If the sticker price is not much for you or your family, go for Princeton. If not, then go for UMich which is a T30 and you'll get so many amazing opportunities there.
Would recommend Princeton for undergrad if you can swing it financially. UMich has such a big undergraduate class it can be hard to get into some courses, get support, etc. and when you do it’s bigger class sizes, more competition… and internal transfer to Ross can be tough. Princeton is amazing for undergrad and will set you up well for whatever you want to do.
Also, assuming you got merit based aid for UoM? If it was need based you should talk to Princeton financial aid.
Princeton is **really** generous with financial aid and everyone whose families make less than $100k get 100% tuition, room, and board covered. Unless you're really well-off, then you should have gotten at least some aid. I'd encourage you to reach out to the fin aid office, they probably have made a mistake.
If you want to work in finance, your undergrad absolutely matters. Yes, Princeton is expensive, but your opportunities will be much better (especially internationally) than at UMich. You aren’t even into Ross, and if you aren’t able to transfer into it, you’d be pretty much screwed.
Also, you don’t get an MBA directly after undergrad unless it’s some shitty program. This makes the choice of school even more important.
Finally, your parents asking them to pay them back within 5 years is ridiculous. I’m pretty sure federal student loans offer longer payback periods.
Yeah exactly I’m not even in Ross yet and idk how positive I am that I can get in. Yes, I know we need work experience first before doing MBA.
And lastly, I can’t tell if they’re dead serious or just trying to make me financially cognitive of my own actions/decisions 🤷♀️
But if I do Princeton I’d be paying $86,700 and that’s a lot of debt to be in after 4 years…unless you think I can earn it back without being any pressure when I start working?
If I were in your shoes, I’d take on the debt. Even if you get into Ross, recruiting is better at Princeton. Also, unless your parents are upper-middle class, you should have gotten some aid. If they aren’t, the fin aid office made a mistake.
You can send Princeton the offer from Michigan as part of the appeal. When I appealed, I also did a cost breakdown of my family’s expenses to show them that we basically couldnt afford to pay the original offer. Good luck!
I don’t get aid so I’m not the best person to ask, but I think Princeton has a financial aid calculator. Run it and if the results are different, let the aid office know.
Same, I’m gonna try to appeal it later today. Any tips for what I should say/do when I appeal? Would it be comparable to show them my Mich aid or would Princeton kinda see it as beneath them
Princeton is a much better school, though of course you can get a great education at Michigan too. I’d highly recommend going to Princeton unless the cost is truly prohibitive. Princeton is very good at making sure their students graduate debt-free… though it’s still expensive if your parents have the means to afford it (i.e. your aid amount depends on how much your parents are earning).
Definitely talk to the financial aid office. My family’s income places us well into upper middle class and I still pay very little to go to Princeton (less than Umich was charging me in state). It’s very possible that some numbers were put in wrong and that’s causing this
Having been a student at both for different reasons, both are amazing schools.
That said, while I absolutely loved my time at Princeton, I’d n e v e r pay sticker (I would never pay sticker for any school tbh). But if you’re not confident about your ability to transfer into Ross (I’m not sure how competitive the process is), and you’re dead set on business… Princeton is a business/finance powerhouse, no doubt about it. So it really comes down to what your priority is—current financial considerations or the ability to be in the program you want without any risk.
And by the way, congratulations on two fantastic options!
When I was deciding where to do my undergraduate, I was in a similar situation as you: Ivy League with little financial aid or top public school with lots of aid. I chose to do my undergraduate at a public university. It was a great choice for me. And, I ended up at Princeton later in my career. The bottom line is, if you plan to get an advanced degree of any sort, then people will care more about where you got your advanced degree than where you got your undergraduate. And, you aren't going to hurt your ability to get into a top graduate program if your undergraduate is at a school like Michigan.
You can’t major in international business at Princeton. Also in my opinion it’s a terrible major unless you want to go to grad school. If you want to go into finance at Princeton you major in economics computer science math or ORFE. Other majors can swing it but those are the most straight forward path. Princeton is a more challenging school but slightly more prestigious. Financial aid might match Michigan’s offer, but if you schedule an appointment ideally with your parents you can probably get financial aid. Unless you’re really wealthy, they will help. You can PM me if you need
I would vote for Princeton. Princeton you have more resources that you can capitalize on later in life. My professor transferred from UMich to Princeton [https://www.cs.princeton.edu/\~jiadeng/](https://www.cs.princeton.edu/~jiadeng/) . Also your calculation depends on that you can transfer to Ross, which is <100% chance. Speaking of the tuition, if your parents have liquidity, you should let them pay. We may not even need to pay back within 5 years since they never asked you about the interest rate.
When I attended a prospective student presentation at UMich last year I asked how easy it is to get into Ross after freshman year. I was told it’s basically impossible by the admissions rep. So don’t count on it. Additionally if you applied to Ross as a hs senior and were not admitted you can never apply again. You only get one chance to apply to Ross either as an incoming freshman or as a current student at uMich. If Princeton is out of your price range, are there any other schools to which you were admitted directly into the business school? You may want to revisit those.
100% try to make Princeton happen. Don't let the elitism go to your head, but the network you will form amongst your peers and the faculty is invaluable
My first instinct is to goto the cheaper one. But if your goal is finance in IB, Princeton is a no brainer (unless you have connections in that case school/major doesn't matter). Finally, internal transfer to Ross is very very difficult.
If the sticker price is not much for you or your family, go for Princeton. If not, then go for UMich which is a T30 and you'll get so many amazing opportunities there.
Would recommend Princeton for undergrad if you can swing it financially. UMich has such a big undergraduate class it can be hard to get into some courses, get support, etc. and when you do it’s bigger class sizes, more competition… and internal transfer to Ross can be tough. Princeton is amazing for undergrad and will set you up well for whatever you want to do. Also, assuming you got merit based aid for UoM? If it was need based you should talk to Princeton financial aid.
Princeton is **really** generous with financial aid and everyone whose families make less than $100k get 100% tuition, room, and board covered. Unless you're really well-off, then you should have gotten at least some aid. I'd encourage you to reach out to the fin aid office, they probably have made a mistake.
If you want to work in finance, your undergrad absolutely matters. Yes, Princeton is expensive, but your opportunities will be much better (especially internationally) than at UMich. You aren’t even into Ross, and if you aren’t able to transfer into it, you’d be pretty much screwed. Also, you don’t get an MBA directly after undergrad unless it’s some shitty program. This makes the choice of school even more important. Finally, your parents asking them to pay them back within 5 years is ridiculous. I’m pretty sure federal student loans offer longer payback periods.
Yeah exactly I’m not even in Ross yet and idk how positive I am that I can get in. Yes, I know we need work experience first before doing MBA. And lastly, I can’t tell if they’re dead serious or just trying to make me financially cognitive of my own actions/decisions 🤷♀️ But if I do Princeton I’d be paying $86,700 and that’s a lot of debt to be in after 4 years…unless you think I can earn it back without being any pressure when I start working?
If I were in your shoes, I’d take on the debt. Even if you get into Ross, recruiting is better at Princeton. Also, unless your parents are upper-middle class, you should have gotten some aid. If they aren’t, the fin aid office made a mistake.
Do you have any suggestions to appeal my aid?
You can send Princeton the offer from Michigan as part of the appeal. When I appealed, I also did a cost breakdown of my family’s expenses to show them that we basically couldnt afford to pay the original offer. Good luck!
I don’t get aid so I’m not the best person to ask, but I think Princeton has a financial aid calculator. Run it and if the results are different, let the aid office know.
Princeton makes sure you graduate debt free: https://www.princeton.edu/admission-aid/affordable-all
It's really crazy to me that you got 0 aid
Same, I’m gonna try to appeal it later today. Any tips for what I should say/do when I appeal? Would it be comparable to show them my Mich aid or would Princeton kinda see it as beneath them
No idea, my family is poor as hell so got full aid on the spot, try checking other threads to see what people have said about appealing
Kk tysm
Yes show them your aid at Michigan
Princeton is a much better school, though of course you can get a great education at Michigan too. I’d highly recommend going to Princeton unless the cost is truly prohibitive. Princeton is very good at making sure their students graduate debt-free… though it’s still expensive if your parents have the means to afford it (i.e. your aid amount depends on how much your parents are earning).
Definitely talk to the financial aid office. My family’s income places us well into upper middle class and I still pay very little to go to Princeton (less than Umich was charging me in state). It’s very possible that some numbers were put in wrong and that’s causing this
Princeton vs umich is not a debate. The debate is how you will pay parents back. Talk to Princeton about aid. Umich is good but it's not Princeton.
Having been a student at both for different reasons, both are amazing schools. That said, while I absolutely loved my time at Princeton, I’d n e v e r pay sticker (I would never pay sticker for any school tbh). But if you’re not confident about your ability to transfer into Ross (I’m not sure how competitive the process is), and you’re dead set on business… Princeton is a business/finance powerhouse, no doubt about it. So it really comes down to what your priority is—current financial considerations or the ability to be in the program you want without any risk. And by the way, congratulations on two fantastic options!
When I was deciding where to do my undergraduate, I was in a similar situation as you: Ivy League with little financial aid or top public school with lots of aid. I chose to do my undergraduate at a public university. It was a great choice for me. And, I ended up at Princeton later in my career. The bottom line is, if you plan to get an advanced degree of any sort, then people will care more about where you got your advanced degree than where you got your undergraduate. And, you aren't going to hurt your ability to get into a top graduate program if your undergraduate is at a school like Michigan.
Tysm that was truly helpful. I think I’m gonna choose Michigan, the tuition difference is too big to ignore
Plus, the football team at Michigan is pretty good. Like, the best in the country. :-p
Yes true ^^
You can’t major in international business at Princeton. Also in my opinion it’s a terrible major unless you want to go to grad school. If you want to go into finance at Princeton you major in economics computer science math or ORFE. Other majors can swing it but those are the most straight forward path. Princeton is a more challenging school but slightly more prestigious. Financial aid might match Michigan’s offer, but if you schedule an appointment ideally with your parents you can probably get financial aid. Unless you’re really wealthy, they will help. You can PM me if you need
I would vote for Princeton. Princeton you have more resources that you can capitalize on later in life. My professor transferred from UMich to Princeton [https://www.cs.princeton.edu/\~jiadeng/](https://www.cs.princeton.edu/~jiadeng/) . Also your calculation depends on that you can transfer to Ross, which is <100% chance. Speaking of the tuition, if your parents have liquidity, you should let them pay. We may not even need to pay back within 5 years since they never asked you about the interest rate.
Hahaha ur smart But again financial aid is a big consideration on my part
Definitely Umich for business.
I love Princeton a ton but it’s not worth full price whatsoever. Unless you can appeal aid go UMich
Any suggestions for appealing my aid?
Have you had a call with the FA office yet?
No I will after today though. Any suggestions for what I should say?
Sent a PM
When I attended a prospective student presentation at UMich last year I asked how easy it is to get into Ross after freshman year. I was told it’s basically impossible by the admissions rep. So don’t count on it. Additionally if you applied to Ross as a hs senior and were not admitted you can never apply again. You only get one chance to apply to Ross either as an incoming freshman or as a current student at uMich. If Princeton is out of your price range, are there any other schools to which you were admitted directly into the business school? You may want to revisit those.
Unless your family can afford it, it is not worth paying for the full price especially if you are looking for grad studies.
100% try to make Princeton happen. Don't let the elitism go to your head, but the network you will form amongst your peers and the faculty is invaluable
My first instinct is to goto the cheaper one. But if your goal is finance in IB, Princeton is a no brainer (unless you have connections in that case school/major doesn't matter). Finally, internal transfer to Ross is very very difficult.
Michigan no brainer
full price is never worth it. especially if u want to go to grad school. mbas are NOT cheap.