I was accepted to Cornell Arts & Sciences as a freshman spring admit, but am taking my fall semester at UVA as an Echols Scholar (their honors program for Arts & Sciences). I’m coming close to the time that I have to make a decision between staying and going, and I wanted to hear what you guys thought. For context, I hope to land a job in banking/finance.
At UVA, I will have the chance to apply to the McIntire School of Commerce, which will no doubt give me a lot of opportunities and placement in the finance sector, but it isn’t a sure shot, with only a 50% acceptance rate. Other pros for UVA include the fact that I’d be paying about $10,000 a semester less, as an in-state student, and the Echols program means I get priority registration for courses (and maybe some sort of intangible mark as an honors student might help me in McIntire admissions).
I plan to double-major in Economics and Computer Science, and the Echols program at UVA allows me to skip past general requirements, making the process easier (and CS hopefully giving me an edge in the finance sphere?), whereas at Cornell, I’d still have to fulfill all general requirements, making a double-major harder to complete. Is the ivy name at Cornell worth it/will it get me better placement as a student in the university’s College of Arts & Sciences? I assume it would be a different story if I was in Cornell’s AEM but I don’t know about how its A&S placement would compare to UVA’s McIntire.
Dyson is going through a lot of changes right now- imo, McIntire is currently a stronger program.
CS at Cornell is not for the faint-hearted. Not saying that they are lightweights at UVa- they aren’t!- but there is an intensity at Cornell that either suits you or…or doesn’t. I don’t know anything about you as a person, and which environment will play to your strengths.
I have a collegekid at Cornell atm, and she is very happy there- but two things are clear to me: 1) it wouldn’t suit everybody and 2) it’s not a magic bullet. You can get everything you want where you are, so choose the place where you think that you will thrive best- in every sense of the word.
The most you can take out in loans for a 4 year degree is 27,000. Either your parents are paying for the rest or they’re co-signing it over to you in the form of private loans. If you have to co-sign loans, you can’t afford to go there. Plus, when you transfer schools, you also lose credits. That alone can add an extra 20,000 to your price tag. You’re in a good place at UVA. I would just stick with it.
Your question reflects a lot of thought which is good. However, I think you might want to consider a few other things — Are you happy at UVA? Have you made friends? Do you make friends easily? Have your visited Cornell, so you like the physical place?
I am asking this because my daughter is at UVA as a second year now and loved it the first year but is less happy second year. She is also Echols. She may just graduate in three years and then head to grad school. However, she is changing her living situation for next year and is hoping that will address the issue. Her boyfriend faced the same choice you are before entering UVA and selected UVA. He didn’t like Cornell’s campus or the people.
My point is that your future plans are not the only thing to think about when considering making a move. This is undergraduate education this is not your professional education. Part of the point is enjoyment and making friends. These may become connections for life.
One last thing, my daughter did not even apply to Cornell because I was not willing to make that drive. Getting to and from Cornell is a thing to consider.
I don’t believe paying an additional $70,000 ($10k per semester) is worth it for Cornell undergrad A&S when you have Echols and possible McIntire. Save $70k for MBA.
I was accepted to Cornell Arts & Sciences as a FYSA (freshman spring admit), but am currently taking my fall semester at UVA as an Echols Scholar (their honors program for Arts & Sciences). I’m coming close to the time that I have to make a decision between staying and going, and I wanted to hear what you guys thought. For context, I hope to land a job in banking/finance.
At UVA, I will have the chance to apply to the McIntire School of Commerce, which will no doubt give me a lot of opportunities and placement in the finance sector, but it isn’t a sure shot, with only a 50% acceptance rate. Other pros for UVA include the fact that I’d be paying about $10,000 a semester less, as an in-state student, and the Echols program means I get priority registration for courses (and maybe some sort of intangible mark as an honors student might help me in McIntire admissions).
I plan to double-major in Economics and Computer Science, and the Echols program at UVA allows me to skip past general requirements, making the process easier (and CS hopefully giving me an edge in the finance sphere?), whereas at Cornell, I’d still have to fulfill all general requirements, making a double-major harder to complete. Is the ivy name at Cornell worth it/will it get me better placement as a student in the university’s College of Arts & Sciences? I assume it would be a different story if I was in Cornell’s AEM but I don’t know about how its A&S placement would compare to UVA’s McIntire.
Agree 100 percent. I have a daughter at Cornell also in CS and she really likes it but it is not very everyone just as any school is not for everyone . Don’t decide just based on the name. Decide based on where you will thrive and be happy.