The classic - Full Ride vs. Full Freight

College Search & Selection
1

<p>My choices:</p>

<p>Pomona College - Superb LAC in the Claremont consortium. It offers what is, in my opinion, the best situation for undergraduate education in the country. I would instantaneously turn down any Ivy or whatever for it, the only schools I would even hesitate for would be Stanford and Williams. And I would still choose Pomona. BUT - I can make those decisions because they all cost the same amount, an apples to apples comparison.</p>

<p>Michigan State University - Honors College and Professorial Assistantship, through various scholarships, tuition is covered. Local school(I'm from Michigan), where both my parents went. I know I would be happy there, and with the potential to do some really interesting things with Professors starting in my freshman year. I would get out of Pre-reqs and have preferred enrollment in classes as an Honors College member. That includes the ability to take grad courses. So, pretty sweet package I must say. They also have awesome study abroad - even including 'freshman seminars abroad', so I could go to New Zealand, Japan, Montreal, or somewhere else awesome in the summer before my freshman year.</p>

<p>The University of Alabama - Computer-Based Honors Program, International Honors, and University Honors. With the package for NMF's I would get Tuition, Room(not board), a laptop, some money for research/study abroad, and a stipend. Great opportunity to do research and other interesting projects. Awesome Honors housing. Really impressed with the administration after talking to the CBH head and Business school dean.</p>

<p>Those are the schools, so what about me -</p>

<p>I am pretty interested in most of the social sciences, and think that I want to go into business and get an MBA. I also like many aspects of law, so I want to learn more about that too. Medicine/engineering - definitely off the table. Academia - likely off the table, but we'll see. If I go to Pomona, I think that the PPE(Philosophy, Politics, and Economics) program sounds very very cool. At MSU I like the idea of Business-Finance from the very good Broad school of business with some amount of focus in the Industrial Org. Psych program. At Alabama, Finance and MIS look intriguing, but with the very good law program I would like to do something to get a feel for that.</p>

<p>So, pretty much I have only the vaguest idea of what I really want to do, bu I do have a great idea of what I'd like to take a peek into.</p>

<p>I love the idea of a LAC - great faculty interaction and discussion based classes. Also, the incredible camaraderie associated with a small school sounds great.</p>

<p>However, I am more than mildly sports obsessed, so I could certainly get into a big school feel. With the Honors programs, research opps, and so on, I think you can at least make the schools more comparable.</p>

<p>Now to the less exciting matters - money - My parents are fully behind my decision and I will not have debt no matter which school I choose. However, I could travel more and go through grad school also without debt by attending a less expensive school. My parents will also try to help if I go on from Pomona, but I will graduate with debt in that situation.</p>

<p>So, is Pomona worth a potential 50k of debt, if I go to grad school. (and yes, I am fantastically lucky to be in this situation)</p>

2

<p>Interesting options, DSC.</p>

<p>$50k is a big chunk of change. If your plans do not have you pursuing grad school interests, I'd say $50k for your Pomona dream is worth it.</p>

<p>However, you say you'd be happy at MSU and the Honors program sounds real sweet with lots of opportunities. Plus, you won't have the $50k anchor holding you from your post-graduate dreams.</p>

<p>Alabama sounds good too, but I think MSU is a much better school. </p>

<p>My recommendation is to go to MSU and make use of all the opportunities available to you through the honors college. Get strong grades then pursue that MBA from the college of your dreams.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

3

<p>maybe this is a stupid question but are you talking about Ann Arbor here? b/c I would definitely opt for that. I mean it's such a great business school!</p>

4

<p>^ No, that's U Michigan...DSC is talking about Michigan State.</p>

5

<p>I do not feel that UM would be a good fit for me. Ann Arbor would be a great fit. But me and the school there just do not mesh. Additionally, with the research opps and the Honors College, MSU(or Alabama) > UM, for me.</p>

<p>And to clarify - no debt after UG no matter which one. 50k if I go to grad school after Pomona.</p>

<p>I fully believe I would be happy at any of the 3. I believe that I would be the happiest and have the most long lasting relationships from Pomona.</p>

6

<p>^ Come out to California then and spread your wings. ;)</p>

7

<p>DSC, if you got into Pomona, you would most likely have been admitted into Michigan honors, gotten a nice merit scholarship, enrolled into Ross and had access to better research than MSU, Pomona or Alabama could provide. Michigan has a top 3 BBA program, top 3 Political Science and Philosophy departments and a top 10 Economics department. All of this for under $20k/year (probably full tuition off). </p>

<p>"I do not feel that UM would be a good fit for me. Ann Arbor would be a great fit. But me and the school there just do not mesh."</p>

<p>I am not sure how this can be possible. Michigan and Ann Arbor are very intertwined. They are essentially one.</p>

<p>I cannot believe you did not take advantage of your residency status. </p>

<p>This said, $50k debt is very significant. If you intend to go on to Law school, I say go to MSU and save your money. If your intend to work in the Midwest upon graduation, again, go for MSU. However, if you intend on working in the West Coast or the East Coast right after you graduate, I would say go for Pomona.</p>

8

<p>I applied. Hoped for a pre-admit, didn't get it(if I did, I would have considered UM, but I doubt I would choose them). No merit aid either. I think my Pomona essays were better than my UM ones(although I certainly didn't self-sabatoge or anything).</p>

<p>Believe me, I understand that UM is great. However, for many reasons I just didn't really like UM. Will definitely look at the grad schools if I do choose to go for an MBA or JD though. Hell, I could even see myself working in Ann Arbor in the future(among many many places), as it is a great town, and I love college towns.</p>

9

<p>^ Claremont, IMO, sucks as a college town...:p</p>

10

<p>^ Claremont, IMO, sucks as a college town...</p>

<p>I will cancel out that vote. It depends what tastes you like to fulfill though. I, from time to time, get angry that there is no source of good cheap boneless buffalo chicken in the immediate area. </p>

<p>Anyways, I transferred away from generic free public education for ~80k debt at Harvey Mudd (a neighbor), and would do it all over again, so Ill just let you interpret my opinion .</p>

11

<p>DSC, As a UMich grad I may be showing my ingrained prejudice, but I would definitely choose Pomona over Michigan State, even with all the perqs MSU is tossing your way. My son is a graduate of Williams and several of his close friends are at Pomona. The quality of education, the opportunities for internships, the connections. the alum network, the entre to graduate and professional school are all beyond excellent.</p>

<p>Is it worth $50 grand? Only you and your family can answer that. If you end up gainfully employed in business or law, that's not an unsurmountable amount of debt. If you go into public service or teaching for example it may be a massive burden.</p>

<p>Paying for graduate school is another consideration, but I think you could export that to the future for now as you don't necessarily have to attend graduate school immediately after your undergrad.</p>

<p>Good luck on your decision.</p>

12

<p>Tough choices. I'd definitely go with Pomona or MSU, but i'm very biased as those were my top choices for school. I would say Pomona without a doubt, but with money factored in, its not so simple. Also, if you go to Pomona the sports scene would be very different-maybe more intramural, not as much rahh rahh school spirit, no tailgating or div. 1 football games in a massive stadium like MSU. So if you're a big sports fan that's something to look for. I wouldn't say MSU is a free-generic education either, especially with the professorial assistantship and honors college benefits. And Pomona doesn't have traditional business majors, if that's what you're looking for. Then there's the whole 35,000 people to 1,500 (5,000 if you count the consortium) people difference. </p>

<p>On the other side, Pomona has an awesome reputation for academics. The teachers/students are amazing, the school is completely focused on undergrads and from what I hear, it is an all-around great experience. Pomona is also a lot warmer, if weather is a factor. </p>

<p>I wouldn't be able to choose definitively, but I'm sure wherever you go you'll be fine. good luck in making your decision</p>

13

<p>Not trying to push the answers in a direction, but why so little attention to Alabama? From what I've seen on the surface level, they seem to be working very hard to get top students, and successful with them. I thought of MSU and Alabama as comparable schools, was that incorrect?</p>

14

<p>Last time I checked Pomona, Tuition and fees and room and board would be close to $50,000 per year! Tuition alone was $30,000++. If you can get a free ride from either MSU or Alabama, I would suggest taking that in a heartbeat as long as the GPA requirements to keep the free ride aren't overly onerous.</p>

<p>By the way, I LOVED Pomona and know kids who went there. I also appreciate the benefits of participating in the Claremont cluster. However, if you can save over $120,000++ in tuition and maybe a free room too, I would take the money. You will find ample opportunites at either MSU and Alabama. Too many folks think that attending a top school is worth the price. However, studies have shown that it really don't make a difference in your career. If you are planning to attend either grad or professional school, you will have a lot more money to spend taking the free ride.</p>

15

<p>And that is exactly what I need to better be able to quantify.</p>

16

<p>DSC, Pomona would cost you $200k over 4 years?</p>

17

<p>Four years from now, you'll sit at Commencement and walk across a grand stage to receive your diploma. You'll feel good knowing that you worked hard during your undergrad years. Then, you look down at the name of the university on that diploma --</p>

<p>"The University of Alabama."</p>

<p>Enough said. </p>

<p>Strictly from this perspective, a degree from "Pomona" will open up doors you cannot even begin to imagine. You can get ANY job a Bama grad will get with a Pomona degree, ceteris paribus. Its inverse does not hold true.</p>

18

<p>Alexandre - Yes, I would be paying full freight. But my parents have said that I 'don't have to worry about paying for my undergraduate education'. If I go to a cheaper school, that means they will also cover grad school and travel(majorly cool benefit of the cheaper options BTW). If I go to grad school from Pomona, they will try to help some, but I will accumlate significant debt barring a major grant/fellowship/scholarship. I would expect this to be about 50k. Considering I think that grad school is pretty likely - I do have to consider that.</p>

19

<p>Oh well, I am not sure what to recommend. MSU is a good university, but it is not on par with the likes of Michigan or Pomona. Michigan is affordable, but you hate it and Pomona is expensive and will force you into $50k worth of debt but you love it. Alabama does not belong. I say go for MSU. At least you won't have to experience being in debt.</p>

20

<p>DSC, you've been extolling the virtues of a Pomona education on this board so long I thought you were already a student there...</p>

<p>College choice is all about fit. Go with your gut. 50K may not be enough to combat buyers remorse if you decide on your second choice school. Go back and reread your own comments about Pomona - they speak for themselves.</p>

<p>Also - I just noticed a new "virtual tour" video on Pomona's Admissions homepage called "Walking backwards" [url=<a href="http://www.pomona.edu/admissions/%5Dhere%5B/url"&gt;http://www.pomona.edu/admissions/]here[/url&lt;/a&gt;] that is a student - produced Pomona tour, and although a little campy and unpolished, gives a compelling argument for the advantages of a Pomona education. If you haven't seen it, take a look.</p>

<p>Good luck.</p>