My sister is determined to go to Columbia...

[raz3000]

I'm at Northwestern right now (senior). I am a commuter, but tuition alone is $30,500. I get a lot of help from fin aid and grant and scholarship, but my regret is that I wasted away my time here getting nothing done 🙁

 

[digitalsm]

Originally posted by: Scribe
Princeton doesn't have a business school however.

Princeton no longers accept transfer applicants. They have an extremely high retention rate.

Also in the real world, it doesnt matter where you go for undergrad. Its matters where you get you graduate degree. To make the big bucks you need a graduate or professional degree. Merely having a Ivy League Undergraduate degree wont net you a whole hell of alot more than any major state institution, so no it does NOT pay for it self.

Personaly, Im transfering to where ever give me the most money. Right now that looks like Texas Tech(wont know until March). I could transfer to much better schools, but I cant afford them, and I am not taking out loans when I'll have to take out upwards of $90k for grad and law school. Im also extremely tired of working full time and going to school full time.

Its foolish to take out $100k in loans for undergrad.

 

[digitalsm]

Originally posted by: Legendary
First of all, Columbia >>>> Rutgers, Seton Hall (no offense)
Secondly, the difference comes from networking - networking through an Ivy League in NYC is like free job referrals everywhere you go. Same for NYU. That's what it's really all about. Rutgers won't provide you with anything near the sort of job opportunities you get from a NYC school.

If you actually bust your ass off at lesser schools you dont need connections/cronyism to get high paying jobs.

 

[gopunk]

i don't see what's wrong with her wanting to go to columbia. columbia is a top school... maybe her first job won't make up for the difference in tuition, but you need to look at it more holistically and with the long run in mind.

 

[digitalsm]

Originally posted by: Scribe

Originally posted by: oboeguy

Originally posted by: McPhreak

Originally posted by: Scribe

Originally posted by: oboeguy
Columbia >> Seton Hall, Rutgers.

Yup... but she won't get a job that pays SO much more to make up the difference of $$$.

I think it depends on what she's majoring in. If it's something like pre-business, then going to Columbia >> going to Seton Hall and getting a degree from there will pay for itself.

What's more it's not all about the job. A Top College(TM) generally has better students, better professors (not necessarily better teachers, mind you), better connections, better cachet, etc.

OTOH, there's something to be said about a full-ride at a lesser college.

Thing is though... Rutgers is near Ivy League (it WAS at one point!). It's one of the best state schools in the country -- better than Seton Hall who supposedly has 'lots of connections'. I just don't see how for an undergraduate, that they will make $50k more than a graduate from Rutgers to make up for the difference. Even 10K more is a stretch.

Thats a myth. They WONT be making $50k more with just an undergrad degree. There arent to many people making $100k with just a undergrad degree. An undergrad degree from an Ivy league school might get you a foot in the door but its not going to net that much of a higher salary. A grad and professional degree from an Ivy league school MOST certainly will net a MUCH higher salary than from a non Ivy league school.

 

[digitalsm]

Originally posted by: gopunk
i don't see what's wrong with her wanting to go to columbia. columbia is a top school... maybe her first job won't make up for the difference in tuition, but you need to look at it more holistically and with the long run in mind.

By that approach she would stay where she is, then go to grad/professional school at an Ivy League school.

 

[shortspanishguy]

Originally posted by: robphelan
yeah.. my wife went to a private university.. racked up alot of debt then:

1) married me
2) had kid
3) quit work
4) now i'm paying her loan off

posterchild for what you should NOT do. pwnt indeed.

 

[Jzero]

I went nearly free to TCNJ. I'm not sweating that I didn't go to Princeton or Drexel and have to pay for it.

 

[gopunk]

Originally posted by: digitalsm

Originally posted by: Legendary
First of all, Columbia >>>> Rutgers, Seton Hall (no offense)
Secondly, the difference comes from networking - networking through an Ivy League in NYC is like free job referrals everywhere you go. Same for NYU. That's what it's really all about. Rutgers won't provide you with anything near the sort of job opportunities you get from a NYC school.

If you actually bust your ass off at lesser schools you dont need connections/cronyism to get high paying jobs.

or you can take it a little easier, have a better network, and still get the high paying jobs...

there's something to be said for the mindset that your education is what you make of it, but reality is that for many jobs, you will have a slightly easier time getting in because you went to a prestigious school. graduate degrees matter more, yes, but lots of people go into ibanking/consulting straight out.

 

[gopunk]

Originally posted by: digitalsm

Originally posted by: gopunk
i don't see what's wrong with her wanting to go to columbia. columbia is a top school... maybe her first job won't make up for the difference in tuition, but you need to look at it more holistically and with the long run in mind.

By that approach she would stay where she is, then go to grad/professional school at an Ivy League school.

maybe, maybe not. if she's in business, she'll need to work a couple years before applying for MBA programs... and a lot of business jobs are easier gotten if you're coming from a good school.

 

[HamSupLo]

I think there isn't anything wrong with aspiring to go to a school like Columbia. I went to UCLA, but would trade it in a heart beat to go there. Columbia will open networks in NYC that Rutgers can't. Plenty of biz jobs in the city that will pay for itself in a couple of years. You sister can always just finish at Rutgers and go to Columbia for grad school.

 

[JTalbain]

Originally posted by: HamSupLo
I think there isn't anything wrong with aspiring to go to a school like Columbia. I went to UCLA, but would trade it in a heart beat to go there. Columbia will open networks in NYC that Rutgers can't. Plenty of biz jobs in the city that will pay for itself in a couple of years. You sister can always just finish at Rutgers and go to Columbia for grad school.

haha im a freshman at UCLA right now. wouldn't wanna go anywhere else.