Is Chicago actually affordable?

kitkatkatie
Sat, 10 Apr 2010 23:13:07 +0000

I’ve taken 2 years of classes at CU-Boulder.

I don’t see how you could be unhappy there. yes, socially it is a bit limited, but it’s really an excellent institution. The only reason I’m not going there is because the finances worked out at Chicago. All the sciences are incredible, and if you do well there, you can get into an ivy grad school no problem. everyone respects CU-Boulder. A lot of Princeton/MIT/Harvard grads teach there, and for good reason.

What part of the state do you live in? Feel free to PM me. I actually might be a good person to talk to about this, considering as I’ve actually taken classes there and had to make a similar decision about finances.

Personally, if I were in your position, I would go to CU. Especially since you’re looking at med school. Getting a good GPA at CU would be slightly easier, and med schools really care more about how well you do than where you do it. And, CU is a very highly regarded school in terms of research and med schools really do respect it. Then again, I did choose Chicago. But, I’m not going to be putting myself in crippling debt, and for my chosen major, going to a prestigious school is a bit more important than it is for pre med.

idk what major you’re considering, but I’ve got a lot of connections into several departments and can offer some perspectives, but I don’t really want out myself here too much.

CU hands down, especially for pre med. You can always go to a prestigious med school. It’s not like going to CU will keep you from that. Also, consider the scholarships available to you. I know that the engineering department has ridiculous amounts of money for scholarships (I got offered 16k without filling out any special applications). Even if you end up paying full price for the first year, there are TONS of scholarships you can apply for as a freshman. There’s a lot of money at that school, and you can get your hands on it if you talk to a couple advisors. Especially if you commit to a department. You can get departmental funding. Lots of it. You can really do a lot there in the sciences. The only thing that keeps CU from being in the top schools is its terrible humanities programs. The science is truly world class, and med schools know that.

Oh, I definitely wouldn’t go to a california state school with the state’s finances how it is. Especially out of state. It’ll end up costing you more than going to Chicago because of all the tuition increases and extra fees for “arts” and “construction.” I think it comes down to a choice between CU and Chicago. And really, CU isn’t that bad. Not bad at all. You just have to find a good group of people and live off campus asap. There are some nice apartments nearby for cheap (I’ve been in quite a few-- they are pretty decent). I hope you aren’t “fairly certain you’ll be unhappy there” because a lot of my friends are planning on having a great time. A lot of people have fun there and love it. You could easily be one of these people.

Good luck! And do let me know where you decide to go.