UGA v. Chicago

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I never thought this would even be a question, but the more I think about it, the more it begins to weigh on me.</p>

<p>The problem (of course, ha) is cost. My EFC at Chicago is something in the neighborhood of 25k. Each of my parents has promised to pay half of that. My aid package also includes a not-insignificant amount in federal loans, which are all on my head--if I go to Chicago, I'll graduate about 25-30k in debt. On the other hand, at UGA, HOPE + Charter Scholarship + however much NMF money I get from them brings my costs down to 8k or less. Obviously, it's a huge difference.</p>

<p>I know that 30k isn't a crazy excessive amount of debt to take on or anything, but I feel like it limits my opportunities. The opportunity to study abroad for a semester, or to take a summer internship instead of working. The opportunity to choose a completely unprofitable major--I don't mind being poor if it means I get to do the thing I most love for a living, but I would mind hiding from the collections agency. The opportunity to do things my parents find disagreeable--kidding. Well, sort of. At Chicago I'd be dependent on both parents' continued generosity; UGA I could pay for myself, if it came to that. I don't think my mom and dad are the type to yank funding for no reason, but obviously I would prefer not to have to answer to anyone except myself.</p>

<p>There's also the fact that both my parents--who are on the older side, and have another kid to put through college yet--are stretching their finances to come up with the 12-13k. I feel guilty about that, I guess, even though both of them are completely adamant that I "deserve" to go to a top-class school like Chicago. I have a feeling they think UGA is beneath me.</p>

<p>Which is the counterpoint, I suppose: in terms of the student body, networking/connections, and quality of academics, Chicago is definitely superior. I feel like I would be challenged there in a way that I might not at UGA. It would also make getting into a good grad school easier, assuming I don't flunk. [grin] And I know myself, and I suspect that I might get lost (metaphorically!) in a big, impersonal state school like UGA. Maybe I'm not giving Georgia enough credit--I know they have a great honors program--but I worry. But ultimately, I think the main reason I'm hesitating isn't a logical one. In a completely irrational and emotional way, I simply love Chicago more. I love the fun and the quirkiness (omg Scav Hunt!), I love the Core, I even love the pretentious "I am intellectual!"/"life of the mind" posturing. I "know" that I'd be happier there. It's just where I want to go.</p>

<p>Like I said, totally irrational. So what do you think? What should I do? Am I getting anything horribly wrong here? (I suspect the answer is yes, but I'll wait for you to tell me.)</p>

2

<p>I have nothing productive to add, but I like the posturing too :-)</p>

3

<p>don’t make the mistake I did!</p>

<p>Go with the happiness. It’s worth it. Believe me - I went to the cheaper option and I’ve been wanting/waiting to transfer out since day one. It’s been miserable.</p>

4

<p>I was in the same position as you a few years ago. It was Chicago which would cost me $25k in loans vs. Purdue, which gave me a full ride and an additional $3k a year. It was a no-brainer for me. Even though Purdue’s a good school, I had already spent two years as a high-school student on the Ball State campus, and I knew how miserable it is when you don’t fit in with campus culture.</p>

<p>I don’t know if the 30k figure includes work-study or not, but in my case, I worked more than was expected of me (during both the summer and the school year) and will be graduating with about $10k less in debt than I had originally expected. There are a number of things you can do to decrease your debt: 1) Move off-campus. I moved to an incredibly cheap place my 2nd year and saved $5k as a result. If you like campus culture, stay at iHouse, where you don’t have to register for a meal plan, which will save you a lot of money. 2) Stay at home over the summer and work. 3) Work extra during the school year. It’s pretty easy to get a job here, and the extra work you would be doing could be in relation to your academic studies, so it would benefit you in multiple ways.</p>

<p>Something else to consider is the very low interest rate of Stafford Loans. They are dropping to something like 3% in the upcoming years, which is just ridiculously low. If you go to graduate school, these do not accumulate interest at all until you get your PhD/whatever, and even once you get out of school, the payments won’t be an extraordinary burden for you.</p>

<p>In any case, there are certainly merits for going to UGA as well. I’m just presenting you with the path that I took.</p>

5

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Ah, but the OP doesn’t know where s/he will be happier. Liking a viewbook is nice, but considering their purpose is to lure applicants, I doubt that’s saying much.</p>

<p>In terms of happiness, there is much to be said for financial freedom. </p>

<p>haavain, have you

  • Visited either university?
  • Stayed overnight?
  • Talked with both current students and alumni?
  • Met with professors?
  • Sat in on classes?</p>

<p>If you haven’t, then I suggest you do so, as it is well worth the investment. For what it’s worth, I think UGA is an excellent university, and you’re surprisingly mature for this forum to carefully weigh your options.</p>

6

<p>UGA and Chicago are bipolar opposites. UGA has a very laid back and spirited environment, a strong football tradition and is located in an awesome college town. Chicago is very intense academicaly, not exactly known for school spirit or athletics and is locatred in a great but large city. </p>

<p>I agree with Hippo, visit the twoschools and go for which school you prefer. Also remember that if you attend UGA, not only with you graduate with no debt, you would probably also save your parents some money. But at the same time, Chicago is one of the nation’s top 10 universities and hard to turn down. Vist the two schools and go with your gut.</p>

7

<p>Have you been accepted to both schools already? Do you have real aid offers to compare?</p>

<p>If you are still waiting, at least on the aid decisions, then you don’t have enough information yet. Assuming you’re accepted to both, then after aid the cost differences may be less (or more) than you expect. In that case, especially after a visit to each campus, the decision should become a little easier.</p>

<p>If Chicago is truly a good fit, then it might be worth the sacrifices. It has distinctive qualities even among the top 10. However, not all those qualities are positive for all students. As the work load and the snow pile up along with your debt over the long winters, you may find yourself longing for sunnier skies and a more conventional college experience. It all depends on you and the kind of environment in which you would thrive. If you really think Chicago is that place, then go for it, and follow phuriku’s advice to keep your debt at a manageable level.</p>

8

<p>If you’re in at Chicago, then you should certainly qualify for the Honors program at UGA, which is intended to represent the equivalent of a 2,000-student selective LAC within the larger university. Have you looked into the Honors program there and do you think that it could provide a peer group that would give you the challenge and inspiration that you seek? Outside of UGA Honors, as Alexandre says, the campus cultures will be entirely different. Your out-of-class conversations with Chicago friends may run along the lines of “How do we know truth and justice when we encounter it?” and your conversations at UGA would be more along the lines of “How 'bout them Dawgs! Bow wow wow wow wow!” :)</p>

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<p>Hee!</p>

<p>ftr, I’ve already been accepted to Chicago and UGA Honors. I have Chicago’s preliminary aid estimate, which is as above, although of course that isn’t final. Nothing from UGA, although I can’t imagine I’d get anything anyway. </p>

<p>I have not visited Chicago yet, sadly–I really want to, but my mother is against it (she doesn’t really think it’s worth the time.) I probably should, I know. I’ll try bringing it up tomorrow? I did go down to UGA last spring, but developed a raging headache mid-visit so I didn’t get to do much more than take a look around campus. Which was gorgeous–Athens is so pretty! But small, and almost a little quaint. I wonder if I wouldn’t feel a little claustrophobic there?</p>

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<p>Ha. I could be wrong but I doubt that’ll happen. I’m kind of the anti-spirit–don’t get me wrong, I love my school, I just don’t feel the need to express my love by painting my face blue and gold and dissing Designated Rival School at every possible opportunity. I don’t think I’ve ever been to a football game. (Not that our football team is much to write home about…I’ve never been to a basketball game, either?) Weather is another thing entirely–I suspect living in the South so long has made me wimpy about the cold–but then I’m not a fan of the rain and the prohibitively hot summers here, either.</p>

<p>I’ve been looking into the UGA honors program, and it’s definitely interesting. Nothing that jumps out at me, though. I think the website doesn’t really do a good job of explaining exactly what Honors entails, other than the smaller classes? But only some of them? :S Will have to investigate further.</p>

<p>Thank you all for your input! I’ve gotten a lot of very practical advice, and some things to think about too. I really appreciate it :></p>

10

<p>I live and work at and have graduated from the University of Chicago, and graduated undergrad from a not dissimilar school to Georgia (Florida).
You sound like a U of C person to me. Enough to shoulder the difference in cost yourself, I’m guessing. I would not be intimidated by another $20,000 in debt in this case.
But you know yourself best.
If the U of C disappoints your first year, transferring to Georgia ought to be an easy matter.</p>

11

<p>All I can say is really try not to pass up the opportunity to go to Chicago. If you like the sound of the core curriculum from what you can learn on the website, even if you don’t visit, just go.</p>

12

<p>It is most definately worth it to visit U Chicago, especially with such a big decision to make, now that you have it down to two schools, you should visit both, hopefully with an overnighter in a dorm. It will be different than your expectations and for 4 years, wouldn’t you like to know what you are getting into? Please talk to your mom again and let her know that it was very important for my kid.</p>

<p>Chicago is a vibrant and exciting city, the U is a bit out of the way, not in the City center. At any school, for a high achiever, you are bound to be working more than you think, and not leaving campus as often as you expected. You will have to assess how much the weather will affect you.</p>

<p>The campus at Chicago is fantastic. The students we encountered were VERY serious, almost grim, but extremely sharp and impressive. I’m convinced that the academics are superior to most everywhere, but the demands and the core are bound to be burdensome. We do know people who were unhappy there. I think it is best if you are a strong student in all areas. Most classrooms are very small 18 person seminars.</p>

<p>I would pick Chicago myself, if I was sure I would like the environment and the academic demands. But look at UGA just from the Honors school perspective. That they have such program and with the cost advantage, it can’t be dismissed. Do you have a prospective major and plans for grad school or not? If so, look at grad school admit rates for Chi and the UGA Honors program.</p>

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<p>This is true, although I’d probably lose Charter and any NMF money I would have had.</p>

<p>Update–I talked to my mom and she seems a lot more amenable to doing visits today. The one problem is that she wants to wait for Ivy decisions (I don’t see the point since I’m frankly not competitive for any of them), and by that time it might be too late to book a flight? We would want to go the first week of April, as that’s when my spring break is. I guess I could attend one of the admitted student weekends instead, but it doesn’t really feel like the same thing.</p>

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<p>Sounds great :> I’m pretty well-rounded, I think, and I’ve been told that I’m super-serious. (I can be silly! I promise! orz)</p>

<p>The point about looking up grad school rates is a good one, although I’m not sure where I’d find that kind of information.</p>

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<p>So.</p>

<p>What does one do when one suspects one’s parents are planning to take on crushing debt to finance one’s “dream school” (as trumped-up and idiotic a label as that is)?</p>

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<p>You never know what could happen while you’re in college. I was deciding between <insert prestigious=“” out=“” of=“” state=“” university=“” here=“”> and the state flagship University of Florida with NMF money. I had about a year worth of money from my grandparents and my parents and I were going to split the other 3 years. I made a really tough decision and I chose UF at the suggestion of my high school director (very smart guy).</insert></p>

<p>Fast forward a year and my dad totals 2 cars in 6 months and then gets diagnosed with cancer. They almost have everything under control now 5 years later, but at the time they had to take out a second mortgage to do it and take on significant debt. I am very glad that I wasn’t selfish and added on $50k of college debt to that. Instead, I graduated with ZERO debt (NMF money was actually enough to live on combined with the money I earned during high school being a grocery store cashier; grandparents’ money is still sitting in a money market somewhere) and now am working in one of the best labs in one of the hottest areas of research right now as a Ph.D student, all without having to worry about paying those crushing loans in the future.</p>

<p>Clearly going to a mere state flagship didn’t hold me back, but of course one could argue that I haven’t even started my career yet.</p>

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<p>It was never, ever about me going or not going to a “mere state flagship,” nor did I ever think I couldn’t succeed at UGA. But thank you for your input.</p>

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<p>Oh I know that. I was a) making fun of the CC snobbery as well as b) my own snobbery of going to a school in my state while I was in high school. Anyway, best of luck in your decision.</p>

18

<p>Absolutely go to Chicago. It will push your intellectual development in new and unexpected ways. $30,000 is reasonable for such an incredible education. You are obviously a highly motivated and intelligent person or you would not have gotten into an incredible school like that. We had to make a similar choice with our child last year–great deal at public university v. expensive but very prestigious/excellent college. As a parent, I could not be more thrilled that we chose to spend the money. If your parents are willing to pay for it, accept their gift with love and appreciation, and honor them by taking advantage of all the new and exciting intellectual vistas that will open to you. The thing about an amazing school is that you don’t really know WHY it’s so amazing until you get there.</p>

19

<p>You obviously want to go to Chicago, the problem is that you only have a Viewbook vision of the place. From a strictly financial point of view a visit is imperative. I realize that visiting presents a potential financial burden, but by not visiting you are effectively buying a $100K product sight unseen. Looked at that way, the ~$1,000 expense (worst case) is actually “short money”.</p>

<p>Other posters have done a good job talking about the academic and social differences between UGA and Chicago but I’m left with the nagging feeling that you are basing your decision on your romanticized vision of what college will be like at Chicago vs. UGA. While four years at Chicago may be filled with discussions of Kant & Spinoza while strolling among ivy-covered buildings sipping lattes, the same knowledge is certainly available at UGA. In short, what do you think you will learn at Chicago that you can’t at UGA that is worth $100,000? Remember, you’re there for an education, if it can be more fun at once place versus another, great, but is that difference really worth all that money?</p>

<p>This is a lot like buying a car; a Porsche is certainly a lot faster and more fun than a used Subaru, but they both can only go 30 miles an hour during rush hour on Lake Shore Drive. Is the Porsche really worth the extra $100,000? Only you can decide.</p>

<p>P.S. I may be wrong, but I think unalove’s comment about your “posturing” is a reference to your writing style, which, while clearly a representation of your personality, jumps around a lot with tangential references - kind of like going to a baseball game, which you’re not really a fan of, but then having to sit next to some one who’s always walking in front of you - I mean, I’ve got nothing against wanting a hot dog, (especially the Vienna All-Beef kind), if that’s what your into, but after awhile all the up-and-down just gets annoying and distracting from the real reason your there. which is to watch the game.</p>

<p>See what I mean?</p>

20

<p>Endicott, the OP’s cost of attending Chicago is not $30K, that is only the OP’s debt incurred after his/her parents have spent $20 - $25K per year out-of-pocket. That’s a big difference from the near free ride at UGA.</p>