Milkmagn

Go to where you want to go... Ignore the crap about JHU is more prestigious... You will actually enjoy your time at college and get the most out of your experience if you go to the school that you like best...

gellino

I wouldn't necessarily go to UC Davis because your friends are going there. Not challenging yourself by going into a too comfortable situation is stifling of potential personal growth. You usually don't accomplish good things in life by taking the easy road. It seems to me that more doors and possibly more importantly your mind will be opened by going to JHU. Things like campus feel and financial considerations are also important, though, and really aren't the type of things that people can answer for you.

bluebayou

Going to Davis bcos your friends are there is the absolute WRONG reason to choose it. If money was similar, I'd easily recommend a private school over a UC, particularly as fees WILL be going up as soon as the Legislators get back to Sacramento. However, while a fantastic school, JHU ain't work $100k more.

Getting away from home is a great thing...did you apply to any other UC schools?

DunninLA

Cybershot, let me make sure I understand the particulars --

Your parents want you to attend JHU, and for YOU to assume the debt? Or will they pay for it?

If YOU assume the debt, you might consider telling them you'd be happy to attend JHU if they'll pick up the loan debt. but NOT SO FAST. In many families, the support of the parents in retirement will likely fall to the children about 15 years or so after the children graduate college and have the OWN children to support. Your parent's debt might become your debt 15 years down the road, since they'll be paying back ovef $125k in loans with money that comes out of their retirement fund. It is possible for this debt service to come back to you in the form of "we'd love to take that trip son, but we can't afford it. Remember, we sacrificed to send you to JHU."

It's an odd thing that parents sometimes become dependants in a role reversal. In anticipation of your future caretaking role, you need to think of the whole picture here. Unless your parents are rich of course!

lgellar

First you gotta figure out how much debt you'll be in from attending JHU and how much debt (if any) you'll be in from UC-Davis. Without this comparison, you're not really comparing apples to apples.

hikids

Davis is an excellent school and outstanding in some areas. Go there and save money for grad school. I am guessing you live in Sacto.

CyberShot

Well, my parents are planning to pay my four years at any school I ultimately attend. They figure once I graduate, and get a high paying job I'll be able to help them with the loans, though. We are also a black family. That said, my parents are not making a measly sum, nor are they making a fortune, since my father is a P grad and works as an aerospace engineer. We live about 20 minutes away from Concord, CA btw.

The only thing I'm worried about in choosing Davis over JHu is the opportunity cost of a better education and more doors open at JHu. Any commentary?

bonanza

You will get a good education at Davis. You will get a great education at Hopkins. It is impossible to accurately quantify that difference. In my subjective opinion, education is priceless and, if it were possible for me to opt for the better education, I would. Obviously, that is a personal thing and others will differ.

dntw8up

You can get an excellent (or a lousy) education at both schools; the choice is yours. I don't think JHU is "more prestigious" than UCD but prestige is in the eye of the beholder. I don't think Davis will open any fewer doors for you than JHU and if you choose to work in the West, UCD may open more. UCD sounds like the better fit, less expensive, and more happiness inducing option.

DunninLA

I usually recommend the State school if it is ranked top 50 or 60 vs. a private school that will put you (or your parents) into big debt. Money no object, I think Hopkins offers a little more personal attention, and a little more name recognition in your particular field of interest.

Are your parents willing to go even further into debt for graduate school? If yes, then please, protect them from their own generosity and allow them to take on that debt for grad school, not undergrad.

It's not like Davis is free. Room and board will be between $11,000 and $14,000 almost anywhere you go. Davis R&B plus "reg fees = tuition" is about $23,000 per year (and rising) as you wrote. That is still a substantial sum.

juststoppingby

Go a year to Hopkins. Then reassess. Wouldn't it be easy to transfer into Davis, easier than to transfer to Hopkins, for your soph year?

You will have that year at Hopkins if you need to impress anyone later on, showing you got in and attended for a year.

I would just do that, then go to Davis for a year, then you will know which one would be the better choice to graduate from. In addition, you might love Hopkins, but just decide you don't want to continue accruing that kind of debt.

CyberShot

Wait, a minute. So if you go to JHU for a year, you can transfer back to Davis? Even though you declined their admission? I've never heard of this!

cmbmom

Yes, you can apply for transfer to a college you earlier rejected. It is done all the time. So what was your decision yesterday?

CyberShot

I chose Hopkins. But if I feel I don't like it and that I wanna move back home to save money, I'll do that.

bluebayou

if you have cable, don't miss the lacrosse tourney on espnU.