Northeastern University (full tuition) vs. Georgetown (w/ 20k grant)

medman
Thu, 26 Apr 2012 14:32:49 +0000

^I completely understand your predicament and argument, but I would also encourage you (and others) to reflect on the purposes of investing in your undergraduate education. The prestige is a no-brainer. The academic challenge and enrichment is a no-brainer. Georgetown will afford you more prestige, stronger academics, smarter and more diverse/cosmopolitan students, and Georgetown will impress graduate/professional school admissions people and employers far more than Northeastern and Alabama. However, you all will succeed (or can succeed) academically at any institution, and your academic success will likely lead to professional success and financial security (it is clear, however, that the Georgetown degree and experience, alumni network, prestige, etc. facilitates this in ways that the aforementioned schools will not). However, the true investment in the undergraduate experience of Georgetown comes not only from the academic and professional domains but from the personal development and enrichment that is generated and fostered. Places like Georgetown are unique in undergraduate higher education–you will learn about yourself, the world, and others in ways that are difficult to replicate at other schools and in other times in your life; you will learn about yourself through experiences on campus, in Washington, DC, and through the incredible diversity of people and experiences; you will further develop your strengths and strengthen your vulnerabilities; you will put in action what you are learning; you will receive a “complete” education and undergo development (“Cura personalis”), as an individual, as a member of a strong community, and as a part of a greater world; your experience at Georgetown will challenge you in ways that will help to define your purpose and your faith (or lack of faith).
It is an incredible place and opportunity that is, again, difficult to achieve at other places (few places offer the combination of undergraduate-focused education, mentorship, real-life applications to learning, service for others, diverse student body, tremendous resources of a phenomenal city, plethora of social, professional and cultural opportunities in all domains and areas of interest, history, tradition, and a commitment to examining and developing knowledge, health AND spirituality–this makes Georgetown incredibly unique). This is worth far more than a quarter of a million dollars, as the return on the investment is a level of fulfillment that is truly priceless.