I was just wondering if it was worth going to a high level college like Ivy League/Stanford over something local and not as prestigious.
Is it worth going to a prestigious university such as Stanford over normal and less prestigious uni?
If you get in and the financial aid is sufficient, there is a lot to be said for highly ranked colleges. They usually have more resources per student. But you have to get in, too. That doesn’t mean you can’t get a good education at your local school, though.
Why do you mean “is it worth it?” What are your perceived downsides?
Assuming that you get admitted (not a given), it depends:
- Net price at each and can you afford each without excessive debt?
- How well do they fit your academic interests?
- How well do they fit your other preferences?
Yeah, I think this depends on debt. I think if you have to borrow more than around $50,000 to attend it may not be worth it.
It also depends on what your “local and not as prestigious” option is. You could be talking about a state flagship like, say, University of Washington or University of Wisconsin or Penn State or University of Virginia - all excellent schools, more local to residents of those states, probably cheaper to WA/WI/PA/VA resident families in the upper middle class. You could also be talking about a less prestigious private university like, say, Lehigh or University of Rochester or University of Miami or Tulane, where maybe you have a scholarship that covers costs or you prefer the environment. I mean, those places are technically less prestigious than Stanford, but they are well-reputed places in their own right and worth going to!
For med school aspirants, going to a more competitive college could result in you getting a lower GPA and cause you to get shut out of the competition.
Depends on a lot of things. It’s worth it for some people; it’s not for others. Next question.
Assuming admission & the ability to attend without over-extending yourself or your family… yes. If your net cost to attend, for those requiring financial aid assistance, is in the range of 0 to 125% of the net cost to attend a local or state university… it is likely a wise investment in your future.
In other words, there is a likely cap to the value trade-off. It is a little hard to justify graduating from any undergraduate program owing more than $50K IMO. If you can afford it and gain admission, HYPSM level colleges are worth it and pay for themselves over a lifetime, especially in terms of the strength of their alumni networks and credibility for your CV.