<p>I would like to second everything that katliamom said. </p>
<p>I personally would not take out that amount of loans for a college education. Too many things that could go wrong that would leave me with a crippling amount of debt. (I was in your shoes, by the way. I opted for a full ride at a liberal arts college and now I am a grad student at Stanford, funded on a fellowship that pays me $30,000 a year in addition to tuition and health insurance. It’ll take me a few more years to get that “elite” college degree, but I came out debt free.) </p>
<p>One of the things that could go wrong, as katliamom said, is the work visa situation. There were two years in the last decade where it was literally <em>impossible</em> for new college graduates to get a work visa to stay in the US. Visa rules and demand change every year, so unfortunately no one can predict how things would play out for you. </p>
<p>Other things could change as well. How confident are you that you really want to work 80-hour weeks as an investment banker? What if you don’t get your dream job? What if something happens (e.g. unexpected health issues) that will force you to quit college without a degree?</p>
<p>I’d be too risk-averse to take on that gamble, but it does work out for some (and goes horribly wrong for others).</p>