<p>I am currently in a state school in NE right now and my life is miserable...school doesnt have my major, my sport, anything</p>
<p>I have fallen in love with wisconsin and i recently applied for transfer and am waiting for the results...</p>
<p>however, its about 35k a year and i am OOS with an EFC of about 900 (sister at an ivy so my family can focus on me more financially)</p>
<p>is a OOS school like wisconsin worth it? i would be majoring in business or economics/international studies......</p>
<p>according to their estimates i get about 10k a year in FA....so its about 75k for 3 years.</p>
<p>my parents make 50k a year, but my grandparents may contribute a bit.....</p>
<p>I still see wisco as a possibility, maybe ill find a way to make it all work out, but is a business degree from wisconsin worth 75k? maybe my parents/gparents will chip in ~20k....</p>
<p>Also, i like business, economics, international relations, environmental science.....which is the most profitable major?</p>
<p>I know what it feels like to be stuck in a place where you’re miserable. I do really appreciate the crushing weight of that. Sadly, though, I’d have to say, no, an out-of-state public is probably not worth the cost in your case. That’s a terrible burden of debt. Are there some other in-state options for you that would be an improvement over your current school?</p>
<p>If you can stick it out and get your degree with no debt or little debt, then you’ll have SO much more freedom to move somewhere you love being and build a life there.</p>
<p>thanks for the input …sadly the debt does seem kind of immense…</p>
<p>but lets say my parents/gparents DO contribute SOME of the money…is 60k that much money to pay off for my WHOLE life? wisconsin business has some level of prestige to it doesnt it? my parents dont make much but are extremely supportive for me to take any oppertunity i get…</p>
<p>Most people who know what they’re talking about advise students to limit their debt to 20 to 30K. Even that seems very high to me, but I think you should be very wary about taking on twice that much. That’s a scary amount of debt.</p>
<p>is 60k that much money to pay off for my WHOLE life?</p>
<p>You don’t get your “WHOLE life” to pay it off. You’ll have to pay it back within 10-15 years. And, you’d need co-signers for that much debt. Would your parents qualify to co-sign? If they have debt of their own, they may not.</p>
<p>This is tooooo much debt for undergrad. You should limit debt to $20k-30k total.</p>
<p>NO…a grad degree from Wisconsin is not going to result in some higher paid job. That’s a myth. </p>
<p>What state are you in? Can’t you transfer to your state flagship?</p>
<p>I’d say that expensive OOS publics are worth it if you don’t have to borrow heavily to go. Otherwise, no - but I’d say the same thing about private schools that can only be paid for through heavy borrowing.</p>
<p>Great public schools like Wisconsin, Michigan, UVA, W&M, the top UCs, etc., offer an exceptional experience, which is why they can get away with their OOS sticker prices. But if you’d be more than $20K or so in debt, it’s best to make the most of your own state school or other affordable options. Very few 4-year degrees will result in the kind of job that will make repaying $60K comfortable on an entry-level salary.</p>
<p>A more affordable option - have a great first year or two at your affordable state school, then transfer. Though you may be successful and happy enough at your first school to be content to stay until graduation.</p>
<p>*Very few 4-year degrees will result in the kind of job that will make repaying $60K comfortable on an entry-level salary.</p>
<p>*</p>
<p>Very true. The payments would be similar to two additional car payments…in addition to any real car payment a person might have. All you have to do is ask some young professionals if they can afford to make 2 additional car payments for the next 10 years in addition to all of their regular expenses and they’ll surely tell you “no way.”</p>
<p>You are a resident of Massachusetts, correct? Are you at UMass-Amherst?</p>
<p>Despite the ranking/reputation difference between WI-Madison and UMass-Amherst, the difference for most undergraduates is absolutely not worth the type of debt you are talking about.</p>
<p>I am familiar with both of these universities. The economics department at WI is preferable to UMass, no doubt about that, but that is more significant for graduate students. Generally, I would have answered economics to your question about the most desirable of the majors you listed in post #1, but given the slant of UMass economics, I don’t know…</p>
<p>But at any rate, you cannot go into that kind of debt for undergraduate–not at WI, not anywhere.</p>
<p>I don’t know what your sport is but UMass Boston has a great BS in Business program. I have a friend who went there and was well prepared for her MBA program. UMass Boston is a commuter school so I doubt they have any sports but if you want an instate program that isn’t horrible…</p>