<p>I am attending usc and will have 30k total debt by the time i graduate (transferring). I plan to major in econ/international relations double major or Econ/business minor....Do you guys think this debt is do-able? my parents want me to take this offer and have told me they will pay it off but i just feel...guilty....</p>
<p>how strong is USC's alumni network in california? I hear it is the best in socal but will i be able to find jobs in northern california (berkeley, palo alto) or newport area? My parents dont really know much about colleges in general...</p>
<p>I don’t think it’s bad as long as that’s the end of it, no plans for grad school debt or anything of the kind. I have about 24k in federal loans and my payment is about 214. I majored in poli sci and could easily pay that on my salary. It was the extra 36 in private loans that killed me. Debt for law school on top of this could kill you. Make good choices… </p>
<p>I would have picked the cheaper UNC option if I were picking between these two schools, especially since you mentioned wanting law school, but that’s not your question anymore. I think you’re going to be feeling really sheepish in a couple years…</p>
<p>ETA: Just reread and see that your parents said they will pay it off… that may change things. However, whose name are these loans going to be in? Because if it’s YOURS and they’re just SAYING they’ll pay it off, I wouldn’t count on that. Anything could happen between now and when these loans go into repayment, as terrible as it is to think about.</p>
<p>I’m so glad you finally made a decision! Quit second guessing yourself and looking for validation from other people. Order a USC hoodie, t’shirt, and car decal, and celebrate for crying out loud!! Time to get off CC and join the USC transfer FB group.</p>
<p>USC has a very strong alumni network all over Southern Cal, and a strong (but not as strong) alumni network in the Bay Area.</p>
<p>Do you have debt from your first two years? If not, $30K in debt with an econ/business degree from USC sounds reasonable if you want to relocate west for your post-college career. If you want to eventually work in the southeast or mid-Atlantic, I’d stick with UNC, which is a great school. </p>
<p>But…if you plan to go on to an MBA program, you might want to stick with UNC, save up cash, and then apply after you’ve had a couple years work experience. The top twenty MBA schools are not cheap, and most students won’t (imo) financially benefit from going to a lower-ranked school unless they’re doing an Executive MBA sponsored by a company for which they’re already working. YMMV.</p>
<p>‘Is it worth it?’ is a subjective question with a lot of variables in the equation including ability of the family to pay.</p>
<p>To put it in context, $30K is about the price of a new car. When you graduate, instead of immediately buying a new car, keep driving a used car until you pay off the $30K. If you have a job that pays a reasonable salary and don’t rush out to buy a lot of new things when you graduate you s/b able to pay off $30K in a fairly short timeframe.</p>
<p>Of course, paying off just $15K or $3K would be even easier and quicker.</p>
<p>Will UNC REALLY get me farther on the west coast? i have decided i DEFINITLY want to live in california after graduating…especially in newport beach area if possible. I really analyzed it deeply…USC will grant me better opportunities on the west coast vs UNC period. Additionally, USC is 60% public school kids 40% private school kids and more diverse. UNC is 85% public school kids</p>
The OP is attending USC so rehashing the UNC vs USC argument isn’t going to go anywhere (see link in post 2 if you want to see how that went).</p>
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The OP’s parents will be paying the loan so telling him that this will tie him down in the years post graduation doesn’t apply. It may not be wise to take out the loans regardless of who is paying, but this argument isn’t going to make a difference to him.</p>
<p>Well, $30,000 is okay if that’s the total amount of loans. But, if you’re not going to have to pay them off (as you said your parents will) then what does it even matter?</p>
<p>Yes, the OP made the right decision. He would not be happy at UNC. D1 just graduated from UNC. After a lifetime of attending “elite” private schools, UNC was like a breath of fresh air to her. She loved the diversity she found there.</p>
<p>I just read a bit further into your posts and am really going to put a caveat out there even though I think this is a done deal. The OP has a right to feel uneasy having his parents take on an additional $30k ($15k/year?) in debt even if they have agreed they can handle it. Their EFC is $1,200, he has a sibling at an ivy, and his father is out of work like so many Americans right now. Unless his fin-aid package from USC contained all grant money with the exception of the $15k loan previously mentioned, there is additional loans on top of this. Also to consider, we have no idea the debt already incurred for years 1 & 2 of the OP’s education. Yikes!</p>
<p>Obviously you’re going to do what you want, however taking on any debt that you don’t absolutely have to when a parent is unemployed is unadvisable.</p>
<p>Is the OP pulling our legs? From his posts, he just graduated from a very elite college prep school (boarding school) two years ago, but his profile states he is 24 years old. </p>
<p>Regardless of all that, if he is for real, I really hope he matures while in college. 30K doesn’t seem extreme is that is the TOTAL debt which comes from a USC degree, but if his parents are struggling financially, I do think it’s prudent to prepare for the possibility that they may not be able to help out with loan repayment.</p>
<p>USC attracts more international students than any other US university. The Op might be uncomfortable with the number of “furiners” there. They may be ultra wealthy, but I don’t think they play lacrosse or even wear Lacrosse shirts. He’d be better off in an F. Scott Fitzgerald novel than the real world, which is racially diverse.</p>
Debt for law school on top of this could kill you. Make good choices… </p>