Hey all,
This is my first post on this website but I really wanted to ask for advice on this. I recently found out that I was admitted to my first choice major at UIUC. Originally, I committed to UofA for Aerospace, which is my local state school. My Dad went to grad school at UIUC for EE. I got a pretty good scholarship for UofA and with my parents help, I wouldn’t have an debt after undergrad. If I got to UIUC, I’m looking at about 15,000 a year in student loans. I know, UIUC is a much better program but I’m unsure on the cost and also the difficulty of the program.
This has been a tough decision and I hope to get some advice from some seasoned engineers.
First of all, which school is “U of A”? There are lots of states (and provinces) that start with “A” and you didn’t specify.
Also, based in your username, should we assume you are interested primarily in the astro side of things?
Yes, and the University of Arizona here in Tucson.
Well, UIUC is a great school for sure (and I’ll sing its praises more than most given that I am an alumnus), but U of A is a really good school, too. In general, I’d hesitate to say choosing UIUC is worth and extra $60,000 in loans.
However, UIUC does have a more developed program on the astro side of things. On the flip side, I know that U of A is making a strategic investment in a few areas in aerospace right now, especially on the astro side of things, and is trying to build up expertise particularly in the area of space situational awareness, so that’s something to consider as well. Also keep in mind that this expertise in astro won’t really affect the core courses much, but instead will have more of an effect on what sort of electives and graduate courses are available. Browse through the undergraduate course offerings of both departments to get a sense of just how much of an impact this would have for you.
Ultimately, I can’t really tell you if the differences between the two are worth $15,000/year in extra loans at UIUC for you. That’s a pretty steep price difference to pay, and for some it may be worth it, while it may be a waste for others. I will say that, all else being equal, the difference in outcomes between the two programs will not be worth $60,000. On the other hand, all else is rarely equal. If you would be much happier at UIUC, for example, you may perform better and therefore have a better outcome. Only you and your family can weigh those sorts of things.
I will also say that while U of A likes to play up how awesome the Zona Zoo is, I sure had a blast in the Orange Krush when I was at UIUC.
To be totally debt free at the end of college is a pretty awesome thing. Go to U of A and if you decide that you want to go to grad school, you can always go out of state then.
$15,000 per year is more than you can borrow without parent cosigned loans or parent loans. That is usually not a good idea, since an unanticipated problem could be a big problem to both your and your parents’ finances.
They are both respected schools, but also very different schools. Since you are from Arizona, you understand the local area/climate/etc. – winter is great and there are plenty of things you can do outdoors that time of year. Illinois, on the other hand, will be cold and probably snowy in winter, so if you are an outdoor person used leisurely hikes on your spare time, take that into consideration. And if you are not an outdoor person, it won’t really matter what the weather is like outside!
I have worked in Aerospace for 8 years now and have seen roughly an equal number of graduates from both schools, all well-established in their careers and doing well. As for your situation, I think it’s best to consider the non-academic aspects of each school to determine which one you would be happier at (don’t forget things like on/off campus housing situation, food, campus vibe, surrounding area, etc.).
Since you are in the field - how would you rate Missouri University of Science and Technology for Aerospace?
You should start your own thread instead of hijacking/resurrecting an old one.