<p>Great article! Thanks for sharing…I am beginning to wish I had never applied so that I wouldn’t have to possibly make the decision of not going. Been dying here! The debt load is going to be INSANE. Lots of soul searching…</p>
<p>Hey, you’re doing the right thing. Don’t jump in blind.</p>
<p>I don’t mean to post stuff like this to scare people away from GS. But, everyone deserves the opportunity to make a fully informed decision about their education and its costs. I know GS people who pay close to $1000/month to Sallie Mae and others. </p>
<p>Think back ten years. Think about how much you’ve grown and evolved in that decade. Think of all the milestones. Now think about the fact that you’ll likely be paying your students loans off for AT LEAST as long as that ten years. How would $1000/month for the next ten years affect your life?</p>
<p>Thanks for posting this, Jan! I’ve been stuck in finals mode so I didn’t get a chance.</p>
<p>The financial issue really can’t be understated, but has been discussed again and again. It’s a fantastic one of a kind opportunity, with a price to match.</p>
<p>No problem, C! Hope you crushed finals and have some super cool summer plans!</p>
<p>But you’ve got a degree (hopefully in something marketable in this economy) from Columbia University for crying out loud. Isn’t that worth it? I mean some people (like me) spend about 1,000 a month on rent already with close to min. wage jobs. A degree from Columbia opens a hell of a lot of doors. It’s up to you if you’ve got the goods to deliver and become a coveted asset in the job market… Am I missing something here?</p>
<p>Oh and whoever wrote this line from that article definitely isn’t a Columbia student.:(I hope)</p>
<p>“During her period of enrollment, the average GS student will typically receive between $7,000 and $9,000 in
grants” pg 30.</p>
<p>It’s kinda poorly written…</p>
<p>It was written by a Columbia student and, without disputing your experience of reading it, I’ll say that I think the writing’s fine.</p>
<p>That said, there’s some big and maybe more philosophical considerations here. Sure, you should consider potential ROI - and that shouldn’t be limited to return in the form of salary, I agree. But, even if a Columbia degree opens doors, an extra $1000 / month in expenses can fundamentally change one’s experience of the decade after college. </p>
<p>It can mean missed opportunities to be charitable, take vacations, buy a home, etc. Worst case, it can mean that you’re in some way impaired from having the post-educational experiences that you’d like to have or that you’d like to give others.</p>
<p>You can reasonably argue that one outcome of a Columbia education would be to make an extra couple of grand a month - over what you would’ve made if you hadn’t attended a great school like CU, I mean. But, that’s the very definition of gambling. And a hundred grand is a big, big bet for most people.</p>
<p>Hellojan, your reality checks are critical! Thank you for your posts, they have validated many of my fears which some folks have dismissed. An Ivy League education is incredible but if it results in your life experiences being limited for a decade (which, as you get older becomes more significant in terms of precious time) then it seems a bit pointless. Your mind may be sharpened but you could be stuck for a while, unable to go on that trip your friends have invited you on, unable to help your aging parents, your kids who need more than one pair of shoes, or even your dog who needs to get spayed…Debt can be paralyzing and stressful and have very real impacts on one’s wellbeing…we have evidence all around us of the huge consequences of living high on the credit hog!</p>
<p>Thanks, N! But, believe me, I’d rather it all not be doom and gloom. I think of going to GS and I think of the unsolicited advice that writers and artists often get:</p>
<p>If you can do anything else but this, do it.</p>
<p>If this is the only thing you can see yourself doing and if Columbia, the prospect of joining her community, and of all of the good and bad that go with it resonate with you more so than anything else, go for it. The money is a big hurdle but people do leap over it every year - just not the half-hearted, you know?</p>