Anonymous wrote:Our child has got admitted to IU-Kelly-direct and also has Pitt - Business. Pitt offered her full ride and Kelly- nothing yet.
I view this as comparable to comparing Carnegie Mellon and Notre Dame (in Pittsburgh and Indiana). They are very different schools, in very different locations, both highly regarded.
I went to Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh, walking distance from Pitt. Pitt is in the very urban Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh. Indiana has a more traditional college campus. See the film "Breaking Away". I would prefer to send my daughters to a cloistered rural midwest campus or convent, but some would prefer a city. For example, my graduate roommate in Pittsburgh got an important summer internship at Mellon Bank that become a stepping stone to Goldman Sachs. Pittsburgh is also a 4-hour drive from D.C., which makes it possible to visit for East Coast job interviews.
This is a close call. Both Indiana and Purdue have excellent reputations in Indiana. But for the East Coast, I doubt Indiana will have better placement than Maryland, Virginia, or many other schools. Historically, the Indiana graduate business school was ranked better than Pitt. For undergrad, the overall ranking is more important. I'm surprised to find that Indiana and Pitt have comparable rankings. US News says Pitt admits 67%, and Indiana admits 85%. While these are very good universities, they do not provide an exclusive pedigree.
If money were unimportant, I would let your child visit and decide. But Indiana outof state tuition is $39K. Yikes, that is $156K over four years. Undergrad business is pretty standard, not like a specialized art or athletic program. I would take the free ride.