<p>Lately, Ive been stuck debating this issue. More and more people are telling me that undergraduate doesnt matter, and for at least the first two years, all college freshmen are taking the same exact level one courses, no matter how difficult it was for one to get into a particular school. Many people, including this years valedictorian, are staying in state. (Here, most kids get paid to stay in state, as much as $11,000 per year). I have some schools that I am looking atsome a little farfetched (Stanford, Yale), and some that are a match (BU, UT Austin). If I go to those schools, I will undoubtedly graduate in debt, while if I stay in-state I would probably end up with a hefty bank account. BUT:
If I stay in-state, I will end up in the same playing field as those kids who slacked off in high school and couldnt apply anywhere else. I would feel that all my extra efforts would have been futile--all the hours I never slept, all the extra work I put in, all the weekends I sacrificed
There is a certain prestige of going to a well-reputed university. All the kids are talented, driven, and certainly motivated to succeed. I would have satisfaction in knowing that my hard work has paid off, but in the long run, will elitism have an effect on how Ill end up? Would it truly matter?
Ive been reading books like Harvard Schmarvard by Jay Monahan and I want to believe that I can be successful after going to a state school (there certainly have been people) but isnt Monahans words more credible because HE himself graduated from Harvard? His book would not have been as successful if he was a non-Harvard graduate scorning an ivy league school. </p>
<p>What are your thoughts on this? Why are you staying in-state? (Do you mind at all that youre staying in-state?) Or, why are you going out of state? What should I do?</p>