<p>My daughter got accepted at several engineering schools (Drexel, Northeastern, SUNY Stony Brook, Carnegie Mellon, and Stevens Institute). She was not admitted at MIT and Caltech, and is waiting to hear from Columbia and Cooper Union. Stevens has offered her a full scholarship, while Drexel and NE are offering about 50% tuition coverage. Haven't heard from CMU regarding financial aid or scholarships but I don't think she'll get much based on our FAFSA EFC.</p>
<p>She's currently planning on majoring in Chemical Engineering and is leaning strongly towards Stevens because she loved the campus and school and REALLY loves the full scholarship offer. Stevens is lower in the rankings than the other schools in her list, but it's tough to justify giving up a full ride for undergrad study. </p>
<p>I'm sure others are in similar situations...accepted at top school but with little merit money, and accepted at very good school with nice financial packages. Any thoughts or suggestions?</p>
<p>I'm in the same situation! I was accepted into UCLA, USC, WPI, RPI, RIT, and Boston U but I got a full tuition scholarship from Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago (and with need-based it makes it practically free!)</p>
<p>Have your daughter (and you) look at it this way: She is getting PAYED for her last 4 years of hard work at a salary of >$35,000/yr! I don't think it's worth incurring a lot of debt. Just my 2cents though!</p>
<p>Debt can hinder the decisions she makes upon graduation. If she takes the scholarship, not only will she graduate debt free, she'll have undergrad money to pay for grad school. If she goes into industry, she'll have a little cushion under her as she evaluates her job options...many people get offers, but it can take some time for the one she wants to be offered, so having some money can make waiting those few months feasible.</p>
<p>You also mentioned that she loves Stevens. If she likes it more than the other higher-ranked schools on her list, I think that alone is worth more than a top-tier school.</p>
<p>Looks like it's going to be Stevens for my D. She also got accepted at Cooper Union and waitlisted at Columbia. Cooper Union is highly regarded and includes free tuition, but it's very small and has no athletics and limited EC's. </p>
<p>It's really tough to justify turning down $120,000, especially when you love the school. :)</p>
<p>Cooper Union does have athletics, but of course not as much as other larger schools. Our tennis team were conference champs last year. Our soccer team has been pretty good the past few years, including one or two championships. We have a men's and women's volleyball team that's pretty active. The ultimate frisbee team goes on a few tournaments every year. Ahh... I still remember the good old days when we played night frisbee. And then there's the basketball team (no comment =P ). On the other hand, our conference isn't very strong (not even in division 3), but that just means you have a pretty good shot at making the team if you're committed. </p>
<p>Sorry if I sound nitpicky. Perhaps you already knew all that, but there certainly are athletics at Cooper, just not at the same level as Stanford.</p>
<p>That being said, if your daughter loves Stevens, then definitely go there. It's a well respected school in engineering, especially in the metropolitan area.</p>
<p>p.s. disclaimer: cooper union alum speaking here.</p>
<p>Thanks for the info ken285. I didn't visit Cooper with my daughter, but after her visit she only completed the application because she had already paid the fee. Weird how some schools resonate with students and others do not. She didn't like U Penn, but liked Drexel for example, and I had the opposite reaction. She's thrilled that she was accepted at Cooper and CMU, but her heart seems set on Stevens and it is a top notch engineering school.</p>
<p>I currently go to Cooper Union and my girlfriend goes to stevens. Since your daughter is getting a full ride at both schools its a really hard decision. Stevens has a lot of great things but the Cooper name is worth more for people in engineering. I think the cooper program is more competitive which is something your daughter might not like. Nevertheless, if your d is like my girlfriend its the feel of the school what really matters.</p>