As in the title, I need help deciding between universities as a competitive D1 Wheelchair Basketball Player, intending to major in Business/Finance with Wall Street IB aspirations. I have recently been admitted into UMich Ross, UofArizona Eller, and UNC Chapel Hill (In state).
Between my choices, I have been offered a full scholarship at the University of Arizona Eller and know they have a program called Wall Street Scholars, helping students break into IB (100% Junior Internship Placement Rate), and the University has an established D1 Wheelchair Basketball Program. At UMich Ross, I received a scholarship bringing the cost to $50k annually and their wheelchair basketball team is extremely new, which would mean the team will not be very good. Lastly, at Chapel Hill I received assured enrollment into KF and would get in-state tuition, but there is no wheelchair basketball program.
I think you clearly understand your options. Now you need to: 1l) understand what is financially feasible for your family (with no hardship and no or minimal loans) and 2) prioritize your desires in a school. Also consider if the MI weather/snow might be difficult to navigte as compared to being in a warmer climate, if you find value in being closer to home, if you prefer the vibe of any campus, etc.
UofA sounds like a great match and opportunity! If you have no costs, play the sport you love to do at a high level, and can get a job in finance, sounds perfect!
I wouldn’t underestimate the extent to which playing D1 wheelchair basketball for an established team could enhance your networking opportunities. This combined with the Wall Street Scholars program should put you on radar as a very interesting candidate for future opportunities, whether it be going direct into IB or cracking a top MBA program. Plus, you’re saving $120K-200K+ - that’s a lot of money. (And if in-state tuition at UNC means you’re from there, and you haven’t lived in Ann Arbor-like weather before, don’t discount the practical advantages of Tucson’s climate, esp. for a wheelchair user.)
If you’re really not price-sensitive (or cold-sensitive), and actually like the idea of helping to lead a new team toward competitiveness, then I guess the Ross offer could be worth considering… I guess it depends whether you want to be able to hit the ground running, athletically-speaking, or whether you could get excited about the leadership opportunity of building a program from the ground up.
Giving up D1 bball for UNC seems like it would be a big sacrifice, although of course KF is excellent.
To me, it seems as if UA hits the sweet spot, but it depends on your priorities.
