NationStates Jolt Archive

So I'm preparing to graduate high school and moving on to "bigger and better things" or whatever they call it. Trouble is, I'm not really sure where those things are... I've been accepted to a handful of rather nice universities, but I've more or less narrowed it down to two.

University of Texas at Austin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Texas_at_Austin)
-best public school in my state
-60 miles from home
-average tuition = $7,500/year
-ranked in top 20 public schools in the nation
-roughly 40,000 undergraduate students
-Rated "Best Party School in the Nation"
-located in Austin, a well-known music/art/political hub


Cornell University (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornell_university)
-private school
-1,800 miles from home
-average tuition = $38,000/year (expecting $15,000 in aid)
-ranked 12th best university in the world (2006)
-"Many consider the ivy league school "The Hardest Ivy To Get OUT Of," because of its well known rigorous curriculum that is considered to toughest of any university, not only the Ivy League."
-roughly 15,000 undergraduate students

There are obviously pros and cons (moving so far away, prestige, finances, etc.), but I haven't been able to make a decisive choice yet. So NSG- if you were me, what would you do?

Thanks in advance for the input :)

Texas baby! plenty of party girls you can meet. ;)

dont put yourself in massive debt just to go to a private university. its just not worth it.

go to the university of texas and if you need a graduate degree in your field find a program that will pay you to get your masters.

what are you going to major in?

There are obviously pros and cons (moving so far away, prestige, finances, etc.), but I haven't been able to make a decisive choice yet. So NSG- if you were me, what would you do?
You said it yourself - there are obvious differences between the two in several respects. However, the question can hardly be what the "objective" differences or pros and cons are, or what ours are, but what yours are.

Everyone (except an alumnus of the University of Texas at Austin ;)) will tell you that academically and esp. "prestige-wise", Cornell is "better". Everybody can see that it's more expensive. Everybody can see that Austin is a pretty cool place to be.

But only you can know which of these is most important to you and weighs the most in your decision. :)

dont put yourself in massive debt just to go to a private university. its just not worth it.

*scribbles in notepad*

what are you going to major in?

Psychology, but I'm young and flexible. You know how "majors" go... :rolleyes:

But only you can know which of these is most important to you and weighs the most in your decision. :)

Certainly.

If you were me, what would you do?

Go to both somehow.

Texas baby! plenty of party girls you can meet. ;)
She or He, is not going there to party, her/his main goal is to study. :headbang: Think about whats best for you.

You said it yourself - there are obvious differences between the two in several respects. However, the question can hardly be what the "objective" differences or pros and cons are, or what ours are, but what yours are.

Everyone (except an alumnus of the University of Texas at Austin ;)) will tell you that academically and esp. "prestige-wise", Cornell is "better". Everybody can see that it's more expensive. Everybody can see that Austin is a pretty cool place to be.

But only you can know which of these is most important to you and weighs the most in your decision. :)
Stupid WYTYG, making any response I could make moot...grumble...

I taped classes at a prestigious university (#4 I believe) and the access to shit is phenomenal compared to the access at a still prestigious but not as highly ranked school.

BUT-that only mattered in certain fields. Like, if I was a business student I'd be a fool not to go there if I could. As a music or film student (like I was) it would have been a self absorbed waste. A prestigious school really is a crazy leg up, I was really stunned. But it all matters what you're doing or planning on doing. Look into that instead of the overall.

-Rated "Best Party School in the Nation"

Enough Said :D

*scribbles in notepad*



Psychology, but I'm young and flexible. You know how "majors" go... :rolleyes:

yeah i do. but psychology requires a masters to do anything fun. better to get great grades at tx and then go to a top of the line masters program. that will get you started anywhere you like.

the thing is, when its a "top university" that doesnt mean it is tops in undergraduate education. quite a few of the big boy places treat their undergrads like dirt.

they only care about the LAST place you graduate from. and once you get a job, they only care about the LAST place you worked. if you got a degree from the top uni in the world but fucked up your last job, you wont get hired. if you got your undergrad at oral roberts U but your masters at yale, no one cares that you had an inferior BS degree.

yeah i do. but psychology requires a masters to do anything fun. better to get great grades at tx and then go to a top of the line masters program. that will get you started anywhere you like.

the thing is, when its a "top university" that doesnt mean it is tops in undergraduate education. quite a few of the big boy places treat their undergrads like dirt.

they only care about the LAST place you graduate from. and once you get a job, they only care about the LAST place you worked. if you got a degree from the top uni in the world but fucked up your last job, you wont get hired. if you got your undergrad at oral roberts U but your masters at yale, no one cares that you had an inferior BS degree.
True, but the prestigious undergrad school will help access to the prestigious grad school.

True, but the prestigious undergrad school will help access to the prestigious grad school.

I would think that having already been accepted to Cornell would give me at least a leg up in the process, were I to apply again for graduate courses.

they only care about the LAST place you graduate from.

public school in Texas :( haha

I would think that having already been accepted to Cornell would give me at least a leg up in the process, were I to apply again for graduate courses.

nah, what you need to do is make sure that austin has some big name professors in your field. if they dont, dont go there. if they do, make it your business to get to know them in the next 4 years. do whatever it takes to impress them. (no blow jobs!) when the time comes for a recommendation to grad school, having dr bigshot sign off on you gives you a leg up.

Go to both somehow.
Always the voice of reason. ;)

Always the voice of reason. ;)

You'd all be lost and only going to one college if not for me.

nah, what you need to do is make sure that austin has some big name professors in your field. if they dont, dont go there. if they do, make it your business to get to know them in the next 4 years. do whatever it takes to impress them. (no blow jobs!) when the time comes for a recommendation to grad school, having dr bigshot sign off on you gives you a leg up.

Hey hey hey, now. Why limit opportunity...

You’d all be lost and only going to one college if not for me.
And I wouldn’t have that embarrassing bruise...

public school in Texas :( haha

All stereotypes aside, the University of Texas has a reputation as a fine school. Getting the most money isn't all there is to life. You should enjoy your undergraduate years- they are years that I would never give up, not even for a job with twice the pay I have nowh

Certainly.

If you were me, what would you do?
Heh, sneaky! :p

Not gonna happen, though, because I neither know the schools well enough nor do I feel like being non-lazy enough to make an assessment of my current finances and stuff to answer this.

Seriously, if you already know that both schools offer equally great programs for your major, you're on your own. Don't have a ton of extra money lying around? Go to Texas. Have plans that involve needing a prestigious name in your CV? Go to Cornell. Want to close to family and old friends? Go to Texas. Want to get away from home ASAP? Go to Cornell.

But honestly, I would first of all choose by the kind of education they offer in your major (or some other fields of interest you could imagine switching to if Psychology doesn't work out). Everything else is garnish (assuming that one can afford Cornell).

When I had to pick unis for a year's scholarship in the US, I asked my profs which uni they'd recommend for my field of study. Based on that, I made my list.

If the two unis are identical in terms of that, go by all the other stuff you like or dislike about them.

For what it's worth, I have had friends go to both schools. The ones who went to Cornell loved it, still attend alumni events, recommend it to friends and family, etc. The friend who went to Texas hated the school so much that she transferred after her freshman year. I have no idea whether you have anything in common with my friends, of course, so I can't tell you if you'd feel the same way.

I can say, though, that pretty much everyone I know who left their home state for college is glad they did, and pretty much everyone I know who stayed very close to home regrets it. So, in your shoes, I would vote for Cornell, but really, it's all about what feels right to you. :)

Thanks for all of the feedback... except the "no blow jobs!" chap.

If I choose not to administer fellatio, it will be because I don't want oral cancer. *points to other thread* :D

Harvard. End of discussion.

Harvard. End of discussion.

Just like that it ends?...well...that was quick...
Well than...Who wants to go to a frat party?

Everyone I know who went/goes to Cornell loved it. *does not know anything about the other school*

I dont even see a contest.

Cornell University of course.

Now, if you were chosen for a bunch of diferent universities, and one of them is so highly rated, I guess you must like to study and is somewhat inteligent.

There will always be parties in every universities all over the world. You dont need to stay in Texas for that. But to find smart people, you usually have to search.

So, I guess it would be best if you went to Cornell.

Now, dont think about the money. If you do well you can pay the debit (if any) in one or two years.

Buddy, I already told ya to do what you think is right. No one can make the decision for you. Obviously I'd like you to go to UT so we can hang out and kill hookers, so I voted that in the poll, but that's only what I want.

Regardless, though, you'll pwn the shit out of life no matter where you go. You're just built that way.

I'd go to Cornell, but that's because Cornell is the kind of school I wanted to go to. Unfortunately, my first and second choices, Swarthmore College and George Washington University both rejected me, so I'm stuck going to a top-100 but not top-10 school. I would have killed to get into Swarthmore, though. Oh well. Me and the other 90%, I suppose.

Go to Cornell. I'd go there if I were you, anyway.

I'd go to Cornell, but that's because Cornell is the kind of school I wanted to go to.
Likewise. So long as one can find the means to cover the debt it is well worth it.

Depends on what you're going to do. If you're going to do business, go to UT for sure (or OSU, they've got one of the top 5 business schools in the nation). Their system's amazing for their BSBA and MBA programs.

Not to mention Office Space was filmed in Austin and the weather's a lot nicer there. That is, if you like it hot.