<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>Ask yourself this: Is the name Stanford worth $165,000 or an extra $41,250 per year tuition as opposed to 0 for Northwestern?</p>
<p>Well, if it were me, I’d say yes it is worth it.</p>
<p>Just for thought, how sure are you that you want to keep swimming for all of college? And does the scholarship continue if you quit at some point or if you’re injured? It may not be relevant, but my cousin was recruiting-worthy for volleyball but was reallyy sick of volleyball, so, you know, worth asking.</p>
<p>Another huge thing, if not the primary one, is how easily your parents can afford for you not to get merit aid. Some families don’t qualify for need-based aid and can pay without much struggle. For some non-qualifying families, it’s a lot harder. Have you talked with your parents about this?</p>
<p>decide --</p>
<p>What you’re saying is that Stanford has a better reputation than Northwestern and better weather, and all other things being equal, you’d rather go to Stanford. Let’s accept the reputational issue as a given for purposes of this post; the weather is probably indisputable.</p>
<p>There are still many questions. First, how much better do you think Stanford is. By all accounts, Northwestern is a top-rank school with an international reputation. It does an excellent job in placing its students. So, if Stanford is better, is it $160,000 better.</p>
<p>Next, I agree with exultationsy, are you sure you want to swim for 4 years? If you drop out of the program at NU, you will have to pay tuition. On the flip side – how are the two swim programs. Does one have a better program (and is that an advantage? – would you be a star at one program but ‘one of the team’ at the other, does this even matter?) You swim at a Division level, will you be competitive at the national or international level? If so, which school will better nurture your talent? </p>
<p>I again agree with exultationsy in that the question of how easily can your family afford the $160,000+ in tuition. Will it impact on your parents life style or retirement? Will it impact on your ability to afford grad school, or the ability of any siblings to go to the college or grad school of their choice. If Northwestern is an option, you need to have a serious, adult talk with your family as to what the impact will be of Stanford and whether it’s worth it to the family as a whole.</p>
<p>Bottom line – I happen to be a big fan of Northwestern and currently have a child attending. I think there are many reasons why certain students might choose Northwestern over Stanford, cost being equal. Also, intellectually, I don’t believe that the extra tuition will translate to sufficient (if any) extra earnings. However, this being said, if I could pay for it without undue hardship, I would probably send my child to Stanford if that was her preference.</p>