<p>OP - I’m gonna go the other way here. {Ducking} I have a younger brother who got into Vandy by the skin of his teeth. He’s smart and a hard worker but by no means brilliant. Went into investment banking and slept on another brother’s couch in NYC for YEARS. Bartended at night and worked like a dog. Got laid off right at the beginning of the recession and took a job in a startup for no money, just stock. But he is now in his mid 30’s and it has all paid off, he is making an impressive salary. He will tell you that without that Vanderbilt name to start off, he would have been hard pressed to get in the door. That’s all it did was open the door but that is what he needed. So I would say it COULD be worth it. </p>
<p>Could you also look at applying for scholarships for students who are continuing school? There are some out there and with your impressive stats, you might have a good shot at those. You’ve already saved one whole year tuition so that’s a good start. You say your parents are not able to pay the whole bill, would they be willing to pay the loan payments for the first years while you work your way up? That is certainly a deal that I would make if I was in their situation and had a kid who was as motivated as you are to go to brand name school. </p>
<p>You seem to be going into this with a clear plan, a backup plan, a complete understanding of the obstacles and the determination to make it work. I am against taking on a lot of debt in most cases but there are exceptions to everything and I would say this is an exception. I would try hard to minimize the debt as you go anyway you can but given what you have said here, I would say transfer. </p>