Why would I pay $100,000 extra?

the sticker price for Cornell is 32,000 tuition. (4 years = 128k)
Berkeley is 7000 (in state) ( 4 years = 28k)

128k-28k = 100k!!!
icould buy a brand spanking new porsche.

both are great engineering schools
only Cornell has a slightly better prestige.

my family “ok” finanically. (120k family income)

but seriously, is there any reason for me to go to cornell instead of berkeley?
i’m going into engineering. and doubt i’d own my own business for at least many years.

how much financial aid do people usually get? how much do people usually get off from the sticker price?

<p>you're probably not going to get much fin aid</p>

<p>i'd go to berkeley.</p>

<p>I would pick berkeley anyday. But my family is a little finanically worst than yours. I say berkeley has as much or more prestige as cornell. Since your in state berkeley is a hell of a lot cheaper than cornell. So I would say berkeley.</p>

<p>oh yea. i'm the only child also :(</p>

<p>Euphoria, I had no idea you wanted to apply to Cornell. I want to go there too. It's funny when I see people considering the same schools as me. </p>

<p>I have to agree with afa. Your income is pretty high (at least compared to my family's) so I don't think you'll get a great financial aid packet. However, I could be wrong. I've also heard Cornell gives more loans than grants. Well, you probably won't pay the full sticker price you see but there's a good chance that your financial aid package won't be as generous as you may want. Since I'm in-state for Cornell and I have the option of choosing a state-funded school, it will be easier for me to pay for a Cornell education if I decide to go to there. But I still think you should apply to Cornell. In my opinion, Cornell engineering is worth the debt. Have you seen how much Cornell engineers make after graduating? You will be able to pay it off if you become an engineer. If you were to go to Cornell for Mongol history or something, I wouldn't be so optimistic but you're going into a lucrative profession. </p>

<p>But Berkeley is a great school. You don''t know how lucky you Californians are to have such a good state school system. But that's another story and now time for Conan...</p>

<p>how much do they make?! the engineers...</p>

<p>did you consider that we may want to go to grad school also? Or should we? That's more money and more years!</p>

<p>i should also mention. My family actually makes close to NO INCOME now. My dad started a business 1-2 years ago and had to buy a lot of stuff for his company. does this vastly help me in terms of aid?</p>

<p>is your berkeley sticker price calculated correctly? if you plan to include books, housing, and other fees, cornell should be only about double of berkeley</p>

<p>cornell = $160k
berkeley = $80k</p>

<p>but i would still pick berkeley for engineering.</p>

<p>Berkeley is better. Everything I could think about it is...weather, location, prestige, price, academics...</p>

<p>kfc4u, my numbes are from collegeboard.com
i am assuming the tuition is the biggest difference. sure housing can vary 1-2 thounsand a year...but books should cost the same :)</p>

<p>kcrisch! you think berkeley has more prestige? :)</p>

<p>When i think Cornell, I think of blinding blizzards and alcoholic study-freaks.</p>

<p>Apply to both (obviously) and think about it again in 6 months.</p>

<p>Berkeley would be significantly cheaper for you, but that doesn't mean it would be significantly cheaper for, say, someone whose parents don't make 120k a year.</p>

<p>"alcoholic study-freaks"</p>

<p>lol</p>

<p>go to berkeley...
and get me the porsche:)</p>

<p>Sticker price is one thing, but many things go into it. For some, a very small group, yes, but some, Cornell is significantly cheaper than berkeley - yes, it's true. They tend to have better financial aid. They are so very different, really. Was the way this thread was presented necessary? It just seems like you're trying to start a flame Berkeley vs Cornell war. Can't great schools (that are really, really different) just get along?</p>

<p>go to berkeley, and take a road trip to cornell in a porsche after graduation.</p>

<p>"how much financial aid do people usually get? how much do people usually get off from the sticker price?"</p>

<p>Depends on you and your family. If you get in, they tend to give you much better fin aid than the UC's. The campus might fit you a lot better. There is a lot more to consider than just money. You might not even get into either, for instance.</p>