Pleeeease Help Us Decide!!!

Parents Forum
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<p>My daughter and I (and dad) are very confused, and need some good analysis, rational thought and votes from all you lovely, kind and wise parents on CC.</p>

<p>She has gotten acceptances from several schools, including merit scholarships....already eliminated the schools offering the 3 largest merit awards, and THE LIST has been narrowed down to:</p>

<p>U.Chicago........cost...........$43,000
Stern (NYU).....cost...........$37,000 (includes 10k merit)
Chapel Hill........cost...........$27,000
JHopkins..........cost...........$43,000</p>

<p>Assuming that loans and debt are being dealt with outside of this selection process, and also given that she is still unsure, because of many interests, of what she will end up majoring in...how should we tackle this? </p>

<p>Stern, the business school, is for the first time ever, allowing students to double major in a business field/humanities-soc.science. This would give her the option of doing Law/medicine or going to a 100% guaranteed job in 2009.</p>

<p>JHU is strong in the sciences and I/R ,but then okay in everything else. She is very interested in neuroscience.......but also unsure...</p>

<p>UChicago and Chapel Hill, I don't even know....so very different in every possible way. UChicago would be the high road, the challenge, and the life of the mind (lol). Chapel Hill would be the middle road, (less opportunities after graduating??) However, she would go into Chapel Hill as a sophomore, with 40 credits, and in 3 years be ready for grad school.</p>

<p>I have probably given insufficient information....so prod me...</p>

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<p>choc,</p>

<p>If my son goes to JHU, send her THERE! IMMEDIATELY! Yeah, you heard me!! <em>lolololol</em> :) </p>

<p>I will come up with a serious answer later, I promise.</p>

<p>love ya! ~b.</p>

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<p>I guess I shoul add that at Chapel Hill, she would be in the Honors program, which has a few perks, like 2 Honors classes each semester.</p>

<p>And at Stern she would be a Stern Scholar, which includes special weekly seminars with business leaders, sponsored travel abroad, etc.</p>

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<p>Despite the double major opportunity, I would cross off Stern, unless she definitely wants to major in business. Otherwise, I feel it will limit her (particularly if she's leaning towards neuroscience). Of the other three, go visit and see what feels right to her (they're all great schools, as you know)</p>

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<p>We have visited all but Chicago, and we are going there next week. I am feeling heartburn from this 'down to the wire' decision.</p>

<p>Honestly, Chapel Hill, Stern and JHU all felt 'right', and the visits did nothing to clear the air for her. Maybe she will see Chicago, and say, "this is where I belong".</p>

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<p>Choco -- I PM'd you. Very different atmospheres between Chicago and UNC. My daughter was also accepted to both and they are VERY dissimilar.</p>

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<p>Oh, please don't let my post fall into page 2.</p>

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<p>"This would give her the option of doing Law/medicine or going to a 100% guaranteed job in 2009."</p>

<p>It doesn't matter where you go, no one is guaranteed a job.</p>

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<p>CH a "middle road"???? </p>

<p>heck no, its one of the finest publics in the country, and employers and grad schools know it. A degree from Chapel Hill will not diminish her future plans, but, as a large state school, it definitely provides a different educational experience than the privates on her list.</p>

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<p>Quakerman, we have the very same fears, about where the job market is going to be in 4 years, with how devastating it has been in the past 4. At our Stern Scholars program, we found out that 94% of the graduating seniors have job offers before they graduate, and in fact many of them already have their offer. The reamaining 6% were going on to Grad school.</p>

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<p>Bluebayou, I do know that UNC is among the top ranked public schools, after only Berkeley, UVA and UM.....and maybe another? I certainly did not mean it the way it sounded. I was referring to more of an intensity standpoint, and compared to Chicago.</p>

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<p>I'd be a little wary of my daughter choosing a college solely based on her intended major or future career, especially if there's more than one that she's especially interested in. So I guess I'd pick the one with the most to offer no matter what she eventually specialized in.</p>

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<p>" Quakerman, we have the very same fears, about where the job market is going to be in 4 years, with how devastating it has been in the past 4. At our Stern Scholars program, we found out that 94% of the graduating seniors have job offers before they graduate, and in fact many of them already have their offer. The reamaining 6% were going on to Grad school."</p>

<p>the 94% stat pre-graduation is a huge lie-no collegehas this rate, period, no matter how you spin it. That's the stats for a top 5 mba or jd program, not college. I'll be honest with you-Scholars program is largely a marketing ploy and not much more-all the other students will have the same privileges and access to buisness leaders as the Scholars. </p>

<p>Now if you want the best and most rigorous colleges, Stern and Chicago are clearly the best choices for you. Also, a finance/econ major is very good for law and medical school. Also consider that jobs will be largely centered in NYC and will be long hours with fierce competition-so be aware of that, it isn't just a free pass. Also given outsourcing etc a lot more jobs may be obsolete in 5 years (research positions etc engineering eventually) so a finance major would be especially good.</p>

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<p>I agree that Finance/Econ would be a good undergrad degree for anyone considering Law School, but I'm not sure that a finance/econ major would be a best route to medical school, because where is the groundwork for the MCATs, and also don't med. Schools take mostly liberal arts and science majors?</p>

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<p>Choco,
Well, I know a bit about JHU but never visited. It would seem to me to be more along the lines of a big research university. We did visit Chicago (as you know!) where S has been accepted. It is the perfect combination of research univ. and LAC, and I think the Core, Socratic method, small freshman class has a lot to offer your D. I think you will have a better picture after you visit. Will she be able sit in on classes? Spend the night in the dorm? </p>

<p>All things being equal, I would say pick Chicago over JHU for undergrad. But then I know nothing about Stern and Chapel Hill.</p>

<p>How set is she on grad school? Because I think that might really factor in to your decision, in terms of money anyhow.</p>

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<p>momof2, we are visiting Chicago next week, and she will do a dorm overnight, hopefully by the end of next week we will be in a better place decision wise, and not feel this weird-don't-know-what-to-do thing.
Cost-wise, JHU and Chicago are equal for us, except that JHU is driveable, and we can pop down any weekend :) Chicago is a 2.25 hour flight, so a 13-hour drive :(</p>

<p>But distance is not going to be one of the criteria.</p>

<p>I am as concerned about a good education as getting a job at the end of it.</p>

<p>Grad school....who knows? She may want to do Med.school, an MBA or a JD. Not research though, she is more of a people person.</p>

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<p>Congrats on wonderful choices for your D, and sympathies on dealing with your dilemma. One of the things you mentioned about UNC was that she would enter as a soph and in the honors college to boot. With all that this large and well-respected uni has to offer, she'll have more time to explore a zillion new options. Also, she will be in smaller classes because of the honors college as well as the fact that she will be taking upper division courses pretty soon due to soph status. She will likely get to register early in the registration cycles too for the same reasons.</p>

<p>When my students are debating wonderful schools, I remind them that they will be able to try just about anything at any of them. My next question is where do you want to spend the next 4 years before possibly moving on - nothing is permanent.</p>

<p>I don't think she can go wrong with any of her options!</p>

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<p>Thank you M&B. I do realize that there is no bad choice here.
As far as UNC, they do not have an Honors college, but offer Honors classes. I don't know how spectacular that is, esp. since other students can try and register for Honors classes if their gpa is high enough (?), and there is space in the class. So, it's not an exclusive College.</p>

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<p>You are right chocoholic about the honors program at Carolina. The classes are reserved for those in the program but if there is room others can also register. Similar to the honors program at State.</p>

<p>Kat</p>

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<p>Hi kat, I do have all your wonderful pm's saved.
Thanks so much.
I am hoping that others who have any ideas or opinions or personal experiences with any of our schools, to post.</p>