Vanderbilt undergrad, graduating with 40k debt : worth it?

Psata82
Fri, 10 Apr 2015 14:31:48 +0000

The OP is ruminating about College choices, yet have not made a decision about what he wants to do career-wise. This, IMHO, is putting the cart before the horse. I cringed everytime I have heard a High School Senior say that they are unsure of what their major will be in College. Now we know why the 4-year College graduation rate is so dismal and student loan debt has skyrocketed over the past 20 years.

Predicting 4-year Student Loan Debt without knowing your what your College Major will be in 3 - 4 months, is asking for trouble. You don’t want to make a decision at the start of your Junior Year and realize that 30+ of your completed College Credits are useless and that you will have to spend another 1 - 2 years completing your degree. Your first priority now should be to settle on a major and let that drive your college choice. Oh, make sure that choice is something that will lead to gainful employment and/or a rewarding career. You do not want to be a jobless Vanderbilt graduate living at home with your parents, who are now saddled with $40K (or more) of student loan debt. If you think I’m joking, research how many graduates of Top 10 Universities that are unemployed or waiting tables at your local restaurant! Kids these days are too focused on selecting the “right” College without giving much thought to the ultimate career choice and are now taking 5 or more years to graduate from College with huge student loan debt and no prospect of a “good” paying job on the horizon.