This is another analog to our situation - my son can apply for local internships (in his case NASA) which would not have been as close to his fancy option.
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But not everyone needs a state house or federal organization who majors in poli sci. Nice to haves but thereās other levels of government and even non governmental orgs etc where poli sci can be.
To me, thereās a few prevalent issues - budget potentially - I mean Itās hundreds of thousands in savings - maybe enough to pay for law school.
And never underestimate home sickness - obviously for some thatās worse than others.
Then thereās all the other itemsā¦..
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Homesickness and separation from friends is a big one. Iāve seen it in my own family. And in our town, I think that half the kids who go away come back home. Our next door neighbor was over last night with her sophomore daughter whoās not going back. She will transfer closer to home instead.
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Would that also be based on how much political science is the primary interest, versus being a default prelaw major?
Canāt speak for OP and their interests. They can, of course, be pre law in any major and certainly LS is over populated with poli - sci majors - but we should take them at their words that is what they want to study.
The point being - one doesnāt necessarily need a state house nearby. Think of how many colleges (just about every) has a poli sci major - most wouldnāt be located near DC or a statehouse.
Kids find opportunities. It may be important to this student - or may not - is the point. Only they could know.
Te OP said either Poli-Sci or Economics.
Your parents are able to pay for both Stanford and law school, but that money (or some of it, depending on how many siblings you have) likely would be coming out of your pocket ultimately. Or maybe they could make good use of it elsewhere, like helping you with your first home, traveling, a nice car, business startup expenses, etc.
I applaud you for wanting to discern which provides better value. To that end:
If you werenāt interested in grad school ā if you just wanted to go to a prestigious school that could be a springboard into relative wealth and responsibility/power straight out of undergrad, Stanford is among the best at this, and their peer group is fairly small. So if you wanted to go into Finance/IB or Silicon Valley with your BA or BS in tow, or get in on the next big startup, thatās just about the only reason Stanford could make sense in terms of value ā it opens those doors for many kids, provided they are diligent in taking advantage of those opportunities.
However, since you are strongly considering law school, I think that UNC provides more value. I donāt think any school is worth 2-3x as much as UNC for any kid who is strongly considering grad school. Think of what you and/or your folks could do with that extra $200-250k. Youāll feel pretty smart indeed ā like you got a great education at a great price ā when youāre sitting in a T14 (a top law school) classroom.
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San Jose and Santa Clara County would have wonderful opportunities for a Stanford student interested in law. They are very close to campus and no need to head 2 hours away to Sacramento. I would not consider the distance from the CA statehouse at all as a factor.
As others have said, either school can get him to a top law school, so Stanford does not add value there. If OP decides not to go to law school, I think there is a lot of value Stanford could bring in terms of the broad national reputation and alumni network that would likely open up some opportunities that UNC might not.
If it were me in this situation, first thing I would do is have a direct conversation with my parents to understand what āhelpā with law school really means. If it means debt free for me and no financial strain for them, and they are supportive of the idea of me going whereever I want for undergrad and law school on their dime, then I visit both, research both, and decide which I like best. Iād consider all the aspects, academic, social, cultural, climate, etc. OP mentioned golf, Iād check the golf options at both. Stanford has a sweet course and NC has a ton of golf as well. But, Iād focus on where do I want to live the next 4 years of my life as both schools can set OP up for optimal career outcomes on his path.
If, on the other hand money was a factor and I felt it is highly likely Iāll go to law school, Iād make sure I truly like UNC, and if so, Iād enroll there and not look back. Hardly anybody in professional life will care which you went to for undergrad once you have a law degree.
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Ooooh - yea - hence the UNC/Duke PPE might be a great fit but Stanford has a Policy program that might work too:
PPE is an interdisciplinary Certificate Program at Duke and a minor at UNC that emerged to fill in some crucial gaps between the three disciplines ā Philosophy, Politics and Economics ā and to bring students a breadth of perspective they cannot get from a single discipline.
It doesnāt look like Stanford has one but they have a Public Policy major - which states - Public Policy is an interdisciplinary program connecting the theoretical and analytical tools of economics, political science, philosophy, psychology, and law with their real-world policy applications.
Note that Stanford economics requires linear algebra and multivariable calculus (versus single variable calculus at UNC). This would be favorable for those intending graduate study in economics. For prelaw, the additional math may be indirectly beneficial in practicing logical thinking, although few prelaw students seem to want to take that much math.
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UNC has a good golf course (Finley) and an excellent golf team and has produced several PGA players (Davis Love being the one that springs to mind). I donāt really follow golf at all, fwiw.
(BTW, I know Iām nitpicking but we donāt say āstatehouseā in North Carolina. That phrase is just not used here unless you are talking about the historic building from the 1700s that is no longer in use. It was destroyed by fire in the 1800s. We say General Assembly, NCGA, State Legislature, State Capitol. The NCGA building was built in the 1960s, if anybody besides me cares.)
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Will your parents pay for all of law school, or will they help you pay for some of it?
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I took a course in econometrics at Stanford. It was very good, and definitely used linear algebra quite a bit. One thing I liked about it is that to me it seemed that quantitative economics can help to take economics out of the world of opinions into the world of quantitative evaluations that could at least in principle be verified versus actual real-world data. Both linear algebra and multivariable calculus seem to me to be quantitative tools that are useful for a person to have in their mathematical tool belt.
Stanford is of course very good for mathematics, which is something that can be used in a lot of areas, including quantitative economics.
Another issue is that Stanford is a lot of work. The desire to work this hard should come from inside the student. This is not something that you do to please someone else nor because you think that it will help your career. This is something that you might do because you want to do it.
When I was there I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it, and I loved it. I was perfectly happy to do homework on a Saturday afternoon, and was thrilled to be able to keep ahead in tough courses.
I am somewhat skeptical regarding whether Stanford is worth the full cost when the alternative is so excellent and so much less expensive. However, if a student can afford it and assuming that they graduate from Stanford four years later, they will never need to wonder whether they could do it because they did do it.
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Two things are true here:
1. Stanford is amazing. 2. You will have excellent opportunities at UNC.
I know one recent grad from Stanford. She is now working in the same field as my UNC grad.
This is a very specialized field with a very competitive and stressful entry process. Both students applied to the same number of programs (same application cycle), received the same number of interviews, and matched the first time.
I mentioned that I am a little confused about law school funding. That would guide my decision (it might not be an issue for your family).
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Iām biased, and since OP isnāt concerned about the $, Stanford. Overall, classes are likely to be more rigorous and alumni network and classmate will be strong. Sooo many opportunities exist and can be created. Thatās part of what you get with that kind of endowment.
Can you get to the same place in the end? Almost certainly. But itās also about the journey. Four years on the Farm is a special opportunity.
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If you plan to live and practice law somewhere between Atlanta and DC, I would say UNC. The Carolina networks are strong. Very much a small town, familial, āwho do you knowā type of community. Stanford wonāt necessarily help break into that cabal. Otherwise, Stanford.
An acceptance to Stanford is quite an accomplishment. You are clearly an extraordinary student. Congrats!
I would take a look at private vs public as there will likely be differences. I have absolutely no doubt that Stanford has everythingā¦and more.
I mentioned earlier that one of my kids was an OOS student at UNC. She was accepted to higher ranking privates, but she felt strongly about attending a public university and never had any regrets. In her heart she considered herself to be a public school kid. This is a sample of one, I realize.
Other than what you wrote here and in previous posts, none of us know you. We donāt know where you feel comfortable, what makes you tick, what makes you angry, your confidence, any anxieties, your personality, any causes you may feel strongly about and wish to pursue, your passions, etc.
Fit will depend on you, where you feel comfortable, what vibe you want, etc.
Stanford, as noted, is quite an accomplishment. I do agree that the Carolina networks are strongā¦wherever you are.
Best wishes!
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Wuldnāt this be more a factor of where one goes to law school, not undergrad?
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If you absolutely know you want to live in the southeast after schooling (not sure how you would know at 18), i would chose unc regardless of which law school you might or might not eventually attend. The networks and sense of community are more than just professional. If you are not sure, i would pick Stanford.
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The networks and sense of community extend beyond the southeast.
Stanford, of course, is Stanford!
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