<p>I was recently awarded the Provost Scholarship at Montana State University which waives tuition for four years. Additionally, I was accepted into the Foster School of Business at the University of Washington, a school that is consistently ranked in the top 25 business schools in the country. Unfortunately, I did not receive much financial aid from UW and would be paying full in-state tuition (approx. $13,000). The Seattle campus would undoubtedly provide me with significantly more opportunities than the remote Bozeman campus of Montana State. But how much is the value of a better education? Which option makes the most sense for me with regards to financials, opportunities and the overall academic experience?</p>
<p>I went to Foster, no regrets. Impressive that you got in as a freshman as it’s very competitive. There’s always something to be said for free tuition, but I think the quality/networking/campus location/employer opportunity gap would make me lean towards Foster.</p>
<p>Zhanger,
If it’s not too much to ask, could you possibly elaborate on the networking opportunities that you personally experienced at Foster? Also, what kinds (if any) of financial aid/scholarship options opened up once you were in the program?</p>
<p>My son also considered Montana State and received a generous automatics scholarship offer; not the Provost; he never applied. We visited Montana State. The location is fantastic if you love skiing and other outdoor activities.</p>
<p>We found MSU lacking when compared to larger state flagships and land grants. The facilties and services in general are just not as good across the board. </p>
<p>If you love the location and that is most important; then consider MSU. But know that you will be limiting yourself when it comes to facilties, research opportunities, networking, student activities, career placement opportunities, etc etc. UW is world class.</p>
<p>Generally the caliber of students (both undergrad and MBA), professors, and employer speakers/recruiters you’re networking with are going to be better. The employer base is incomparable between Seattle and Bozeman and 74% of UW grads stay in state.
[Economic</a> Impact Report | Office of External Affairs](<a href=“http://www.washington.edu/externalaffairs/eir/]Economic”>Economic Impact Report | Office of External Affairs)</p>
<p>After I graduated I moved to SF which has the largest concentration of UW alumni outside WA. I wasn’t seeking my opportunities at the time through the network, but the Bay Area network has become more active over the past few years.</p>
<p>As far as financial aid, I was on a combination of FSA loans and GI Bill for Reserves.</p>
<p>Following up on what Haystack said, I would lean towards UW. Usually I advocate for the school that has a lower bottom line, but I’m not sure you would get what you need at Montana.</p>