<p>I, like many people in this forum, have a difficult choice regarding colleges. I have already basically decided to ignore my offers from Duke and Berkeley because Duke is in Durham and Berkeley is too far away. In college, I am hoping to live in/near a vibrant, big, city and am definitely of the work hard/play hard philosophy. My two most likely pursuits are either policy studies or architecture - if policy, I will probably follow up with law school.</p>
<p>The schools I am trying to choose between are University of Pennsylvania, Washington University in St. Louis, Georgetown, and Rice. My dream is UPenn, however, they give one of the worst financial aid packages that I have seen. WashU is the most lucrative decision as they will almost pay for me in full - however, I have heard the school is lacking in social life AND Missouri seems....well, ummm, lets just say I've lived in the Midwest and it is not really all that great. I have qualms about Georgetown because the school is so focused on politics that if I randomnly decided to do something else, I couldn't. And, Houston is lacking in seasons - which I really miss and desire in a college.</p>
<p>Can you visit WashU and take a look around St. Louis? The city in general may be a more lively place than you expect right now. And, you may want to sit down with your parents and look long and hard at this pair of sentences:</p>
<p>"My dream is UPenn, however, they give one of the worst financial aid packages that I have seen. WashU is the most lucrative decision as they will almost pay for me in full...."</p>
<p>Way back in the last century, I left a small city in the mid-west for college on the east coast. Do not underestimate the dollar cost of transportation between the mid-west and the east coast. Do not underestimate the emotional cost of having your family able to visit you at college only once in four years, and then just for graduation weekend. I loved my college and wouldn't trade those years for everything, but at the same time I can't deny that my sibs who went to college in the mid-west had parents/sibs who turned up for every play/concert/homecoming/other event that my sibs invited them to.</p>
<p>Try talking to Penn's financial aid office, and show them your other offers. At least when it comes to other Ivies, they will try to match them.</p>
<p>Now as for other schools, they are merit-based aid as opposed to need-based aid, and it is debatable whether Penn feels like considering them a "peer school." So I don't know what will happen.</p>
<p>BUT You have nothing to lose in trying. You're so close to your dream, follow it!</p>