I’m having such a debate about where I should go please offer some advice or experience.
Background Info: I got into U of I for business at Gies and I am in-state, so the tuition will be a lot cheaper compared to Boulder. At Boulder, I received the Presidential scholarship and I got into the Leeds honors program.
I’m stuck in picking U of I (the smarter financial move with a more distinguished business program) versus Boulder (the place where I want to be like I just like how it’s not in corn fields and that there’s more to do and explore).
FWIW, CU may be adjacent to mountains for hiking, skiing, rafting, cycling etc, but it’s a good 40-45 minutes by car to Denver. So unless you’re really into outdoor rec and have a car…UIUC is the wiser choice. Use school breaks to get away to the West. (BTW, I lived among cornfields of Urbana for 5 years so I get your desire to go elsewhere.)
As an aside, Boulder is really just 30 to 35 minutes outside of Denver. Very easy & enjoyable ride if not during rush hour. Plenty of buses as well.
If I understand, then the total COA difference over 4 years would be about $40,000. Not unreasonable if CU-Boulder is your dream school. Not wise if you would have to borrow the entire amount.
Also, business honors at CU-Boulder-Leeds should add significant value to your undergraduate experience.
@debatinglifelol, it is difficult to give advice without context. We know very little about you. Therefore, I will share a little bit from my family’s experience and perhaps give you things to consider when making your decision.
First I am the parent of 2 in-state Gies kids.
My daughter (D17) is currently living and working in Chicago at a Big 3 consulting firm. She lives with 2 friends from UIUC Gies. Life is good.
My son (S19) is graduating in May and has his post-grad job lined up at a different consulting firm in Chicago. He has 3 Gies friends who want to get an apartment together, but they haven’t begun their search yet, so who knows if that will work out.
Before accepting her Gies offer, my daughter, like you, was not happy with the idea of “living in the corn fields”. But after her 4 years she honestly looks back at her experience and sees a bunch of positives. She is almost 2 years out of school and is living the life she wanted…big city, lots of friends, and close to home (we’re in a western suburb of Chicago) for easy visits.
4 years…or think of it as 8 semesters…goes quickly. The pros for my kids far outweighed the con of ‘corn fields’. Aside from the cheaper in-state cost of attendance here are a few of the pros:
Wonderful skill-building opportunities. (Both of my kids became very involved with their co-ed business frat and also worked on consulting projects through different organizations.). Be mindful that access to opportunities on a campus are often selective…so keep “fit” in mind when choosing between U of I and Boulder.
@88jm19 I think that’s pretty wise. One does need to think longer term, past college graduation. Living in Lincoln Park with friends and working in the city is a super fun experience. If a student thinks they may want that instead of the unknown of what life after Boulder will be, then UIUC might be the best choice. I think many Illinois kids just romanticize college and Boulder definitely looks like an amazing place to be for four years. In fact, we’ve been told by lots of parents not to take our kids there unless we want them to go because kids visit and they are SOLD on going to Boulder!
Our S19 isn’t considering UIUC. Too big for him. But, we are starting to think more about what his after-college experience might look like if he stays in the midwest as opposed to going to the northeast. If he chooses to go farther away, it’s much more likely he will work in Boston or New York and not Chicago (at least initially) which is ok but one should think about that.
OP, maybe you should ask a little bit about where the graduates from Boulder end up, which companies come to recruit, etc.