LACs tend to be more regional in reputation. Few people out west have heard of Amherst, as I’m sure few out east have heard of Whitman. But many successful people went to LACs, including Disney’s CEO Bob Iger (Ithaca College) and former Xerox CEO Anne Mulcahy (Marymount College), not to mention Steve Jobs (Reed - d/o).
“All schools under discussion are terrific schools, but in the environment I grew up in, Amherst would have been the no-brainer and UMich the tough sell.”
It’s a shame you didn’t grow up in a state with a first rate public institution.
“Lots of useful responses on this thread, and nothing of substance to add, but I’m intrigued by how different groups of people view different colleges regionally, culturally, etc. All schools under discussion are terrific schools, but in the environment I grew up in, Amherst would have been the no-brainer and UMich the tough sell.”
That’s a good point porcupine98. Some people do not see the value in a university like Michigan, while others do not see the value in a college like Amherst. Either one of those points of view is unfortunate because it fails to recognise a truly exceptional university/college. In this case, the tough sale is Amherst, as it comes at an incremental cost of $160,000 over four years of college…assuming Michigan has not given the OP a scholarship, or Amherst has not given the OP FA. In terms of quality, both options are stellar, so in the OP’s case, it comes down to fit. Is the OP’s family sufficiently wealthy to assign a price of $160,000 to fit?
I see a lot of sweeping generalizations here. My parents are also stereotypical Asian parents, and they would choose Amherst over UMich. In fact, my parents see Amherst as the best liberal arts college and have a much higher view of it than of UMich.
As for the OP’s post:
- You mention you want to go to business. I would argue that UMich Ross is better for business than Amherst, although Amherst is good as well. There’s far more recruiting at UMich from business companies than at Amherst (of course, that is also partially due to the fact that not many people at Amherst go into business)
- If your parents don’t se the value of LACs, why are they willing to pay full tuition for schools like UChicago and Dartmouth? While they are not classified at LACs, they have similar liberal arts curriculums. Maybe telling your parents this will change their perception of LACs.
“My parents are also stereotypical Asian parents, and they would choose Amherst over UMich. In fact, my parents see Amherst as the best liberal arts college and have a much higher view of it than of UMich.”
So you are saying that your Asian parents would be willing to pay an additional $165.000.00 for a degree from Amherst over a degree from Michigan because of a perceived increase in prestige. You must have very wealthy parents.
^Amherst’s FA policy is VERY generous. You can’t assume that parents would be paying an additional $165,000, nor even that UMich is cheaper. For some families, Amherst would be cheaper (and no loans).
“In fact, my parents see Amherst as the best liberal arts college and have a much higher view of it than of UMich.”
If anyone has a “much higher view” of one school over the other, then I must say they are a bit out of touch with reality. Both of these schools are outstanding and have their strengths and weaknesses.
“Amherst’s FA policy is VERY generous. You can’t assume that parents would be paying an additional $165,000, nor even that UMich is cheaper. For some families, Amherst would be cheaper (and no loans).”
We can’t assume anything MYOS1634. Perhaps the OP is getting a free ride to Michigan.
OP’s only post indicates that the OP is in-state for Michigan and implies but does not explicitly state that Amherst is significantly more expensive (and does not mention financial aid).
Of course, for some other student who is out-of-state for Michigan but gets substantial financial aid from Amherst, the cost comparison could go the other way.
What the OP DID say is that his/her parents can afford Amherst and that he/she is coming off their waitlist. The OP further states…willing to pay full tuition at comparable national universities in terms of prestige and academics such as UChicago or Dartmouth. The question then is: what is the probability that a student coming off a waitlist will be offered significant “merit aid” (“need-based aid” seems a bit too far fetch) at this late stage of the game to offset such a large COA difference between the two schools? Possible? Highly probable?
Amherst doesn’t award merit aid.