<p>Full ride at Auburn vs. $5000 unsubsidized at UVA. Parents can pay for between 1-3 years or tuition, depending on the stock market. I cough up for the rest. I want to study political science, to go pre-law, or go pre-med.
What should I do???</p>
<p>You are looking at two insanely expensive graduate programs. Since money is a concern, you may be best off to take the free ride for undergraduate. I am a firm believer that any student can receive a challenging education if he or she seeks it out. </p>
<p>Challenging classes with motivated students are the norm at UVa. I don’t have first-hand information on that at Auburn, but there is no question you could find that if it is not. Professors want motivated students and will work to challenge them if they ask.</p>
<p>Keep in mind, UVa’s wonderful president attended Michigan State University because that school gave her a substantial scholarship, which she needed to attend college. While there she excelled academically and even worked her way into working in the University president’s office while an undergrad. Grad school at Chicago and distinguished careers at top institutions (even her alma mater’s instate rival Michigan) followed.</p>
<p>Check out the law school and med school placements from Auburn. The very top students at most schools have good graduate school options. Reputation of one’s undergraduate school is more of an issue for those below the very top. For med school, GPA and MCAT scores are more important – so there can be an advantage attending a school that is slightly less competitive. Currently, for law school, LSAT score is the biggest factor in admission. Challenging yourself in college to ensure a strong academic background for the graduate field you choose to pursue is the key.</p>