Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a Pitt grad. I spent a week on Indiana Bloomington's campus this past summer and I really liked it.

I think you should consider these factors:

1) Strength of the major(s) of interest
2) Feelings about each campus
3) East Coast personality or Midwest personality type
4) Where your son wants to live after graduation (imagine a radius around each as the zone of most opportunity)

Let me know if you have specific questions about Pitt.

Would an East Coast personality really fit Pittsburgh OR Indiana?

Pitt grad here. Also a Michigan grad. I think local cultural expectations are worth factoring in.

Midwest nice is real. This is one of the reasons why Indiana and Michigan's business schools are popular corporate recruiting grounds. Lots of hard working kids who come across as friendly, team players.

East Coast directness does not play out as well here. Also pessimism, cynicism, and snark. A lot of DCUM types would fall through corporate trap doors here. The indoctrination starts in elementary school as I know, because I've watched those forces at work on my own kids.

No idea what OP's kid is like...and he is still young...so probably can enthusiastically fit in anywhere. But a smartmouth might do better closer to home in the Mid-Atlantic.

I think this is a decision that should be made on finer points than the urban/rural campus divide. I posted my suggested criteria above, but I'd also like to suggest investigating the number of degree recipients for each major of interest at both schools. Because it might be important to the social experience at each. My husband was in a much smaller major than I was at Pitt and therefore got to know his classmates a lot better.

What about south?

I didn't run across Southern students at Pitt (long ago). Bethesda kids for sure. Metro NYC. Jersey. Philly. Random kids one-off from states across the U.S. and even across the world.

I can see how VA TJ kids would easily fit in at Pitt. There were many pre-meds when I was there and I know several did become MDs. Science geeks have always been welcome. There was one big scholarship winner who I believe was a physics major. He stuck out because he unicycled to classes. I was a cognitive psychology research assistant in sophomore year and the following summer.

In general, Pitt has always been pretty eclectic and I thought it seemed like a pretty tolerant place. So I can't imagine any specific issues cropping up for Southerners. But it is a more Democratic place if that matters. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama campaigned there but I don't remember hearing about McCain, Romney, or Trump dropping by. It's not a school that fits a country club Republican aesthetic. There were a lot of first gens when I was there, including my husband. There were private school kids at Pitt, but not that many. When I went to Pitt, private school kids went to SLACs like Bucknell.

At my work, in the Midwest, Southerners are rare. The Duke and UNC MBAs I know were usually international students (mainland Chinese). A few people from South Carolina's International Business MBA program. And the Indiana MBAs are Midwest and Rust Belters.

Also possibly relevant, Greek life is not dominant at Pitt. I found that to be a plus, even though my parents and husband went Greek.

Sorry I couldn't be more help.

If the student studies in the Pitt School of Health and Rehabilitation, tuition goes up $10,000 a year. The student is generally admitted into that school as a junior. It may be the same for Engineering and Business Schools. I have not checked. Gasp.

I have not explored whether or not IU tuition goes up year by year by major.

Anonymous wrote:The cost for Indiana are higher than pitt definitely because of air travel. I just tried to book flights and hotels for admitted students day for IU and it is going to be $1200 just for a two day trip. Pitt you can drive and only have hotel costs. Multiply that times 4-5 a year.

Also, $63k in posted fees for out-of-state for Pitt all in are higher than what I have. They both all in are at $55k ish. IU gave $3k a year in merit, not much.

There is a rabid IU booster on this board that i wish would just chill out.

I'm the one that posted the $63K. It's for the School of computing and information, which is about $5.5K more than the school of arts. Arts School would be cheaper than IU with no merit. Pitt is one of the schools on our list but is towards the bottom RN because of the higher cost. Hope we get some merit and that changes. IU will get on our list if DC gets into Kelley and gets some merit. Need the merit to offset the PIA associated with accessibility. However, Ohio State and Penn State are clearly on our list where DC got into their preferred programs and the costs are 'better' even without merit aid.

Agree on the cost of travel if you fly. However, don't you think that would be offset by higher housing/food costs once the kid gets past freshman year?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a Pitt grad. I spent a week on Indiana Bloomington's campus this past summer and I really liked it.

I think you should consider these factors:

1) Strength of the major(s) of interest
2) Feelings about each campus
3) East Coast personality or Midwest personality type
4) Where your son wants to live after graduation (imagine a radius around each as the zone of most opportunity)

Let me know if you have specific questions about Pitt.

Would an East Coast personality really fit Pittsburgh OR Indiana?

Pitt grad here. Also a Michigan grad. I think local cultural expectations are worth factoring in.

Midwest nice is real. This is one of the reasons why Indiana and Michigan's business schools are popular corporate recruiting grounds. Lots of hard working kids who come across as friendly, team players.

East Coast directness does not play out as well here. Also pessimism, cynicism, and snark. A lot of DCUM types would fall through corporate trap doors here. The indoctrination starts in elementary school as I know, because I've watched those forces at work on my own kids.

No idea what OP's kid is like...and he is still young...so probably can enthusiastically fit in anywhere. But a smartmouth might do better closer to home in the Mid-Atlantic.

I think this is a decision that should be made on finer points than the urban/rural campus divide. I posted my suggested criteria above, but I'd also like to suggest investigating the number of degree recipients for each major of interest at both schools. Because it might be important to the social experience at each. My husband was in a much smaller major than I was at Pitt and therefore got to know his classmates a lot better.

This is all true but kids can learn to adapt and probably should. Even if a kid stays on the East Coast, they could very well end up with a boss from the Midwest. It’s better to learn the different US cultures now.

I’m from the Midwest, moved to DC and had to adapt to the more direct culture here, which was totally fine. Then I had a boss from the South and had to adapt to that culture, also totally fine. Exposure is good.

if most other things are equal and OP is in the DC area, I would vote Pitt because it's drivable. And I know I'll get flamed for this....plus, lots of people meet their spouses in college. If he goes to Indiana there's a good chance he'll meet a prospective spouse from the midwest, upping the likelihood that he'll end up living in the midwest. I want my kids to grow up and live where they want, but I wouldn't purposely encourage choices that would increase the chances that they would settle on the other side or the country or world. I hope to know my grandkids. If IU was a clear winner or where your kid wants to go, ok. But if it's somewhat of a toss up, go with Pitt.

The cost for Indiana are higher than pitt definitely because of air travel. I just tried to book flights and hotels for admitted students day for IU and it is going to be $1200 just for a two day trip. Pitt you can drive and only have hotel costs. Multiply that times 4-5 a year.

Also, $63k in posted fees for out-of-state for Pitt all in are higher than what I have. They both all in are at $55k ish. IU gave $3k a year in merit, not much.

There is a rabid IU booster on this board that i wish would just chill out.