umn, uw Madison, uva, northwestern, or brown (or lac??????)
repost bc my last post got like no traction
hey everyone, I’m so so grateful for all the schools I’ve gotten into but I’m really split between my options, especially price and the importance of prestige in finance with target schools (not sure how overblown those lists are though). I want to make the smartest decision financially and career-wis, which has led me to five options.
schools from cheapest to most expensive:
umn (in state + scholarship)
Pros:
- very cheap compared to other options
- well connected to campus and faculty
- honors
Cons:
- probably the school i dislike the most; I really don’t want to stick in minnesota
- very close to home and I’ve spent a lot of time in dinky/on campus
- VERY large with huge class sizes
- limited career connections compared to other schools
- not a fan of the campus
uw madison (reciprocity)
Pros:
- wayy better campus than the u
- campus culture
- better business undergrad program
- feels much different than than minneapolis
Cons:
- price is higher than umn (albeit not by much, family can still comfortably afford)-is there enough to justify the higher price?
- not sure how much I’ll enjoy being there, again with it being less than 4 hours from home
- same issues with size and connections with the u
uva:
Pros:
- beautiful campus
- McIntire is a great undergrad business school
- love charlottesville and Virginia
- echols scholar
- far away from home!
Cons:
- most obvious one is price, around double (!!!) uw madison. family could potentially afford it… with some small loans
- Competitive culture and selective clubs
- Not directly admitted to McIntire —will have to apply next year
brown (basically same price as NU)
Pros:
- open curriculum and super super easy compared to other elite schools
- exploration based
- ivy reputation and lots of networking opportunities
Cons:
- CRAZY expensive (10k above UVA); I’d have to take out substantial loans or my parents would have to make a large sacrifice financially
- not sure how much I like the campus
- not as well regarded in finance? at least from my understanding
northwestern
Pros:
- favorite campus out of every single school listed
- dream school for years
- double majoring encouraged (which I’m super interested in)
- SOME opportunities for undergrads at kellogg
- great post-grad placement
- love Chicago and living near it
Cons:
- same issues with price as Brown
- competitive culture? w quarter system
- less name recognition than brown (although I might be over thinking this and it could be nothing)
- mid food
Some other options I didn’t list in excruciating detail are Middlebury and Wesleyan (both are as expensive as Brown/Northwestern), UIUC (not to their business school though, but I do have in-state tuition bc of some weird family stuff) alongside full rides at UTD and FSU (both of which I’d really hate to go to).also on the waitlist for williams, but I have low hopes of getting off.
i’m really really stuck trying to balance finances with career choice. Not considering price, I’d go with NU in a heartbeat, but unfortunately I didn’t qualify for much aid. please provide any advice if you can!🙏