<p>I would go Alabama unless you have a really compelling interest in a specific research area. For example, if you really like surgical robotics you should consider Johns Hopkins. Georgia Tech probably has a number of areas where it is very strong. </p>
<p>As much as I like Hopkins, I don’t think that it justifies an extra 200k over 4 years. Even if you really like Georgia Tech or Hopkins, I would advise you to consider attending Alabama for 1-2 years and then transferring.</p>