<p>So, I really really want to go to USC, but in the end it will end up costing me around 18,000 more in loans over Notre Dame over four years, from which I got a scholarship that will only require me to pay 1,000 in loans per year. I've visited both campuses, and I really think that Notre Dame wouldn't be SO bad, but USC has been a dream school for quite a while. Though I felt a little caged in when I visited ND. And pretty dreary compared to USC. Four years of my life that I will never get back... Should I go to USC and burden the extra debt, or go to ND and graduate with virtually no debt? I'm going to major in Biology, by the way. and.. is 22,000 of debt over four years a lot for an undergraduate education? I'm not sure if I want to go medical in he future, but I'm pretty sure that I will go on to graduate school for something.</p>
<p>It’s hard to ignore your dream, but if you’re planning on going to graduate school afterwards, that $22,000 in debt is going to be much higher when all is said and done. It might be better to go with ND and at least be moving into grad school with a somewhat clean slate, debt-wise. Obviously, if one school was significantly weaker academically, it would be easier to accept the higher out-of-pocket cost… but ND and USC are both such high caliber schools. We’re moving along in our first child’s college search and hope we don’t have to end her dream, due to economics… but that’s a very important piece of the puzzle. Best of luck with your decision.</p>
<p>You’ll have a good time at Notre Dame. </p>
<p>In the end, will you be wanting to spend that 700 dollars out of every paycheck for college or for a vacation or something else you want? Think of what you can do with 22,000 dollars. You can travel all over the place, start a decent college fund for your children in the future, buy a new car, go on a shopping spree, and whatever else you would like to do!</p>
<p>Notre Dame is the better school and its less costly. Sounds pretty clear to me.</p>
<p>22k is a reasonable amount of debt over four years. ND is an excellent school, but do you feel COMFORTABLE there? College should not be a cage for four years.</p>
<p>As a bio major, are you looking at pre-med or grad school? Bio grad school will probably be funded; med school certainly will not.</p>
<p>Yeah, I’m definitely with vociferous here. I don’t mean to come across in disagreement with the OP, but the reality is that I could see an argument for the opposite…paying more to go to ND over USC, but not paying more to go to USC over ND.</p>
<p>Though that is just because I am Catholic and always liked ND. I have this fascination with old, beautiful college campuses covered in ivy, with massive shade trees, and great architecture. But you’re right that it is a much more dreary environment than SoCal, and that’s the way I prefer it. I’m just the kind of guy that would rather play a game of intramural football in the rain, whereas someone who would rather avoid any and all rain and go to the beach all the time…they’re probably more of a SoCal type.</p>
<p>I guess I’m just saying, I’d wholeheartedly advocate ND especially over USC, but that’s just my personal bias! Some of us are Middle America types, some of us are East Coast types, and some of us are West Coast types.</p>
<p>I’ve chosen to go to ND! Thanks for input.</p>
<p>best of luck bamboosoul.</p>
<p>Go Irish…</p>