Should I go to Yale or UT Austin?

Congratulations on both of your acceptances. If I'm not mistaken the $90,500 including Yale health insurance is only for your 1st year. It will continue to go up each year so you are really looking at $95K for year 2, $100K for year 3, and $105K for year 4 for a total cost of attendance of $390,500. This doesn't factor travel back and forth starting in August, home for Thanksgiving break, Winter Break, Spring Break, and Summer break so you have to add about $2000 in airfare plus about $8000 per school year to cover clothing, eating out, other services and fees and getting your room set up (8 months of $1000 a month for an allowance). So the 4 years will be closer to $425K-$430 if you want to be realistic. One expense most people forget about is the summer internship cost. Although most people will opt for decent-paying internships, if you get one in Boston or NYC, keep in mind that housing even with a roommate might cost $5K for the summer and you have to pay for all your food and travel as well.

If your parents can afford your Yale education, then it's a great opportunity to meet amazing students, and teachers and be part of Bulldog forever.

Only you and your family can do the calculus necessary to determine what college you should attend. No matter where you go you will have an excellent education because WashU and Rice are T20 schools as well.

You have an interesting problem because very affluent families who have lots of money would pre-donate millions of dollars to get their kids into Yale. And even kids of famous people like Hollywood types caught in the Varsity Blues scandal were willing to be Rick Singer up to $500K to get into a school like Yale and still pay full tuition and expenses to attend. So I think it depends on how much you and your family value the Yale brand more than what you are going to study there because I honestly think that the quality difference between T25 schools is negligible. What you are buying is access to a community of high-profile people who can help with internships, jobs, and recommendations down the line.

As a Black Muslim person of color, you will be challenged to find your people no matter what college you attend so I'm not going to sugar-coat the challenges you will face socially. One thing not to get your hopes up at Yale is access to join private secret societies like :

Aurelian Honor Society, Berzelius (secret society), Book and Snake, Brothers in Unity

Elihu (secret society), Leviathan (Secret Society), Linonian Society, Mace and Chain

Manuscript Society, Myth and Sword, Sage and Chalice, Scroll and Key, Skull and Bones, Spade and Grave St. Elmo (secret society), The Pundits, Torch Honor Society, Wolf's Head (secret society)

If you are innately social and find it easy to make new friends, you will find lots of interesting quality students at Yale. If you are not outgoing, spending 4 years in sleepy New Haven might feel isolating and lonely.

Attending Rice or UT Austin will be the easiest on your transition to college and your budget. Good luck with your decision, whichever one you decide.

Hey there @Farfee24!

Yale is obviously an Ivy League school, and it sounds like there's a lot you like about it. UT is also a very good school, but if you can't see yourself being happy there in the long run, don't go there. Rice is usually considered to be a pretty prestigious school, it might be worth considering if you decide Yale isn't worth it. Over all, I feel like Yale would be the best choice, although it is expensive. (I did find this link that may be able to help you with scholarships: https://encourageme.com/lp/collegebound/?&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_content=https://encourageme.com/lp/collegebound/&utm_campaign=EncouraMe_SEM_College_Bound&gclid=Cj0KCQjwxMmhBhDJARIsANFGOSv1I8wF_KkTVPUYSCVLw-5r7bUZeNBcjVCKDojBcc3uTDze96xNd1IaAuDLEALw_wcB. The website Niche also has some that might be worth checking out.)

Yale is a really great school and it is an IVY, therefore it might be worth paying $90k, so if you are in the condition to afford it I will tell you to go for it, as it will make you happy. UT Austin is also a great college, but if you will feel cheated and not too happy, then it might not be the best choice. In my personal opinion, I would keep trying to get some kind of financial aid for Yale, but if you couldn't then I would consider your other options, as it might not be worth it getting a huge debt, remember that you could be paying it for 10 or more years after college, which might not be ideal. Remember this, Go IVY or go free!.