It is admirable your grandmother donated half a million dollars to the U, and respectable of you and your family to follow through. You’re right, it’d be unconscionable to disrespect someone’s dying wish and I don’t think that’s what BrownParent meant.
However, in all likelihood, it means that your income level will go down dramatically next year, so that Chicago would likely be cheaper your 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year (they re-evaluate FA every year and do meet 100% need).
How did you like UChicago?
@MYOS1634 That’s good to know. I liked it a lot! I still haven’t decided though…
I don’t know how long I’ll drag this out, but I really appreciate the input from everyone!
wait, $50,000 total over 4 years is not years and years of heavy debt… It is very manageable.
And where did you get that gpa average? almost 90% of the graduates get 3.25 gpa or better, please go and read the Chicago board. I did the counting one by one, so I know.
@kateko : are you any further in your thinking?
@MYOS1634 I am nearing the point where I have to make a decision, and I think what Minnesota is offering is too good to turn down, but I’m struggling to close the door on Chicago.
Does anyone have any advice as to how I can come to terms with turning down a school as amazing as Chicago?
You are the one who determines your own worth, as well as your outcomes in life. Ceding too much authority to external circumstances, such as a particular school or social affirmation, can erode your own self-determination.
Also, if you make an effort to take advantage of Minnesota’s fine faculty and resources in your discipline, it would probably provide more than any single undergraduate could fully exploit in their ~four years.
@anhydrite That was actually very inspiring. You’re right - I don’t want to give in to the external locus of control. Thank you for that.
I should also add that a student can often gain some amount of career leverage when the fit (re: costs, etc.) works well for college. If you are in a stressful financial position, either during your studies or post-graduate, it can detract from your performance. Chicago is indeed a very fine school, but may not provide the best outcome in your life at this time. Maybe think about it for graduate work.
I haven’t posted here before, but I felt like I had to say something because I was in a very similar situation to you. I’m a current econ undergrad OOS student at the U who turned down big time programs for various reasons. I was bummed out at first but once you get to campus, start your classes, and meet your friends you’ll forget that you even considered any other school. Minnesota has a world-renowned econ program (there’s even a school of economics named after the institution) with great faculty and a rigorous curriculum. There’s an emphasis on mathematics and the classes are difficult after the intro levels, like UChicago, which should put you in a great position with anything that you’d want whether that is working in the industry or moving to a PhD program. You’re going to have to try a little harder to connect with the econ faculty and networking but it isn’t impossible. If you have any specific questions about the U and the program, feel free to ask me.
There is no question about this. Go to Chicago, eat the debt, but only if you’re confident you can spend all 3-4 years completely focused on your academics and earn a full ride to grad school. This is much easier from Chicago than from Minnesota. Come on: think about it. 