<p>So i’ve been accepted into Lewis University (Romeoville, iL) and Elmhurst College (Elmhurst, Illinois). Both are decent schools, elmhurst ranks in the top tier of its category (regional master’s universities). Both are private and expensive. I have no problem with these schools, but ive always wanted to go to a really good school such as University of illinois, or cornell. I planned on going to a community colege, then transfering, but what if i end up unsuccessful with my transfer? should i just take the offer from elmhurst or lewis? or should i go to a community college, work my butt off, and go to a better school? I heard it doesnt matter much where you go for undergrad which is why idk if i shuld just go to elmhurst now, and save the prestigious school for my master’s.</p>
<p>anybodyyyyyyyy?</p>
<p>If you got into Lewis and Elmhurst this time, I don’t see why you shouldn’t again after a year at a community college. If you don’t get into the schools you want to transfer to, you just saved a year of expensive tuition and can transfer to the schools you had originally planned to attend. And maybe while you’re at the community college, you’ll discover some opportunities you haven’t yet considered.</p>
<p>I disagree that it doesn’t matter where you went to undergrad. Some undergraduate universities offer better resources and opportunities than others, and some undergrad institutions are known for the quality of their education. That’s not to say that Lewis and Elmhurst are not schools that offer great opportunities (I don’t know of them), but your undergrad has a lot to do with your preparation for graduate school and/or the workforce.</p>
<p>You say that the schools are private and expensive. Have you gotten any financial aid from them, or are they full pay? Elmhurst is $31,000 in tuition; Lewis is about $25,000. Those aren’t including the costs of living on campus if you choose to. If you have <em>significant</em> financial aid to offset the costs then it may be worth it, but if you don’t and you have to borrow the entire cost, I certainly think it’s better advised to attend community college for 1 or 2 years and then transfer to the University of Illinois. I bet that U of I has articulation agreements with several Illinois community colleges that will allow you to automatically transfer if you maintain a certain GPA. It would even be cheaper to go to a CC for two years and transfer to Cornell, although that may be more difficult.</p>
<p>y^ U of I has articulation agreements with ALL of the Illinois community colleges. I believe the same could be said of all the Illinois four-year publics. </p>
<p>OP, the most important part of your post is the part about busting your butt. Do that, and you’ll get a superior education at almost any college, definitely including any of Illinois’s excellent community colleges. Solid research shows that what you do at college is a whole lot more important to your future success than where you go to college is. </p>
<p>There is just no way that two years at a pricey four-year private is worth tens of thousands of dollars more than two years at a CC. I would go to CC, work hard and do well, and two years later you’ll have a lot of attractive options for finishing your degree - and be a lot better off financially.</p>
<p>I ended up getting a scholarship to elmhurst (1/3 of my tuition.) thats a pretty good offer, but i agree with the support for the comunity college</p>