<p>You have two choices:
1) $1,000,000.00*
2) Getting into the college of your choice</p>
<p>Go!</p>
<p>*This cannot be used for bribes, or improving your college admissions chances in any way. Also, if you already know you're going to the college of your choice, treat this question hypothetically.</p>
<p>I personally would choose the latter.</p>
<p>Well, I don’t want to be rich, so I’d go for getting into the college of my choice. It’s more important, long term. Though I suppose I might take the $1,000,000, start a charity to fight poverty, then take my chances on college admissions. Yeah, actually, that might be better.</p>
<p>Option #1 easily</p>
<p>@BillyMc: did you read the fine print? “This cannot be used for bribes, or improving your college admissions chances in any way.”</p>
<p>
Right, because I totally want to combat poverty, just to get into college. Not even close, totally unrelated. I would want to do that because I care about humanity and wish to do my part in eradicating poverty.</p>
<p>^Ah. I thought you meant you’d do that, then put it on your resume (which every sensible person would do). But, if you’d rather start a charity than get into the college of your choice, I can see your reasoning.</p>
<p>
It would take longer than a few months to set up, anyway. If the rules are that I won’t put it on my transcript, then I still stand by my choice. I was assuming that number 1 did not include “not get into the college of your choice”, but rather “it is not ensured”. I would be happy attending every school I’m applying to, anyway, so I see no reason to not do great good and take my chances on what great schools I get into.</p>
<p>Assuming I’m debt-free from college, have no living expenses, and have a $50,000 yearly salary, it’d take me 20 years to earn one million. I’d rather take the money and then pursue one of my dream jobs or hobbies in life. The whole point of college is to get a good job and earn money anyway- in my opinion.</p>
<p>This is 1 million dollars we’re talking about! Prestige is, ultimately, superficial and worthless.</p>
<p>I don’t even need 1 million. I would put a full ride to any top 40 college to strong consideration over a university of my choice.</p>
<p>Well, if you can get into the college of your choice, then that’s pretty much any school out there, including the Ivies. If you can pursue a path that will lead to high paying salaries in the future, then the latter is best.</p>
<p>$1,000,000 easily. </p>
<p>I am going to go out on a limb here and say many on CC would get into a Top 40 school anyway so really it becomes $1,000,000 + UMich, UCSD, Ga Tech etc. against HYP. Whatever you wanted to do in life, the money is definitely going to help but a Harvard degree is less clear cut.</p>
<p>However, empirical studies have not shown such a correlation - students accepted to Harvard who chose not to attend earned the same as those who chose to attend. The ability and motivation which leads to acceptance to Harvard drives success, rather than the Harvard degree.</p>
<p>Personally, I would trivially choose the first - and I walked the walk. I took a full scholarship at only the #8 or 9 ranked law school, rather than paying to attend a more prestigious school. And that was only worth about $140,000, and prestige is much more significant for law schools.</p>
<p>A tougher choice might be $1 million on the condition that you would never attend any college. There, the opportunities and careers are certainly substantially different.</p>
<p>You all make good points. But, also consider this: you spend 4 years of your life (roughly 4.5% of your lifespan) in college, and taking option #2 would allow you to spend those 4 years anywhere you wanted. Always had dreams about living in NYC?.. take option 2 and you can go to Columbia. Also, given that many people’s top choices would be HYP, the financial aid would be huge. In addition, if you didn’t reach your full potential in high school and want to second chance at persuing your intellectual interests, option 2 wins again–especially if you choose somewhere with unbelievable research opportunities, say, Duke–which would in turn set you up perfectly for getting into the PhD program of your choice (or pretty close to that). Just throwing that out there… not all people go to college solely to position themselves for making money… some do it for the experience, and academic opportunity.</p>
<p>I managed to accomplish #2, and if I had to choose between that and a million dollars I think I would actually go with the college.</p>
<p>Money</p>
<p>No doubt.</p>
<p>(but then I *did *get into my dream school)</p>
<p>1 million. C’mon guys, ONE MILLION!</p>
<p>1 million and go to my second choice school and be able to pay for everything, then get into a great med school, pay for that, and still have money left over while I’m doing my specialization, and then GO OUT THERE AND HELP THE WORLD.</p>
<p>Oh. It’s not real? I guess I got into it.</p>