UF: free tuition, work study/grants pay for housing, most of my friends are going, probably more laid back, not sure if it will prepare me for a good career like Emory would, lots of school spirit, HUGE class sizes which I hate, not as highly regarded as Emory
Emory: really good school, more prestigious, small class sizes, beautiful campus, not a lot of school spirit, $16k per year (could vary if my dad makes more), good career options once I graduate, would prepare me for a job, harder to obtain leadership, very diverse
My intended major is political science/environmental science. Advice?
Note: you can probably tell I want to go to Emory but idk if it’s worth the money…
If you intend to go to law school with that political science degree, I recommend saving the money and using it to go to the best law school you can get into. I am a lawyer— nobody ever asks me about undergrad, but they are obsessed with law school. Besides, UF is really academically solid and has a lot going for it in addition to academics.
I’m not sure that matters very much - lots of high school seniors have ‘plans’ for things that change drastically, and even if OP does go to grad school that could be several years after college. (I intended on going to law school after college. That did not happen.)
Can your family afford $16K a year without borrowing money? Is this something that is easy for them to pay, or will it be a struggle? Will you have to borrow money?
UF will absolutely prepare you for a good career. It may not be as prestigious as Emory, but it has a good reputation and you could find a lot of success from there - especially if you are the type of student who can get into Emory.
Issue is plain and simple: does your family have $60k+ to send you to Emory over UF? If the answer is “no” or even “not really but they could scrimp and pray” then you choose UF.
THEN, even if your answer to the prior question is “yes,” ask yourself, “what is the opportunity cost of that $60k going to undergrad tuition versus something else?” If your family saves that $60k by you attending UF, will that money be available for grad school, or will it be needed for a sibling, or will dad buy a boat?