<p>If you wanted to go on for a PhD, say in history, is it more advatagous to attend say ...Trinity College CT... or Fordham in Manhattan than it would be to work hard to be at the top of the class and develop an interesting background at a lesser known private school like say.......Salve Regina in Newport RI?</p>
<p>Or how bout being a Presidential Scholar @ Suny Albany?</p>
<p>Is the quality of life really much better and the student body more motivated or is this an exaggeration?</p>
<p>Will it really be worth my D carrying that kind of loan and then adding more loans for a grad degree especially if she wants to pursue a PhD?</p>
<p>there are certain points in the Graduate search that are diffeent from the undergraduate.Many grad students get fellowships,or assistanceships which can make the price of their schooling much lower than the "published" rate. Also, a grad student will be looking at the quality of a specific department more than the quality of the school overall.They will be concerned about who is teaching there,whoo is taking on grad students in the year they will be applying.They need to be concerned over placement rates for the departments graduates..into faculty positions if thats the expected career path.Then they also should consider the quality of life in the schools location.Can they live there fairly cheaply? It makes a big difference to be able to live on their stipend comfortably rather than having to borrow more from parents,or take more loans for their basic living expenses.</p>
<p>I would advise my son to go to Suny Albany, rather than taking on that amount of debt. I also know that he would listen. He would not want to graduate from a school that few people have heard of, so he would not pick Regina Salve, unless he really did not like the Suny, and really liked Regina Salve (then he might consider it). My son has chosen not to attend his first choice private college, b/c of the debt that all of the family would be facing.</p>
