HUGE Post, but I really need help/advice

cellardweller
Thu, 16 Aug 2007 15:37:55 +0000

It’s not stupid to bypass Princeton or MIT. In fact, I would say that it’s stupid to attend if you are interested in grad school.



I disagree. If you can to be admitted to Princeton or MIT you need some pretty good reason to turn either down. I can’t see that your financial situation as being one of these reasons.

MIT has the top chemical engineering program in the country and preferentially admits its own undergrads into its graduate programs. It also has lots of premeds that place very well at top medical schools. Both schools place a disproportionate number of their students into top graduate and professional programs. It is simply not true that your chances would the same if you enrolled at any other college.

Both MIT and Princeton have excellent need-based finaid programs that are essentially all grant based. At MIT over 65% of students are on financial aid. In your situation, you would probably find the net cost to be lower than that of an in-state student at a major public university. Both schools also have lots of on-campus jobs and well paying research jobs that would further reduce your net contribution. Finally, nearly all students at MIT and Princeton graduate in 4 years and enter med school upon graduation, which is definitely not typical of most institutions.

Finally, if you are of the caliber to be admitted to either school, there is a lot to be said about being surrounded by some of the brightest kids of your generation and having access to world class faculty. You can get a great education at many fine colleges, but the experience will be dramatically different.