***The Official "Which School Should I Go To?" Thread***

[rickblas]

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I just don't understand why so many students turn down in state tuition to go to columbia or upenn. why do they do it, if the smart thing to do is to go with cheaper tuition? i know a lot of people who turned down stony brook and buffalo for nyu and columbia. are they wrong?

And many more people turn down columbia and upenn for cheaper, instate schools...It seems like your making reasons to NOT attend Buffalo. If you really don't see yourself there then go to Columbia (or Upenn...Columbia if you want a medical education). These people turn down instate tuition because they want brand name recognition, have money enough that the difference in tuition is insignificant, don't like the location of the state schools, or just really fell in love with other schools than their state. Sure the smartest decision is to choose instate tuition in the long run....but if you're truly not going to be happy at a state school like REALLY THINK ABOUT IT (Can I be in this environment for four years? Will I be happy here?) because it is a 100,000 cost decision....than go to Columbia or Upenn. Right now I see in most of the threads you post that you are being a devil's advocate to reason going to penn or columbia despite everyone's advice to go to Buffalo. On that note, I think you will be much happier going to one of the ivies, and I personally would choose Columbia only for location reasons (both upenn and columbia are wonderful schools). Just hope you don't regret it later when your debt is up up and away. good luck...and make your decision already, don't obsess!👍

 

[treehuggerdds]

Iowa: $190,000 total (I got a nonresident scholarship)

UIC: $210,000 total (resident - born and raised in the Chicago suburbs), close to family/friends

Colorado: $240,000 total, really cool location

Iowa is known to be a great dental school and it would be the cheapest for me (I will be paying for most if it myself with loans). UIC is about an hour away from my family, but part of me just wants to go somewhere different (I feel like I will never leave Illinois if I go to UIC). Colorado is a great school and great location (but a little more expensive), and I would have to keep in mind the cost of flying home fairly often (I am engaged and getting married next year and am also in a few of my friends' weddings coming up).

My fiance thinks we should either stay close (UIC) or totally do something different in a cool area (Colorado). I like Iowa a lot though too (I went to U of Illinois for my undergrad...I love the Big Ten!).

Any insight would be appreciated!!! I really don't know what I should do.

 

[FutureDDSchica]

Iowa: $190,000 total (I got a nonresident scholarship)

UIC: $210,000 total (resident - born and raised in the Chicago suburbs), close to family/friends

Colorado: $240,000 total, really cool location

Iowa is known to be a great dental school and it would be the cheapest for me (I will be paying for most if it myself with loans). UIC is about an hour away from my family, but part of me just wants to go somewhere different (I feel like I will never leave Illinois if I go to UIC). Colorado is a great school and great location (but a little more expensive), and I would have to keep in mind the cost of flying home fairly often (I am engaged and getting married next year and am also in a few of my friends' weddings coming up).

My fiance thinks we should either stay close (UIC) or totally do something different in a cool area (Colorado). I like Iowa a lot though too (I went to U of Illinois for my undergrad...I love the Big Ten!).

Any insight would be appreciated!!! I really don't know what I should do.

I'm actually trying to choose between Michigan and UIC. Any insight to UIC would be great!!

 

[lcataralc]

I just don't understand why so many students turn down in state tuition to go to columbia or upenn. why do they do it, if the smart thing to do is to go with cheaper tuition? i know a lot of people who turned down stony brook and buffalo for nyu and columbia. are they wrong?

I ended up choosing to go to my instate Maryland, over Columbia. It was a tough tough decision, but I did it because both are equally great schools. I was leaning towards Columbia because it would be exciting to be in a new school system and city, plus it is Columbia for goodness sakes. They really won me over at the interview and I felt like I got along well with the students and faculty there. To be honest, money was the deciding factor for me. If I went to Columbia, I would be doing the HPSP scholarship for sure. It would be a great decision either way, I just went with what I was most comfortable with.

 

[ToothBlaster]

I ended up choosing to go to my instate Maryland, over Columbia. It was a tough tough decision, but I did it because both are equally great schools. I was leaning towards Columbia because it would be exciting to be in a new school system and city, plus it is Columbia for goodness sakes. They really won me over at the interview and I felt like I got along well with the students and faculty there. To be honest, money was the deciding factor for me. If I went to Columbia, I would be doing the HPSP scholarship for sure. It would be a great decision either way, I just went with what I was most comfortable with.

so what do you make of your decision now? are you happy that you went to maryland over columbia? it will be beneficial in the long run?

 

[Habbas]

i kind of went against the grain and chose nyu over bu. the cost of living was a bit higher but both were very expensive, i liked the facilities and want the experience of living in nyc (one of my fav places))