How much is a name worth?

Paying for College
1

<p>I just finished my first $37,000 year (this is with financial aid) at Tufts University. I felt sort of lost and the year didn't really help at all in terms of me narrowing my interests and trying to figure out any kind of path for my life. I wish that I had taken a gap year. My grades were solidly mediocre. I have EU citizenship and am considering dropping out of Tufts and attending a university in Sweden for the cost of room and board, with the attitude that if I'm going to dabble around and try to stumble upon something I want to major in, I might as well do it for free rather than $37,000 per year and maybe save that money to go to a name-brand American grad school some day since grad school seems increasingly inevitable the way the job market is and even the way my professors have talked about it.</p>

<p>I doubt that any of my Tufts credits would transfer to Sweden. Is it insane to throw away $37,000 and a year of hard work by ditching Tufts, or is it insane to follow through with it and spend $37,000 x 3 more when I currently feel apathetic rather than impassioned about school work and sort of lost at Tufts? How much does the name on my undergraduate diploma really matter?</p>

2

<p>Imo, an undergrad degree from a “name” school is not usually worth anything more than a degree from a public school, unless it’s from an ivy - even then, it’s never a good idea to overspend for that name. The quality of education is important and it doesn’t sound like Tufts is a great fit for you, which can affect your educational experience greatly. Your grad degree will carry much more weight and it makes more sense to spend the money there, when you’ll actually have an idea of what your career interest is and be more engaged and committed. I think you have to find an undergrad school that fits your needs and interests for now, if only to keep your gpa better than mediocre!</p>

3

<p>That is a queston that has been debated by many for along time. Can argue both sides and more. </p>

<p>My suggestion is to take a leave of absence from Tufts so that you can have a door open to return, go to Sweden for a year, try to get those credits recognized by Tufts if you should return to the US. If you decide to stay in Sweden, then fine. Chalk up your year at Tufts to experiece. But do leave a door open that can be so propped.</p>