<p>I was born in Canada, but have resided in Massachusetts for the majority of my life.</p>
<p>Background information of my capabilities as a student: rank 24/326, stellar extracurriculars with leadership positions inside and outside of school, competed in business competitions taking home awards, regionals to science fair. Got into NEU, BU, BC but have to pay 30k+ to attend.</p>
<p>I got accepted into UofT to study Economics, and UMass Amherst in the Isenberg School of Management (not in the Honors College despite by good gpa -- I will try to get in during my second semester/year if I go here though).</p>
<p>Here's the issue. My family is considered middle class, so I don't get any reduced fees for lunch or for college applications. At UMass Amherst, I'm expected to pay ~10k with loans. At UofT, I am still waiting for my financial aid package to come in. I do't think it will come in by May 1. I am estimating 15k-20k with loans (hopefully). </p>
<p>I am planning to get my MBA in management at one of the top schools in the States (Wharton, Kellogg, etc) with a lot of hope and hard work of course haha. The thing is, I'm not sure if I should go to UofT or UMass Amherst for my undergraduate. My parents are willing to pay 40k for my four years of undergraduate, where I will pay off the rest through loans when I graduate. Reputation wise, I know UofT is a better school compared to UMass Amherst. There are many kids who attend my high school that haven't worked half as hard as I did and are going to UMass Amherst too. Kind of a blow to my self-esteem and waste of hard work. </p>
<p>Or perhaps I can just stay in Canada for my MBA too. But then I feel like I would end up settling in Canada and I really haven't thought that far. </p>
<p>Any advice would be greatly appreciated! I'm kinda rushed because I only have 2 days to put a deposit in for UMass Amherst. I am going to give a call to UofT tomorrow about my financials. </p>
<p>You probably already made a decision by now, but here’s my perspective anyway. </p>
<p>I attend UMass Amherst in the Isenberg School of Management as an Accounting major. I considered U of T as well when I applied to colleges, but I decided that the Bachelors in Commerce was not what I wanted - especially since I plan (as of now, anyway) to work in the States after school. So, I went with UMass after a similar situation of being hard working and academically accomplished in high school.</p>
<p>I would recommend attending Isenberg for the low price, especially if you are similarly considering working in the US after college. I would also suggest Accounting as a major. Even if you absolutely no idea what major to pursue, I would give accounting a serious look. As far as wanting to get an MBA down the road, you would be well positioned with little debt from UMass, and with a stellar accounting job from any of the Big 4 accounting firms or any of the big regional firms. These set you up in a great corporate environment with opportunity for advancement within the firms, as well as many exit opportunities into management or even moving into private accounting, if you really want to stay in the field. </p>
<p>Plus, all of the Big 4 and big regional accounting firms recruit heavily at Isenberg. If you put your mind to studying in college (which I’m sure you would given your high school achievements) then you should have no problem lining up an excellent job with them after graduation. From there, an MBA would be well within reach after a few years at these firms. Also, I believe all of the Big 4 are international, so you could always transfer to Canada if you wanted to work there after all!</p>
<p>Even if you chose U of T, you will also have a low cost (since you were born there and may qualify as a resident) and the St. George campus is right in Toronto, the economic center of the country. Studying there would open many internship opportunities for you during the school year. And don’t forget that international students are still recruited at business schools in the US, so really you cannot go wrong! Just be dedicated to your studies at either school, and you should be all set!</p>