So I need help making my decision for colleges. HELP!?

Applying to College
1

<p>Boston University
gave me $43,330 on a $56369 dollar tuition and room and board.
With loans (perkins, unsub, and sub) they offered me $50,030.</p>

<p>DePaul Accounting Honors Program
gave me $31,300 on a $45,000 tuition and room and board
With loans (subbed and unsubbed) offering about $5,500 more.
But only my first year at DePaul will cost anything because they only have housing for the first year.
After that I would plan to rent in Lakeview or Wicker Park.</p>

<p>USC and Notre Dame
I'll need to take out $8000 in loans each per year. Then contribute $4,500 personally, and do $2000 or so in work study.</p>

<p>GWU
have back to hear back on finaid but received a 15k scholarship.</p>

<p>Carnegie Mellon
is probably $29k in loans on about at $60k tution+room and board.
So far this is the most expensive.</p>

<p>Where should I go?
Feedback appreciated.</p>

<p>I'm leaning more towards DePaul. But how much would I regret not going to these other schools? And I'm from Chicago so DePaul is perceived as a not that strong of a school.</p>

<p>Nationally is it perceived as up there with the rest of them? And if I go to DePaul how will employers perceive the degree?</p>

<p>I'm going in as an accounting/finance major.</p>

2

<p>Bump. Anyone?</p>

3

<p>Go where the money is. Don’t worry about the perceived name recognition of the degree. For an accounting major the key is passing the CPA exam. Find out the pass rate at each of the schools. Are these 4 or 5 year programs and if 5, is the money there each year? Remember you have to factor travel expenses into the schools outside the Chicago area also which just increases the cost to attend. I just think that the economy won’t improve all that much in the next few years and who needs to graduate with lots of debt when you have the opportunity to keep it relatively small.</p>

4

<p>If you move off campus at DePaul, you still will have housing and meal expenses. Don’t forget to include them when you are thinking about the total cost of your education. Not everyone saves money by moving off campus. You say you are from Chicago. Can you live at home and commute to DePaul? If your family doesn’t charge you rent, that would make things cheaper.</p>

<p>There are a bunch of nifty calculators at [FinAid</a>! Financial Aid, College Scholarships and Student Loans](<a href=“http://www.finaid.org%5DFinAid”>http://www.finaid.org) Run the one for comparing award letters, and see whether one of these offers is better than the other.</p>