<p>I am proud of my degree and my debt :)</p>
<p>hahahahaha.... i just said 4*14=64..... did I mention I intend to major in Statistics and Ops Research at Wharton? Wooops.</p>
<p>whartonalum, debt is never a good thing to have. Given ops choices, I don't see how he doesn't go with the lower debt option. For the long term, a Princeton degree = a Wharton degree, but he'll have less debt. Financially wise people go with the Princeton choice.</p>
<p>Anyone who thinks that a Wharton grad has a better chance of getting into IB than a Pton Econ/Finance grad, or that the W grad will be paid more than the P grad, is flat-out wrong. Thus, no reason to take on more debt at Wharton.</p>
<p>When you graduate from Wharton you will realize that you would have chosen it all over again over a free ride from anywhere anyday. </p>
<p>It's one of those experiences that you never regret or take for granted, and it's a decision that you will thank yourself for for the rest of your life.</p>
<p>Take it from the old people :) I'm sure all alums have that feeling about their alma maters though.</p>
<p>"I'm sure all alums have that feeling about their alma maters though."</p>
<p>Exactly. I'm sure he'd have a great time at Princeton--like Penn, it seems to be one of those places where you rarely hear negative comments from students. I don't think that telling him to take on the extra $56k of debt at Wharton is very good advice when Princeton is a cheaper option.</p>
<p>To think the only calculation of outcome is the opening investment banking job salary is being ludicrously short-sighted. Wharton opens you to larger numbers of options, especially in smaller firms like hedge funds and private equity who do not have training programs, and gives you the greater exposure to applied business. In terms of a larger leg-up on career earning potential, $56,000 is still a small price to pay.</p>
<p>It was very easy from the west coast to say, Berkeley I pay in-state tuition and still can work east coast for good undergraduate money. But there's no way the drive, ambition, knowledge of potentials on the buy-side, training would have been as good as Wharton, and Berkeley is an applied business school too. No way I get the job I get or even know to apply for it from Berkeley.</p>
<p>what were ur stats</p>
<p>"To think the only calculation of outcome is the opening investment banking job salary is being ludicrously short-sighted. Wharton opens you to larger numbers of options, especially in smaller firms like hedge funds and private equity who do not have training programs, and gives you the greater exposure to applied business. In terms of a larger leg-up on career earning potential, $56,000 is still a small price to pay."</p>
<p>Enough with this ********. In terms of any form of career potential: Harvard=Wharton=Yale=Princeton. There is really NO difference. The fact that most places have an intensive training program says enough about how easy it is to learn the functions of an ibanker.</p>
<p>This thread is not about blindly believing that Wharton is the be-all, end-all school on the planet just because you got accepted/go there. There is actually another person here asking for advice, and if he listens to this blind alma mater faith, he's going to end up $20k in the hole right after college. Maybe you guys should think about that.</p>
<p>Bring your Princeton Fin Aid Offer to the attention of Penn admissions. Often they will match it.</p>
<p>in rare cases they will match it</p>
<p>I will say this- there are many Wharton undergrads who go onto business school who often think they should have done liberal arts undergrad or had a greater exposure to social or scientific subjects. Everyone will have to guess for themselves what they wish they did in 10-20 years.</p>
<p>On the other hand, many Wharton undergrads do not have to go to business school because they went to Wharton (most commonly those who do not change their field a few years after graduating)- think of the savings there- no business school at $100,000+ for 2 years, make $150-300k for those 2 years instead. </p>
<p>Plus the broader set of specialized options that smaller firms go to Wharton to recruit for. To remain wedded to the investment banking factories as the only option and Princeton can get you there just as good is incredibly closed-minded.</p>
<p>It is highly likely they will match it</p>
<p>crescent, your line of thinking is absurd.You don't need to have a BBA (or BSE) to get a job in business if you're coming from a school like Princeton. And most W grads do end up at b-school anyways. End of story.</p>
<p>Yet again, a job of any kind seems to be your version of the end game. I disagree. From Wharton, I think the number of opportunities in finance esp. in harder-to-get jobs in private equity and hedge funds will far outnumber what you get from Princeton. The chances of a plain vanilla 80-hr a week banking job at Morgan Stanley probably about similar at the 2 schools (though I tell you, there are more Wharton grads in those programs than Princetonians). </p>
<p>The point of not going to business school is at Wharton you have the option of not doing it and creating an $800,000 turnaround in income made and tuition not paid if know what you want to do for a specialization. If you take the attitude, "I will just go to business school", then the question is almost moot where you go to undergrad. That was not the original question, however. </p>
<p>You lack the detail in your response to make any claim like "end of story."</p>
<p>"From Wharton, I think the number of opportunities in finance esp. in harder-to-get jobs in private equity and hedge funds will far outnumber what you get from Princeton. "</p>
<p>Very few PE funds/HFs recruit at the undergrad level at all. Blackstone is one of the notable PE firms that does recruit at UG, and they only took four people from Wharton last year (out of 500+ grads). You can't really think that minute chance of getting a PE/HF job (Citadel recruits actively at Princeton anyways) from Wharton and not Princeton justifies $56k in debt.</p>
<p>It's not just about formal recruiting. Many smaller firms will look to hire only a few undergrads and will limit their recruiting to Harvard, Wharton, Stanford, Berkeley.</p>
<p>Your form of advice is absurd- "Doesn't matter where you go to undergrad- you'll likely go to business school anyway. All those people who found their niche early on and made post-MBA money without an MBA- that's not likely to happen to YOU- forget about figuring out the right applied speciality for you in the specialized Wharton finance classes- you'll figure it out sitting on the grass at Princeton."</p>
<p>Of course there are going to be more Wharton grads at everything business related. Theoretically ALL of them want to go into some form of business. A smaller percentage of liberal arts grads want to go into I-banking/finance/b-school/whatever. That doesn't mean that they have a harder time getting there, especially if they go to a place like Princeton.</p>
<p>Actually jpps, only 35% of Wharton alums ever go back for an MBA. 35% does not equal most. It's actually a very small number, if you think about it.</p>
<p>So, when you think about the opportunity cost of getting an MBA - not just the money you pay (not just tuition) and the salary you forego for those 2 years, but costs to your personal life (especially if you're trying to have kids at that time of your life), Wharton can be a better decision in the long run for a lot of people. Especially females. I don't know if the OP is a female or not, but either way.</p>
<p>I'd try to get a finaid match offer. Penn is sensitive to its yield and will go the extra mile to preserve it (their efforts have paid off as Penn's yield is only 2% lower than pton)</p>
<p>When Princeton first announced its all grant program, Dean Stetson was said that Penn will not allow any student to choose Princeton based on a superior financial aid offer. This was quoted in the DP.</p>
<p>If you have a written offer from Princeton you can leverage it.</p>
<p>Your choice between the two schools can be made based on other factors. Money should not be determinative.</p>