<p>I won't name them by name so you guys won't automatically be biased toward one. </p>
<hr>
<p>College 1: </p>
<p>-Located about an hour away, so I can come home on the weekends
-I'd like to be able to visit my family, because I want my 1 yr old brother to know me when he's growing up
-It's a "state" school, but not the official state university
-They're offering me a bunch of scholarships. Not quite a full ride, but at least full tuition.
-I got accepted to their honors program, which is pretty hard to do.
-A lot of people from my school are going there. (But none of my real friends are attending. In fact, this is kind of a negative thing, because I don't get along well with too many people at my high school.)
-It's my "safety" school. A good school, but easy to get into and definitely the best choice financially. If I went there, I could keep in closer touch with my family (and some friends who are staying at the local community college.). I'd be a "big fish in a small pond" so to speak, and would have good opportunities for classes and undergrad research because of that. But it just seems... like I could do better, somehow. </p>
<p>College 2:</p>
<p>-It's far away, so I'd have to visit rarely and take a plane
-It's in a large city, so it has that element of "adventure" to it.
-It would be a complete fresh start with no one I know. This could turn out really well if I make many new friends, or I could end up feeling lonely if I don't form close connections with people.
-It's really selective and hard to get into. Not an Ivy League, but close.
-I have a small scholarship, but it would still cost way more than my/my family could pay without taking out student loans.
-So basically, this is a "reach" school. It would leave me in horrible debt, but there's something appealing in just moving away and starting my life over again in a new place. I'd have so many cool opportunities in a city that I just don't get in the Midwest area that I live in. </p>
<p>Agh, I can't decide... :/ Just wanted someone's opinion to see what total strangers on the Internet think I should do.</p>
<p>Can’t say anything because you didn’t give the name but If I had to choose one just by reading the description College 2 just because its a reach school. Tell us your major…because if its like pre-med or something then you gotta go to the cheapest one…</p>
<p>It depends on the academic level and prestige they have…If College 1 is like Montana State and College 2 is like Case Western, then you have to goto College 2 no matter what…If both are same, then the cheapest one.</p>
<p>College 1 is the University of Kansas. It’s about an hour away from my house on the highway. College 2 is the University of Chicago. That’s probably like an 8 hour drive.</p>
<p>University of Chicago …also their admission rate is supposed to drop to around 10% and I don’t have to explain the academic quality and prestige University of Chicago has.</p>
<p>If money is seriously a problem, then the other school…but I still don’t think you should turn down University of Chicago</p>
<p>How much would you need to take in loans at U of C. There’s not doubt Chicago is the better school, but I’d still be hesitant to take on a huge amount of debt.</p>
<p>Why do you write that the University of Kansas is not “the official state university”. Looking at the stats, it seems that Kansas has 2 flagships, U of K, and KSU that are very similar in stats. Where there’s a difference U of K comes out slightly ahead. Is there a 3rd school I’m overlooking?</p>
<p>If I go to the one in Kansas, I would still be staying in the dorms and stuff, not at home. But I still totally get what you’re saying. </p>
<p>@CuriousJane:</p>
<p>Nah, there isn’t a third school. But, in my high school, everyone considers K-State (KSU) to be the “state school” and kind of talks down about it. KU (U of K) is still technically a state school, but we consider it to be a bit higher quality. Maybe it just comes down to sports fans More people in my high school are fans of KU than KSU.</p>
<p>I’m in MD, and people here might say that UMD-CP is “THE” state school, while Towson, for example is just “a state school”. The former would be something of a compliment, indicating that it’s the most prestigious, while the latter indicates lesser status. So, I was thinking that you were saying that KU wasn’t even the top school in the state. </p>
<p>You can tell by the fact that I don’t know the acronym for KU that I’m not an expert on universities in Kansas.</p>
<p>I would never advocate for “horrible debt.” No school is worth that and even moreso in this economy.</p>
<p>Why no third choices? If just the two, I’d recommend the first with no reservations (even knowing the names of the two).</p>
<p>If the total debt (not annual debt) were 20 - 25K or less then I might consider the options. I definitely would not for anything > 30K. The future is too unreliable to assume you will get a job able to pay off more easily.</p>
<p>Grad school can always be at a more prestigious place.</p>
<p>I’d strongly advise you to stay away from “horrible debt,” no matter what the college. My first impression when reading your question, without knowing the names, was School #1. Full tuition, honors program, large university (so you might not even see high school classmates) – those are all factors in its favor.</p>
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<p>In twenty years, this relationship with your brother will probably (hopefully!) be far more important than where you went to college.</p>
<p>Knowing the names of the schools doesn’t change my opinion a bit. I’m not biased either for or against either one, except for one thing – I’d be a lot more excited about attending sports events at Kansas. :)</p>
<p>[FinAid</a>! Financial Aid, College Scholarships and Student Loans](<a href=“http://Www.finaid.org%5DFinAid”>http://Www.finaid.org) has some great calculators that will help you sort through the numbers. On the home page, scroll down to the bottom and click on “calculators” then scroll down through that list until you find the link for comparing aid letters. U of C may turn out to be affordable. But if it isn’t that back-up choice in Lawrence is nothing to sneeze at.</p>
<p>If you aren’t too far from KC, you can take the train to and from Chicago - guaranteed to make any little brother love you forever.</p>
<p>Aurora,
the papers are FULL of stories about young people drowning in debt from student loans. It is NOT worth it to go to U of C, ESPECIALLY if you plan to continue your education , and would be living a as a "poor "graduate student on a small stipend for another 5-6 years after your UG years. You would be FAR better off graduating near the top of your class at UK, doing lots of research there, getting great LOR’s from profs who would be eager to have really smart students in their classes and labs, and applying once again to Chicago and other top graduate schools for your PhD.
Remember- the LAST college on your CV is the one that counts!
Our story- DS was accepted to Chicago and like you , it would have cost him and us way too much $ to go there. Instead, he went to his safety on a full tuition scholarship, was in all the honors classes, met plenty of other really bright students, did intense research every summer, and was able to be published with the help of a fantastic prof, and was accepted at his first choice grad school- Caltech.
So be smart and plan for the long term- DONT load you or your parents with debt that will weigh you down like a lead weight around your neck.</p>
<p>Kansas. You have your whole life ahead of you to do the big city adventure, and you can afford that adventure better if you don’t have huge college debts.</p>
<p>While UC has the better reputation, as a big fish in a small pond you may have better access to research projects and relationships with profs that will get you graduate placements.</p>
<p>UK is large enough that you may rarely interact with people from your high school. I went to a fairly small private school with one other student from my high school and saw him maybe once a month as we passed in a hall way.</p>
<p>You have to think about the networking possibilities, the connections you will make and the recruiting opportunities. $30,000 in debt is certainly nothing to sneeze at but the opportunities available to you at Chicago could make that pay for itself in a year or two, making the Chicago option much more lucrative for you in the long run. Don’t be short-sighted.</p>
<p>“I’m going to major in biochemistry, and kinda aiming toward doing genetic research. So I’m not premed, but I’ll probably shoot for a PhD.”</p>
<p>Grad school admissions is based on undergrad GPA, GPA in coursework related to the field of graduate study, GRE scores, letters of recommendation, your personal statement, and your work/research/publications/internships etc. related to the projected field of graduate study. The name of the college or university you attended barely matters at all. What may matter is that your undergrad prof has some professional crony at an institution that you are targeting for grad school. </p>
<p>Read the websites for the departments that you would be studying in at both of these universities. Follow the links to the information about the individual faculty members. What are they publishing? Where did they study? What kind of grant money are they pulling in? What do the departments indicate about job and grad school placement? For your field, one university may indeed be better than the other, and you may be surprised to learn which one that is. </p>
<p>And now we know why so many students end up with super high debt…</p>
<p>Personally, I still don’t recommend it - for any school. Some debt, perhaps, but not super high debt. It will NOT be paid off in a year or two no matter where you go.</p>
<p>OP, how high are we talking about for debt for U Chicago?</p>
<p>sorry if I wasn’t clear. I didn’t mean that the debt would be paid in a year or two. I meant that the networking, recruiting, opportunities of a school like Chicago could result in a higher starting salary and higher lifetime earnings…that could equal $30,000 over the first couple of years and even more going forward…</p>
<p>Based on personal experience…not guaranteed of course but it is a consideration.</p>
More people in my high school are fans of KU than KSU.</p>