<p>When posters ask about this kind of choice, typically they’re talking about a much larger amount of money, even a fairly staggering amount such as the full cost of the Ivy. Not a difference of $1500 / year. Yes, in my opinion, Dartmouth is worth that much, especially if you believe it’s a better personal fit. </p>
<p>What barrons did not mention above (#4) is that, according to the same study he cited, the economic benefit of attending an Ivy (or other highly selective school) can be significant in the case of minority students or children of parents who did not attend college. How much difference could Dartmouth make in your case, compared to South Carolina? That’s hard to predict, but you might want to show your parents the average salaries compiled for these two schools by payscale.com: </p>
<p>School … starting median … mid-career median
University of South Carolina … $38,800 … $70,400
Dartmouth College … $51,600 … $114,000
[Top</a> State Universities By Salary Potential](<a href=“http://www.payscale.com/best-colleges/top-state-universities.asp]Top”>Best Public Colleges | Payscale)
[Best</a> Ivy League Schools By Salary Potential](<a href=“http://www.payscale.com/best-colleges/ivy-league-schools.asp]Best”>http://www.payscale.com/best-colleges/ivy-league-schools.asp)</p>
<p>There are other differences that might be significant to you.
Compare average class sizes, on-time graduation rates, average faculty compensation, faculty awards, professional school admission rates, alumni PhD completions, etc.</p>
<p>Of course, there may be other issues besides cost. That seems to be the case here.</p>