I want you to make the best decisions for you. But some background to consider. Just the sobering stuff, as input.
Max federal student loans are about 27k. If you manage to find outside loans with good terms, 55k would cost you at least $600/month. For ten years. The total paid would be far higher, considering interest over that period. There are online calculators for this. Meanwhile, maybe you want to marry, have kids, buy a car, take vacations.
If your parents take the “Parent Plus” loan, their payments for you, as a junior, start due roughly Feb-Mar of junior year (amounts borrowed for first semester. It cycles up from there, as new loan amounts are disbursed.)
After grad, suppose you get a 48k job, as a rookie. That’s about 3k/mo after taxes. Rent, utilities, cell, food, entertainment, transportation…do you want 600+ due for loans each month?
If you work in DC, you could see what your friends pay for rent now, if you’d like to live where they do. If it’s NYC, other parent posts suggest you’d be lucky to share an apt for 1k, could be seriously higher.
Even if you go with Gtown, this dialogue is good. Maybe you’d get a higher starting pay, maybe you end up in a lower cost of living area. We cant know that now.
I know this is a tough decision. Best to you.