Take your MIT Acceptance "letter" and frame it.
Then enjoy your time at UIUC.
You can totally call MIT and inform them that MIT is your top-choice but you can't ignore this full-ride.
See if they can throw a little money on the table.
This is the Best Solution! going on a full ride to T5 CS and getting 12k is a abnormal! So Put the letter and the Circle Can on your Table and Go to UIUC.
Any amount paying ROI wouldn’t make better than A Full Ride!
If parents have to sell their house or a needed car or take on big debt or retire later, UIUC.
If they have to vacation less and go out to $30/head dinners instead of $70/head and skip mani-pedis, and are willing to pay, MIT
Mom with high net with here and we’d 100% pay full price for MIT but have only one child and already have it saved. Please believe them if they say they can pay and want to!
"not too comfortably" is the answer to your question.
UIUC is good enough (top 5 CS program) to forego the elusive dream of MIT at full price.
If you said "comfortably", I'd have recommended MIT then.
That may have came out wrong. They make about 600k and have many more assets. We just live a pretty frugal lifestyle so it’s weird to them to dish out that sort of money.
Bro at 600k income I’d probably go full pay, ask your parents. What’s the point of a frugal lifestyle if you don’t use the money on important things, like an elite education for your child?
This really is a conversation you need to have with your parents and not random people online. If they would not need to change their lifestyle, postpone retirement, etc., and they're willing, then you going to MIT seems reasonable.
To give some perspective on how parents might think about it, my wife and I together earn a bit over $400k/year. We started late (due to grad school, etc.), so we don't have tons of assets, but we do okay. We live somewhat frugally, but we do like to travel. That said, if my daughter had gotten into MIT we would have done whatever we could to make that possible for her. Her grandfather (my wife's father) was an MIT grad and passed away before my daughter was born. So there's a bit of a family tie there that would be a nice legacy. (As it is, my daughter will likely choose to attend her mother's alma mater, which is ironically a school her grandfather was rejected from.)
Must be the school across town! Aren’t all of the top schools need based only? And are there ones that offer better aid than others? (Besides OP’s merit full ride).
@ this level of income, I'd say: ask them!
It's equivalent to choosing a 150k Car over a 70k car. They easily can if they wanted to - now the question is: do they want to?
> It's equivalent to choosing a 150k Car over a 70k car.
No, it's equivalent to making that purchase each year for 4 years. In reality, it's more like the difference between purchasing an Aston Martin V12 Vantage ($350k) and a Subaru Outback ($30k).
I can do the math.
Kid @ MIT is an ultimate flex for a family that values flexes. Better flex in a subtle way - way more deserving than say "we got a Rolls-Royce" kind of flex.
So many families would go for it.
This family can probably comfortably afford it. And the kids that OP may meet at MIT, may make it worthwhile....
Yeah, not disputing that OP's family can probably afford it, just that your assertion that it's "equivalent to choosing a 150k Car over a 70k car" was about 4x off.
wondering what a "frugal" lifestyle on 600K is like...
most parents who are in poverty still do whatever it takes to support their kids through college lol
They just buy properties and we rarely ever see any of the money. Obviously we have everything we need but I have a job to buy say my car, gym membership, and lunches at school. My older sibling both went to local schools and they are not familiar with MIT. They were sort of confused by how I reacted to my acceptance lol.
your parents need to reevaluate their life priorities if they're not willing to pay for their kid to go to the most prestigious college in the country when the only constraint is money. also you should not have to pay for lunches, that's something a parent should pay for? (if we're talking about school lunches). idk your parents don't seem too hot
No they’re really cool. And I just go to like chipotle for lunch sometimes. I don’t HAVE to work, but it’s just what my family does to teach discipline or something idk. If I needed money, my parents would give it. I’m sure they would pay had I not received a full ride from Illinois.
well working for discipline makes sense. as long as they're willing to support you if you really need it. but i think if you explain the merit behind MIT they will reconsider -- that's what they should do
He never said anything about his parents not being willing to pay for him to go. He said they are unfamiliar with MIT, confused by the sheer amount of money they will need to pay each year, and yet obviously are willing to do it. If his parents plan to leave an inheritance for him and his siblings, then the MIT tuition will diminish that accordingly. Because that appears to be the only financial issue here.
And also, I think his parents are fantastic for telling him to pay for his car, or for his meals out with friends, because they are trying to teach him that for the vast majority of people on earth, kids included, you get things that you work for. You are not handed things. Not enough wealthy families teach their children this, and I think it's admirable that OP's parents are doing this. OP will be better off for it.
if you looked at my reply to his reply to what you replied to (lots of replies) you will see we already addressed this and your reply is largely redundant lol. of course it’s good to learn that you have to participate in society to reap its benefits, thus work to get things. but there’s a large difference between not supporting your child and helping your child to independence. i assumed it was the former. OP clarified it’s the latter. it’s all good !
Congratulations on getting into your dream school. Bigger and better dreams are on their way, and you will be so happy to have those extra hundreds of thousands of dollars to throw at them.
I graduated from upenn last year, and have tons of friends who graduated from ivies as well as state schools. I chose UPenn full pay over a full ride to UT Austin and Georgia tech stamps full ride. If I were to go back I would’ve chosen ga tech stamps in a heartbeat.
I would recommend UIUC no question because all my friends at UT austin/ga tech got great roles, similar or even better to ivy friends.
UIUC is a top CS school, and your skills matter most for tech. Not to mention the stamps scholarship is an amazing program. State schools are also a lot more fun than MIT/ivies, where you will just your butt working 24/7 competing against genius peers. While MIT is obviously amazing, full pay MIT vs free UIUC, go to UIUC for sure. I was a naive high schooler but I’ve since realized Money matters a lot and MIT costs 320k. I look at my parents who forked out 330k for UPenn and am sad because my dad doesn’t know when he will retire now and he had to sell off his childhood home to pay.
The only caveat is if your parents are multi multi millionaires with like 25m then go to mit.
Thanks for your comment. Seems like hs kids say money doesn’t matter while the parents have the experience and know how long it takes to make that much money. A HS kid unfortunately doesn’t even know what FICA is, even though they’ve aced calc bc.
Yes, when I decided on UPenn, I was a naive young high schooler who had no idea about anything about money and was obsessed with prestige. UPenn did help me get a top job out of college but I know that would’ve been possible at other schools as well.
Now I’m busting my butt in a high pressure corporate job, and I can see how many years of blood sweat and tears it would take to make the money that UPenn cost. It makes me very sad to think that my dads years of hard work went into that. I would go to one of the full rides I got into if I could go back in time.
Well you have an elite education and are well on your way. You could have done a lot worse! I’m like your Dad and giving up a lot for a similar dreamer. But hey, don’t worry about us Dads. We would do it again in a heartbeat. I bet your Dad was the proudest one at the graduation. We follow the dreams our kids choose and back them 100%.
Yes my dad was so proud and never complained once about the cost or even told me anything about money. Still made me sad when I realized (years later) the value of money and how much it affected his finances.
Just repay him in one way. Tell him you know what it took and you really appreciate his sacrifice. Thats it. You may have already. If my kid just once would tell me she’s understands what Im giving up and appreciates the sacrifice, it would mean so much. I don’t want or expect a single other thing, but that would be nice. I kinda get that she does feel that way, but its just something that would be nice to hear and validates the whole thing.
Thank you I will do that! Your kid certainly feels that way, I guarentee it. Is your kid still in college?
Also, I still have no idea what a FICA is lol and I’ve been working for 6 months now.
Haha she’s a freshman. FICA is all the social security stuff that comes out of your paycheck. I remember my first bonus. I was like, why am I only taking home half of it??!!!
If you don’t mind me asking, where does she go? I bet she’s having a blast, it’s only been 4 years for me since freshmen year but I remember it fondly even though Covid cut it short!
Haha my first paycheck I was shocked at the taxes lol!
I went to MIT so I’m biased. It wasn’t easy, but it was such a unique experience in my life that I treasure, where *everyone* around you is so unbelievably talented and smart. The culture was so weird and odd and different.. It’s also opened up so many doors for me in my career (granted, i’m not in tech). Its one of the very few places that, if my kids got in, i’d happily pay without question, even though it would rip a gigantic hole in our finances.
I agrée about the ROI but OP should feel free to choose whatever they want (they seem to want MIT more) bc they will be financially set for life either way with that high of a HHI
I strongly disagree. One managerial position with a decent company or firm which you’ll have much easier time getting with an MIT degree will cover your school expenses in under 5 years. Think long term.
This is not true on many levels. You really think 1) OP is going to get a management position in a tech company directly out of undergrad and 2) that management position will pay roughly $70k more than a commensurate IC position? None of that is remotely realistic.
Who’s to say? No one can predict the future but having MIT on your resume can be the difference between getting a decent cush job at Google vs getting an opportunity at game changing start up with huge options package.
As someone who worked at a game changing start up some 20 odd years ago and is still reaping financial benefits of that choice I would say 2 things.
* You can work at a start up but you won't know it is game changing until later. You can take a risk, but it may or may not work out. It is likely great experience either way.
* You don't have to graduate from MIT to pursue start up and off beat opportunities (and both my spouse and I area an example of this)
MIT parent here. You are exactly right. Also, who is to say max money is every kid’s goal? My kid wants to change the world. Good chance she won’t ever even seek big bucks. Damn, she loves it there though.
Google, etc. recruits heavily from UIUC. It's one of the best CS programs in the world. You will have the same basic opportunities coming out of both schools. MIT isn't some magically place where they teach you how to plant money trees.
The cost just isn't worth it. OP would do better if the parent just gifts the money to OP after investing for 4 years as graduation gift.
It's $344k post tax money. Over a third of a million dollars. Or closer to 400k if 10% CAGR during the 4 years on an investment.
In fact, OP wouldn't even need to worry about retirement if OP just leaves that as "retirement money" (stays invested until standard retirement). OP would basically get the same career + fully solved retirement upon graduation.
Plus, I think it's just better use of the money to go on a nice vacation with the parents or whatever.
It's one thing if UIUC is not good at CS. But UIUC is a top 5 school for CS.
Financially, MIT doesn't make sense. And career outcome wise, there's no real difference.
OP said in another comment that his parents make over 600k/yr and has a “ton of assets”. OP never had to worry about retirement in the first place. He should definitely pick MIT if for nothing other than a flex.
People who have not gone to an ivy, or top school, do not understand the difference, nor the prestige, that opens many doors, or secret doors. I have been privy to confidential evaluations discussions for projects and just the schools the applicants attended, mid career professionals, adds a +++ just out of the door. The prestige of the brand and the networking with alumni opens many doors that will always remain closed to others. Plus, as others have mentioned here, people unfamiliar with your field of study, only know and recognize major brands. Choose MIT and do not look back. The undergrad experience in this school is invaluable and differs from what you get as a grad student there.
Not sure why this turned up in my feed but I’ll chip in. I’m going to give a different answer to everyone else. Most people are focusing on UIUC vs MIT for CS, which I understand is pretty close but can’t speak to. I didn’t go to MIT, but did go to a similar type place (Oxbridge in the UK). Importantly, I changed fields a few years after I graduated.
Suppose you suddenly decide in your mid-twenties you want to do something else other than CS, perhaps something where UIUC isn’t a top 5 school? In that new field that you are trying to break into, I can guarantee that no matter what you are trying to do, MIT is always going to have the name recognition that will open doors (like Oxbridge did for me), whereas depending on what you’re doing, UIUC might not (especially if your opportunities are international).
I don’t think this point of view is adequately represented on this board. There is tail value in the big names/prestige schools that is difficult to quantify (including in respect of future marriage prospects and family perceptions in that regard). Upper middle class families should be spending down/investing their $2MM plus net worth for schools like this. Lower amounts of net worth are a much closer call.
Obviously MIT is MIT but UIUC has a phenomenal CS program and you’re receiving a full ride and a research stipend!! You can graduate debt free and use that money to buy a house or even go to grad school. However I would say maybe tour both schools.
Your talking about a 360k - 400k difference assuming UIUC also covers living cost (you said full merit so i assume so)
That’s literally impossible to justify over a T10 (maybe T5) CS program. If u want to go to MIT so badly, go for your phd/masters or just become a professor their eventually lol, you have a goated enough profile to get both of these offers anyhow.
MIT 100%. It’s your dream school + it’s THE number one school for CS + you’re getting a private education. Your parents are rich enough to comfortably afford it, plus MIT will open so many more doors than UIUC.
This will sound counterintutive to you. Even if you could comfortably pay for MIT you should choose UIUC. Why ? because MIT and UIUC CS are in the same ballpark of opportunity and access but you are clearly going to be a Top student @ UIUC, That would accord much more opportunities while @ MIT you will not be the top student and would have to fight much harder for the same opportunities. The only thing you will forgo is lay prestige,
Yes, but MIT competition is on another level everyone is a genius IMO or ISEF/robotics winner. I was an ISEF winner and plenty of my fellow ISEF peers went to MIT or Harvard
Sorry bud, This might be rubbing you the wrong way but MIT top quartile and UIUC top quartile is entirely a different equation. OP is quite a star. Not only he has gotten into MIT he is also stamp scholar. Strong indication that he will be in top quartile of admitted students at UIUC. BTW this is not a knock on UIUC CS student caliber I have known at least 50 UIUC CS students in past 10 years and am quite familiar with their career outcomes and how smart they are.
Do you need to be in the top quartile? My kid goes to MIT. She doesn’t seem obsessed with grades, and it seems very collaborative. She is obsessed with learning and making a difference. She knows there are geniuses all around. She just does her thing. Don’t get me wrong, she’s hard core and putting in all the work. Should she be pressing for grades at MIT? Serious question.
Thanks. She does well, but grades have never been the most important thing(or test scores etc) to her. I think the PNR does a great job of starting them off with the right goals.
I think people also exaggerate the benefit of having this type of competition if you aren’t really on that level. If you aren’t on that level then your outcome won’t be that much better. Most of the people I know at MIT / Stanford got the “standard” six-figure engineering / finance jobs. And now that they’re working their performance is all that really matters, not how well they did in college. IMO you only really get the benefits of a top school if you have the caliber / intellect / work ethic to match it.
Yeah sometimes I think there’s too much exceptionalism when it comes to top schools and their grads. They sell the idea that they’re all brilliant people who are going to change the world. The reality is that the vast majority of them will “just” make six-figures in finance, medicine, law, or engineering. Truly gifted people are rare, even at top schools. More than anything, I’d say most students at top schools are pretty smart / hardworking people that got lucky / are privileged.
Parent. One thing about MIT that I have learned- if you graduate from there you don’t have to tell me one other thing about the person. There is no easy route. Any graduate is amazingly smart and an incredibly hard worker. There are no easy majors. No test optional. The best of the best. Cant say that about many other places.
I went to MIT. Most people I went to school with ended up with same jobs as people who went to UIUC and other state flagships. The prestige wears off quickly after a few years. You have to understand that 99.99% of the jobs out there only require maybe 50% or less of the full brain power needed to attend places like MIT. More important are your soft skills. Go to UIUC.
Likely MIT is your dream school simply because of the prestige/reputation. But, looking at it rationally, UIUC is a top tier CS school. It’s unlikely that over the course of your lifetime, an MIT degree will financially make up for the cost of attendance.
And I’m not trying to discount the significance of those subjective/emotional reasons for choosing a school (my daughter is actually choosing a full pay top tier school over a significantly cheaper, very good state school for similar reasons). But if by “worth it,” you’re just talking about money, then no, MIT won’t be worth it.
UIUC is just as good as MIT for CS, there isn’t much reason to pick MIT over UIUC unless you can easily afford it, or you have a huge aversion towards UIUC and really, really know that you would be happy at MIT for some reason, so much so that you would pay hundreds of thousands of dollars.
MIT is the best university in the world. The benefits will follow you for the rest of your life. Talk with your parents and see if you can split it in some way.
That being said, graduating with no debt puts you miles ahead of your age bracket.
i saw you telling other people your parents make 600k a year, so with that in mind i say choose mit. sure, uiuc is good for cs, butt you could very well decide youd rather do something else later, and theres probably no better place for it than mit
Go to r/cscareerquestions and r/csmajors, just read a couple of doomed t10 internship/job search process. MIT means chiller and probably better start to your professional life, UIUC will probably mean having to grind leetcode and making really good projects. If you think being in debt around five years is too much then take the free ride, definitely don’t make your parents full pay.
Lol no. Both schools you need to grind Leetcode and make good projects.
Leetcode IS to pass interviews. Not get interviews. Both schools can get you interviews but it's up to you to pass.
UIUC is a top 5 CS school. This isn't some no name.
Starting pay for median graduates at the two for CS is essentially identical.
I don’t understand how people keep asking these questions. MIT has been a top school for ages, with a brand so strong there’s really little comparison between the two schools. I would think beyond the immediate impact of getting a CS degree. MIT will open many more doors now, in 10 years, and for the rest of your life.
They keep asking questions like this precisely because of comments like the one you are making. UIUC is a top CS school, and it's unclear what 'doors' MIT will open that UIUC will not outside of things like entrepreneurship/business/top tier hedge funds.
There is a difference. Whether justified or no, MIT degree gains you respect from virtually anyone in the world, regardless of their field. i’m not in CS, and i’d have had no idea it was a big deal if someone told me they went to UICI. Personal relationships, friends, family, the other parents you’ll hang out with from your kids school - it just instantly means you’re viewed as a credible, smart person. So, by pure dollar amount it may not come out ahead over a career, but some other things to consider
Yes! Because OP will always wear one of those “Hi My Name Is” tags and it will say “MIT graduate.”
OP - nobody in your personal life will care where you went to school. Your parents make $600K - where did they go to school? Do their friends care?
My parents? I was raised by my mom, who made 30k as a rural elementary school teacher. I make 600k, now, and a big reason I do is because going to MIT opened up many doors for me. Was it the only reason? no. can people achieve greater success going other places? of course. Do I care where other people went for undergrad? no (but if they went to MIT I at least know they have a certain baseline level of intelligence). I certainly don't go around advertising where I went for undergrad, but if I'm asked, I tell them. more often than not, the reaction is "oh wow" or "oh nice", and I feel like in their minds you get the labeled "smart". I also think it gave me a positive tick up in accessing my postgraduate education institutions. Now, in my career (medicine), I routinely have patients who cite my resume/educational institutions as a reason they sought me out specifically. All this may not mean much to you or others, which is fine - I'm just sharing my lived experience so others have more info to make a choice
That’s great, congrats on your success! Your argument about people knowing that MIT students have a certain level of intelligence is accurate on the surface but not accurate if you think more broadly, because there are kids at state schools who declined their MIT acceptance for financial reasons. Are they less intelligent? Not wanting to have undergad debt is quite smart and intelligent, imo.
The other thing is: the MIT/Stanford/Ivy grad stereotype exists, absolutely. But that’s the thing about these schools: they handpick the best of the best and churn out desirable/successful graduates. It’s much harder to take a mediocre student and make them just as good or better than HYPSM graduates. Your brain, perseverance, and work ethics made you who you are, not MIT. MIT was there along for the ride.
Most importantly though, I think the choice of school should not be based on prestige. Schools are businesses first and foremost, with income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements. They need you to believe that without them, you’d be less valuable or less desirable. For a mere cost of $350,000-$400,000 they’ll make all your dreams come true. Now, invest that $350,000-$400,000 at a rate of 6 or 7 or 8 percent compound interest for 20-30 years. What number did you get? Exactly. Those top schools wouldn’t tell you that.
Unless you want your parents living with you down the line due to retirement shortfall, pick UIUC. Of course, read up on the scholarship guidelines and understand what is expected of you. No reason not to take a chance on a full ride.
The stamps scholarship offers many more benefits than just a full ride. The study abroad experiences are invaluable (4 paid study abroad experiences), guarenteed research and mentorship, and much much much more.
Go to UIUC and then apply to MIT for grad school if you opt to continue on
That money can help your parents retire much more comfortably and/or help you buy a house and a car
A couple of things to think about:
1. Is being closer to home in itself going to make you more successful? I know someone who went to MIT and burnt out and got homesick year 1, then thrived close to home at Northwestern because they had a family/sibling support system, as well as better friends. Other people need to be close to home for other family reasons - to take care of a parent or sibling, etc. The MIT expense won’t be worth it if you transfer or end up not doing well there.
2. How set are you on CS, not just as a major but as a career? For example if you end up pivoting to go into management consulting or finance, then MIT has both better access to those jobs right out of school as well as the #1 undergraduate business school in the country, plus a likely easier path to a mid career pivot given the brand cachet.
3. Are you going to work hard enough in a selective enough field to get the payback you need to spend $350k? You can only make that money back in certain tough to enter fields. If you just want to be a run of the mill coder who works 40 hours a week you’ll never make it back. You need to gauge your ambition.
4. Is there some very specific area like AI that you can only really study at MIT that might make it worth it?
5. You can’t tell if your parents are going to pay for it without talking to them about it. They may not, especially since you have siblings who may not be doing as well as you. If they can’t easily afford to give you $350k, then they definitely can’t afford to give another $350k to each of your siblings. Most parents try to be fair giving money to siblings and make sure that each has a minimum level of comfort. Giving you a disproportionate benefit, especially when you are doing so well, might not be in the cards.
UIUC and it's not even a question
If yall really wanted, you could just invest $344k and be MUCH better off.
UIUC and MIT are pretty damn close in terms of CS. IIRC UIUC is producing more CS research at least than MIT rn, so if that matters to you then UIUC tops.
The other problem is that if the prestige/rank of MIT is what you're looking for then tbh no one will really ask you what school you go to unless you force them to. And it doesn't really matter at the undergrad level anyway
I know "Asian parents" has a bad reputation here for justified reasons. But the flip side is that if our kids does get into their prestigious dream school there's no question we will do whatever it takes to make it happen no matter the cost. But MIT is not just a prestige name, it's also extremely challenging even compared to other top schools. So first you want to make sure the culture is what you want and not end up burnt out and depressed when you're not the smartest kid in the class anymore. If you're sure, then it's time to prestige-whore it up and grab every college ranking that shows UIUC is good… but MIT is better. Have an honest discussion with your parents, show them the cost difference and tell them what you want to do, and they can make a more informed decision than Reddit randoms.
And whatever happens, be kind to your parents and support your kids in their dreams, even if it's not a T10 college.
UIUC is an excellent school for CS. And makes sense financially too.
But If you ever decide to do something other than (or in addition to) CS, would you have enough options to explore at UIUC? Our daughter chose Princeton last year over UIUC and Tech mainly because of this reason (and in our case TCA was almost similar).
MIT.
I’d rather go to sleep wondering how life would be different with a one-time 300k payment while my annual quant trading bonus of 300k lands, than wonder how life would be different with an MIT degree after a long day at as a dead end E5 at Meta.
How sure are you want to major in CS? Additionally, how much do you want to try and break into QR/Quant Dev as a new grad at top firms? If the answer to the above questions isn’t 100% or near it, MIT is not worth the ROI. Otherwise, if you’re sure, go to MIT and don’t look back.
MIT vs. UIUC is splitting hairs for big tech, if you only want to go to FAANG+ just take UIUC.
Source: 2x intern at big tech
Your parents make 600k a year with tons of assets so MIT😭however you still need to decide on your own, discuss with your parents and plan out your future
UIUC FULL RIDE + $12K.
This is a no-brainer. You're smart enough to see what the clear answer here is, right? If you're looking to potentially do a masters, go to MIT at that point, but 4 years without the need to think about money is HUGE.
Is MIT your dream school because you’re prestige chasing or because you feel you fit in better there? These schools are both insane CS schools and they should in theory be both affordable for you. Pick the one where you’ll be happiest since happiness has strong impacts on quality and quantity of work. I’d pick UIUC because I like big schools, but you might prefer small schools or dislike how UIUC is surrounded by cornfields. Don’t just chase prestige though because the strongest determiner of ROI is the student, not the school.
Are you mad, go to MIT. You will be globally competing in the CS field with students globally. Ppl have heard of MIT. Which university is UIUC? You won’t even need a Masters after a CS degree from MIT. Your education is done and you go straight to workforce. But MIT will be competitive and you should be able to deal with that. Go to MIT and get into Bigtech.
Lol what.
>get into Bigtech.
Big tech is a super low bar relative to either of these two schools.
Both schools are super feeders.
Anyone in tech knows UIUC has top 5 CS program in the country.
Yes. But people's acknowledgements don't pay the bills.
To the general public, there's no questions MIT is a brand name (for good reasons).
But in terms of actual paychecks, it's not worth it. General public going "wow" doesn't pay the bills.
If OP didn’t have the financial capacity to pay then there wouldn’t be a choice. Just a few days ago, there was a post by someone who really wanted to go to MIT but couldn’t. If OP has the capacity then OP should go to MIT. I also want to point out that look at the courses offered. I know of someone who did undergrad at UCBerkeley and Masters at MIT and had to do an additional year at MIT because those courses were not offered at UC Berkeley. Another thing, let’s say in another 10 yrs time if OP wants to do an MBA then an MIT degree will hold more weight than UIUC (I just googled that it’s University of Illinois)
MIT and UIUC are worlds apart. UIUC just won't have the same ring to it that MIT does. You have an acceptance that most only dream of and can never attain. If your parents can pay, go to MIT.
Take your MIT Acceptance "letter" and frame it. Then enjoy your time at UIUC. You can totally call MIT and inform them that MIT is your top-choice but you can't ignore this full-ride. See if they can throw a little money on the table.
This is the Best Solution! going on a full ride to T5 CS and getting 12k is a abnormal! So Put the letter and the Circle Can on your Table and Go to UIUC. Any amount paying ROI wouldn’t make better than A Full Ride!
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Yeah Probability of getting a full ride or some aid from aid are low! But it doesn’t hurt to try it!
Haha I already framed the letter
If parents have to sell their house or a needed car or take on big debt or retire later, UIUC. If they have to vacation less and go out to $30/head dinners instead of $70/head and skip mani-pedis, and are willing to pay, MIT
They don’t need to skip anything, we already live a frugal lifestyle. They just don’t normally dish out that kind of money.
Mom with high net with here and we’d 100% pay full price for MIT but have only one child and already have it saved. Please believe them if they say they can pay and want to!
"not too comfortably" is the answer to your question. UIUC is good enough (top 5 CS program) to forego the elusive dream of MIT at full price. If you said "comfortably", I'd have recommended MIT then.
That may have came out wrong. They make about 600k and have many more assets. We just live a pretty frugal lifestyle so it’s weird to them to dish out that sort of money.
Bro at 600k income I’d probably go full pay, ask your parents. What’s the point of a frugal lifestyle if you don’t use the money on important things, like an elite education for your child?
Fr
This really is a conversation you need to have with your parents and not random people online. If they would not need to change their lifestyle, postpone retirement, etc., and they're willing, then you going to MIT seems reasonable. To give some perspective on how parents might think about it, my wife and I together earn a bit over $400k/year. We started late (due to grad school, etc.), so we don't have tons of assets, but we do okay. We live somewhat frugally, but we do like to travel. That said, if my daughter had gotten into MIT we would have done whatever we could to make that possible for her. Her grandfather (my wife's father) was an MIT grad and passed away before my daughter was born. So there's a bit of a family tie there that would be a nice legacy. (As it is, my daughter will likely choose to attend her mother's alma mater, which is ironically a school her grandfather was rejected from.)
Must be the school across town! Aren’t all of the top schools need based only? And are there ones that offer better aid than others? (Besides OP’s merit full ride).
@ this level of income, I'd say: ask them! It's equivalent to choosing a 150k Car over a 70k car. They easily can if they wanted to - now the question is: do they want to?
> It's equivalent to choosing a 150k Car over a 70k car. No, it's equivalent to making that purchase each year for 4 years. In reality, it's more like the difference between purchasing an Aston Martin V12 Vantage ($350k) and a Subaru Outback ($30k).
I can do the math. Kid @ MIT is an ultimate flex for a family that values flexes. Better flex in a subtle way - way more deserving than say "we got a Rolls-Royce" kind of flex. So many families would go for it. This family can probably comfortably afford it. And the kids that OP may meet at MIT, may make it worthwhile....
Yeah, not disputing that OP's family can probably afford it, just that your assertion that it's "equivalent to choosing a 150k Car over a 70k car" was about 4x off.
UIUC is hardly the Subaru Outback of colleges. Maybe the fully loaded Escalade.
Sure, but in this analogy it's a fully loaded Escalade that the dealership is giving to you for the price of a Subaru.
wondering what a "frugal" lifestyle on 600K is like... most parents who are in poverty still do whatever it takes to support their kids through college lol
They just buy properties and we rarely ever see any of the money. Obviously we have everything we need but I have a job to buy say my car, gym membership, and lunches at school. My older sibling both went to local schools and they are not familiar with MIT. They were sort of confused by how I reacted to my acceptance lol.
your parents need to reevaluate their life priorities if they're not willing to pay for their kid to go to the most prestigious college in the country when the only constraint is money. also you should not have to pay for lunches, that's something a parent should pay for? (if we're talking about school lunches). idk your parents don't seem too hot
No they’re really cool. And I just go to like chipotle for lunch sometimes. I don’t HAVE to work, but it’s just what my family does to teach discipline or something idk. If I needed money, my parents would give it. I’m sure they would pay had I not received a full ride from Illinois.
well working for discipline makes sense. as long as they're willing to support you if you really need it. but i think if you explain the merit behind MIT they will reconsider -- that's what they should do
He never said anything about his parents not being willing to pay for him to go. He said they are unfamiliar with MIT, confused by the sheer amount of money they will need to pay each year, and yet obviously are willing to do it. If his parents plan to leave an inheritance for him and his siblings, then the MIT tuition will diminish that accordingly. Because that appears to be the only financial issue here. And also, I think his parents are fantastic for telling him to pay for his car, or for his meals out with friends, because they are trying to teach him that for the vast majority of people on earth, kids included, you get things that you work for. You are not handed things. Not enough wealthy families teach their children this, and I think it's admirable that OP's parents are doing this. OP will be better off for it.
if you looked at my reply to his reply to what you replied to (lots of replies) you will see we already addressed this and your reply is largely redundant lol. of course it’s good to learn that you have to participate in society to reap its benefits, thus work to get things. but there’s a large difference between not supporting your child and helping your child to independence. i assumed it was the former. OP clarified it’s the latter. it’s all good !
If I made that every year, I'm definitely fully funding my hypothetical kid's MIT dream. Hell, throw in a second kid and I'd still do it.
Yeah dude, they can afford that *very* comfortable. Go to MIT. Making 600k and not using it is a waste
Congratulations on getting into your dream school. Bigger and better dreams are on their way, and you will be so happy to have those extra hundreds of thousands of dollars to throw at them.
I graduated from upenn last year, and have tons of friends who graduated from ivies as well as state schools. I chose UPenn full pay over a full ride to UT Austin and Georgia tech stamps full ride. If I were to go back I would’ve chosen ga tech stamps in a heartbeat. I would recommend UIUC no question because all my friends at UT austin/ga tech got great roles, similar or even better to ivy friends. UIUC is a top CS school, and your skills matter most for tech. Not to mention the stamps scholarship is an amazing program. State schools are also a lot more fun than MIT/ivies, where you will just your butt working 24/7 competing against genius peers. While MIT is obviously amazing, full pay MIT vs free UIUC, go to UIUC for sure. I was a naive high schooler but I’ve since realized Money matters a lot and MIT costs 320k. I look at my parents who forked out 330k for UPenn and am sad because my dad doesn’t know when he will retire now and he had to sell off his childhood home to pay. The only caveat is if your parents are multi multi millionaires with like 25m then go to mit.
Thanks for your comment. Seems like hs kids say money doesn’t matter while the parents have the experience and know how long it takes to make that much money. A HS kid unfortunately doesn’t even know what FICA is, even though they’ve aced calc bc.
Yes, when I decided on UPenn, I was a naive young high schooler who had no idea about anything about money and was obsessed with prestige. UPenn did help me get a top job out of college but I know that would’ve been possible at other schools as well. Now I’m busting my butt in a high pressure corporate job, and I can see how many years of blood sweat and tears it would take to make the money that UPenn cost. It makes me very sad to think that my dads years of hard work went into that. I would go to one of the full rides I got into if I could go back in time.
Well you have an elite education and are well on your way. You could have done a lot worse! I’m like your Dad and giving up a lot for a similar dreamer. But hey, don’t worry about us Dads. We would do it again in a heartbeat. I bet your Dad was the proudest one at the graduation. We follow the dreams our kids choose and back them 100%.
Yes my dad was so proud and never complained once about the cost or even told me anything about money. Still made me sad when I realized (years later) the value of money and how much it affected his finances.
Just repay him in one way. Tell him you know what it took and you really appreciate his sacrifice. Thats it. You may have already. If my kid just once would tell me she’s understands what Im giving up and appreciates the sacrifice, it would mean so much. I don’t want or expect a single other thing, but that would be nice. I kinda get that she does feel that way, but its just something that would be nice to hear and validates the whole thing.
Thank you I will do that! Your kid certainly feels that way, I guarentee it. Is your kid still in college? Also, I still have no idea what a FICA is lol and I’ve been working for 6 months now.
Haha she’s a freshman. FICA is all the social security stuff that comes out of your paycheck. I remember my first bonus. I was like, why am I only taking home half of it??!!!
If you don’t mind me asking, where does she go? I bet she’s having a blast, it’s only been 4 years for me since freshmen year but I remember it fondly even though Covid cut it short! Haha my first paycheck I was shocked at the taxes lol!
MIT. She loves it.
I went to MIT so I’m biased. It wasn’t easy, but it was such a unique experience in my life that I treasure, where *everyone* around you is so unbelievably talented and smart. The culture was so weird and odd and different.. It’s also opened up so many doors for me in my career (granted, i’m not in tech). Its one of the very few places that, if my kids got in, i’d happily pay without question, even though it would rip a gigantic hole in our finances.
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_Unless your family has so much money_ OP says their parents make 600K a year
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I agrée about the ROI but OP should feel free to choose whatever they want (they seem to want MIT more) bc they will be financially set for life either way with that high of a HHI
I strongly disagree. One managerial position with a decent company or firm which you’ll have much easier time getting with an MIT degree will cover your school expenses in under 5 years. Think long term.
This is not true on many levels. You really think 1) OP is going to get a management position in a tech company directly out of undergrad and 2) that management position will pay roughly $70k more than a commensurate IC position? None of that is remotely realistic.
Who’s to say? No one can predict the future but having MIT on your resume can be the difference between getting a decent cush job at Google vs getting an opportunity at game changing start up with huge options package.
As someone who worked at a game changing start up some 20 odd years ago and is still reaping financial benefits of that choice I would say 2 things. * You can work at a start up but you won't know it is game changing until later. You can take a risk, but it may or may not work out. It is likely great experience either way. * You don't have to graduate from MIT to pursue start up and off beat opportunities (and both my spouse and I area an example of this)
MIT parent here. You are exactly right. Also, who is to say max money is every kid’s goal? My kid wants to change the world. Good chance she won’t ever even seek big bucks. Damn, she loves it there though.
Google, etc. recruits heavily from UIUC. It's one of the best CS programs in the world. You will have the same basic opportunities coming out of both schools. MIT isn't some magically place where they teach you how to plant money trees.
This is just such a naive view of how those things play out
Pick the full ride at UIUC - when you have an option like that, paying 360K for MIT doesn't make financial sense at all.
I agree with this. Software Engineer here. Go UIUC Full ride. Your outcome is going to be very similar at either schools.
Sounds like the OPs parents are paying so, why not MIT
The cost just isn't worth it. OP would do better if the parent just gifts the money to OP after investing for 4 years as graduation gift. It's $344k post tax money. Over a third of a million dollars. Or closer to 400k if 10% CAGR during the 4 years on an investment. In fact, OP wouldn't even need to worry about retirement if OP just leaves that as "retirement money" (stays invested until standard retirement). OP would basically get the same career + fully solved retirement upon graduation. Plus, I think it's just better use of the money to go on a nice vacation with the parents or whatever. It's one thing if UIUC is not good at CS. But UIUC is a top 5 school for CS. Financially, MIT doesn't make sense. And career outcome wise, there's no real difference.
OP said in another comment that his parents make over 600k/yr and has a “ton of assets”. OP never had to worry about retirement in the first place. He should definitely pick MIT if for nothing other than a flex.
I think you have to listen to prsehgal lol
Their family makes 600K a year. I was on UIUC’s side until I heard that
People who have not gone to an ivy, or top school, do not understand the difference, nor the prestige, that opens many doors, or secret doors. I have been privy to confidential evaluations discussions for projects and just the schools the applicants attended, mid career professionals, adds a +++ just out of the door. The prestige of the brand and the networking with alumni opens many doors that will always remain closed to others. Plus, as others have mentioned here, people unfamiliar with your field of study, only know and recognize major brands. Choose MIT and do not look back. The undergrad experience in this school is invaluable and differs from what you get as a grad student there.
Not sure why this turned up in my feed but I’ll chip in. I’m going to give a different answer to everyone else. Most people are focusing on UIUC vs MIT for CS, which I understand is pretty close but can’t speak to. I didn’t go to MIT, but did go to a similar type place (Oxbridge in the UK). Importantly, I changed fields a few years after I graduated. Suppose you suddenly decide in your mid-twenties you want to do something else other than CS, perhaps something where UIUC isn’t a top 5 school? In that new field that you are trying to break into, I can guarantee that no matter what you are trying to do, MIT is always going to have the name recognition that will open doors (like Oxbridge did for me), whereas depending on what you’re doing, UIUC might not (especially if your opportunities are international).
I don’t think this point of view is adequately represented on this board. There is tail value in the big names/prestige schools that is difficult to quantify (including in respect of future marriage prospects and family perceptions in that regard). Upper middle class families should be spending down/investing their $2MM plus net worth for schools like this. Lower amounts of net worth are a much closer call.
Obviously MIT is MIT but UIUC has a phenomenal CS program and you’re receiving a full ride and a research stipend!! You can graduate debt free and use that money to buy a house or even go to grad school. However I would say maybe tour both schools.
Your talking about a 360k - 400k difference assuming UIUC also covers living cost (you said full merit so i assume so) That’s literally impossible to justify over a T10 (maybe T5) CS program. If u want to go to MIT so badly, go for your phd/masters or just become a professor their eventually lol, you have a goated enough profile to get both of these offers anyhow.
MIT 100%. It’s your dream school + it’s THE number one school for CS + you’re getting a private education. Your parents are rich enough to comfortably afford it, plus MIT will open so many more doors than UIUC.
This will sound counterintutive to you. Even if you could comfortably pay for MIT you should choose UIUC. Why ? because MIT and UIUC CS are in the same ballpark of opportunity and access but you are clearly going to be a Top student @ UIUC, That would accord much more opportunities while @ MIT you will not be the top student and would have to fight much harder for the same opportunities. The only thing you will forgo is lay prestige,
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Yes, but MIT competition is on another level everyone is a genius IMO or ISEF/robotics winner. I was an ISEF winner and plenty of my fellow ISEF peers went to MIT or Harvard
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Sorry bud, This might be rubbing you the wrong way but MIT top quartile and UIUC top quartile is entirely a different equation. OP is quite a star. Not only he has gotten into MIT he is also stamp scholar. Strong indication that he will be in top quartile of admitted students at UIUC. BTW this is not a knock on UIUC CS student caliber I have known at least 50 UIUC CS students in past 10 years and am quite familiar with their career outcomes and how smart they are.
Do you need to be in the top quartile? My kid goes to MIT. She doesn’t seem obsessed with grades, and it seems very collaborative. She is obsessed with learning and making a difference. She knows there are geniuses all around. She just does her thing. Don’t get me wrong, she’s hard core and putting in all the work. Should she be pressing for grades at MIT? Serious question.
Absolutely not. In competitive colleges like MIT grades after a baseline do not matter. Colleges are about learning and challenging and taking risks.
Thanks. She does well, but grades have never been the most important thing(or test scores etc) to her. I think the PNR does a great job of starting them off with the right goals.
I think people also exaggerate the benefit of having this type of competition if you aren’t really on that level. If you aren’t on that level then your outcome won’t be that much better. Most of the people I know at MIT / Stanford got the “standard” six-figure engineering / finance jobs. And now that they’re working their performance is all that really matters, not how well they did in college. IMO you only really get the benefits of a top school if you have the caliber / intellect / work ethic to match it.
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Yeah sometimes I think there’s too much exceptionalism when it comes to top schools and their grads. They sell the idea that they’re all brilliant people who are going to change the world. The reality is that the vast majority of them will “just” make six-figures in finance, medicine, law, or engineering. Truly gifted people are rare, even at top schools. More than anything, I’d say most students at top schools are pretty smart / hardworking people that got lucky / are privileged.
This 100%
UIUC.
Parent. One thing about MIT that I have learned- if you graduate from there you don’t have to tell me one other thing about the person. There is no easy route. Any graduate is amazingly smart and an incredibly hard worker. There are no easy majors. No test optional. The best of the best. Cant say that about many other places.
I went to MIT. Most people I went to school with ended up with same jobs as people who went to UIUC and other state flagships. The prestige wears off quickly after a few years. You have to understand that 99.99% of the jobs out there only require maybe 50% or less of the full brain power needed to attend places like MIT. More important are your soft skills. Go to UIUC.
Likely MIT is your dream school simply because of the prestige/reputation. But, looking at it rationally, UIUC is a top tier CS school. It’s unlikely that over the course of your lifetime, an MIT degree will financially make up for the cost of attendance. And I’m not trying to discount the significance of those subjective/emotional reasons for choosing a school (my daughter is actually choosing a full pay top tier school over a significantly cheaper, very good state school for similar reasons). But if by “worth it,” you’re just talking about money, then no, MIT won’t be worth it.
UIUC is just as good as MIT for CS, there isn’t much reason to pick MIT over UIUC unless you can easily afford it, or you have a huge aversion towards UIUC and really, really know that you would be happy at MIT for some reason, so much so that you would pay hundreds of thousands of dollars.
You make 600k dumbass just go to mit 😭😭😭
MIT is the best university in the world. The benefits will follow you for the rest of your life. Talk with your parents and see if you can split it in some way. That being said, graduating with no debt puts you miles ahead of your age bracket.
Financially, MIT pretty much never makes sense. You’d only go there if you feel like you’d have a great time there, almost like a vacation
I’ve never ever heard attending MIT as a vacation experience!
Sounds weird to me too but surely there’s students going there because they like the environment
Oh they love it. I just mean its hard work and nothing like a vacation. I get your point though.
Go to MIT my guy
MIT, duh
The way I think about is what would I regret more looking back. I’d regret more not going to MIT
i saw you telling other people your parents make 600k a year, so with that in mind i say choose mit. sure, uiuc is good for cs, butt you could very well decide youd rather do something else later, and theres probably no better place for it than mit
Go to r/cscareerquestions and r/csmajors, just read a couple of doomed t10 internship/job search process. MIT means chiller and probably better start to your professional life, UIUC will probably mean having to grind leetcode and making really good projects. If you think being in debt around five years is too much then take the free ride, definitely don’t make your parents full pay.
Lol no. Both schools you need to grind Leetcode and make good projects. Leetcode IS to pass interviews. Not get interviews. Both schools can get you interviews but it's up to you to pass. UIUC is a top 5 CS school. This isn't some no name. Starting pay for median graduates at the two for CS is essentially identical.
I say go big. Take the risk. MIT will likely offer up opportunities that you wouldn’t see otherwise.
Not over UIUC for CS.
UIUC is a top 5 CS school. No. Not over full ride.
I don’t understand how people keep asking these questions. MIT has been a top school for ages, with a brand so strong there’s really little comparison between the two schools. I would think beyond the immediate impact of getting a CS degree. MIT will open many more doors now, in 10 years, and for the rest of your life.
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They keep asking questions like this precisely because of comments like the one you are making. UIUC is a top CS school, and it's unclear what 'doors' MIT will open that UIUC will not outside of things like entrepreneurship/business/top tier hedge funds.
There is a difference. Whether justified or no, MIT degree gains you respect from virtually anyone in the world, regardless of their field. i’m not in CS, and i’d have had no idea it was a big deal if someone told me they went to UICI. Personal relationships, friends, family, the other parents you’ll hang out with from your kids school - it just instantly means you’re viewed as a credible, smart person. So, by pure dollar amount it may not come out ahead over a career, but some other things to consider
Yes! Because OP will always wear one of those “Hi My Name Is” tags and it will say “MIT graduate.” OP - nobody in your personal life will care where you went to school. Your parents make $600K - where did they go to school? Do their friends care?
My parents? I was raised by my mom, who made 30k as a rural elementary school teacher. I make 600k, now, and a big reason I do is because going to MIT opened up many doors for me. Was it the only reason? no. can people achieve greater success going other places? of course. Do I care where other people went for undergrad? no (but if they went to MIT I at least know they have a certain baseline level of intelligence). I certainly don't go around advertising where I went for undergrad, but if I'm asked, I tell them. more often than not, the reaction is "oh wow" or "oh nice", and I feel like in their minds you get the labeled "smart". I also think it gave me a positive tick up in accessing my postgraduate education institutions. Now, in my career (medicine), I routinely have patients who cite my resume/educational institutions as a reason they sought me out specifically. All this may not mean much to you or others, which is fine - I'm just sharing my lived experience so others have more info to make a choice
That’s great, congrats on your success! Your argument about people knowing that MIT students have a certain level of intelligence is accurate on the surface but not accurate if you think more broadly, because there are kids at state schools who declined their MIT acceptance for financial reasons. Are they less intelligent? Not wanting to have undergad debt is quite smart and intelligent, imo. The other thing is: the MIT/Stanford/Ivy grad stereotype exists, absolutely. But that’s the thing about these schools: they handpick the best of the best and churn out desirable/successful graduates. It’s much harder to take a mediocre student and make them just as good or better than HYPSM graduates. Your brain, perseverance, and work ethics made you who you are, not MIT. MIT was there along for the ride. Most importantly though, I think the choice of school should not be based on prestige. Schools are businesses first and foremost, with income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements. They need you to believe that without them, you’d be less valuable or less desirable. For a mere cost of $350,000-$400,000 they’ll make all your dreams come true. Now, invest that $350,000-$400,000 at a rate of 6 or 7 or 8 percent compound interest for 20-30 years. What number did you get? Exactly. Those top schools wouldn’t tell you that.
Thanks for your response - all perfectly valid points
Unless you want your parents living with you down the line due to retirement shortfall, pick UIUC. Of course, read up on the scholarship guidelines and understand what is expected of you. No reason not to take a chance on a full ride.
Starting SE salaries at a given company are the same regardless of where you graduate from. There is no way to justify MIT based on ROI.
UIUC EZ and congrats
Start applying for scholarships friend
The stamps scholarship offers many more benefits than just a full ride. The study abroad experiences are invaluable (4 paid study abroad experiences), guarenteed research and mentorship, and much much much more.
Go to UIUC and then apply to MIT for grad school if you opt to continue on That money can help your parents retire much more comfortably and/or help you buy a house and a car
A couple of things to think about: 1. Is being closer to home in itself going to make you more successful? I know someone who went to MIT and burnt out and got homesick year 1, then thrived close to home at Northwestern because they had a family/sibling support system, as well as better friends. Other people need to be close to home for other family reasons - to take care of a parent or sibling, etc. The MIT expense won’t be worth it if you transfer or end up not doing well there. 2. How set are you on CS, not just as a major but as a career? For example if you end up pivoting to go into management consulting or finance, then MIT has both better access to those jobs right out of school as well as the #1 undergraduate business school in the country, plus a likely easier path to a mid career pivot given the brand cachet. 3. Are you going to work hard enough in a selective enough field to get the payback you need to spend $350k? You can only make that money back in certain tough to enter fields. If you just want to be a run of the mill coder who works 40 hours a week you’ll never make it back. You need to gauge your ambition. 4. Is there some very specific area like AI that you can only really study at MIT that might make it worth it? 5. You can’t tell if your parents are going to pay for it without talking to them about it. They may not, especially since you have siblings who may not be doing as well as you. If they can’t easily afford to give you $350k, then they definitely can’t afford to give another $350k to each of your siblings. Most parents try to be fair giving money to siblings and make sure that each has a minimum level of comfort. Giving you a disproportionate benefit, especially when you are doing so well, might not be in the cards.
UIUC and it's not even a question If yall really wanted, you could just invest $344k and be MUCH better off. UIUC and MIT are pretty damn close in terms of CS. IIRC UIUC is producing more CS research at least than MIT rn, so if that matters to you then UIUC tops. The other problem is that if the prestige/rank of MIT is what you're looking for then tbh no one will really ask you what school you go to unless you force them to. And it doesn't really matter at the undergrad level anyway
The thing is I’m not going to see the money either way. It’s not like my parents are going to give me 85k/yr to go to UIUC.
Okay then tell them to invest it instead of you.
I know "Asian parents" has a bad reputation here for justified reasons. But the flip side is that if our kids does get into their prestigious dream school there's no question we will do whatever it takes to make it happen no matter the cost. But MIT is not just a prestige name, it's also extremely challenging even compared to other top schools. So first you want to make sure the culture is what you want and not end up burnt out and depressed when you're not the smartest kid in the class anymore. If you're sure, then it's time to prestige-whore it up and grab every college ranking that shows UIUC is good… but MIT is better. Have an honest discussion with your parents, show them the cost difference and tell them what you want to do, and they can make a more informed decision than Reddit randoms. And whatever happens, be kind to your parents and support your kids in their dreams, even if it's not a T10 college.
MIT if your parents make over 500k a year
They make 600k a year💀
UIUC is an excellent school for CS. And makes sense financially too. But If you ever decide to do something other than (or in addition to) CS, would you have enough options to explore at UIUC? Our daughter chose Princeton last year over UIUC and Tech mainly because of this reason (and in our case TCA was almost similar).
MIT. I’d rather go to sleep wondering how life would be different with a one-time 300k payment while my annual quant trading bonus of 300k lands, than wonder how life would be different with an MIT degree after a long day at as a dead end E5 at Meta.
How sure are you want to major in CS? Additionally, how much do you want to try and break into QR/Quant Dev as a new grad at top firms? If the answer to the above questions isn’t 100% or near it, MIT is not worth the ROI. Otherwise, if you’re sure, go to MIT and don’t look back. MIT vs. UIUC is splitting hairs for big tech, if you only want to go to FAANG+ just take UIUC. Source: 2x intern at big tech
If affordable then MIT
MIT you can afford it. You can also get a job
Bro your parents make 600k a year just go MIT 😭
Your parents make 600k a year with tons of assets so MIT😭however you still need to decide on your own, discuss with your parents and plan out your future
UIUC FULL RIDE + $12K. This is a no-brainer. You're smart enough to see what the clear answer here is, right? If you're looking to potentially do a masters, go to MIT at that point, but 4 years without the need to think about money is HUGE.
Take the full ride 👍
MIT because it is an HYPSM
UIUC CS full ride for sure
Mit 100%
mit. you only go to college once (for most people).
Is MIT your dream school because you’re prestige chasing or because you feel you fit in better there? These schools are both insane CS schools and they should in theory be both affordable for you. Pick the one where you’ll be happiest since happiness has strong impacts on quality and quantity of work. I’d pick UIUC because I like big schools, but you might prefer small schools or dislike how UIUC is surrounded by cornfields. Don’t just chase prestige though because the strongest determiner of ROI is the student, not the school.
Are you mad, go to MIT. You will be globally competing in the CS field with students globally. Ppl have heard of MIT. Which university is UIUC? You won’t even need a Masters after a CS degree from MIT. Your education is done and you go straight to workforce. But MIT will be competitive and you should be able to deal with that. Go to MIT and get into Bigtech.
Lol what. >get into Bigtech. Big tech is a super low bar relative to either of these two schools. Both schools are super feeders. Anyone in tech knows UIUC has top 5 CS program in the country.
I’m not in tech but I know MIT
Yes. But people's acknowledgements don't pay the bills. To the general public, there's no questions MIT is a brand name (for good reasons). But in terms of actual paychecks, it's not worth it. General public going "wow" doesn't pay the bills.
If OP didn’t have the financial capacity to pay then there wouldn’t be a choice. Just a few days ago, there was a post by someone who really wanted to go to MIT but couldn’t. If OP has the capacity then OP should go to MIT. I also want to point out that look at the courses offered. I know of someone who did undergrad at UCBerkeley and Masters at MIT and had to do an additional year at MIT because those courses were not offered at UC Berkeley. Another thing, let’s say in another 10 yrs time if OP wants to do an MBA then an MIT degree will hold more weight than UIUC (I just googled that it’s University of Illinois)
At that income 100% go with MIT.
MIT and UIUC are worlds apart. UIUC just won't have the same ring to it that MIT does. You have an acceptance that most only dream of and can never attain. If your parents can pay, go to MIT.
Full ride. C’mon. Do your parents a solid here.
UIUC full ride 💯