SMU or SLU?

Hi guys,

So I’m accepted to Southern Methodist University and Saint Louis University and having trouble picking between them.
I’m from St. Louis area so SLU would be closer to home, but I definitely wouldn’t mind going out of state as well since I’m fairly independent.

I want to double major in Political Science and Economics and possibly go into law school later on. Ideally, I would end up in an Ivy League law school so I want a undergrad program that prepares me for that.

Looking at tuition, with my merit scholarships and aid, SLU would be around $11,000 per year while SMU is coming in to $19,000 per year. Would the extra cost be worth it or is that unrealistic?

What do you like about both schools? I’m a big fan of SMU and love the area. Dallas has a lot of opportunities for jobs, and I enjoy the vibes of the campus. I live in the Dallas area.

I definitely love the campus feel of SMU when I visited. Dallas has a perfect balance of what I search for in a city. However, since Dallas is farther away, I do worry about extra costs that would come with going to a school out of state, mainly plane tickets and visits home. Also, SMU does have so many internship opportunities which is great.

SLU has a great Pre-Law program that I’m considering. I would be one of the top students at the school so I don’t know if I should stick there or go to a school that might challenge me more. SLU does have a good study abroad program though which I definitely want to do.