Hi! I, like many other seniors, have to choose a college within two weeks. For me, it basically boils down to price. I have read enough threads on this website to understand that debt is not ideal. I have a few choices remaining: Grinnell, Macalester, U of M+Honors, or U of M Duluth. At Grinnell or Macalester, I would be taking on tons of debt but benefitting from the smaller size. I would graduate with no debt from either U of M school. I do not know what I want to major in but I will probably attend grad school. I am a student who has a hard time paying attention in lectures and would prefer small classes. I did not like the U when I visited, but I am reconsidering due to the reality of student debt and how it will impact my future.
Basically, is the cost of a Liberal Arts education worth taking on debt? Is the U of M very impersonal? How inferior is the education at Duluth rather than my other options?
No its not worth a lot of debt. U of M is a great school. If you simply go to office hours you’ll easily get to know your profs. There are tons of benefits over a smaller school too - more class and majors offerings, more clubs, more people to meet, great urban environment (over Grinnell). Don’t take on debt without a fantastic reason. Also, the Twin Cities campus is straight out superior to the Duluth campus.
Go to U of M, and save your pennies for grad school. Debt can be crippling later on in life. If you can’t do well at the U of M undergrad then you have no business going to law school. It’s a pretty benign place. I would also add that I wish that my life had gone so smoothly that going to the U if M was considered a hardship.
BTW, S1 is looking at those schools, Duluth excepted. His first choice is the U of M, but other factors come Into consideration for him that might make the LAC route a better fit.
Good luck. At the end of the day, only you know what’s right. Both those LAC’s are excellent if you can pay the freight.
@57special thank you. I understand that I have been very fortunate in my financial situation and my test scores. I believe neither Grinnell nor the U of M would be a bad choice for me.
He may do well at all of his choices but he is trying to decide which one he might do best conditional on affordability. Many students prefer a smaller undergrad setting and then do well in law school.
I’m a fan of LACs but $50k or $75k in debt seems way too much to take out for undergrad, especially with grad school plans in your future. That level of debt will impact your life choices for years and years after graduation.
If possible get more information on what the Honors program at UM would give you – it may serve to create a smaller program inside of the larger university and give you at least some of what you wanted from a LAC.
I made a similar choice back in the day. I chose my large state flagship over a well-ranked LAC due to cost. The Honors Program did create a more intimate learning environment within a larger university. Once you get to upper division courses in your major, class size will be smaller. Also, I got to know many professors well and am still in touch with some of them today.
Fellowships are very hard to obtain for law school. It is best to avoid debt now, while you can.
I’ve been through a similar situation. It was between Grinnell and the U of Illinois back in the mid 1980s. But, at that time, the COA for Grinnell (with financial aid and small loans) turned out to be less than the U. of I. So I was able to go–and I’m very glad that I did. But if it had turned out to be significantly more, my parents would have said I had to go to the U of Illinois. (And I’m sure I would have been fine there as well!)
My son is a first-year student at Luther this year (also in Iowa). The top-rated USNWR LACs were all too expensive for us (their idea of paying full need and ours are two different things). And he really wanted to go to a small LAC, so we looked at the ones that offer merit aid. These are not at all on the top of the USNWR list–you need to look in the 50-100 range, but they offer great educations. My husband and I went to “highly rated” schools, however, we have found that in real life, these ratings don’t mean much at all. College is what you make it–no matter where you are. And, yes, I think honors programs at large schools are great as well.
Many of these small schools that offer great merit are still looking for students. It might not be too late for you to apply to them for next fall. I think there’s a list out there about this somewhere, Luther is on rolling admissions. Also look at Beloit, Knox, Cornell College, Lawrence and some of the other CTCL colleges as well as Augustana in Rock Island. My son is feeling a little isolated at Luther (with no public transportation to get home), so that is something to think about based on your personality, but that would apply to Grinnell as well.
Wishing you lots of luck with your decision. Know that wherever you go, you can create a great experience for yourself. Loans are awful, so watch out. I had a small loan, but it still took me a long time to pay off because I didn’t go into a high-paying field.
@ZZdecision2016 thank you! I have applied and was accepted to Beloit, Lawrence, College of Wooster, and other LAC’s with merit, but I decided that I would rather choose Grinnell or the U Honor’s Program.
@collegeunknown Have you tried a financial aid appeal at Grinnell? If it is your first choice and money is holding you back, maybe they might be open to negotiation?