<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>Show your parents what Stanford costs and make sure they are willing and able to pay it. If not, what about NU? If you’re thinking of taking out tons of loans to cover this at either school, bad idea IMHO. The debt will hang over you for years to come and prevent you from even thinking about internships or low-paying positions after college that you might want to use to get your foot in the door for many careers.</p>
<p>I’d say take the full tuition at Northwestern. It’s a fantastic college, and you can’t beat no loans at that good of a school.</p>
<p>No need to post this in 3 (maybe 4, did you post it in Stanford’s too, really?) forums. Seriously…</p>
<p>Crimsonstained7: No need to be rude. The ED deadline is around the corner and I wanted to hear opinions about this situation from several sides and make an informed decision.</p>
<p>If you don’t know which one at this point, you shouldn’t be applying ED. ED is binding and should only be for people who LOVE the school and know they want to go there, not someone who decided a week before. But really, it’s frowned upon (against the rules, maybe?) to post the same thing this many times.</p>
<p>There is no rule that says that you cannot ask a question several times. Athletes are required to apply ED to be guaranteed a spot on the team and admission to the university. Athletics are a whole different world than regular applications.</p>
<p>Just do the math - difference in cost between the two and then multiply by 4. Add in a fudge factor (5%?) to account for the difference in transportation costs and increases in Stanford tuition.
When you look at the total savings it will be a **huge **amount.
Besides, Northwestern is an excellent school!<br>
You can survive the winter as millions of other people do. With the money you save you can buy some nice winter clothes.
Count your blessings that you get to make such a decision :-)</p>
<p>Northwestern all the way. This is not even a close decision.</p>
<p>If your parents can pay the tuition and you prefer Stanford, then go for it! If you have to take a ton of loans out and you don’t really like Stanford/have a low paying major, then Stanford doesn’t make sense.</p>
<p>Stanford has a better international name, no doubt, but if you plan on going to grad school, undergrad doesn’t count much and Northwestern is still pretty great. </p>
<p>If weather is a huge deal for you, as in you can’t stand the cold, then Stanford also makes sense (if you can pay for it). Also, if you plan on going into comp sci/applied math, Stanford is better. </p>
<p>Otherwise, Northwestern is still a pretty awesome school!</p>
<p>If Stanford is your first choice, it doesn’t hurt to contact them and let them know about the offer you received from Northwestern. While they are not likely to match it, they may be willing to provide at least some sort of scholarship to help you. If they don’t, you’ve lost absolutely nothing.</p>