<p>I'm having an incredibly hard time making a decision between UR and UNC. I have about 3 hours to decide.</p>
<p>University of Rochester
Pros:
• Love the open curriculum
• I like Rochester</p>
<p>Cons:
• I would have to take out ~$15k in loans a year</p>
<p>UNC Chapel Hill
Pros:
• Wouldn't have to take out loans</p>
<p>Cons:
• I don't really like the town of Chapel Hill
• I'm not sure I like how big it is</p>
<p>The thing is, I know that Chapel Hill is ranked higher everywhere. How much do you think that would impact future job and internship opportunities? It's pretty much come down to location vs. money and possibly prestige. I would love to hear anyone's opinion on what you think is the better option!</p>
<p>EDIT: Payscale ranks Rochester 171 and UNC 300 for return on investment. </p>
<p>UNC-CH (#30) and Rochester (#32) are nearly tied in the US News ranking, meaning they are the same on a generic basis. Individual programs will vary. Payscale data is questionable, I wouldn’t use that as a criteria for anything. Where a school is located usually winds up meaning far less than students think it does - it’s the campus itself that becomes home, not the town it’s located in. Any large school will quickly scale down once you’re there - you will only be closely associated with a small part of it and the student body. However, I’m a proponent of smaller schools for the purposes of class sizes, but how different are class sizes when comparing the two?</p>
<p>The problem here is, the school you like better will cost you an extra $60k by the time you’re done. In your specific area, can you justify the extra money? Is there a $60k advantage you’ll be buying, either in degree or in your enjoyment? That’s what it really comes down to.</p>
<p>I would say U of R is not a good School unless you are an A student in High School (like SAT north of 2100). My son was a B student in High School who would have done very well elsewhere, but U of R did not even allow him to complete a Major in engineering, he had to be satisfied with a Minor. However, he still was able to get a Masters Degree in Engineering area of his choice with a very respectable GPA from another school (even though none of the U of R faculty even bothered to reply to his requests for recommendations to apply for Grad School) </p>
<p>Whichever you choose, make your choice with confidence. Wherever you are supposed to end up, you will! Don’t add stress to your life by worrying if you made the wrong choice, because both schools will give you great years and great opportunities in the future.</p>
<p>Just noting that on May 1st the OP said they had 3 hours to decide. I’m not quite sure why the reboot on this thread other than New York Guy having an axe to grind.</p>