<p>mpnsoft; I wasn’t really replying to Susie at all in my post. I just noticed how this thread has evolved into another “IS IT WORTH IT FINANCIALLY” thread when it came to the high priced schools. Basically; most of the time; it is NOT WORTH IT. Not for the student or the parent; depending on who the one saddled with the debt will be. Are there exceptions? Most definitely. But the vast majority of the time, when it comes to your undergraduate degree; you are always better off graduating with little (5 year or less payoff) or no debt, then you are with a debt that will hold you or your parents hostage for 10 or more years. </p>
<p>Now; the key to all this is NOT THE SCHOOL. It’s the debt. I know first hand students who have been accepted to schools listed in the top 100 schools in the world. [Top</a> 100 Universities: Top Universities Best Colleges Top 100 Colleges and Universities](<a href=“http://www.ulinks.com/topuniversities.htm]Top”>Top 100 Universities in the World: Best Colleges) . My son personally had been accepted to more than one of the schools on the list. And none of them would have put him or me in financial straights. Some were truly 100% full rides. The thing to realize is it’s not about the school. It’s about the money. Apply to all the schools you want. DON’T THINK YOU CAN’T APPLY to a school because they cost too much. That’s Poppy-****. Apply to HYPS or any other school you want. You might be surprised at what financial offers you get. APPLY to every scholarship, merit, PRIVATE, Grant, etc… that you can find. (The biggest problem students/parents have is that they don’t know how/where to get college money.) Then, after the acceptances are in; and they’ve told you what they have to offer; figure out the best you can afford. If you say; “Wow, I got accepted to such and such, but I will have to borrow $30K+ a year; but I HAVE TO GO THERE”. Then you are making a mistake. Don’t fall into that trap. If DUKE, Vanderbilt, U of Florida, Michigan State, etc… will give you scholarships, merit, etc… that will allow you to go free or a debt that can be paid off in 5 or less years; But Harvard, Yale, etc… didn’t, THEN YOU GO FOR IT with the ones who will. These are all top 100 schools in the world. There’s a reason for that. Don’t for a minute think that because it’s a public school or doesn’t have some particular name, that it isn’t a good school. A large amount of the top 100 schools in the world are PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES.</p>
<p>Also remember. A lot of people are thinking because of the economy, that the public state schools can’t accept everyone. And therefor some HAVE to go to private schools. Well this is part true and part not true. The emphasis really needs to be put on your kids. Especially if they are just starting high school. Whether they want to admit it or not, applying to college is probably one of the biggest job interviews of their lives. I don’t care if they don’t like the Idea of the IB program, AP classes, Honors, etc… If they want to be competitive, then they better take those classes. And they better excel in them. If not, then they need to look at lower schools and the community colleges. Nothing wrong with these, but you aren’t going to compete with the U of Texas, Michigan State, Ohio State, etc… with the 2.8-3.2 gpa. Especially as more and more higher gpa students have to apply there because they can’t afford HYPS. Also; get your kids out of the mind set that they need to go to some school within 100 miles of the house. ALL SCHOOLS have a diversity program. A kid from vermont has a much better chance of being accepted and given merit/grant/scholarship money applying to the University of utah or Arizona state, than they do applying to a college in the North-East. WHY? Because those schools have a lot less students applying from Vermont and they WANT DIVERSITY. A student from Wyoming or Montana actually has a better chance getting accepted and financially to going to the big name schools back east than in some of their own parts of the country. Again; the school wants diversity. Anyway; if a student really wants top school; then I suggest the link above to the top 100 in the country. Many are public schools. Many offer good financial assistance. And they are listed in the top 100 despite they don’t have a prestigious name. Why? Because those rating the schools are doing so on how it helps your education and getting a job; and not based on that you’re friends will be impressed.</p>
But, when all was said and done, I passed the CPA exam on the first try. I’ve done OK, even though I despise accounting now and have left the profession.</p>