<p>my S turned down fullride offers, & more, fr highly-rated universities (sigh!) last yr. it was a very agonizing, difficult decision. eventually we chose S even if we have to pay a lot of $$ (btw, we’re not rich, just middle class). now, we have NO REGRETS, seeing the kind of world-class education, experience, atmosphere, etc. etc. seeing how your child is living the dream is priceless. Stanford is more than WORTH all the money and investment. he will get it back. in few yrs, that $$ spent may not matter much anymore. unless it doesnt matter much for you whether you go to Stanford or not (really?), or if you are going to major in a so-so field that has no promise of $$ rewarding career path, then it might be ok. but if you really like to go to Stanford and/or major in significant field, it’s hard to live with “what if” in your mind. Stanford is Stanford is Stanford:)</p>
<p>For me personally, I would take a full ride in a heartbeat. The fact that you have qualifies for both Stanford and this full ride shows that you are a successful individual, and would be able to continue being successful, no matter what institution you attend.</p>
<p>My son was offered a full ride at SCU Early Action and is awaiting RD for Stanford. If he gets into Stanford, I will be all over him to attend Stanford, but he is more fiscally minded than his mum. Not worth even discussing with him until the choices are a reality.</p>
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<p>I’d say most middle-income (and even upper) students are surprised by their FA from Stanford. Stanford gives significantly reduced tuition to families making up to $200k, so you just might get a more generous offer from Stanford. Anyway, this is all very premature unless/until you get into Stanford.</p>
<p>Not to be a downer on the folks that mortgaged 200K for a Stanford education…and I am all for, if you can afford it, go ahead.</p>
<p>But days of just being a Stanford graduate and getting handed employment is getting rare. It is what you do once you are there. If you are good, you will be good anywhere. And I agree with the major choice as well…Engineering/CS…has much better prospects regardless of where you graduate from …</p>
<p>^ but no Stanford graduate sits on his/her laurels and expects to be handed employment. Public universities (e.g. Berkeley) love to trumpet that their do-it-yourself-with-no-help-whatsoever approach (otherwise known as “not having enough funding”) prepares their students for the real world. While Stanford gives you tons of resources, it doesn’t serve them on a silver platter - you have to pursue them. That mentality carries with you post-graduation: students know they can’t rely on Stanford’s name to get a job, but they must work for it and prove themselves.</p>
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<p>Nicely stated. </p>
<p>I understand that Stanford is a dream school for a lot of people, but it is definitely overhyped. I was one of those seniors who got rejected by Stanford and ended up going to Cal, and I assure you that I get access to so many more resources than most of my friends at Stanford do. I was able to waiver out of about two years of classes, take on three research positions, become a TA, and do much more just in my first year. Heck, I got a paid research position at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory the second month of freshman year and published a paper just last month. Another paper will be coming out in July. Most of my Stanford friends have research positions, but they are amazed at how much I’ve done.</p>
<p>I can see my experience at Berkeley happening to someone who takes a full ride at Santa Clara over Stanford. Just the fact that the student was admitted to Stanford probably suggests that he/she would take advantage of almost all the resources given to him/her.</p>
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<p>And I can assure you that for the overwhelming majority of students at Berkeley, this isn’t the case. You’re a special case, and Stanford students are amazed at your accomplishments in college as much as Berkeley students are. </p>
<p>The data would support this: a faculty ratio of 5:1 vs. 15:1 at Berkeley, far higher proportion of smaller classes, tons of funding (Stanford spends about $5 million in undergraduate research grants each year, the most of any university), etc. The GSF of facilities at Berkeley is 10 million, versus 16+ million at Stanford, distributed over a student body less than half the size of Berkeley. The budgets also differ similarly - Stanford $4.2 billion, Berkeley $1.8 billion (and even when you subtract the med school budget, Stanford spends $3 billion, despite Berkeley having a ton more schools such as public health, public policy, etc.). Stanford’s staff:student ratio is also many times better, i.e. there’s a ton more institutional support.</p>
<p>And the success of graduates is the result: Stanford far surpasses Berkeley in terms of Rhodes, Hertz, Truman, etc. scholars, despite having only 1/4 the student body. And it’s among the top 5 as a feeder to top professional schools.</p>
<p>In short, as you’ve shown, it’s possible to achieve a lot at a public university, but it isn’t the case that such is easier at a public school like Berkeley than it is at a private like Stanford.</p>
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<p>I agree with that. </p>
<p>Many Cal students complain about not getting courses they want, getting rejected from internships, having too large class sizes, etc…I’m just pointing out that a Stanford-caliber student would MOST LIKELY be able to utilize ANY [research] UNIVERSITY’s resources as well, if not better, as I do, creating a fulfilling experience at ANY [research] university.</p>
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<p>Yup, fully agree.</p>
<p>Granted Stanford has a lot of opportunities for those who are able to take full advantage of it, but again everyone is an overachiever so I am sure there is a fair amount of competition to get that elusive internship. My friends daughter at Stanford (and she is not an Engineering/CS/Bio major)…she had to “interview” for some of those positions/opportunities and she did get in, but there were folks who didn’t. Put in a student body who are used to being the leaders and overachievers and used to “standing out”…so I am sure there will be some level of competition to avail of those opportunities. </p>
<p>I think you should do overnight visits at both places, if possible. If you are intending to be in a major that has great career prospects and your parents are able to afford it, go for S. If you do get all these full ride offers, I wonder if you can talk to fin aid at S to offer you some merit based money…who knows?</p>
<p>Again, it is your decision. You need to be at peace with any decision you make. Go spend some time at all the colleges that offer you admission / full ride.</p>
<p>And this is the GREAT DILEMMA for the ultra bright in America from upper middle income and upper income (not wealthy) families. </p>
<p>Stanford clearly trumps a typical regional school. But it is not a clear winner over a stellar financial package of a top 20ish school for an upper middle income family who must otherwise take on $250K+ in debt for an undergraduate degree for one child at a need based only school, such as Stanford. </p>
<p>Ironically, the students who will graduate from Stanford debt free will most likely be the upper middle income parents of tomorrow who will end up paying full fare for their kids to attend their alma mater. </p>
<p>It’s called Karma.</p>
<p>I took a tour of SCU in early March and the dynamic young lady (junior) leading the tour had turned down Yale/Columbia to attend. I’m assuming she got a full-ride. She had just returned from a study abroad semester in Argentina and wad about to embark on a paid research fellowship this summer. Honors college; professors already writing glowing recs for her. Definitely one of the leaders on campus and satisfied with her choice.</p>
<p>Stanford grads enjoy success later in life because they are a bright and well-motivated group, generally speaking. </p>
<p>Students that are accepted to elite universities, but choose to enroll elsewhere, have no significant difference in income than their peers at the elite universities.</p>
<p>No doubt, though, the median salaries earned by Stanford grads are a bit higher than Santa Clara grads. How much higher? Let’s look at the 2011-2012 Payscale College Salary Report:</p>
<p>Of more than 1000 schools surveyed, Stanford ranked 9th in mid-career median salary at $112,000. Santa Clara ranked 23rd at ~$105,000. </p>
<p>If Stanford grads, on average, make $7000 more annually than Santa Clara grads, and assuming a marginal tax rate of around 50%, it would take about 50 years of work to earn enough to justify passing up a full-tuition scholarship to Santa Clara.</p>
<p>I’m also certain that some people grow tired of the ‘S-Bomb effect’ and work to minimize the fallout…</p>
<p>Another thing to consider is that the average Stanford grad is probaly more qualified than the average SCU grad.</p>
<p>So if you consider the average Stanford grad salary vs. the top 10% (say) SCU salaries, perhaps the difference would be much smaller (I am assuming the OP will be in the top 10% SCU given his qualifications to be admitted to Stanford).</p>
<p>If at all possible, I would attend Stanford, for obvious reasons.</p>
<p>Great input, thanks everyone. I wonder, do SCU grads have access to the same types of venture capital, management consulting, or tech industry jobs that Stanford students do?</p>
<p>In general, Stanford grads don’t have better access to venture capital than tech and business grads from any other school. </p>
<p>I believe that Stanford is responsible for the formation of Silicon Valley, and has certainly produced many of its rising stars, but STEM and business students at SCU are very well positioned (geographically) to take advantage of the tech firms there and have an active and successful program to find permanent jobs, summer internships, and co-ops for their grads and undergrads.</p>
<p>@TRT I’m not certain that Stanford grads necessarily have “better access” to venture capital per se BUT many early venture capital companies were founded in the Sand Hill Rd area by Stanford grads to help provide funds for local emerging tech companies. Many of the early Silicon Valley roots ran deep with Stanford (and Cal Tech) grads during the pre- and interim WW-II period. In the early 1950’s, Stanford created a graduate Honors Cooperative program which allowed full time employees of various Silicon Valley firms to attend Stanford graduate programs part-time. Over the following decades, Stanford kept its strong ties to the Silicon Valley region. The Stanford Industrial Park helped keep many of the strongest firms geographically close to The Farm. Law offices were founded by Stanford law grads to support the newly founded companies, etc. </p>
<p>Both SCU and Stanford have active alumni and career center programs, however from my perspective, the breadth and depth of those connections differ significantly between the two universities.</p>
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<p>This isn’t true. SV is completely based on network connections; if you don’t have a connection, you aren’t going to get a meeting with a VC. Stanford has tons of connections to VCs - recent alumni, students, faculty, etc. all who have direct connections to VCs. In fact, Google wouldn’t have gotten off the ground if it weren’t for David Cheriton, a professor, who got the founders a meeting with the top VCs Sequoia and KPCB.</p>
<p>Think about it: Sand Hill Road is the “Wall Street” of Silicon Valley, and it just so happens to be the west boundary of the Stanford campus. The VCs there see Stanford as a feast, as there are thousands of students, faculty, and staff involved in IT. That’s why they go to campus in droves: for career fairs, various fora, talks, speaker series, etc. VCs are also heavily involved in the programs that Stanford has, like Start X and the Stanford Technology Ventures Program, which offers the Mayfield Fellowship (wherein students are paired with entrepreneurs, many of whom are VCs, for a few months to learn the business).</p>
<p>To say that Stanford students don’t have better access to VCs is just absurd.</p>
<p>I took a full ride at UCSD instead of going to Stanford or other more prestigious schools. Today I am at Stanford for graduate school.</p>
<p>Feel free to PM me any questions.</p>