<p>After joining this site and reading a lot of the articles/posts, I have come to the conclusion that Ivies don't matter. Most likely if you are one of the lucky ones you can get in, but then you can't pay. Or you get in on scholarship and then party too hard and loose it. Or you get in, and you don't fit in. Or you get in and your really stressed the whole time and don't enjoy any of your college experience. But at least you get to say you went to an Ivy League College (which doesn't matter to much anymore, it's what you know/who you know not what college you went to...). What do you think?</p>
<p>What I'm trying to say is that if you live in a state that has a good state school (for me it's the University of Washington), don't put it aside just because it's in state. By the way, if you know any info about University of Washington, don't be afraid to tell me.</p>
<p>…the Ivies have some of the best financial aid in the country. Also, the Ivies have a 97-98% retention rate; people certainly aren’t “partying too hard” all over the place there. Their scholarships are need based, not merit based, so there is no minimum GPA required to keep them. </p>
<p>That said, I agree that getting into an ivy does require some luck and that in most cases, a state school will do the job just as well.</p>
<p>But you have to put into consideration, why would you get into debt at an ivy (if you happen to not get enough FA) when you have to get a masters/doctorate degree?</p>
<p>Take Harvard. If your family makes less than 65k per year, it is free. If your family makes between 65 and 150k, your family pays 10% of their income yearly. 150k+ is not all full pay, but the % the family pays goes up incrementally. You would never “happen to not get enough FA”</p>
<p>You clearly haven’t read up on the Ivies’ financial aid policies. Try doing that before attacking them. </p>
<p>For me, and many others, an ivy is cheaper than a state school.</p>
<p>bunny, you are correct. You can get just as good an education at a state school as you can get at an Ivy - and for many people, perhaps most, for a lot less money.</p>
<p>Annasdad, considering that only 6% of American households make more than 150k, that is incorrect. The 94% that make less than 150k would pay 15k or less (for both tuition and room and board). That is much cheaper than the COA pretty much anywhere, save a community college or somewhere with a large merit scholarship. </p>
<p>I do, however, agree that for most degrees the state flagship does just as well a job as an ivy.</p>
<p>The Ivies are right for some. You can get a great education at a state university too. It’s not just about the name, it’s about where you belong. Yes the fin aid at Ivies is great.
I have nothing against the Ivies personally. I think they are good schools, and everyone wants to get in for a reason. But I saw too many kids in my high school cry/go have nervous breakdowns/panic because they had to attend their state university because they didn’t get into the Ivy league.
Too many times it seems like people go crazy over the Ivies, and then they have a great time at their state university or safety and realize that their breakdown over not getting into Harvard or the like wasn’t worth it. Or they never get over it, and start the craziness all over again by trying to transfer in. Not anything against people who transfer into the Ivies either–that’s great too.
But I think it’s important to realize that just because you did not get into a top school doesn’t mean your life is over. You will live. You will have a great college experience. And you can do that at a state university.</p>
<p>^And I agree. I just think it is important to clarify misconceptions made by people who haven’t even bothered to google FA at Ivys and instead attack their sticker prices.</p>
<p>Just FYI a good 20% of Harvard’s incoming freshman class will pay exactly 0$. </p>
<p>Also, they do not even offer the kind of merit scholarship OP implied: so you can’t lose the scholarship because you are “partying too hard” so long as your financial status remains the same.</p>
<p>Good Conversation, obviously there are a lot of people who are sensitive on this site. I’ve noticed after using it for a while, but good talk. I’ve also heard going to an Ivy is great because you are in the “Ivy system”, meaning that if you want to go to grad school at an Ivy it would be “easier”. Is this true, or another misconception?</p>
<p>No, that’s absolutely not true. For grad school, you need a high GPA, high entrance exam scores (MCAT, GRE, LSAT, etc.), and for some programs, research experience. Most universities can supply this, but I tend to think they should at least be in the top 250 or so. </p>
<p>I think there is a misconception about the “ivy system.” There are so many schools that really are on the same level of the ivy league.</p>
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<p>You know, I haven’t really noticed this. I think you need to be careful about posting statements that are so cut and dry. You seemed to have preconceptions about ivies without doing ANY research at all. You made up an argument based on faulty logic - of course people are going to debunk it.</p>
<p>Saying “Forget the Ivies” is way oversimplified. Because some people can afford the Ivies, and for certain others the Ivies and their generous finaid are sometimes a great bargain. A better way to put it would be “Don’t forget the high quality state schools.”</p>
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<p>This is pretty rare. </p>
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<p>This happens but it’s rare too. The Ivies are quite skilled at choosing students in the first place who will fit in. They’ve had centuries of practice.</p>
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<p>This I agree with completely (says the proud UC alumnus).</p>
<p>This 10% of income thing is a sham - maybe that’s right for Harvard if you have no assets. I ran the Yale NPC for my SiL, with family income right around $150K and their estimated COA was $46k/year. For their state school (Rutgers) the COA was less than $4K/year. Some crazy generalities about COA for Ivy vs. State school are being tossed around in here. (The Rutgers COA includes a scholarship, but most kids who can get into HYP are going to get merit aid at one or more in-state public schools.)</p>
<p>When you get up to 150k, you’re right, you will be expected to pay more than 10%. And yes, assets will factor in - then again, if your family has significant assets (ie your house paid off), then you should theoretically have more money toward college. If you choose not to spend your money that way, that is your choice. </p>
<p>For what it’s worth, my family is around 140k, with one house, the usual deal, and my EFC at an ivy is around 22k, which is cheaper than my state school. </p>
<p>You are also tossing around generalities about scholarships at state schools. Not all states offer such large scholarships. A UC is pretty much always 30k, and the largest scholarhip, which is given to very few people, doesn’t knock off even half of that.</p>
<p>“Most” kids who can get into HYP will get a merit scholarship at a state school. Just because it doesn’t apply to California doesn’t make it false.</p>
<p>Meanwhile your “anyone at $150K or less will pay $15K or less” isn’t even true for you! That’s a bogus generality. Maybe it’s also true for “most” (IDK), but it’s clearly not true for “anyone”.</p>
<p>I didn’t say “anyone.” Perhaps I should have clarified more thoroughly, so I apologize for that. However, it is not a bogus generality - it is a rule with exceptions. </p>
<p>Well yes, my family has a few hundred thousand already paid for a house, so I wouldn’t expect a college to pick up the slack for that. </p>
<p>While ivy admits may not get full rides or close to it at their state school, they can all certainly get a full ride at a school. I don’t doubt that at all. Going to an ivy doesn’t usually result in a large amount of loans, but if a family had an unusual situation and is unwilling or unable to pay the cost, then of course the student should seek merit scholarships. That is precisely what I will be doing.</p>
<p>Not for those from California resident families of under $80,000 annual income (bottom 70%), or those who can get into one that they can commute to.</p>
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<p>The largest scholarship is given to very few people (Drake Scholarship for mechanical engineering majors at Berkeley), but it is a full ride.</p>