents. Most people who are recommending Michigan in the thread are going by the assumption that NU isn't going to match Michigan. Of course, should NU decide to give the OP a $25,000 scholarship and should Michigan not give anything (highly unlikely that NU should give something without Michigan giving something too), then the price gap between those two schools disapears and the OP should pick between those two universities based on personal preference and fit. However, it is highly unlikely that the OP will end up finding NU cheaper to attend than Michigan. I actually think it is highly unlikely that NU will even come within $15,000/year of Michigan. We should admit that neither school is known for its generosity.</p>
<p>"should NU decide to give the OP a $25,000 scholarship and should Michigan not give anything, then the price gap between those two schools disapears and the OP should pick between those two universities based on personal preference and fit."</p>
<p>I agree. I may even be hesitant if they were within $6,000 of each other ... after 4 years that's nearly $25,000 in debt. See if NU gives any aid first, though.</p>
<p>Very few universities are worth picking over Michigan in-state (discounting financial aid) and Northwestern doesn't make that list, IMO.</p>
<p>But I agree with others who said you should wait to see what aid Northwestern gives you. I don't know your financial situation, but personally I would not consider Northwestern if the difference was more than 5k a year.</p>
<p>kk19131, if that average indebtness statistic includes Michigan's OOS students, who make up a third of the student body, then your argument falls apart.</p>
<p>Depends: Are you a white male or something else? If you're a white male, you're not going to michigan unless you've got the credentials to get into Stanford. </p>
<p>Affirmative Action $%^#$%&#$&&^*</p>
<p>And yes, Prop 2 was passed, but UofM already blatantly said that it was going to use it's AA in other means, take the proposal to court, and until Prop 2 was reversed, ask for an extension to keep using AA because changing their policies too quickly would be too hard for the school. </p>
<p>-and yes, before I found out about AA, I was a Wolverines fan.</p>
<p>(and I am a 50% Native American, 25% Hungarian, 25% German female)</p>
<p>“kk19131, if that average indebtness statistic includes Michigan's OOS students, who make up a third of the student body, then your argument falls apart.”</p>
<p>-Even if it does include OOS state students, whom you say constitute 33% of the school, the number is 42% of undergrads with debt, which would also include in-state students… And considering that in-state tuition is about $10,000 per year, $22,000 of debt is quite hefty. My argument does not “fall apart”. Whether or not an in-state student should choose a school for price depends completely on how much money the other schools are willing to give. The issue is not as black and white as people like to make it seem. Michigan is NOT always cheaper for in-state students.</p>
<p>I wonder how Prop 2 will affect admissions at Michigan in the next few years. Michigan, unlike California, doesn't have a huge Asian population, so unlike UCs, Michigan may see a slight increase in whites accepted and a decrease in URMs. Will Michigan still be allowed to look at applications holistically, or will it be a GPA/SAT meritocracy?</p>
<p>Michigan is amazing. Not sure about the specific chem programs, but I would personally choose U of M. It's a great school and since it seems like it will save you money, go for it. </p>
<p>Hmmmm....you use the comment of ONE student to judge the teaching of the whole institution? So much for "backing up claims with evidence or logic". :)</p>
<p>I'm still waiting for the evidence. I know that kk is about as sharp as they come at NU--if you have any doubts, just ask him--so if he can't come up with some evidence, nobody can.</p>
<p>Speaking of evidence, when the US military rolled into Iraq a few years back, ONE of the things on the agenda was to find weapons of mass destruction. Having spent the 1980s in uniform, I was certain that if we couldn't find any, we'd "plant" some. The fact that we haven't found any might make people distrust the President's judgement, but it should gold-plate his honesty. He could have very easily taken enormous heat off himself by having some covert operators guarantee that something was found. And unlike his predecessor, he would have been able to plant something without splattering his DNA all over the place. Talk about a smoking gun....</p>
<p>Well, I didn't believe what the administration said and wasn't fooled at the first place. Many people were fooled and found it out LATER. I'd learned not to easily believe without facts and <em>real</em> evidence and I was educated in Evanston. :p</p>
<p>I am biased I admit, but choosing Michigan over Northwestern is a no-brainer even for $5k savings per year much less 15-25k. I went to Michigan out of state and realized that in-state tuition for Michigan is one of the best bargains you'll ever find. </p>
<p>Coming out of school with any major debt is a significant burden. I left law school with a combined 88k in debt. After 4+ years of 125k+ salary I still owe over 2/3s of that and I paid aggressively for the first 3 years. I consider myself pretty frugal as well. At my current rate, I'll still owe for at least another 10-15 years. And I consider myself lucky b/c I went in-state for my law school, thereby saving some money. </p>
<p>Listen to me now and thank me later. Debt just keeps you from doing so much more with your life. You can have better cars, better homes, better vacations. Northwestern is a great school, no doubt, but I don't think that it is such a cut above Michigan, if at all, to warrant significantly more money.</p>
<p>Besides, who wants to live in Evanston and bear with Wildcat athletics?</p>
<p>I’d go Michigan even if it costs same as NW. Michigan has so much prestige and obviously has so many great things to offer to its students. I know of many successful Wolverines in my small social circle. For example, a Marylander who went to U of Mich as an OOS student, went on to a law school, is now working as a top dog in a top law firm.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I'm still waiting for the evidence. I know that kk is about as sharp as they come at NU--if you have any doubts, just ask him--so if he can't come up with some evidence, nobody can
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Re: KK</p>
<p>I agree. KK is a very sharp guy. I am not very familiar with NW, but if I may have a liberty of judging NW by KK’s posts alone, NW must be a great place to learn as evidenced by his intellect, temperament & writings in the CC message board.</p>
<p>I agree with what you say about the cost/debt, even speaking as a Wildcat. </p>
<p>And everybody knows Wildcat football isn't Michigan (Wildcats are pretty good in tennis...etc though). </p>
<p>I bet you haven't been to Evanston for a long time. It's a happening town right now with lots of development over the last decade (see link below). You make it sound like Ann Arbor is metropolitan and Evanston a small town, LOL! Evanston is 2/3 the size of Ann Arbor population-wise, so if you think Evanston doesn't have much to offer, then Ann Arbor doesn't either unless you really believe 1/3 bigger is significant. Not to mention Ann Arbor is in the middle of nowhere while Evanston shares boarder with Chicago. </p>