<p>I agree that it has something to do with your post-graduate aspirations. If you are going to go on to graduate school, I would stay at Ohio (unless you REALLY want to be a grad student at Penn. You get a slight edge). I say this because where you go isn’t going to make or break your application to grad/professional school. As a grad from a party school, it hasn’t stopped me from getting into Columbia for med. I was told by admissions committee members of Harvard, Mayo, and several other medical schools that they care about what you did, not where you come from. The lack of debt is totally worth it, no one will care in 10 years about your undergrad if you went to a grad or professional school. However, if you are done with education after your first degree, it might not be a terrible choice to have Penn as your alma in the business world. Ultimately, merit will always get you farther than name, but it can tip the scales (especially if you are interested in living on the east coast rather than the midwest).</p>
<p>Well, decision was made… I wonder what it was?</p>
<p>The last details pushed me into OSU being the better choice. Grad school. Professor. Neither of these future paths favor Penn over OSU Honors. Had OP said business, in particular Wall St, I might have recommended Penn… Getting out of one’s own backyard has intangible benefits as well.</p>
<p>I gather from his/her final posts that OSU was the decision.</p>
<p>I disagree that the education will be unilaterally better. “Better” is subjective; just because Penn is ranked higher doesn’t mean that the professors will be better (at every school there are great teachers and bad teachers. I had far more great teachers at my #77 LAC than I have now at my Ivy League grad school, even though they are wonderful researchers and great people). Your peers will have had higher qualifications, but that doesn’t really matter either, since the school will have shaped them by the time you transfer.</p>
<p>I’d probably stay put. Someone else said it…debt lasts much longer than prestige, especially if you do eventually go to graduate school. I’m in a Ph.D program now and where you went to undergrad doesn’t matter at all – it’s more important for your grad degree. I went to Spelman College for my undergrad degree and am at Columbia now for my grad degree, and I’m glad I did it that way because I had very little debt from Spelman and how when I need to take out loans (because stipends sometimes need to be supplemented) I’m not burdening myself with huge debt.</p>
<p>And no, you don’t get a slight edge for being an undergrad at Penn to go to Penn grad school. Actually, many schools will not even accept their own applicants because of “academic incest” – they want you to go learn a diversity of things from new people. I’d probably only transfer to Penn if I had designs on Wall Street or some prestigious job.</p>
<p>Hey all, sorry I forgot to let you know what I chose.
I ended up picking Ohio State; of course, I made my final choice at literally the last minute, in typical college student fashion…11:59 P.M. on July 1.
Oddly enough, I remember reading in Ohio State’s student newspaper last September about a girl that chose OSU over Penn because of the price. Of course, I was quick to call her short-sighted at the time. But, I found out the hard way that it’s a lot easier to judge than to make the actual decision to give up an Ivy League school.</p>
<p>congradulations on your decision!
now just make sure you don’t look back and “regret” anything in the future, OSU is a great school and make sure you take advantage of everything there!</p>
<p>Congratulations schrute! It must feel good to have made a decision and have it done. I second what pierre0913 said in not looking back and spending time rethinking about the “what ifs.” Ohio State is a great school and under appreciated on here, as are all publics. Financially, you have made a sound decision. </p>
<p>Go Buckeyes!</p>
<p>Good choice - congrats! 
You will find that you are challanged, have a fun time, and will be grateful for not having a ton of debt when you graduate.</p>
<p>You made the right choice! CONGRATULATIONS!!! ;)</p>
<p>Debt is bad. Graduating with an undergrad degree with $40K in debt when you could have $0 is not wise right now. At a time when many (sometimes most) college grads do not have jobs at graduation, taking on this kind of debt is not something I would do right now.</p>
<p>^^^I believe it was going to be 20k in debt, but I see your point.</p>
<p>Go Buckeyes! And best of luck to you in getting into a great grad school that will contribute to your dream of being a professor.</p>