<p>A number of students already have definite thoughts about where they will be attending this fall. For others the choice is still up in the air. What college will you ultimately choose and why?</p>
<p>[ul]
The school that is your overwhelming first choice?</p>
<p>The school that has the best name, prestige, ranking, etc.?</p>
<p>The school with the best financial aid package</p>
<p>The best school which you get admitted to?</p>
<p>The school that is best for you (environment, fit, major, campus culture, etc)?</p>
<p>If I get accepted to Yale, I will work away the summer then matriculate in New Haven. Otherwise, I'm going to Hawaii for the summer and then attending a Canadian university. Why do I want to go to Yale? It's not the name, prestige, ranking, etc. It's obviously not the surrounding area. It's just the best school for me. In retrospect, being deferred from Dartmouth ED was a good thing. I was trying to follow a girl. What happens if I get accepted RD? That's a good question. But it won't happen.</p>
<p>hmm...
1) I don't have an overwhelming first choice...my heart leans toward Dartmouth and my head leans toward Georgetown...</p>
<p>2) obviously the school with the best name and prestige is Harvard, for me.</p>
<p>3) my small LAC (Wells) has provided great financial aid, and Drew probably will as well.</p>
<p>4) i haven't gotten admitted anywhere except the LAC yet.</p>
<p>5) of all the schools, I have to admit Columbia is probably what seems the best fit, it's in the city I love more than anything, it's got a great lit program, it's kind of a haven from the city with its campus. But I guess what feels like the best fit is Dartmouth-- which probably doesn't make any sense. But it's the only place that feels like another home when I visit.</p>
<p>Financial aid. Dartmouth sent me a likely letter, so in terms of academic strength, I don't care whether it's Dartmouth, Harvard, Yale, or Princeton. Since Dartmouth is 4th on my list, it will have to be one of those four. And I don't think I'd feel bad about going to one over the other.</p>
<p>I am really suprised because columbia and Dartmouth are so different from each other in terms of environment big city vs rural and the warm fuzzies are not there like they are at Dartmouth. Columbia is definitely more graduate focused. Columbia's core curriculum and Dartmouth's distribution requirement. My sister loved her years at Columbia and used to beg my daughter to apply but she was not remotely interested (she said she was looking forward to having a break from the city becasue she did not want her entire school career to take place in Manhattan).</p>
<p>Kane as if money is the deciding factor the upside is that you definitely will not beat Princeton which has done away with loans just your EFC and and the rest is scholarship. My advice is don't simply look at money (base sticker price) as the great leveler because you will have to survive and be part of the collee community. You are aware of the various number of eating clubs and the member ship that fees that must be paid. Does a large amount of the social interaction take place in the eating clubs? Do you have to spend a lot of money to enjoy your self at campus events, movies, are off campus outings affordable to all that want to attend (one of the things I loved about Williams that they have a philosophy of no hidden cost so everything that happens at the school is affordable to all . There is no big distinctions between the haves and the havenots). Harvard has also stepped to the plate with their new inititate for families earning less than $60,000 with reduced EFC's) however they have not removed the loan component. Yale has recently followed suit beu is heavy on loans even to students with "0" efce (if you get a chance go the the financial aid section and readi Candi's (a first year student at Yale) experience at Yale.</p>
<p>For me, #1 and #5 are the same...Stanford is by far my overwhelming first choice, and the reason is because I feel so darn comfortable on campus and interacting with all the students. I'm on campus all the time (at least once a week b/c my tutor is a Stanford student), I simply LOVE it there. Palo Alto has that somewhat isolated feel, which I really enjoy. Dartmouth was an interesting choice for me - it's an outlier on my list of colleges b/c it didn't meet some of the initial criteria I was looking for, but when I visited I absolutely LOVED it - by far one of the most beautiful campuses I've ever seen.</p>
<p>oh, i completely agree with you, sybbie, columbia's not even one of my top two, georgetown and dartmouth are. but they're quite different as well. i only said that about columbia because a lot of people think that's a really good fit for me.</p>
<p>Hey babyblue, I went to Columbia and transferred to Dartmouth. And I go to Columbia for grad school now so if you have questions, feel free to ask.</p>
<p>Since you have experienced Columbia at both the grad and the undergrad level could you share what is it that you like about the grad experience that you may have felt was missing from your undergrad experience at Columbia? BTW, what was you major at Dartmouth and what program are you in now at Columbia. Did you get the opportunity to study abroad while you were at Dartmouth?</p>
<p>hee! i might have to change my screen name to babyblue, i like that a lot. </p>
<p>Actually I do have a question. Did you live in NY or NH before going to Columbia/Dartmouth? because I live in NY right now, and I'm not sure I should stay instate for undergraduate school-- get out and experience stuff, right?</p>
<ol>
<li>Stanford</li>
<li>Stanford</li>
<li>don't know yet...i only have one from Stanford so far </li>
<li>Stanford & Dartmouth</li>
<li>Dartmouth </li>
</ol>
<p>I <3 <3 <3 Stanford...the academics are great, the people are great, the adcoms are so incredibly nice, the campus is very pretty, and I've wanted to go there ever since I was 11. BUT, what i <3 <3 <3 about Dartmouth is its great environment, the rural communities, the buildings, the fact that its in NH and on the east coast, and I could go on and on. But who knows, maybe I won't even have to decide if Dartmouth rejects me.</p>
<p>For me,
1. Dartmouth
2. Dartmouth
3. Hope this one works out.
4. Dartmouth
5. Dartmouth</p>
<p>Really, the only way I'm not going to Dartmouth is if the finaid package is awful. The Dartmouth website aid calculator and FAFSA differed by around ten grand, so I don't much know what to expect there. But my other option is a public school which won't change its price when my brother goes to college in two years (I think this impacts aid?) so Dartmouth may end up being cheaper even if the aid isn't what I'm hoping for.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Brown, but Dartmouth is getting up there. Brown has just been my first choice for so long, and it really is amazing. If I get into both D and Brown, then I'll probably have to go to Dimensions and decide after that.</p></li>
<li><p>Best name.... hm.... probably Brown or Dartmouth (even though Penn is the hgihest ranked)</p></li>
<li><p>FinAid will probably be the best at Brown (b/c they just got that $100 million gift), but will most likely be similar at Brown, Dartmouth, and Penn. Gtown isn't very good with aid, so I'll have to wait and see (I get it in week!).</p></li>
<li><p>"Best" school is quite broad... but in terms of quality of education, funding, nice atmosphere, etc. probaby Brown or Dartmouth (maybe Brown a little bit more b/c of the city's resources). Penn is good, but too competitive, and too much focus on Wharton/preprofessionalism</p></li>
<li><p>I still think Brown is my best fit, since I'm very liberal, and I do like living near cities. The lack of core is also very appealing to me. But besides political leaning/location, the mindset of the Dartmouth students seems to fit me best. But overall, probably Brown.</p></li>
</ol>
<ol>
<li>university of chicago</li>
<li>notre dame/chicago/northwestern (I am not going to try to discern, they are all well thought of)</li>
<li>university of portland </li>
<li>whitman college/ u of chicago</li>
</ol>
<p>See how everything plays out and if you should get a package that is a better one than the one that Dartmouth has given, don't be afraid to ask for a financial review, (you will have to send them a copy of the better offer) especially if Dartmouth is your overall first choice, don't be afraid to tell them. When we got the package last year there was less than a 2000 difference between what the calculator estimated and what Dartmouth's actual package was. However, Williams gave daughter a better package. Once she said that Dartmouth was clearly her first choice, she did fax them a letter with the Williams offer which Dartmouth met.</p>
<p>Remember the FAFSA just looks at the gross amount of money your parents make, the CSS profile takes into consideration other factors- the age of your parents and how close they are to retirement as part of theirn income will be protected. If your parents are paying for your brother to attend private school that wil also be taken into consideration. 5 percent of your parent's and 35% of your assests will be taken into consideration toward your family contribution. </p>
<p>Since you are working, continue to save because the student contribution from working (approx. $2,225 first year) is pretty much non negotiable. Work study will be part of your package, tha will take care of your day to day expenses. If people offer you graduation presents take cash so that you can purchase your computer (unless you are computer savvy and can do with what you already have) or anything you need to get your self started. The book tab wasn't as bad as I thought it would be a little over $300 each term. People really do not spend a lot of money in Hanover, occasional dinners out unless you just kill your food plan even then it will go on the next term's. bill.</p>
<p>Your FAFSA willdefinitely change once you and your brother are both in college.</p>
<ol>
<li>MIT</li>
<li>MIT or Dartmouth pick</li>
<li>UC berkely so far</li>
<li>hopefully MIT</li>
<li> depends, MIT i would love, but i sometimes wonder if dartmouth, (which was my first choice up until this fall, when i got hooked on MIT) would be better</li>
</ol>