<p>Background: I want to work for a firm like Ernst & Young, Deloitte & Touche, or Goldman Sachs. My goal is to prepare myself best for a position at a top firm with high compensation and opportunities for advancement. I like warm weather and lots of recreation as much as anyone, but my career and advancement are my top priority. Considering this information, please offer your advice on which institution I should choose.</p>
<p>Here are my offers:</p>
<p>Butler University - Admitted to pursue finance</p>
<p>University of Miami - Admitted to College of Arts and Sciences until I complete calculus requirement and then can petition for business school admission.</p>
<p>University of Michigan - Admitted to pursue economics</p>
<p>Seattle University - Admitted to pursue finance</p>
<p>I also have many outstanding admission decisions. How should I handle these admissions offers considering the May 1st deadline is approaching and there are other admissions decisions still to come?</p>
<p>Pick up the phone. Call the Career Center at each university. Ask about placement in the industry. Do any of their graduates end up at these companies? How many? How often? Can you get the contact information for any of those grads so you can find out how they feel about their preparation at University X?</p>
<p>Then call the specific departments and ask the same questions as well as any more that you can think of on your own.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Thank you for your response, it is very much appreciated. I should have provided financial aid offers in my original post. Please consider the following:</p>
<p>Butler - Approx. $29,000.00 of which $11,500 is comprised of Federal Loans (Cost of Attendance: $49,000.00)</p>
<p>University of Miami - Approx. $32,000 of which $10,500 is comprised of Federal Loans (Cost of Attendance: $61,000)</p>
<p>University of Michigan - Approx. $54,000 of which $9,000 is comprised of Federal Loans (Cost of Attendance: $55,000)</p>
<p>Seattle University - Approx. $43,000 of which $12,500 is comprised of Federal Loans (Cost of Attendance: $53,000)</p>
<p>Please also explain how I should handle the enrollment deposit deadline of May 1st with these school, and with admissions decisions from many other institutions coming past that deadline.</p>
<p>The size of the aid package by itself isn’t what matters. It’s what’s left over that you have to worry about - what is the after-aid price that you will be required to come up with?</p>
<p>Have you talked with your family about how much they can afford to pay?</p>
<p>My family will not be supporting me. I must find private loans or scholarships to provide the rest of the money. </p>
<p>Butler - I will accumulate $11,500 in Federal Loans plus require an additional estimated $20,000 a year (Total Cost: $31,500/year)</p>
<p>University of Miami - I will accumulate $10,500 in Federal Loans plus require an additional estimated $29,000 a year (Total Cost: $39,500/year)</p>
<p>University of Michigan - I will accumulate $9,000 in Federal Loans plus require an additional estimated $1,000 a year (Total Cost: $10,000/year)</p>
<p>Seattle University - I will accumulate $12,500 in Federal Loans plus require an additional estimated $10,000 a year (Total Cost: $22,500/year)</p>
<p>You cannot get private loans without your parents co-signing the loans. If they’re not willing to do that, you won’t be able to borrow anything beyond Stafford and Perkins.</p>
<p>Michigan is your only financially viable option. None of the other schools are affordable. The $1,000 gap between aid and COA is likely “on paper” only - that is, your tuition and room/board are covered, but you will have to be frugal in other costs such as eating out, transportation, etc.</p>
<p>Thank you for your advice, I must add that I am a non-traditional student. I will not have problems securing private loans. However, Michigan does seem to be very appealing because of the award offer.</p>
<p>I don’t think you can be so cavalier about those loans, unless you have a really extensive credit history and/or are independently wealthy. You’re talking about borrowing $20-40,000 in entirely-unsecured loans with zero collateral. Banks are pretty shy about doing that.</p>
<p>Solid advice, I will have to consider that when making my decision.</p>
<p>Agree that Michigan is the only potentially viable option from a financial standpoint, using federal loans, some work earnings, and/or frugal living.</p>
<p>I think so too, I put down the enrollment deposit on Michigan earlier today. If another offer comes, I will put it up here to see what people think. I still have many admission decisions coming next week and toward the end of this month.</p>
<p>I can’t help but make a snarky comment here…though no offense is really intended I think this is funny. You want to go into business. U of Mich gives you basically a free ride, all of the others are requiring $20k, and $30k per year, and you actually had to ask which one to attend? Sorry…it was just sitting there, waiting to be asked. LOL</p>
<p>Thanks Mitch. Actually, I was figuring out which ones I wanted to flat out deny their offer. I am not considering any of those schools anymore. I have offers for a full ride to UW, Cornell, Emory, and Dartmouth. Michigan isn’t even in the running.</p>
<p>Congrats on your excellent choices! Emory’s Goizuetta B-school is one of its strongest programs (at an already strong school), and offers excellent connections to Wall Street, Atlanta area firms, and plenty of other regions. I know Dartmouth and Cornell are also quite strong, but I’m not sure how good U Wisconsin is (I presume you don’t mean Washington).</p>
<p>Thanks Whenhen. No, I mean University of Washington. I just got into Stanford too so at this point it really is just financial aid.</p>