| Sachmoney: My decision was a very difficult one indeed. Too many factors played a role to list all of them but I'll try to give you a summary.
I ruled out Georgetown (and Wash U for that matter) earlier than Virginia because of the cost. I am not eligible for federal aid and I only have minimal scholarships. My parents are only willing to foot a certain portion of the bill. That being said, $53,600 at Georgetown would have, in my mind, saddled me with too much debt to be worth it.
Secondly, being from the Midwest, ultimately I hope to comeback to work here. But in the case that I decide otherwise, Michigan still provides me the opportunity to get a job anywhere. In contrast, the job placement (for business graduates) out of Virginia in the Midwest was only about 3% compared to 44% at Michigan.
Both Michigan and Virginia are prestigious universities. My other option was the University of Wisconsin. While if I were to attend UW, I would take on no debt (in-state tuition etc.), as I see it, Michigan and Virginia are a level above Wisconsin. There are a number of pros and cons for each school as far as size etc. goes. I'm planning on applying to Ross, and as rankings go, McIntire and Ross are both Top 10 or even Top 5 schools.
So why not Virginia? Ultimately, my decision came down to where I thought my heart wanted me to go. I could easily see myself at any one of the universities that I've mentioned. I felt as if I could not go wrong with Michigan. My father went there, it's relatively closer to home, and I know that I will get a great education.
I hope that answers your question for the most part. The decision process was harder than I had imagined it would be. Are you facing a similar decision? |