hello3angel

What made you decide 100% after your phone call? Or did you decide before even speaking with the Harvard prof.?

Makes perfect sense, with MIT cross-registration and all. I thought that was pretty neat, myself, when I read about it.

well, these are admit events, they are not "enrolled student" events. i think if you are struggling to decide between any of your schools, you should definitely visit if possible. i visited one school and plan to visit another one later this month... these are the two schools that I am most strongly considering, and I probably won't visit any of the other schools. i think visiting can tell you a lot about the school. it gives you the all-around feel of the campus, the students, the faculty, the admins, etc. honestly... it's no different than meeting someone online vs. meeting someone in person. would you want to marry someone you never met before in real life? i know that's kind of an exaggeration, but you get the point. there are just so many characteristics and factors you don't think of from afar that materialize in person. honestly, if the school isn't dishing out money to pay for your visit anyway and you can afford it, i say visit columbia just to make sure. there's nothing immature about making sure (and there's no crime in making a rhyme).

Made my decision this week--I'll be attending Stanford. Anyone else who will be there?

Yeah, they gave me a lot more. It really was a no-brainer, especially since I was deciding between the two schools equally before financial aid was even factored in.

I had the exact same package ($7,500 need-based grant, no Perkins/FWS, etc.)

Well, Stanford it is.

Either way, for those who are attending HGSE, you will no doubt have an awesome experience. I really enjoyed my visit this past weekend and found all of the resources, faculty, staff, students, etc. wonderful.