<p>I am a senior in high school from Florida and have been contacted by swimming recruiters from several colleges but at this point I am down to picking between two schools. I am a first generation american so my parents aren't much help at this point and we do not qualify for need based aid. Northwestern University has contacted me and has offered me a spot on their division 1 team with full tuition scholarship. Stanford guarantees me admission and a spot on their division 1 team but no scholarship. I have visited both and have loved them but I am a little worried about the harsh winters in Chicago. Is the name Stanford worth loosing a free 4 year tuition to Northwestern for connections to silicon valley, a better name, and gorgeous weather?</p>
<p>If you and your parents can afford the difference without batting an eye then yes, otherwise the answer to your question becomes more muddled. Stanford is one of the 4 most generous schools in the country regarding aid so if you don’t qualify there, perhaps you can afford it with no problem. Otherwise people would need more info about your family’s finances to offer an opinion. What do your parents say? What is your proposed major that would relate to Silicon Valley? Do you have siblings yet to go to college?</p>