<p>I have two choices. I could go to a top 20 school and pay 30-50 thousand dollars a year, or BYU provo (ranked 70) and pay 10 thousand a year. (dorm expenses are included). Will going to BYU make me not be able to get into U of Chicago for Grad? Or another great school? Is the extra 150 thousand dollars worth it???</p>
<p>Exactly where you go is not determinative of your future opportunities.</p>
<p>If however you go to BYU, you have to self-manage much more proactively. You must be in the top 5% in your class, and you must establish relationships with Professors who can mentor you. Just “going” to BYU vs. a top 20 school would indeed leave you lacking in opportunities by comparison.</p>
<p>Is a porsche worth it? A trip to Hawaii worth it? As you can see, there are no absolute answers of right or wrong, it comes down to circumstances and preferences.</p>
<p>If you are considering taking on that much debt, my advice would be don’t. If you’re asking whether your parents should pay that, assuming they can afford to, my answer would be yes (also I’m assuming its a private school you’re talking about for the top 20, not a huge public).</p>
<p>What’s the deal?</p>
<p>What is your major and intended career?</p>
<p>Who’s going to pay the extra $150k? Parents? Loans???</p>
<p>It sounds like you have high stats. Why are your only choices BYU and a top 20 school? There are other schools that would give a student with a high stats a very good scholarship.</p>
<p>Well my problem is that private schools all cost around 30 thousand. So the extra 8 thousand for a top 20 isnt that much more. So i could go to a less prestigious private school and get some merit aid, but that only lowers tuition to like 28 thousand. Thats a 10 thousand dollar difference, but is it worth it? </p>
<p>And the extra 150 thousand would come from parents/me working for the next 9 months and during college/maybe finacial aid.</p>
<p>*Well my problem is that private schools all cost around 30 thousand. *</p>
<p>**Actually, privates cost about $55k+ per year year<a href=“about%20$40k%20for%20just%20tuition”>/B</a>. And, you can’t just look at tuition. You also have to look at room, board, and books!</p>
<p>Many privates have very pricey room and board costs (sometimes as much as $15k per year which is probably a lot higher than BYUs costs).</p>
<p>For instance…</p>
<p>**Wash U<a href=“for%20the%20current%20year…next%20year’s%20costs%20will%20be%20higher!”>/B</a></p>
<p>Tuition and fees: … $40,374<br>
Room and board: … $12,941 </p>
<h2>Books and supplies: … $1,300 </h2>
<p>So about $55k without counting personal expenses and transportation.</p>
<p>**
*So the extra 8 thousand for a top 20 isnt that much more. ***</p>
<p>Yes it is, since your numbers are wrong.</p>
<p>So i could go to a less prestigious private school and get some merit aid, but that only lowers tuition to like 28 thousand. Thats a 10 thousand dollar difference, but is it worth it?</p>
<p>You could go to a less prestigious school and get some merit aid, and if your stats are high enough, your bill could be as low as $10k-15k per year.</p>
<p>You’ve assumed a lot with numbers without really knowing the real numbers.</p>
<p>What is your major?</p>
<p>What are your stats? include SAT breakdown</p>
<p>Destroyer:</p>
<p>Have you done an estimated FAFSA form? That will give you your Expected Family Contribution (EFC). A rich private school will then give you grants (free money), direct loans (they’re a low % rate), more expensive loans, Work Study (about $2,700 worth of work during the school year) to bridge the gap between Cost of Attendance (COA) and EFC.</p>
<p>Many times, a Private school with a big endownment will be able to do better than a Flagship Public, or BYU. But you’ve got to know your EFC before anyone can help guide you.</p>
<p>Great stuff. This site is a life-saver. My stats are a 32 act with 750 sat subject US his and 740 math II. In posting this thread i did not assume i would get accepted to a top 20, but i admit it is a possibility. I’m taking the ACT in december, hoping for over 33</p>
<p>BYU is a great school… in fact, I think it’s known for having a lot of its grads in prestigious graduate programs.</p>
<p>8k a year is 32k extra debt and that’s a lot.</p>
<p>But it is true you shouldn’t look at tuition cost. You should look at Cost of Attendence, especially if you will be boarding. Most schools have this info online, usually in the admissions page area–search for it.</p>
<p>Undergrad is not very important. </p>
<p>However I would NEVER choose to do undergrad at BYU. There is absolutely ZERO “college experience” there.</p>
<p>Break free from mormon mind control, go to UCLA or something, get laid, get drunk. Enjoy it because it’s the end of your life. After undergrad the real world sucks.</p>
<p>^ I lol’d.</p>
<p>^^ Amen. Don’t even consider the rest of the answers. GOPTexas’ comment is golden.</p>
<p>GOPTexas…don’t be disrespectful of people’s religions.</p>
<p>Anyway…the point is that undergrad isn’t that important as long as you go to a “good school”. Don’t go into debt for undergrad if you don’t need to.</p>
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<p>I completely disagree. While grad school will position you for a career in a particular field, your undergrad experience will have a lot to do with how empowered you are to go far in any field. Grad school is about preparation for a particular career; undergrad is about making the most of yourself and your future life in all possible settings. You can change careers throughout your life, but you only have one “you.” I’m much more concerned with my kids’ undergrad experiences than I am their grad school choices - if they do the former well, I have no doubt that they’ll be well-positioned for the latter.</p>
<p>Well then you’re ignorant. </p>
<p>When I say undergrad doesn’t matter, I mean just that. You go, you get a degree, you graduate and then you work for awhile before going to grad school.</p>
<p>My mother majored in Russian Literature, and then went on to medical school and became a doctor. I majored in Political Science and now I’m getting my MBA. </p>
<p>Undergrad is just 4 years of partying and fun to get a piece of paper so you can go on to get a real degree.</p>
<p>Undergrad isn’t that important for most majors as long as you go to decent school with a good program.</p>
<p>There are VERY FEW majors (if there are ANY) that require an undergrad degree from a top 20 or even a top 50 school.</p>
<p>Also depending what your intended career is. If you want to go Wall street, go to Harvard, Dartmouth, Yale, etc. Want to be a chemist, go to UNC, UCB, MIT, etc. What to be a diplomat, go to G’ Town and Stanford…</p>
<p>^^^</p>
<p>Finance on Wall Street and being a diplomat do require certain schools. To be a chemist, doesn’t. Again, very few majors/careers require attendance at top schools.</p>
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<p>I don’t know about that - I’ve been a college Vice President for 22 years, seen generations of college students come and go, seen how they’ve turned out, and in some cases seen what kinds of college students and people their kids have turned out to be.</p>
<p>And you?</p>