<p>I don’t think paying a little extra for a university of equal calibre is a waste of money, should the slightly more expensive option be a better fit. However, $88k is a serious chunk of change. If Michigan were $5/year more expensive, it may have been worth it, but as it stands, it really makes no sense.</p>
<p>OP, are you Asian? if you are, then don’t go to Berkeley. Berkeley is already FULL of Asians, and any US school located in the US with too many Asians doesn’t look a cool school anymore. Berkeley has just tooooooooooooooooo many Asians and it’s destroying the social balance of the school.</p>
<p>but what about competitiveness at UCB?
I plan on studying premed and I heard UCB is esp. cutthroat… I want to be able to go to medical school without getting caught up in rat race. </p>
<p>@jshain</p>
<p>thank you for all your input! You ve been so helpful! </p>
<p>did they really say they are alreay out of scholarship money? but on other thread it seems like there’s still a lot of people waiting for the acceptance letter… Besides don’t they have like a ridiculous amount of endowment?</p>
<p>jshain knows what he is saying. Michigan gives away most of its scholarships early, so they may well have run our of scholarship money.</p>
<p>As for Michigan’s endowment, it is indeed “ridiculous”, but it must support a university with a very expensive Medical school and a population of 41,000 undergrads and graduate students.</p>
<p>
That’s not how endowment works.</p>
<p>
Premed is not a major. Getting into medical school is competitive.</p>
<p>Alexandre, We’re heading to Ann Arbor on Friday (arriving late) and returning home Monday afternoon. Do you think sitting down face to face with a financial officer Monday morning would increase his chances at getting something or will they just get more annoyed, than they probably already are, with us? I’m not looking for them to match UCB and UCLA’s merit award ($9K), but maybe get at least half.</p>
<p>We “overpayed” to have our D go to an east coast school that she fell in love with (Boston College), even though she was accepted to UCB and UCLA. The difference between her and wcoastmichelle is we didn’t have to borrow and incur any debt. This summer she will be summer interning at a Big 4 accounting firm making a really nice income, in her first choice area of San Jose, CA. Could she have done the same at Berkeley? Perhaps, but not if she wasn’t happy there and her grades suffered. I’m really glad she was able to experience a whole new environment on the opposite coast and she has really flourished there. I’m glad we spent the extra money but I would NOT have done so if incurring debt was involved.</p>
<p>jshain, you lose nothing by sitting down with the financial aid office. It is hard to justify any university (even one as good as Michigan) at $50k/year when you can attend Cal or UCLA for $20k/year. No university on earth is $120k better than Cal. </p>
<p>This said, I hope you like your visit to Michigan. Don’t forget to have dinner at Zingerman Deli. It is pretty good!</p>
<p>Don’t **** yourself with undergrad debt if you have to go to medical school.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>geesh, another applicant wanting to go to another college because it is “easier”</p>
<p>what ever happened to the idea of going to college to “learn”, which will then help the student to do better in the future, including the graduate school exams like the MCAT’s?</p>
<p>In this case, even though you love Michigan, UC Berkeley’s financial advantage is just much too high and the academics are equal or better than Michigan’s.</p>
<p>First, Jerusalem Garden for dinner, then the next day lunch at Zingerman’s, followed by dinner at Grizzley Peak. Too many choices… Thanks, Alexandre!!</p>
<p>@jshain
I sent an email this morning and got a response just now. They indeed have given out all their non-resident scholarship money…</p>
<p>@japanoko</p>
<p>I’m sure I can learn just as much in more collaborative and helpful environment as much as I will learn in an environment where everyone s out to sabotage you… </p>
<p>How competitive is UCB for real?</p>
<p>University of Michigan would be much better overall experience.</p>
<p>I know UMich will be much better choice… </p>
<p>is 88k debt possible to be paid back? How long would that take? It’s not outrageously unreasonable, right? It is possible to be paid back over time. RIGHT?</p>
<p>UCB is my dream school for medical school. I would have to say go there - you can save the debt for your medical school years. NO ONE gets out of that one without debt.</p>
<p>Michelle, you need to understand that medical school will require perhaps $150,000 in loans. You will be left with nearly a quarter-million dollars in student debt, and you will still be facing several years as a poorly-paid resident/fellow after graduation.</p>
<p>I think its posts like this that speak to a larger debate - what is the role of parents when such irresponsible decisions are being made. The Educational Loan debt crisis will be upon us - there should be some kind of safe guard for things like this.</p>
<p>“UCB is my dream school for medical school.”</p>
<p>Berkeley doesn’t have a medical school.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>come on now…</p>
<p>do you honestly think that UCB students are out to sabatoge each other?</p>
<p>my guess is that in the same type of classes at Michigan and UCB, the competitive behavior of the students will not be much different.</p>
<p>
That’s what makes it a dream school.</p>