<p>I remember when I prowled these boards (under a different user name) in 2008, every indication I got was that I was making the wrong decision.</p>
<p>I had been offered a full ride + at an out of state public school (can anyone guess which one?) that at the time was not ranked in the so called “first-tier.” It is now, but how much did that matter?</p>
<p>At the time, my father was still employed and we had a middle class income. </p>
<p>I went to a huge high school and we had “college counselors.” It was in Illinois. I met with one of the counselors and when I mentioned the offer I had, he shot me an “are you crazy look?” and I swear on my life said “have you ever been to the South, you don’t know if they’re still fighting the Civil War.”</p>
<p>Kids in my school with higher class ranks and similar test scores were willfully going to Northwestern, Georgetown, George Washington, and paying full price too. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, I was a nobody at my high school, but I was the only one who did enough research to see what was out there. I found a flagship state school willing to pay for everything. In fact, I have $5000 in a bank account that is nothing but scholarship surplus.</p>
<p>My GPA wasn’t perfect and there were only 10 full rides. I wasn’t offered one initially, but I constantly let admissions and financial aid know that I was interested. Then one day in early April, I received a letter that I had gotten it. Most likely someone turned it down to go “prestigous.”</p>
<p>Flash forward two years later. I have every opportunity in the world ahead of me. Likely much more than if I went somewhere “better” and was just another student. I have faculty members who are willing to fight for me, who treat me like their own sons. I just don’t think that would happen if I went elsewhere. </p>
<p>Now my mom told me about Suze Orman, and I just read the thread about how now the attitude is no longer “go to the best school you can get into” but rather “go where you can afford.”</p>
<p>It sounds crazy now, but literally, most people’s advice at the time was to “go to the best school you can get into.” My how things have changed. Amazing what a little recession can do. </p>
<p>It’s not a good thing that people are unemployed (my father included) and some people are struggling to make ends meet, but it’s refreshing that some of the elitist nonsense is fading fast. </p>
<p>I realize this doesn’t have much direction, and kind of sounds like an “I told you so” thread, but I just thought I’d end it on this note.</p>
<p>The most apalling thing I ever read on here that still angers me to this day:</p>
<p>Ball State was playing Navy on ESPN and some student had a sign that said “Everyone Scores Points on Navy,” the ole acronym sign. Anyway, one poster’s comment on here was “I was surprised someone at Ball State was clever enough to come up with that sign.”</p>
<p>I wish I knew where the person who made the sign and the person who made the post are today.</p>