last question - please help me decide

Question

Hey guys

I was offered a graduate assistantship position at Krannert, and was offer 16k (8k per year) plus 25% off housing at Fisher.

I want to do finance, short and long term investments to be more specific.

Fisher is 27th overall (17th in finance) at US News for 2009, and Krannert is at 33rd overall (N/A finance).

I have e-mailed Fisher to let them know of Krannert's offer in order to see if they can improve their financial package.

If all things remain equal, where should I go?

My deadline is April 30th.

Thank you for your help.

ryguy904 · Answer

What does that mean?

Also, where do you want to work (ideal location and company)?

majosan · Answer

short and long term investments is what i want to focus on

however, i will probably have a better idea of the coursework i will need when i get to campus and experience the classes, since i am not as knowledgeable in the finance specialties

as for company and location, i have no preferences at this time

I am from Chile, and I want to make my life in the US, so I will need a working VISA (H1-B1) in order to stay

ideally, i would like to work in the south or the midwest, for a multinational corporation eventually

as a dream, i would like to work for the miami dolphins :wink:

I hope this information helps

PS I want to go to Ohio State because it seems Fisher's brand name is improving every year, climbing rankings and such...whereas Krannert has been on the decline the last few years

PS2 My profile is in the profiles section

I hope this information helps PS I want to go to Ohio State because it seems Fisher's brand name is improving every year, climbing rankings and such...whereas Krannert has been on the decline the last few years PS2 My profile is in the profiles section

kryzak · Answer

If it were me, Fisher sounds like a no-brainer. 16K total is not enough money (in the grand scheme of things) to justify picking a school that is weaker in your area of concentration (finance) over a better one, unless you really hate the culture at Fisher. If you want to stay in the midwest, then Ohio State will definitely give you the contacts you need.

majosan · Answer

Thank you for your reply, kryzak, your input is always welcome

I agree with you so far. I would rather choose Fisher, since it is stronger in the area I want to focus on (finance), and it is also a faculty that is on the upswing. I want to go to the best faculty (brand name) that accepts me.

However, I e-mailed the people at Fisher to let them know of Krannert's offer, so I am hoping that Fisher can up their offer a bit. That would certainly make my decision a whole lot easier.

Either way, I have to make a decision tomorrow, since Fisher's financial aid package has to be accepted by April 30th.

I really hope Fisher comes back at me with a better offer before I am forced to accept the offer already on the table.

If anyone has anymore thoughts, please let me know, since I will constantly check the board for replies

April 30th is d-day for me, and I will let you know what transpires as it happens

Thank you in advance

kryzak · Answer

Hi majosan, just to give you a 2nd data point, I also tried to ask Haas (my first choice) for a little more, but got denied and still accepted Haas anyways. It's always worth a try, but just be mentally ready to go to that top choice, money or otherwise.

majosan · Answer

thanks again for your reply kryzak

Yes, my mind is pretty much set on going to Fisher, even if i do not get any more financial help

I just really hope they help me out, and I also hope they get a hold of me today at some point

I'd rather get a letter rejecting the request than to not get a reply at all, especially since today is the cutoff date

thanks again

dox · Answer

FWIW, my vote would be for Fisher. The 16k isn't enough of incentive to sway my opinion from what is clearly a better fit for you.

majosan · Answer

I think I did not make my first post clear enough, sorry about that. To clarify:

Krannert offered me a graduate assistantship, which pays my full tuition and university fees
Fisher offered me 16k (8k per year) plus 25% off housing

With that in mind, I would choose Fisher over Krannert, especially since Fisher is much better at finance

However, I spoke to Fisher and they said they would re-evaluate the financial package they offered me, and they would let me know by the end of the week what can be done. They said that they "want to work things out".

So I am really hopeful that they will up their offer, as it will alleviate the financial pain. Even if they don't sweeten the deal, I will still go to Fisher.

I will let you guys know what happens.

Thank you for all the advice so far. Keep 'em coming.

dox · Answer

Ah, I see. The full-ride makes it a more difficult decision, but I'm a big proponent of going with the school that fits you best rather than taking the short-term cash advantage, so I would still go with Fisher. That being said, having them bump up their offer couldn't hurt!

majosan · Answer

Hey everyone

Fisher sent me an e-mail today with their updated offer

They are offering me a graduate assistantship, which pays for 50% of my tuition and fees, plus 25% off housing, plus the monthly stipend that comes with the job.

With that in mind, I will be heading to Fisher.

Thanks to everyone for their advice and opinions.

ryguy904 · Answer

Woohooo! Congrats :-D

sonibubu · Answer

Have fun partying on HIGH Street

kryzak · Answer

huge congrats!!!!

last question - please help me decide

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