dont be so sure about the money situation at upenn... theyre pretty good at giving people at least some money... between 5k -10k to start with... and they make getting the rest of the money pretty easy.... as you go through school more money frees up for you... idk its not so bad, and if you're wanting to work on the east coast, out of those three id say its your best bet... the cache of the name also travels much better than say if you were to leave michigan or illionois with either of those degrees?

if you can tell im at upenn now, i guess i have a bit of a bias? but definitely pick the school that is the best fit for you, if you can bring yourself to stomach the debt... even if umich or uic is half of penn, you'll do much better work if you're excited about what you're doing?

but honestly both other programs have great faculty and i dont think you'd be at any disadvantage emerging from either of those other schools.

Pick UIC. You'll get the better financial package, and maybe once the economy improves, you can get a part-time paid internship at an architectural firm as well.

Stick w/GF of six years w/dog and MD. Good marital choice for architect; at one spouse needs a steady income and job security if the other is an architect. Another reason to stay in Chicago. Why would you go so far away and jeopardize the relationship?

Do you have a strong preference to remaining in Illinois after graduation? If you're considering working afterwards in Chicago, then again UIC is a good choice. You'll have established yourself, learned the city and the firms, and can make a smooth transition.

Six-figure student loans at graduation three years from now is no small financial issue. Architect salaries are likely to drop as job market deteriorates and takes a while to recover, and entry-level salaries remain lower while firms rebuild their staff and client base.

Once you get out of school, start proving your worth and ability at work, where you went to school is of little importance - it's what you contribute to the process at work that counts. An Ivy degree might open a door for your first job, but ambition and talent counts more. Good luck!

"Once you get out of school, start proving your worth and ability at work, where you went to school is of little importance - it's what you contribute to the process at work that counts. An Ivy degree might open a door for your first job, but ambition and talent counts more. Good luck!"......I like this and I totally agree

thanks guys. Its good to hear both sides of the argument. I guess for now I'll have to wait and see what happens with Penn then i'll make my decision once all the cards are on the table.

I know the relationship is a big reason to stay put, but with her in med school and you in architecture school, when were you planning on seeing each other anyway? And who's going to pay attention to those poor dogs????

The best way to choose a grad school is to go and visit while school is in session. You can sit in on classes, meet with faculty and students, and generally get a good sense of the place. A good question to ask yourself is 'How do I want to develop as an architect, and how do I need grad school to help me do that?' It's better to go to a grad school that's substantially different than your undergraduate education because that will make you more well-rounded and therefore employable.

If the education seems about equal between two places, then I would probably choose to have less debt.

here's an idea...why not hold off on grad school for a while. of course now is a great time to be in school, and i don't know if you already have a job, but laying low until your gf finishes might be the easiest thing on your relationship and pocketbook (assuming you have a job or a way to find one). then you can move to ann arbor or philly with a little more cash and pay down some of your loans so it isn't such a huge burden. it sounds to me like your life would be a lot easier in the short term going to uic, but penn or michigan might be a lot of fun.