<p>Today, I was accepted to Princeton (my dream school), but was also given a full-ride to a lesser college including full tuition, room & board, travel stipends, a free laptop, and regular living expenses for all four years. Unfortunately I have to either accept or decline the award by THIS MONDAY, so I have virtually no time to mull over the decision. Would anybody please be willing to help me? Is Princeton really worth the debt, or would I be just as successful as a big fish in a small pond at the less prestigious school under the full ride? I honestly see both sides; a half of me wants to chase my dream to the university of unparalleled academic rigor, but the other half wants to take the money and run. Please help. </p>
<p>It depends on the financial situation of your family. can you afford Princeton? Are they giving you aid?</p>
<p>Aren’t you receiving the financial aid from Princeton?
If I were you, I would choose Princeton, because dream is more important to me. Maybe you will have to work very hard to repay the debts(very strange for a Princetonian to bear debts in fact), but you have fulfilled your dream! I think that’s definitely one of the meanings of life. Go for your dream! Money is nothing.</p>
<p>@marshmallowpop and @SAPenguin, my financial situation is a bit odd. My family’s finances this year qualify me for a great finaid package, but our finances are going to change quite a bit next year so this package is not guaranteed. For this reason, I have my qualms. I’m also wondering, is it better to shine in a less prestigious school or be one among many talented individuals in a renowned university like Princeton?</p>
<p>IMO, it is not really about the financial situation of your family because the debts you are bearing can be repaid by yourself in the future. I think choosing to shine in a less prestigious school is quite meaningless because you clearly know where you are in. Unless you think the pressure of Princeton is too much for you, it is always better to have clear view of the world in a place full of top students. With the renowned student to faculty ratio, I believe the education provided by Princeton is also better. There is no reason to turn down Princeton just because of money…that is what Princeton admission officers have been trying to avoid! I believe that if you really have the need, the office will consider your request carefully. Don’t let yourself regret!</p>
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<p>Remember that there is no guarantee of that at all. There are probably plenty of others at that less prestigious university who turned down other “stronger” places due to similar financial situation or other preferences.</p>
<p>definitely Princeton - You should be able to more than earn enough to pay off your debt. Life is a series of experiences, enjoy the ride.</p>
<p>Let us know what you choose, would like to get some guidance on Princeton admission. Also, Congrats</p>
<p>You might want to try Princeton’s financial aid estimator <a href=“https://www.princeton.edu/admission/financialaid/estimator/”>https://www.princeton.edu/admission/financialaid/estimator/</a> and put your projected financials in for the next year to see exactly how much it might change. That will give you a clearer sense of exactly what the costs might be ultimately. We found the estimator to be quite accurate so it should give you a decent idea of what your costs will be. </p>
<p>Princeton’s FA packages are designed so that students don’t have debt when they graduate, but that depends entirely on whether or not families are willing to contribute the full amount that Princeton says they should. If your family is willing to pay the family contribution amount Princeton indicates and you are willing to take an on campus job, you will graduate debt free. If your family expects you to pay them back, that changes the picture. </p>
<p>In terms of whether it’s better to “shine” in a less prestigious school, I think this question has some serious limitations long term. What do you see as the purpose of “shining” there? Is it to retain a personal sense of being the best or are there real advantages to this posture? The purpose of an education is to learn. You will learn information, how to approach problems, skills, time management…a whole host of things. Most of all you will learn about yourself. Perhaps taking the question down to which school will provide the best learning environment for you will help you sort it out. </p>
<p>You have obviously worked hard to be able to find yourself in this enviable position. Congratulations! </p>
<p>What is the other school?</p>
<p>@immasenior I’m not allowed to disclose this information officially until I have declined or accepted my offer, but I can tell you that while this school may not be ranked anywhere near Princeton nationally, it does have a communications program that is reputed. And writing, whether it be creative or journalism, has always been my passion. This is the aspect which makes the full ride more than just an average run-of-the-mill scholarship.</p>
<p>I have heard of lots of students declining HYPS for full ride scholarship. 250K+ is a lot of money for families fall in that gray area…“not rich but not poor enough…”, " dual income families"…etc. </p>
<p>So a lot of these families opt for the full ride. It is hard to evaluate since you are not able to disclose college name but this is a decision you need to take with your family. Yes Princeton will definitely give you the prestige wow factor but not at the cost of huge debt especially if you are looking at communications major which takes time (unlike say a profession that guarantees you a fat salary upon graduation). USC for example gets a lot of HYPS type kids for full ride.</p>
<p>But this decision should be a personal decision and your family’s comfort level. Also hope you are able to visit the other school to make an informed decision.</p>
<p>If your family needs to stretch the budget to send you to Princeton, full ride in a decent school is a better option. I am not sure that a career in journalism or communication will make you a lot of money to help paying the debt. Graduate school may matter more for academic jobs. A decent undergraduate school will not hold you back in looking for internship in industry or pursuing graduate study in top graduate schools. </p>
<p>Well, to the OP, I’m not sure that you can know what your career will be at this point. Princeton offers a wealth of extraordinary opportunities and experiences that you will carry with you throughout your life. Networking opportunities are also strong after you graduate. I have never understood the lure of going to a school that will not necessarily challenge you or where you feel you will be one of the top students.This is the time of life when you should be unafraid to challenge yourself and take risks- if not now, then when?</p>
<p>So the only real question is financial. It sounds like you are going to receive the aid you need from Princeton this year. Are you speculating about a potential loss of aid next year? What do you parents say? Does the scholarship you are being offered rely on you maintaining a certain GPA. </p>
<p>I would think long and hard before giving up the opportunity to attend Princeton.</p>
<p>Princeton will be very hard, but from your post of last year it sounds like you are up for it. Princeton will likely be a shock to your system because you will no longer be the smartest person in the room. You will also not be the most high-energy, or the richest or the most powerful. (You also will not be the dumbest or laziest.) This will all be very good for you, if you survive it and you don’t cry about your first B. If you are ready to ‘lean-in’, as the buzz word currently goes (works for guys or girls), you will get a lot out of it.</p>
<p>Certainly equivalent or even better academic educations can be had elsewhere since everyone has the same access to the books and if you are a superstar elsewhere you will get plenty of attention. But after you go through Princeton you will know you can swim with the sharks and survive. You will be immune to Ivy Intimidation for the rest of your life.</p>
<p>Picture yourself 25 years out. Are you going to be casually mentioning “I got into Princeton, but went to Alternate-U because they gave me a full ride.” Not good, for so many reasons.</p>
<p>Most people change majors at least once, so if your into journalism now I give you only a 50% chance of being into journalism at graduation. By the way, journalism does not require a journalism degree (which Princeton doesn’t have, for good reason.)</p>
<p>The only reasons for not doing Princeton would be because you are afraid you might not succeed, or you don’t really want to do the work, both of which would be terrible reasons, or because you don’t want to put your parents into debt, which would be a perfectly valid reason. Princeton financial aid is theoretically set up to not bankrupt people. If somehow your parents do get rich next year such that you lose your financial aid then give them a high five as you board the train to NJ. If they don’t then PU will keep paying so it seems like a win-win either way. Yes, I am being a little bit flippant, but this is a bigger deal than just the money. Pay your parents back in gold or affection.</p>
<p>Lean-In.</p>
<p>@asiceng, @midatlmom, everybody–thank you all so much for your detailed and immediate responses. After much debating, my dad decided to drive me to Princeton today. While I was standing mid-campus in awe, it hit me: in my heart, it has been Princeton all along–and if there’s ever been a time to chase my heart, it’s now. Although I’m sure I would have been happy at the full-ride college, I know wholeheartedly that I would have one day found myself wondering, “What if I’d gone to Princeton?” And I never want to have to wonder that in my entire life. I want to live life as a Princetonian. I want to push myself to new limits and leave an indelible mark on this world. I want to wake up each and every day knowing that I am a part of something so much bigger than myself. I want Princeton.</p>
<p>-Princeton University Class of 2018</p>
<p>@brianamarie0315
I’m glad you came to a decision! Good luck in your future endeavors! </p>
<p>@brianamarie0315 Your post brought tears to my eyes. I’m so happy for you :)</p>
<p>Same. I get it!</p>
<p>Thank you so much, everybody, from the bottom of my heart! I awakened this morning with the hugest megawatt grin on my face…I have a funny feeling this is something I’ll grow very familiar with over the next 4 years.</p>