What outcomes do STEM research undergrads have out of the targeted Ivy League schools?
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So true what you say - i can afford (hopefully) to , if not lift my kids, at least support them.
In fact, they are spoiled and have expectations that I regret - because you should have to work for what you get and they see things as expected.
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How will the OPās student pay off the debt? That is the issue. Advising this student to give up a full ride at Pitt to go into $60k debt without a clear path to high paying field because maybe Pitt is weaker in some areas and because middle class kids get some benefit from attending an Ivy doesnāt make sense to me. Thatās how the thread got derailed because every time this type of debt is at issue folks bring up consulting and investment banking since those are prestige focused even when the student isnāt interested in those fields. Total red herring argument.
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The Harvard student has a low chance at working at McKinsey too. Go look at the numbers. McK hires around 400 interns a year in total. Bain and BCG around the same. Do the math.
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So the tour was only about an hour and we were only able to walk through the Cathedral of Learning which is a beautiful building by the way. We did walk through a lot of the campus and see the outside of the buildings, dorms etc. Unfortunately we were not able to see too much of the area after because my son has knee issues and walking is very difficult. He is having surgery for it very soon. We arrived late last night and the campus was really bustling. Our tour guide was great. Very funny and a little quirky. He was a double major Microbiology and Art History. On a pre-med track. Also in the honors program. He talked about his research as a freshman in both of his majors which peaked my sons interest. He really loved the vibe of the campus and the proximity to the hospital. When I talked about my son loving fashion it was mostly a joke but he does love fashion and thrifting, up cycling etc. Although I doubt heās going to make a career of it. He is just interested in so many thing so he is going to have to figure it out. It was a very nice trip.
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Thanks for introducing this very thought provoking thread. Please let us know how it all turns out!
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thank you for the recap!! 
So glad it was a nice trip.
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Exactly! The fact that it seems to cost $100 to walk down the street in NYC made me discourage my son from applying to Fordham. Now he likes to report on how inexpensive the food is in Philly as compared to DC!
Funny you say that - my daughterās prom date was over - heās her boyfriend but heās not - i donāt get it. Anyway, I digress - but he visited U of Miami. My daughter got in but we never got to visit. I asked how it was - he said, nicest campus by far Iāve been to but kids spend $100 a night out drinking shots - itās really expensive.
Not what you say to the dad of the girl you are maybe datingā¦nonetheless, it goes in line with what you said about NY.
College will cost more than they say, more than you think - and all our angels, when they get away from us, will be experimenting and wonāt all be angels.
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@sparkleybarkley started the thread These reply buttons can get confusing.
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All undergrad are about 1 point - doesnāt matter if subsidized or not. Grad loans and Plus loans are more. I thought Plus loans were 5% origination fee, which is high.
Maybe it was plus - we got something in the mail or whatnot. Iām not taking loans. I thought it was for the ones after the $5250.
Iām just anti -loan. As people said in the chain, thatās an individual call. I was just thinking - points - thatās another cost.
He doesnāt know what the future holds either, so how can he commit to paying off large loans? I wouldnāt expect a teenager to really grasp what effect that kind of debt can have on his life. I donāt really understand why people who are in the middle of their careers think that a newish grad will be able to handle loan payments that they canāt. If you canāt pay for the school and donāt have the money to repay cosigned loans then it sounds like the school isnāt affordable for your family. Take the school you can afford. If he wants to take on debt for an Ivy thereās always grad school.
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Its harder to get as at harvard than at anywhere else. I think that ivy league is the way to go because its not subjectively harder. If he got to there it means he will be getting the best catering towards his education, full support and services (dining and faculty and higher level friends/connections), and a great education/degree. This is not a hard choice. You have to do whats best for the kid by providing the best experience. This is the best we have to offer in america i dont know why hed want to go to pitt over an ivy.
Are you offering to pay the difference for the family?
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I highly disagree with you creek. He can get financial aid or even students loans. Its not hard to receive funding from the federal government. If he cant then i would agree with you. You have to receive as much money legally as possible. That way you dont end up not being able to go to college.
But he can go to college - for free - to a terrific school for his interests.
This is not a case of āneed loans or canāt go.ā Iāve seen those cases and often I agree with you on for them - pending the student and their strengths.
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Federal student loans are only ~$5k/year. This family needs $15k. The only way this 17-year-old is going to get the extra $60k is if the parents cosign loans that he has to pay back.
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Cheapest college is ucb? Wow she us truly talented?!? Lmaoo!
If I was at my childās college graduation and I knew he would soon be responsible for paying back $500+ per month, and if I didnāt think I could help him out and take over a large chunk of the payments, I would be stressed and feel very guilty.
The stress would be even worse if he was starting a low paying job as a research assistant, or if he was heading straight to a PhD program (the interest will still accrue even if the payments are put on hold for a few years).
Yale is very hard to give up, but a full scholarship to Pitt will give him freedom.
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