<p>
</p>
<p>This thread has included numerous benefits you will accrue for your money.</p>
<p>But one feature has not yet been discussed, and it is probably the most important feature of all: the brand name. MIT is an extremely well-branded school, particularly in the technical disciplines. You are paying for that brand name. </p>
<p>Lest you find that unusual or unseemly, allow me to point out that companies spend billions of dollars each year in building and promoting their brand names. Nor is this behavior foolish or wasteful. Numerous academic studies have demonstrated the concept of ‘brand equity’, which signifies the economic value of being associated with a famous brand name. For example, Polaroid earns millions by licensing its brand name for use by other firms who leverage the Polaroid name as a label for their products. Similarly, going to MIT effectively gives you the right to ‘license’ the MIT brand label on your resume/CV when you’re looking for jobs.</p>