<p>I recently got accepted to Harvard but I am at a dilemma.. </p>
<p>Because I have been taking classes at UW-Milwaukee and many AP classes, I am only two classes (6 credits) away from finishing my Econ major at UW-Madison. I would be in and out in two years and on my way to grad school. On top of that, I have a full scholarship to UW-Madison. </p>
<p>On the other hand, Harvard is a great school but its also beyond expensive. My family recently started to make money (my dad was in school until very recently) so we do not qualify for much financial age (close to none) and we do not have a lot saved up for Harvard. Subsequently, I'd probably end up in debt for a couple decades... </p>
<p>this is simply a no-brainer. Attend UW-Madison. You’ll graduate early while still obtaining your degree, save your parents a couple hundred thousand, and always have the opportunity to attend Harvard for grad school.</p>
<p>Try to talk to Harvard’s financial aid office about your situation. They may help. You never know, because if they admit someone, they want that person to enroll.</p>
<p>That is true, I think if you finish UW- Madison you will be well on your way to a good career. Orrr you could see whether those credits can carry on to Harvard. An Econ degree at Harvard means you are set at any graduate school. Hmmm, overall that’s difficult but if you can get into Harvard once i’m sure you can do it again! I guess I agree with rolemodels, finish up at Madison and go to Harvard for Grad school. Good
luck! Have fun! :)</p>
<p>This is really a personal decision for you to make but a life time earning power from a Harvard degree is not exactly the same as a degree from UW. </p>
<p>Regarding the financial aid, the calculation for aid is based on the family income from 2011, so a recent jump in income should have little impact on the aid calculation for 2012. And unless your family income is near $180k a year, the aid should be substantial.</p>
<p>What world are people living in where they think that the earning power differs significantly between Harvard and a state school? Maybe for a few select fields…and that’s still a big maybe. I dont know if this is just rationalization for spending dramatic amounts of money?? </p>
<p>Save the money, go to the cheaper school. Especially if you’re going to grad school.</p>
<p>If you only need 6 credit hours to get your degree from Madison, you’d be a fool to start from scratch and attend Harvard. Maybe I didn’t understand your situation clearly, but many Universities (inc Madison) require a minimum of 30 credits ‘in residence’ to receive a degree. Are you currently an undergrad student in the UW system?</p>
<p>Manchester44, you are very correct about that. In most fields you don’t necessarily need to go to a fancy college to get the same results. However, in the business world, the college you went to matters way more than in other careers. I would really check to see if all of your credits can roll over to another university.</p>
<p>Yeah i would agree with that. If you want to go into i-banking or something like that, I think your institution probably does play a significant role. not speaking from first hand experience, but i’ve heard that companies recruit at certain schools more than others. My comment applies more for pre-health sciences.</p>
<p>Harvard. End of story. You can tap into the greatest alumni network in the world and forever be labeled the best of the best. If there ever was anything priceless, it is being labeled a “Harvard grad.” Even Harvard dropouts get respect, which should tell you something. Don’t let “practical considerations” sway you – Harvard is ethereal. God is offering you a once in a many lifetimes opportunity. Really, stop over-thinking this. One of the hardest things in life is recognizing a gift and taking it when offered. You are being offered a gift. Take it.</p>
<p>Lol he’s not overthinking it at all. This is a big decision and both sides merit consideration.
things like “networking opportunities” seem like very vague advantages to me. What exactly does all this networking lead to? Networking means virtually nothing for getting into med school. Is this really something that cant be replicated at another school?
Yes, the general public will be very impressed by the Harvard name, but you want to be sure that someone else (who’s opinion really counts for your long-term future) will also be equally impressed. That’s all i’m saying.</p>
<p>Manchester, you are very incorrect in saying school does not play a role in I banking. It may be the most important factor. Banks recruit big time at Harvard, and very very little at state schools.</p>
<p>Tell me would wouldn’t be (impressed)? You really do cross into a whole new social and intellectual world when you attend Harvard, and you will truly have that brand stamped on your forehead for the rest of your life and for the rest of your life.</p>
<p>Harvard Econ will get you into major banking, consulting, and accounting firms. UW Madison will not. These firms recruit at target schools — UW Madison is not anywhere on their list. </p>
<p>Also, you could probably Magna Cum Laude or Summa Cum Laude Harvard Econ with your econ background. That is much more prestigious than UW Madison Summa Cum Laude, and will get you into many places and open up various professional opportunities for you. You will be extremely popular when it comes to networking. The ease with which you can handle Harvard Econ, seeing as you have already taken the respective courses at another undergrad institution, can also allow you to take up another concentration — you can pursue a double concentration. Perhaps also Government? Chinese? Up to you.</p>
<p>As for finances, you pretty much have a solid resume built up. You could apply for well-paying internships immediately the summer after freshman year - or, hell, even this upcoming summer, whereas other students won’t have a chance of landing one until the summer after junior year. You can easily make anywhere from 20k to 40k at these summer internships. Or maybe an year-long internship. I know some girl at MIT, a third-year/junior majoring in EECS, who made 70k from a year-long internship at a major think tank just this past year.</p>
<p>Keep in mind that the Harvard experience will be vastly different than the one you’d have at UW. You will be constantly challenged by your classes and peers, and you could easily fall to middle or even bottom of the pack. I think that sort of experience is absolutely invaluable for top students and allows them to challenge themselves in ways they didn’t know were possible. But at an H peer school (Princeton), there are days where I’m incredibly frustrated with the idea that I’ll never be at the top of my class. If you decide to go to H (which, for the record, I think you should), there will be days you’ll dwell on how much easier your life would have been on the UW track.</p>
<p>At the end of the day, it comes down to how you want to use your college experience. If you think of college as a series of hoops to jump through before getting a job, UW is the obvious choice, especially if you plan on grad school (hell, you could go to Harvard Business). But if you think of college as a four-year opportunity to be challenged, and not just in the classroom, Harvard comes out on top.</p>
<p>There are 100 reasons to go to Harvard and only one not to go: finances. If you have to take extensive loans (more than Stafford 27K for 4 years), I urge to not do that. No undergraduate degree is worth this debt. </p>
<p>Based on your post, I assume you will received unsubsidized loans, so while you are going to school and the interest continues to accumulate and capitalize. On top of federal loans you will also have to take private loans (with your parents as a cosigner). With almost a major in economics, I trust you will be able to calculate the amount of debt after graduation and payment amount. Think about it.</p>
<p>The way I am reading the OP and because I live in a neighboring state: this student may have taken advantage of a program called PSEO (post secondary enrollment option) which allows students to take college classes while still enrolled in high school. There is no tuition for this program (well/our tax dollars pay for it) and the credits count both at the high school and at the college. It is a great way to let students who are ‘ready’ for college get going on it while still in high school and to help them just about (at times) have a two-year diploma in their hands along with the high school diploma. It sounds like OP has taken lots of classes s/he likes including/up to just being shy of the requirements for the econ major credits, but with a good two years of college left to go at Madison to get the four-year degree/do residency/fulfill distribution requirements, etc. I could be wrong, but that is what I am assuming. Thus, the OP may have no debt as of yet for college, and many of you have given OP good advice/options to think about.</p>