Unfortunately, I would have to take out 15-20k in loans per year at my dream school. At my second option, I would graduate debt free. I am at the point where I will regret any university I pick; at one, I will regret the debt, the other, the dream lost. I know I could be happy at my second option, but I can’t stop comparing it to my dream.
Where is the line drawn between being optimistic and being foolish? Do I follow my heart or reason? Thank you so much for your advice!
Oy! A damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don’t decision. Those can be nasty, and –if you’re lucky–you won’t face too many in life. I’m sure this is very difficult for you, but you do seem to be approaching it in a mature and very reasonable way.
Yet, as much as I empathize with your dilemma, I also feel that it’s not appropriate for me–an Internet “Dean”–to weigh in on such a major choice without knowing you or at least a lot more about you.
However, I will share with you the story of “Caitlin,” a terrific and talented young woman in my orbit, who was facing a similar dilemma five years ago. She opted to pass up her dream school (which was Georgetown) to attend Lafayette College because Lafayette had offered her a big merit scholarship and she could graduate debt-free. I reminded her at the time that her four years at Lafayette would go fast and that it wouldn’t be long before she could apply to Georgetown for graduate school.
I also pointed out that she had the potential to be a star at Lafayette. So, although there was no guarantee that she’d be admitted to grad school at Georgetown, she ought to be able to position herself to do so while minimizing the costs of her undergrad education.
By the time Caitlin graduated from Lafayette last year, she had had the opportunity to work closely with faculty members and had earned the college’s highest honor. She had also accrued a long list of graduate school acceptances,including one from Georgetown. But, yet again, she decided to pass on Georgetown to make another choice.
One thing that you may discover in four years is that your “dream school” at age 18 may not be your dream school at age 22. But the debt will dog you regardless. Of course, no matter which college you choose, the other will be your “Road Not Taken,” and you may always wonder if you made the wisest choice.
But, before making ANY choice, here’s one thought: If you attend the pricier college, could you be in the running to be a Resident Advisor, which might cut out your room and board costs? (Some colleges offer deep discounts and even stipends for R.A’s; others are less generous. Also, at some schools, only seniors can have these jobs; sometimes, elsewhere, even sophomores can apply.) Although an R.A. job wouldn’t eliminate all of your annual debt, it might make a reasonable dent in it.
And how about A.P. or I.B. credits? If you enroll at your dream college, might you have enough to skip a semester or even a full year to cut costs?
Another consideration is your prospective major and career path. If you are looking down the road to med school or law school, you’ll probably also have more debt ahead. (That was the aforementioned Caitlin’s situation.) If you’re not thinking grad school, you may not be facing
additional debt, but this could mean you’ll have a harder time repaying your undergrad loans. Certain majors, however (e.g., engineering, computer science) MAY put you in a better spot to start paying off undergrad debt
right away than other majors will. So this has to be factored into the equation as you make the hard decision ahead.
If you want, let me know the names of the two schools in contention and perhaps I’ll have more to add once you do.
Finally, what advice is coming from your parents? Are they encouraging you to take the cheaper school or the more prestigious one? Although this may ultimately be YOUR decision, the peace that comes from it may be at least
partially affected by the level of support you get at home.
Good luck to you as you count down to May 1.
