<p>If you had the choice between a highly selective state school e.g UC Berkely, UCLA, or U of Mich, and a super selective Ivy, such as Harvard or Yale, which would you choose? This is assuming the state school will have a significantly lower cost. How "worth it" is an ivy league (or other highly prestigious but expensive schools like Stanford and U of C) relative to the debt you build up?</p>
<p>The answer is as it always is in these threads: it depends.</p>
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<p>It probably won’t, if you’re out of state. If I were the kind of person who applied to/got into HYPSM they’d probably give me way more need-based aid than Michigan, which didn’t give me much of anything because I’m not from Michigan.</p>
<p>If the top state school cost a lot less I’d go there without thinking twice…in my eyes the schools you listed are really prestigious in themselves, so it’s not really a dilemma to me. If it were Harvard vs. Ohio State or something (I live in Ohio) and Harvard was going to cost a lot, I’d have to think more. </p>
<p>look around in this forum and you will find many threads that argue this question.</p>
<p>Harvard (/Yale) offers smaller average class sizes than Michigan (/UCLA/Berkeley) . Harvard (/Yale) also offers a chance to live and learn with a higher concentration of truly exceptional students from all over the country. In other respects, I don’t think the academic quality of these schools varies enough to justify heavy debt to cover a big difference in net price. The size of the price difference, and whether it favors one school or another, depends greatly on family circumstances. However, if you could not attend a public school like Michigan at in-state rates, chances are Harvard (/Yale) either will be cheaper, or at worst would cost up to about $8K/year more (at full pay rates). Many students who have the choice would find Harvard (/Yale) worth a few thousand per year more than Michigan (/Berkeley / UCLA). </p>
<p><a href=“http://www.parchment.com/c/college/tools/college-cross-admit-comparison.php?compare=Harvard+University&with=University+of+Michigan+-+Ann+Arbor”>http://www.parchment.com/c/college/tools/college-cross-admit-comparison.php?compare=Harvard+University&with=University+of+Michigan+-+Ann+Arbor</a></p>
<p><a href=“Compare Colleges: Side-by-side college comparisons | Parchment - College admissions predictions.”>Compare Colleges: Side-by-side college comparisons | Parchment - College admissions predictions.;
<p>On the other hand, many exceptional upper middle class students in Michigan or California would not even bother to apply to schools like Harvard or Yale, because they don’t think any private university is worth $30k-$35K more (at full-pay rates) than what they could get at a top public flagship.</p>
<p>If you want to work for Goldman Sachs/JPMorgan/Morgan Stanley investment banking or Mckinsey/Bain/BCG consulting, then yes definitely. Otherwise, it really depends. </p>
<p>I had this conversation last night with one of my colleagues. Her sister graduated from Harvard, MBA from Stanford, laid off recently just like any other employee. She is now working for a non-profit. The point that my colleague made was that her sister had arguably the best education, nevertheless her outcome was no different from a non-Ivy employee. One example may not represent the mean, but it is a precautionary story when the costs are up to $60,000 per year. </p>
<p>In medicine, my profession, an Ivy League education is absolutely NOT worth it.</p>
<p>bradybest and frugal doctor are correct. Ivy is most important on Wall Street. Furthermore, Ivy doesn’t mean anything among engineers. Before graduation, I sensed that communications skills distinguish an engineer; and I still feel that way 35 years later.</p>
<p>I’d say it’s worth the cost, regardless of major, IF you can afford it - and IF the Ivy is the school you’d prefer over the excellent public schools (and similar ones) mentioned by the OP. Even when money is no object, some people will be happier at Michigan than Cornell, or at Berkeley rather than Penn.</p>
<p>Affording it is the tricky part. If you can make a large tuition payment, either because you’re wealthy, or have planned extremely well, or have a benevolent set of grandparents in the picture - why not? If you aren’t wealthy but can afford your EFC without jeopardizing your retirement or crippling your child with private loans - again why not? HYPS are outstanding schools.</p>
<p>But NO school is worth taking on 10 or more years of significant debt, in an uncertain economy or at any other time. A degree from HYPS confers some advantages, but guaranteed prosperity is not one of them. </p>
<p>Ivy leagues are affordable to most families. If you think you won’t be able to afford HYP, they will give you generous aid, if it doesn’t give you much aid, you probably have more than enough to pay for an Ivy education. Ivys will most likely be cheaper than state schools.</p>
<p>But if you study medicine at an Ivy graduate school, that’s gotta be worth something right?</p>
<p>undergrad go to a school like muhlenberg, lafayette , hendrix or rollins college.
you will be a lot happier. (IMO) </p>
<p>No, myrealname. Medicine is “flat” in terms of where medical schools get you. The doctor who graduates from Ivy Med doesn’t get one more penny of reimbursement from Blue Cross than the doctor who graduates from State U Med. His patients aren’t any different. His hospital privileges aren’t any different. His everyday life in terms of the cases he treats aren’t any different. </p>
<p>I absolutely agree with Pizzagirl. We don’t even talk about our colleges or medical schools in the operating room or in the hospital wings. Seriously, no one cares! You definitely don’t earn more, you aren’t given more opportunities, and you won’t have any bragging rights. If it wasn’t for my involvement in this forum, I wouldn’t even ask the medical students where they attended college. </p>
<p>In employee recruitment (engineering background), Ivy/Elite college label gets some priority for calling candidate to interview, but after that does not matter and/or ignored.</p>
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<p>Students choose “Ivy League” for the prestige and experience. And it might be a wonderful experience to be surrounded by so many brilliant, enlightened individuals. But don’t fool yourself for a second into thinking that Ivy is a golden ticket that will give you a free pass in life. </p>
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<p>Does it? Wouldn’t engineering recruiters, if they have a school preference beyond local schools for convenience, favor schools which they see as elite for engineering, which are not necessarily Ivy League schools or other schools with a general elite prestige level?</p>
<p>Ivy is a golden ticket for those who continue to work hard (aka, treat college admission as beginning and not an end) - gives fantastic opportunity work with other bright and ambitious kids - yes they learn as much (if not more) from co-students as they do from teachers. As we see elsewhere in the world, elite institutions COMPILE (aka, gather under one roof, not produce, secondarily train/teach) successful people. </p>
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<p>No. What would it be worth? No one is going to pay you more.</p>
<p>And, some of the ivy SOMs aren’t ranked all that high anyway. (not that ranking matters for med school, it doesn’t. All US MD schools are excellent.)</p>
<p>What can your parents afford? If they can afford a pricey undergrad and afford to pay for med school (which does cost a lot), then go wherever you want. :)</p>
<p>If you qualify for lots of aid at an ivy and your family can pay the rest, then go there. :)</p>
<p>If your family has limited funds, but a high EFC, and can only help you with med school costs if they don’t have to spend a lot for undergrad, then consider cheaper alternatives. </p>
<p>I hear medical residencies are highly competitive to get. Does it confer any advantage there?</p>