<p>My son is going to be majoring in computer science. He was accepted to UPenn but no financial aid and UPitt Honors college full tuition. We can't afford 57,000 a year. So is Penn that much better then Pitt and is it worth going into debt?</p>
<p>Pitt CS is a very good program. If I were in your shoes (and I’d love to be next year), I’d grab Pitt without a second thought.</p>
<p>^^ ditto. Especially in a field like CS where so-called college prestige matters considerably less.</p>
<p>Congrats on the full ride!</p>
<p>Thank you for the advice that really helps! Do most CS undergrads go to graduate school?</p>
<p>A Case Western Reserve offered 24,000 in aid. Does anyone know anything about Cases computer science department?</p>
<p>NYgella,</p>
<p>Here is a nice calculator that will help you compare the financial offers as well as some non-financial offers [FinAid</a> | Calculators | Advanced Award Letter Comparison Tool](<a href=“Your Guide for College Financial Aid - Finaid”>Your Guide for College Financial Aid - Finaid) I suggest you run the numbers through it to see where all of your son’s options fall. If he has specific questions about internships or job placement, it’s perfectly OK for him to pick up the phone and call the career centers at each university. For ideas about research opportunities in his major, a quick call to the CS departments would get some answers for him.</p>
<p>Of the offers on the table right now, Pitt is probably the best.</p>
<p>for CS, no reason to pay full freight to Penn. Pitt all the way, and don’t look back.</p>
<p>If you’re looking for something to do with the money not spend on Penn, by all means hire a private CS tutor for DS… or help DS buy a condo when he relocates for his first real job after college.</p>
<p>I’m sure you realize that the $190,000 delta b/w Penn and Pitt (tuition paid) would provide quite a nice start for a young professional. Whatever you do, don’t pocket the difference. Give at least 50% of the savings to your DS when he graduates. He has earned it by getting a tuition waived offer from Pitt.</p>