<p>Then, you are fine. I would go with Yale. I’ve seen some families really hit hard because they so wanted to give their kids the best, the most, what they wanted, and they simply could not afford it. If you can cover the cost of Yale by borrowing your Staffords, working, and your parents do have the resources where they can make up the rest of the gap and maybe borrow some, I would go ahead and go to Yale. At age 18, you don’t know what you will end up wanting to do and I do believe that this is an experience not to be missed. But it’s not worth throwing your family under the financial bus for.</p>
<p>One thing to note is that it really isn’t an advantage of Rutgers’ that you have guaranteed research. Research is readily available at Yale with a 3:1 student:faculty ratio in the sciences. And at Yale, the professors you will be working with will be world-renowned. </p>
<p>(Nothing against Rutgers professors, of course. Having worked with a state flagship professor last summer, I know that they are great as well. However, there is something to be said for working with a professor at one of the top schools in the world.)</p>
<p>Hopefully I’ll see you at Bulldog Days, OP!</p>
<p>@rebel11 yes I did get the presidential, which was $24,700/yr…I believe that’s the entire cost of tuition and fees so I don’t know where you’re getting these “few thousand dollars” from.</p>
<p>A schools total cost of attendance also includes books & personal expenses totaling a few thousand dollars. Most put these costs @ 3-4K</p>
<p>Yale.
How I long to be in your shoes.</p>
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<p>I’ve gotten a lot of mail from state schools offering me full scholarships, stipends, iPads, all that jazz. I’ve talked to my parents a lot about it - especially because I’m fifty-fifty on going to med school, which is obviously quite expensive - and we’ve agreed that for me personally, the full ride wouldn’t be worth it. I haven’t gotten into Yale (and probably won’t), but I will emphatically say that I would choose it over a state school any day. I would be much, much happier at Yale.</p>
<p>For $20k debt, I would vote for Yale.
My friend, a physician who is at a prestigious medical school and hospital and in her 40s, picked U of Chicago over Harvard many moons ago for money reasons. Even though she is a successful physician and got there via U of Chicago, she still occasionally asks “what if?”</p>
<p>However, only your parents know their financial status and what they can or should be able to pay.</p>
<p>So it sounds like the Yale education will actually cost you about $80,000, of which you think you will need to borrow about $20,000. That’s still a very substantial discount from full pay at Yale (over $200,000), but it does make this a closer call. It’s important to discuss your long-term plans with your parents, visit both schools if you can, and look carefully at the programs of study they offer. No matter what anybody says, this is not a no-brainer either way.</p>
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<p>Exactly. If parents have to shell out +$60K and the student needs to get $20K in loans – versus practically no cost at Rutgers – the family needs to look at the big picture. Retirement funds, grad school help, etc. Nothing is clear cut. Regardless, nice options either way!</p>