<p>When all is said and done, is it worthwhile to pay big bucks for the school of your dreams? </p>
<p>I'd give anything to go to Clemson University - even after scholarships, I'd owe roughly $120,000 after graduation if I attended. On the other hand, I could go to my instate school, ASU, and attend their prestigious honors college for about $40K total. ASU is on the very bottom of my list though, I absolutely dread it. Any advice? Is the dream school experience really worth every precious penny? Thanks</p>
<p>Going $120K into debt is absolutely not worth it.</p>
<p>I have the same basic question though- is it worth paying substantially more for your dream school and maybe going into a little debt? I’m completely in love with Georgetown and it’s looking like to go there I’d have to take out about $3K a year, so I’d graduate ~12K in debt (this is all kind of guesswork since I haven’t been notified of my finaid package but it’s based on my net price calculator). It doesn’t seem like that much compared to what others take out, but on the other hand I’m guessing some of my other schools will give me more aid, and I’m planning on going to grad school so should I go to a school that I’m less excited about to save some money?</p>
<p>M’s Mom has a point. Look at other schools and figure out which characteristics you like and don’t like compared to Clemson and ASU. If you find something that has most of the things you like, you might find the missing elements not worth $120,000. In any case, without really looking at why you like Clemson, you might find yourself disappointed with the experience once you get there.</p>
<p>Even Harvard isn’t worth $120k in debt, so an OOS public like Clemson absolutely is not worth it …and I like that school, so not dissing it.</p>
<p>BTW…your parents would have to co-sign those loans, so they may not even qualify each year or be willing to co-sign. If that’s not going to happen, then the question is moot anyway.</p>
<p>If you’re having to borrow that much ($30k per year), and you got scholarships, that means that your family isn’t contributing much. How much will your parents pay each year?</p>
<p>What are your stats?</p>
<p>What is your major?</p>
<p>Lastly, $120k in debt would mean monthly payments of over 1200 per year for TEN LONG YEARS. Do you have any idea of how that would negatively impact your life during those 10 years? While your peers are buying homes, nice cars, starting families…you’d be chained to that huge debt. You’d spend that 10 years in a nightmare and for what??? 4 years at a “dream school.” Oh my!</p>
<p>absolutely not. With this economy it is more important that you graduate college financially sound. A college degree at any top college (whether Clemson, Arizona State, LSU, Harvard) is a college degree and your grades are all that matter.</p>
<p>No school is worth 120k of debt, not one. And it’s unlikely that an architecture degree from Clemson can even give you the basic tools to start repaying that debt. Please don’t do this to yourself.</p>
<p>Something wrong with this picture. If you have instate tuition and need to borrow money, it seems you would also qualify for financial aid. File your CSS and FAFSA and see what aid they give you (if you get admitted) and compare offers to ALL your schools. You should be applying to no fewer than 8 schools anyway. Compare offers after they come in and decide. Not before. </p>
<p>Out of state tuition and fees posted on college sites are the full price, but many schools give you generous aid if you qualify. And if you don’t qualify for aid, it means your family has means. So what gives?</p>
<p>I’ve applied to five OOS schools - Clemson, Auburn, Maryland, UNC Charlotte, CU Boulder. Every single one will be roughly 30 to 40K a year, despite 10K merit scholarships from Clemson and Auburn (so far).</p>
<p>I applied instate at University of Arizona and ASU, those will be about 10K a year. There is really no in between. I either stay instate for cheap or go out of state for big bucks $$$.</p>
<p>Regarding private schools - there are very few of them that are accredited by the NAAB for architecture programs, and I wasn’t very fond of the ones that were. </p>
<p>I’d really like to go out of state. Everyone and their mother goes to ASU around here, and I worked my butt off in high school (4.56 gpa, 2130 SAT) so I could go to the college of my choice. It upsets me to think I’ll be going to the same school as some of my classmates, who shloozed their way through school. ASU is 10 miles up the road from my house, there are 70,000+ kids, its not an attractive area, and I don’t enjoy living in Arizona. Hahaha, I apologize for sounding so whiney. </p>
<p>UofA is an option, but ASU has the better honors college and architecture program.</p>
<p>As far as contributions from my parents, I’m not expecting a lot. We’re well off, but they can be very frugal. I’m not expecting more than 10K a year from them. I also have two younger siblings that will attend college soon too.</p>
<p>That debt is crazy. “Dream School” is a fantasy. There are many excellent schools. If you are only considering 2 you are artificially limiting your search.</p>
<p>Don’t leave undergrad with more debt than the cost of a reasonable car. Say about $25 - $30k. </p>
<p>Also, I know many architects who are having a really tough go of it in this economy. These are experienced and respected firms and individuals. </p>
<p>If you stay away from debt you will have a lot more flexibility in your choices when you complete your undergrad.</p>
<p>Something wrong with this picture. If you have instate tuition and need to borrow money, it seems you would also qualify for financial aid. File your CSS and FAFSA and see what aid they give you (if you get admitted) and compare offers to ALL your schools.</p>
<p>She’s applying to OOS publics so that thinking doesn’t really apply. You can have an EFC of $6k at an OOS public that costs $40k, and only get a $5,500 loan.</p>
<p>*As far as contributions from my parents, I’m not expecting a lot. We’re well off, but they can be very frugal. I’m not expecting more than 10K a year from them. I also have two younger siblings that will attend college soon too. *</p>
<p>Ok…so going to have a high EFC anyway. </p>
<p>You need to ask your parents exactly how much they pay so that there are no surprises.</p>
<p>With your SAT, you’re getting only $10k per year from Auburn…that’s less than half tuition…so remaining costs are about $25k per year. Clemson will be even higher. Are these 5 year programs? If so, do the scholarships cover the 5th year as well???</p>
<p>* It upsets me to think I’ll be going to the same school as some of my classmates, who shloozed their way through school*</p>
<p>Those people won’t be in your architecture program - at least not for long. Who cares that there are some people in easy majors across the campus??? </p>
<p>Unless you can talk your parents into paying (since you’re affluent), even a private that gives aid won’t work for you. </p>
<p>I have news for you…there are South Carolina kids saying the exact same thing about Clemson: “I don’t want to go to college with the same kids who goofed off in high school.” That goes for nearly every big state school. There are some high school goof-offs at nearly all of them.</p>