<p>I think you should wait and see what your financial aid will be at Columbia. Have you visited both schools? Both are urban campuses, of course. If Columbia works out to be about half tuition, could your family afford that? My daughter is at Pitt with free tuition, and she loves the school. Pitt is excellent for all things medical. (You would have to check out bioengineering specifically. I don’t know anything about that.) But I can also see the appeal of Columbia.</p>
<p>Taking merit aid over a full-price school is a topic much debated over on the Parents forum. It’s a complicated issue, and the short answer is that it depends on the individual student and his or her family. Lots of kids do great at the honors colleges at state u’s. They appreciate graduating debt free and going on to grad school without a worry. Here’s one thread that discusses it:</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/370369-honors-college-vs-top-rated-schools.html?highlight=honors[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/370369-honors-college-vs-top-rated-schools.html?highlight=honors</a></p>