Actually, I know more than several kids who turned down prestige schools to attend free ride undergrad colleges…and they did their medical school or residency programs at places like Yale and Harvard.
It’s fine to have this opinion…about the prestige of an undergrad school and how it affects admissions. I’m willing to admit mine is based on the students I personally know. So…fact in those cases.
It’s a choice students needs to make. Some would happily lose a little in annual salary to NOT have any undergrad debt.