<p>If this is true, then why does everyone on CC dream of going to an Ivy League school? For UNDERGRAD.</p>
<p>Why not go to a cheaper school like your state flagship and save lots of money?</p>
<p>Going instate to a school like UNC, UVA, U-Mich, UCB, etc. will give you a great education and save a lot of money. You can do great things there. You don't have to go to HYPSM to do great things.</p>
<p>Not to mention, it's undergrad.</p>
<p>So why are people obsessed with the Ivies on here?</p>
<p>Why do people get depressed when they get into UCB but get rejected to HYPSM?</p>
<p>You tend to have more opportunities to “do” things at an HYPSM versus a UVA or UCB. </p>
<p>Monetary resources, faculty, facilities, number of students, etc. all can facilitate/inhibit “doing” things.</p>
<p>But more importantly, everyone wants nothing short of the best from themselves, and for that, you can’t really blame them.</p>
<p>Even if it’s just “undergrad,” many don’t go to grad school, and even if you are going to grad school, the name/opportunities from a HYPSM will likely get you a better shot at great grad schools.</p>
<p>Why people choose to pay incredible amounts of money for school A when school B is ranked 30 lower and is tens of thousands of dollars cheaper, I’m not exactly sure. Poor understanding of finances maybe. </p>
<p>I am a parent who is spending tens of thousands of dollars per year to send my D to H instead of sending her in-state to UNC. UNC is a great school and a wonderful bargain for residents. I required both of my kids to apply there as their safety and would have happily sent them if they did not have better (for them) options. For my son, he received a full tuition merit scholarship that made cost a non-factor in his decision. For my D, H is just a much stronger choice for her both in terms of her academic and extracurricular objectives. Her major is physics where UNC is good, but H is great. If she chooses to follow the path of going for a PhD, then her working with the profs she has at H will open more doors to top PhD programs than if she went to UNC. </p>
<p>If it would have required taking on debt, then she would be at UNC. But we are fortunate to have the ability to afford H without any debt (partially thanks to my son taking the merit scholarship). Every family has to weigh the pros and cons of every significant financial decision and college choice is a big one.</p>
<p>OP You miss the point that for some families, saving tens of thousands of dollars – is not a priority. Even in our economic times, there is lots of wealth out there.</p>
<p>But ultimately, as an HYP grad, I agree with your overall sentiments-- that people fetishize the top-name schools way too much.</p>
<p>Mostly because our parents brainwash us into thinking that if we don’t get into an Ivy league, we’re going to be losers working at a fast-food restaurant for the rest of our lives.</p>
<p>For some of us, the in-state options are not the likes of UNC, UVA, U-Mich, and UCB. Would you like your choice of colleges to be between Clemson and South Carolina?</p>