<p>I got accepted into my dream school. i competed for, and won, their 2 largest scholarships. excellent, right? </p>
<p>but they gave me everything else in loans, and there is no way i am going to take on 50K in debt just from undergrad. my family and i just can't afford it.</p>
<p>i was accepted into the honors college at my home state's university. its an excellent program and many of my best friends will be there next year. its just.... ahh.... its not what i had hoped for.</p>
<p>it all feels like such a crapshoot. i feel like i did everything i could; grades, ec's, test scores. they obviously want me to go there- they wouldn't have given me so much merit aid if they weren't serious, and i have developed a close relationship with my admissions counselor and others at the school.</p>
<p>i know i will have an amazing and rewarding experience regardless of where i end up going. i love learning and i love people. i'm not worried about that. mostly i'm just embarrassed. I was so sure i had this in the bag, and i was wrong.</p>
<p>i'm going to try to appeal for more aid, but is it worth it? should i just stay close to home with and graduate debt free?</p>
<p>Definitely make one last push to appeal for more aid. If this is your true dream school, you should have lots of incentive to give it your all to be able to enroll. You should not take on more debt than you are comfortable with, but again, if this is your dream school, $20,000-$30,000 worth of debt might be well worth it. Appeal your award, and see what happens. If the finances don't work, than they don't work. But I don't think that you should give up on a dream so soon.</p>
<p>Heh, I don't blame you. Oregon State is a good school, but the others you're looking at are considerably smaller. </p>
<p>I suggest taking a very close look at finances. Is work included in the financial aid package? Working full time during the summer, you could earn $4000-5,000. Working during the year, you could easily earn $2000. Being an RA would probably get rid of your housing costs. It really depends on how badly you want that dream school.</p>
<p>I would definitely appeal the financial aid decision. That kind of debt is more than double the usual at St. Olaf, Whitman, and Lewis & Clark.</p>
<p>Not many people graduate debt free, great if you can do it. I think you need to consider what you plan on studying and doing after college, some jobs will probably provide a higher salary than others, (ie social worker vs engineer), you could probably assume a little higher debt with the latter rather than the former, and still be able to pay it off with out too much difficulty.
Don't get too hung up on the "debt free" concept, like other posters have said, there are ways to earn some money and be able to still attend your "dream" school, and graduate with minimal debt.</p>