r/collegecompare

Hi everyone!! I was wondering what you think of this. I haven't visited rutgers yet but I've been to UCONN several times and know it pretty well, I also went to admitted student day so I know what it offers.

Here are some things im thinking of (pros and cons for both). Im entering as a molecular biology major with hopefully 57 credits of AP and dual enrollment. Im thinking of doing something in healthcare (maybe doctor? but i am worried about the debt)

UCONN

pros:

-in state (so closer to family), id also have access to anything uconn offers in terms of research at uconn health

-i really like the way the campus looks

-sports!! (not a huge deal to me but its still cool)

-The food seems nice, the social scene seems good and people there are very friendly!!

-good prehealth advising

Cons:

-very rural, while I like the nature there is nothing to do nearby, especially without a car

-Not close to clinical opportunities. Ive heard if youre not an EMT it can be a little competitive because you need a car to get to any others

-More expensive than rutgers (potentially)

-I have dual enrollment, so some of my grades are good but some are less good (due to senioritis) I don't know how it will play out if i get a bad grade on my transcript but hopefully that wont happen

Rutgers:

Pros:

-Medical school on campus(which means more access to clinical volunteering, shadowing, etc. during the school year)

-Decent area outside of campus, very close proximity to NYC and Philadelphia

-Large amount of variety in dining options

-Potentially cheaper

-Accepts dual enrollment credits as transfer credits (so as long as I pass I'll get the credit without the bad grades appearing on my transcript)

-(potential positive) more people and extracurricular opportunities

Cons:

-farther from family

-I won't be able to utilize any NJ local opportunities when I'm not on campus

-(potential problem): the campus might be too big, delocalized, or just not easy to navigate

-Bus system can be messy and its the only way for me to get to class to class

-campus is ugly looking apparently?

-high inflation/percent change in cost each year

-sports are less good

-pre health advising is apparently very poor

One of the biggest things im concerned about is the cost. Basically, if I go to either one my goal is to live on campus atleast for the first year. Rutgers is actually cheaper per year (but that marginal difference gets smaller due to rutgers very high percent increase/inflation of prices) so the cost of me living on rutgers for the first year plus the other 3 years of tuition is cheaper than the same at uconn (in fact, its around the same price as just commuting to uconn for 4 years). I plan on applying to become an RA as a freshman and hoping that I become one sophomore year and beyond to cover room and board at both colleges (depending on which one I go to, of course). Becoming an RA at uconn is super competitive due to their housing shortage and rutgers apparently has around a 50% acceptance rate (Im not sure how accurate that is but I saw it on their website). If I didn't become an RA at rutgers I would transfer to uconn but the thing is I have a merit scholarship at UCONN that I'm only eligable for as an incoming student so if I transferred I would lose that money and it would become more expensive for the next 3 years. If I didn't become an RA at uconn I would start commuting (its kind of far but managable if you stack classes) however I would keep my merit scholarship all 4 years.

TLDR: If I got to rutgers, I am banking on the hope that I am an RA during sophomore-senior year, and if I don't I have to go to UCONN and commute sophomore-senior year instead (which would be pretty expensive). If I go to uconn I am much less likely to become an RA and would have to commute sophomore-senior year but its more expensive than the hypothetical option of going to Rutgers and being an RA for those 3 years instead.

I haven't visited rutgers yet but I want to know your thoughts!! If you have visited or went to rutgers how was your experience? I'd really like to know!! Thank you all :)

I'm in between Georgetown McDonough (business) and Rice University and am kind of stuck. I'm hoping to go into consulting/IB, but i'm not 100% sure yet tbh. If I went to Rice I’d likely major in something technical (probably math) and go for an MBA. I’m hoping for a school without too much grade deflation, good food, and internship opportunities. i wasn't sure how they compare prestige/job outlook wise. Cost is same for both but rice is a bit closer to home

I got about the same financial aid package from both, so money isn't exactly my problem when deciding between these two colleges. I was directly admitted to Cox Business school at SMU in December and just got accepted into Wake Forest for business management RD in March. At both colleges, I plan to double major in business management and international studies while minoring in French. I didn't think I would get into Wake at all, so I haven't thought about it until now. Both schools are roughly the same size, ACC, school spirit, sports, and well-ranked. I've visited SMU and loved it, I've never been to Wake Forest but have a few friends who love it. The biggest thing SMU has over Wake in my mind is location (and the fact I already have friends and a roomate there). I am a very big city person and Winston-Salem (Wake's location) is tiny in my opinion. Wake Forest's cons include location and their business school process (you don't get direct admission until sophomore year and that's not promised). SMU's con to me is the people. I don't mean this in an offensive way because I know people there, but I'm pretty liberal and not so "hoity-toity" or MAGA like SMU's culture is. Wake Forest business school is higher ranked than SMU's business school and that's making me rethink where to attend despite being committed to SMU Cox. I'm so stressed and have no idea what to do! I'm not sure if I would be unhappy in with SMU's culture or Wake Forest's location more. I'm sure I can find friends anywhere and maybe a few more years in a small city won't be as bad as I think? Reading this back makes it seem like Wake Forest should be the obvious choice, but that's because I haven't stressed enough my anxiety for "Work Forest" and once again THE FACT ITS IN SUCH A SMALL TOWN. I grew up in Atlanta, and moving to the mid-size city in Alabama I currently live in has been hell. Sorry for ranting so long, but I'd appreciate all the help I can get. I live in a world of "im sure you'll make the right choice" instead of "I'd love to help you."

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!🙏

Which is better to choose?

I am currently super lost trying to figure out which school I should go to. My top options have been UNC Chapel Hill (Honors Carolina, out of state), Cornell, Emory, and maybe even Georgetown?

UNC Chapel Hill has been my top option up until recently because it seemed to be the most realistic premed option?

- Significantly cheaper than the other schools (30-40k difference)

- Will take all my AP exam scores (I got lots of 4s so Cornell and Emory might not take some)—but limits how many they accept to 5 for general education and 2 for major

- Ranked highly for neuroscience (my intended major) and highest for “best value”

- Known as a good premed/bio school (with hospitals and the medical school in close proximity—does not apply to Cornell)

With all these things in mind, on paper it seemed like UNC Chapel Hill would give me comparable opportunities to my other options at a much more affordable price.

However, I recently visited the campus and was completely disappointed. I really wanted to love the school, but everything just seemed so small and boring. I really just couldn’t imagine myself spending 4 years there.

I’ve also heard everyone in-state already knows each other so it’s hard to make friend when you come from out of state. The sports being lively at the school isn’t huge for me since I’ve never been someone super into sports or school spirit.

I also know that Durham and Raleigh are close by so maybe that proximity can make up for the immense boredom I felt in Chapel Hill? But I’m still not sure about going to Chapel Hill if I hate it and constantly feel the need to go elsewhere.

I started thinking Emory would be better for me since it’s in Atlanta, so hopefully I would feel more inspired there? Cornell also had some beautiful parts of campus, but since the area is so remote I feel like I’d be missing out on a lot of opportunites (both professionally and for fun).

I do have a 15k scholarship from Emory and am a Hunter Rawlings Presidential Research Scholar at Cornell, but I’m not sure how much those would help.

I think I still know that logically UNC Chapel Hill is probably the school that makes the most sense, but I’m afraid if I go I’ll hate my life and regret it everyday (not sure if that’s too dramatic).

Is there anything new about these schools that I haven’t considered yet or an outside perspective that could help offer any insight?

There are pros and cons I see for both and I’m so confused and not sure what to do.

I’m a CA resident, Econ poli sci (maybe law school after, just don’t know yet what I want to do, so I need some room for exploration), don’t consider cost in the decision

Hi,

I was lucky enough to get into five of these GREAT schools! I am a math major (but I am trying to get into business schools or CS programs). I want a career in finance, whether it is in quant or IB.

I am not an olympiad kid, but I would say I am pretty good at math and econ. My first choice in career is quant finance, but IB, actuary, etc. would be a good fit for me career wise imo. I might pursue a career in medicine, because who knows what will happen in the future.

What school among these 5 would be the best to pursue both? I am in-state for UCB and will be paying around 15k a year for Berkeley, but for rest of the schools, I will need to pay 100k per year.

Berkeley: hard to transfer into CS or Haas, but overall best math reputation

Duke: flexible to choose majors (including CS)

Cornell: Ivy league prestige, also more flexible than berkeley to choose majors

Georgetown: overall best IB prestige

UVA Echols: Great McIntire business program w/ a decently high acceptance rate, and got Echols!

Thank you :)

WashU:

- Master of Landscape Architecture + Urban Design dual degree (2 professional, licensable degrees)

- 3.5 yrs

- $44k/yr

- 105 credits (15/sem)

NYU:

- MS Urban Data Science

- 2 yrs

- $35k/yr

- 36 credits (9/sem)

I’m aware that the career paths would be quite different, with the overlap being that I could be a researcher or urban planner with either path, but I’m having a super tough time deciding. It seems like the salary upside with NYU would be higher, but ofc I couldn’t be a licensed Landscape Architect or Urban Designer. Thoughts?

Schools: Duke vs Northwestern

Intended major: Biochemistry (combined with data science/business/something else) 

Similarities: 

• research opportunities, getting into labs/doing research is possible to do early at both
• amazing networking 
• beautiful campuses
• private, so connecting with professors is easier
• really good for bio 
• clubs are abundant

Costs: Similar for both

Northwestern

Pros:

• proximity to chicago, city life (most important for me)
• flexibility in selecting combinations with biochem, like business, and even in other fields like art
• many people from my city are going this year (easier to make friends)
• chicago is a biotech hub; large career fairs occur more frequently here
• beaches on campus
• have to stay on campus for 2 years
• quarter system (higher course flexibility)
• collaborative/communal environment (?)

Cons:

• bad weather, cold most of the year and will be back home when it’s summer
• average food
• dorms are questionable, either good or bad 
• not as highly ranked for bio (though this is trivial)
• quarter system (more exams/work)

Duke

Pros:

• amazing food
• better dorms
• better ranked for bio/computational bio 
• lot going on on campus  
• more school spirit (by a bit)
• it’s closer to one of my relatives
• airport is closer to campus
• semester system

Cons:

• have to stay on campus for 3 years
• suburban/rural campus (coming from a metropolitan city, I’m concerned about this the most)
• lot of greek life and sports culture (not really where my interests lie)
• high course rigor (just a bit more than Northwestern)
• competitive rather than collaborative culture (?)
• essentially no one from my city is going here

Tiebreaking considerations

• does not being in/close to a city matter that much
• is duke really as cut-throat as people make it out to be
• how much does NU weather affect day to day life

I’ve narrowed my college decision down to Lehigh (IDEAS program) and RPI (electrical engineering), where I’d either minor in music or stay seriously involved in violin.

I have strong scholarships from both, so cost isn’t a major factor between those two.

That said, I was also accepted to Northeastern (too expensive, so probably off the table), University of Rochester (also too expensive), Syracuse (more affordable), SUNY Buffalo Honors (basically a full ride), Oberlin, Ithaca College, and University of Vermont Honors (all with good scholarships).

At this point, I’m mostly deciding between Lehigh and RPI, but I wanted to ask if there are any standout reasons I should still be seriously considering any of the other schools?

Thanks in advance.

I've had this question for a bit, and honestly, I can't decide between the two. I've weighed my options but have yet to visit tour both schools. As the college admissions season for the c/o of 2030 has just wrapped up, I felt like I should ask around here for some opinions. (Money isn't an Issue for either school)

I was admitted directly to WashU Olin for Business with an emphasis in Management.
I was also admitted to UC Berkeley undecided, hoping to go into Econ.

I'm a CA native and definitely prefer it here compared to what I've heard about the Midwest,
but from what I've heard, the cultures are very opposite, with Berk being competitive and cutthroat, whereas WashU is as collaborative as it can get. (The cutthroatness is a little scary, but I'm up for the challenge.

Essentially, I'm deciding between the little fish in the huge pond (berk) or a good amount of support and handholding at WashU.

Hi all! High school senior with Canadian dual citizenship here. I’ve narrowed down my choices to McGill and Cornell, as these are my most competitive offers, McGill is my cheapest option (and was my dream school before I got into Cornell), and I’d commit instantly to Cornell if the cost was similar to McGill’s.

I am looking to major in political science or public policy, likely on a pre-law track. I am not 100% certain which field of law I want to go into yet, but administrative, environmental, and labor are options, and I wouldn’t at all be opposed to holding a position as some sort of government official. I am planning to aim for a T14 law school.

Cost is the main deciding factor. We are upper middle class. My parents have saved a significant amount of money for college, for which I’m eternally grateful, but not enough to keep me out of debt if I commit anywhere other than McGill or possibly one of my in-state safety schools (Colorado State, CU Denver, CU Boulder, or the University of Denver).

Weather and location preferences are not huge considerations; I knew from the start that I’d go to a school in the northeast with horrible weather and a huge hill on campus (I just didn’t expect the possibility that such a school could be Cornell, not McGill). I like the diversity of living in a big city, but as an introvert, I’d be perfectly content with living in the middle of nowhere.

McGill University (Montreal, Quebec)

Global rank: 27

My CoA: ~$24,000 for the first semester (because I procrastinated on getting my Canadian citizenship shit together), ~$2,000 for all subsequent semesters; total CoA of $32,600 to $38,000

Big fish in a big pond

Pros:

- Would graduate debt-free with some money left over for law school! + I can splurge on a single dorm

- Possibility of graduating up to a year early

- Lots of things to do nearby, plus the drinking age is 18

- They’ve given me a scholarship, and my first semester tuition can be further discounted if I take French classes

- Canada might be a smart move, considering I’m visibly a person of color and queer

- Already spent an extensive time daydreaming about going here

Cons:

- Slight language barrier (classes are in English, but Montreal is very French-heavy; my French sucks)

- Less prestige factor, esp. outside Canada

- Sink or swim environment with huge classes

- Unsure about Canadian poli sci to US law school pathway

- Will have to be more proactive about seeking out internship and research opportunities

- Huge NYU-esque school in a big city; some people complain about nonexistent campus culture because of the city, others say it’s great

- My dad really, really hates McGill (partly because they rejected him)

Cornell University (Ithaca, New York)

Global rank: 16

My CoA: ~$80,000, in talks with finaid office to drag it down a little more; total CoA of ~$360,000

Small fish in a big pond

Pros:

- Ivy League name on resume might do me some favors (plus my Desi tiger dad is a prestige whore, so he approves)

- Entire school hyper-focused on public policy, rather than a single major

- Stronger ROI (most noticeable if I take a gap year before law school)

- Stronger campus culture

- Possibly a direct feeder into T14 law schools

- Abundant programs that work directly with the NY state government and federal government; high-profile resume building and networking

Cons:

- Debt, debt, and more debt (~$60-100k?), plus law school debt…

- Will cause some financial strain; uncomfortable, but not unbearable

- Impostor syndrome (no clue how I got in)

- Possibly full of chuds

What is the best option for CS + statistics/math. I’m undergrad looking for where I can get the best opportunities in cyber/AI and ML.

I'm not happy with my results this year unfortunately...so I'm deciding between community college-> UC transfer or going to a 4 year college

majoring in biochem/chem but if I choose cc I'm going to declare cognitive science or linguistics as my major.

cc pro:

my classes will probably be very easy compared to hs

really easy to get into ucb/ucla/ucsd

save money for a year

if i do transfer into a UC, I'm skipping a year and graduating early

cc con:

i lose a scholarship worth 15k per year unless I'm able to find a compromise with the sponsor. i'm not optimistic I will be able to though.

i have to stay at home for another year (not on best terms with family + social stigma)

4-year college pro:

good research setting and decent opportunities

far away from home

3,000 research grant

4-year college con:

tuition is not what I expected but I'm trying to appeal my financial aid

if I want to transfer out it'll be a lot harder compared to cc

the weather is really bad and I'm not sure if I can adjust to such a drastic chance

i don't really see myself enjoying my 4 years here

I'm really torn between choosing and not sure what the best route would be. Lmk what y'all think.

Hi everyone, I am from Washington. I only applied to 9 schools as my parents were strict about staying in the west coast. UCI, UCSD, UCD, UCSB, UCLA, UCB, UW Seattle, UW Bothell, and UArizona. I was accepted to three and flat-out rejected from the rest (UCI was lowkey a surprise).

Option 1: UC Irvine
Major: B.A. Psychology

Pros: The location is 10/10. It is close to both LA and Orange County, so there are lots of opportunities, good food, beach, and things to do. It also feels like the most prestigious option I have, especially since UCI got over 120k+ applications this cycle with a 28% acceptance rate. I also like that the Asian population is high, since I went to a very Asian HS and my friends are Asian. I can also graduate in 3 years because my Running Start credits transfer.

Cons: I am grateful that my family can afford it with no financial burden, but I’m a little guilty about the price. I would be full-pay. I have also heard that UCI can be a bit of a commuter school, which makes me a little worried about social life.

Option 2: University of Arizona
Major: B.A. Psychology

Pros: I was accepted to the Honors College. The weather is sunny year-round, and I have heard the social life is strong. I would get to live in the honors dorms, and I have also heard research opportunities may be less competitive than at UCI. Arizona is a little cheaper than UCI since I got a $10,000/yr scholarship. I can also graduate in 3 years here.

Cons: The smaller Asian population might be a big adjustment for me since a large part of my high school was Asian. I have also heard the food is kind of mid, and that there is not much to do in Tucson besides party.

Option 3: University of Washington, Bothell
Major: B.A. Psych

Pros: This is my cheapest option since it is in-state and I got a $5,000/yr scholarship. It is also close to home, which would make coming back for breaks easier, though I am not sure if being that close is a good thing. I would still live in the dorms. I can also graduate in 3 years here.

Cons: I have heard it is very socially dead and has fewer research and academic opportunities than a larger research school like UW Seattle. It also seems to be mostly a commuter school, with vibes that feel more like a community college.

I'm lucky to have so many options, and I know any will work out just fine, yet I'm still torn between which school would work best for me. I'm not interested in being an SWE, but I probably want to pursue product management or possibly start my own business.

For CMU, I was admitted for Information Systems, and for Berkeley, I was admitted for Economics. Brown and Pomona, I can major in anything. I'm currently most deeply considering CMU and Brown, but Pomona and Berkeley are still on the table because I prefer their locations.

The main thing I want to get out of college is the necessary skills and networking for internships and jobs. I want to be challenged but also enjoy college. Cost is not a factor.

I would love to hear any insights from people who've attended these schools.

I’m going for Biochem. What school should I go to if cost isn’t an issue?

Thinking premed. Both out of state so cost slightly favors UNC ($70k vs $85k) but not enough to make the decision. I’ve heard various things about competitiveness as premed, quarter system versus semester. I didn’t expect to go to a large state school regardless. Going to visit both over the next few weeks.

I have a longggg list of pros and cons but it basically boils down to this: UCI has the education I want, while NYUSH has the experience I want. Ofc transferring is always an option if I’m unhappy, but still…

NYUSH would be exciting and what I’m looking for regarding what type of area I want to be in, but the courses and extracurriculars and clubs offered there aren’t even near what UCI has (imo. I want to pursue psych, and I’m a dancer and musician. From my research at least, NYUSH doesn’t have much that supports my interests). UCI has the courses I want, but I kinda agree w my family and others when they say the social aspect and the environment isn’t really fitting for me.

Lord this is one of the most difficult decisions istg idk what I want at all 😭😭

More comprehensive list:

I’m planning to go to graduate school btw

UCI (intended major CogSci, might switch to psych)

Pros:

- way more connected to everything I know

- I have family and friends there

- offers the extracurriculars and various courses i really want to take (VERY important to me)

- I would say it’s a more traditional American experience and a lot less stressful

- amazing psych program

Cons:

- huge classes/lectures (I’m a small class girlie I fear)

- commuter school

- it’s Irvine

- vehicle needed lowk

- apparently pretty dead social life

- could be weird surrounded by sm people from California (I have an intl bg)

- the concept of ABGs is scary

NYUSH (social sciences)

Pros:

- more prestigious

- insanely cool experience to go to school in Shanghai for many reasons

- very close to my home country

- small classes

- walkable city, more social, awesome environment (also quite important to me)

- becoming fluent in Chinese would be great

Cons:

- it’s China

- stressful new country, no one familiar, etc

- technically doesn’t have the major I want

- doesn’t have a lot of opportunity imo bc it’s China and I’m not fluent. I can speak conversationally, but…

- very underdeveloped extracurriculars (from what I could find)

- hella fomo

- apparently students are either very studious or insanely rich