Baylor or Cornell?

Question

I got accepted to Baylor (Honors Program). I seemed destined to be a Baylor Bear, when all of a sudden Cornell calls and says I have been removed from the wait list to the entering class of 2011. I know on paper Cornell would be a no-brainer, but here is where it becomes complicated.

Baylor has offered to pay for tuition through a combination of scholarships and grants. Cornell has yet to send out their financial aid report. Baylor is closer to home ( I live in Corpus Christi, TX) and has accepted me to the honors program. Cornell is in Ithaca. Enough said.

My question is, assuming that Cornell offers a financial aid package similar to Baylor's, is it worth going. If not, do I take money into consideration and go with the cheaper school. How important is undergraduate school anyways?

Answer 1

I am a proud Baylor bear. I wanted to stay in Texas, therefore I did. I can't stand cold temperatures, so Waco was perfect.

But...Waco majorly sucks, so don't choose Baylor based on that location. On the plus side, we drove to Austin or Dallas nearly every weekend. Baylor offers the full college experience, you just have to look for it. I learned about most cultures and religions of the world from the students, because I looked for those experiences.

Which honors program were you accepted into? If it's regular honors, that's great, it's a good program, but if it's BIC, know that the majority of the students drop out of it their second year. It's a great program, but it's lots and lots and lots of reading on top of your usual college classes and potential employers have not started recognizing BIC yet. I was accepted into it and turned it down and it was the best college decision I made.

I would twist some arms and find out Cornell's aid. The above answerer was correct in saying it is not worth going tens of thousands of dollars in debt for college and paying that off for the next 20 years when you want to buy a house and such. I graduated with about 40K in subsidized loans which isn't that terrible considering I also went to grad school at Baylor, and I already have a quarter of that paid off after just graduating 2 years ago. Just note that Baylor's tuition has been going up incrementally, so your initial scholarships may not cover your tuition in later years. But it is also much easier to get scholarships at Baylor once you have declared your major, I received the majority of scholarships my last 3 years there.

So, I guess what I'm trying to say is they're both great schools, Cornell is better, but you just need to decide where you think you can get the best opportunities without going into debt that will hinder you for years to come.

Answer 2

Hi,

I was set on going to Baylor for undergrad until I received my Cornell acceptance letter. I too am from South Texas and was uneasy about the move to Ithaca, NY.


Now that I have completed my freshman yr, I can honestly say that I definitely made the right decision. Cornell is a great school and Ithaca > Waco.


You should call the Financial Aid Office to figure something out. For me, Baylor would have been a lot more expensive than Cornell.

Answer 3

Your undergrad is important in ways that you might not realize. Recruiters will flock to both campuses, but Cornell is truly an elite institution and if a bachelor's degree from an Ivy League school is on your resume, you will have MUCH better future job options, better chances at top grad programs, and access to a better alumni network.

Even if the Cornell financial package doesn't match up with Baylor's (and don't forget that the cost of living is higher in upstate New York), the return on investment for a Cornell education is worth it, especially if you major in engineering or business. That said, it may depend on your family's financial situation and where you think that you will enjoy your college experience. The latter is an undervalued factor for many prospective students, so it's good that you are considering those issues. Also consider the strength and reputation of individual programs at the two universities. Do a campus visit at Cornell if possible, and if you haven't done one at Baylor, visit there as well.

My recommendation is to go to Cornell, and if you get homesick or don't like it there for whatever reason, then transfer to Baylor.

Good luck, and congratulations....

Answer 4

Although Baylor is a fairly respectable school, Cornell is one of the best schools in the world - there is really no comparison academically. Baylor probably has about half its students below the top 20% of their HS class. Cornell probably has 80% from the top 10%. I think that it is, as you say, a no-brainer.

But Cornell should come through with the cash. They need to meet your expected FAFSA need. It is NOT worth it, in my mind to take on huge amounts of debt to attend any school. If you get out owing $20,000 that is NOT a lot. but if you get out owing $75,000 or even $100,000 like some kids do... well, that is way too much of a burden.

You need to twist the thumbscrews on Cornell a bit to get that financial aid package issued. They could do it in 24 hours....

The fact that you think that Baylor's location in Waco is incomparably better than Cornell's makes me think that it is time for you to get out of Texas and see the world! And, even if you are Baptist, do you really want to spend four years in a Baptist university? That isn't very mind expanding, is it?

Answer 5

with the intention to flow into to Yale or Harvard (and with those stats) you will choose a minimum of an SAT of 2200 approx mmm no longer many extracurricular events. those 10 hours of community provider do no longer help ... you have not got an concept of ways plenty they take CS under consideration forget approximately accounting in UT (# a million interior the country) Baylor isn't a great college you in basic terms choose a 1900 SAT with the intention to get into UT ... in simple terms attempt psychology, by way of fact this is totally in all likelihood that they gained't settle for you in accounting.

Answer 6

Well this is really something you should think about on your own for a bit ,when do you have to decide by?

But my take is that since Texas is so boring to me I would go to Cornell. But both are very nice schools and although Cornell may seem to be nicer its up to you , go with what you want.

Answer 7

do not let money be an issue. where do you want to go? don't look at what will look good and not. the little things matter now that you got accepted. try food and comfort and people and location and campus