Deciding b/t State School vs Private...please help!

SDN Members don't see this ad. (About Ads)

Hello all,
I'm trying to make the tough decision of which school to attend next fall and I was wondering if I could get a little help from you guys since you have a lot more experience.

More specifically, I'm trying to decide between U. Penn and Univ. of Maryland. I think i'd be pretty happy at both schools (a little more so at penn b/c of the location and the fact that it's near the undergrad campus) but the pros of Penn over Maryland are the name and the supposed better chance of specializing.

Is it worth the extra 50k over 4 years to go to Penn? (The difference is 100k if you live in-state but i'm an out of stater

Any help is appreciated...thanks in advance everyone!

I actually decided on my states private school (Columbia) over another states public school (UCONN), i know it isn't quite the same but seeing as UCONN is only 1 &1/2 hours away and about 60-80 thousand less it is about the same. My final decision was location and living experience. I found both schools to be great but to be able to live close to home and experience NYC was to much tog ive up, I know I am going to have more debt but i feel my happines and comfort are worth it