<p>Hey everyone!
So im in a little bit of a predicament. i was accepted to both Michigan and Alabama for this upcoming fall, but i really cant decide which school to attend. Any opinions on what i should do would be greatly appreciated! I would like to attend Michigan because it is a much better school academically, and even though this may not be true, i do believe that it would allow me more opportunites when i graduate. i am in their honors program and have a $10,000 a year scholarship (& i am a MI resident). The only FA is loans, which my parents refuse to take out. On the other hand, there is Alabama, a school that i am pretty much gaurenteed to have fun at. i went to visit and absolutely loved the campus! I am also in two of their honors programs and am receiving a full-ride scholarship. I HATE the weather here in MI, but at the same time i feel as if i may be lowering my standards if i go to UA. I already had to turn down Duke for money reasons and i just dont know if im willing to turn down another top school for the same thing. At this point i feel like it has become money vs. prestige. Please help me! Thanks :)</p>
<p>I think u’ll have fun at any college, michigan’s party scene isn’t bad, I guess u just have to go w/ ur gut</p>
<p>The only FA is loans, which my parents refuse to take out.</p>
<p>So, then how would you pay for UMich?</p>
<p>michigan is a much better school and you will definitely have fun. I have never heard of anyone who hasn’t absolutely loved going to Michigan. Do what your heart is telling you but I think Michigan is definitely the way to go.</p>
<p>The poster will not be able do to what his heart tells him if his family refuses loans or to assist. My son’s COA this yr as a junior is in excess of $27,000. Even with two scholarships, that leaves $15,000 to pay cash or finance.
Freshmen tuition is slightly lower, but those 10k scholarships no longer actually cover tuition.
OP, if your family is not able or willing to help, be grateful you have an awesome full ride at UA. You’ll have a blast and graduate without debt.
fYI, the student loan portion of FA is YOUR decision, you parents don’t cosign, but that’s only 5500, and you’d still need another 8-10k to cover all your living costs.</p>
<p>So you’d be unlikely to privately finance the gap without your parents cosigning, nor would you WANT to be on the hook for 40-50k, which is twice the federal guideline for student debt.</p>
<p>I have a friend who goes to Alabama and absolutely loves it. But it is important to think about prestige and job opportunities when you graduate. Obviously Michigan will provide you with much better job offers after graduation. Alabama is not going to provide these options and that is simply because it is easier to get into than Michigan (in same tier as LSU or FSU). To further explain my previous point, my friend I mentioned earlier that goes to UA, went to jail for possession of weed in high school but he still got into UA.
Good luck with your decision!!
(If I was in your shoes I would go UA, make stellar grades, tell your employers you had a full ride, and have fun; this in my mind is the best option.)</p>
<p>Michigan, definitely. You’re already used to the weather, and even though you don’t like it, it probably won’t affect you in a big way. Michigan can be fun if you make it a fun place to be.</p>
<p>Michigan’s motto is work hard, play hard.</p>