Lucas
Is it really worth it to go to a big name school?
I’ve been constantly going back and forth between shooting for a big name school and going where I know I can get an education for basically free. I feel like expert opinions could really help as, especially with undergrad, it seems like it isn’t worth the pressure and extra money. With a 1520 and a 5.2 I’m fairly confident I can get into a decent school, but I don’t know if I want to take on big loans. Open to suggestions #college
2 answers
Thomas H
Thomas’s Answer
For more technical fields, such as computer science, it is more important to find a department with a good reputation and (possibly) where there are labs that will let undergrads do research. Technical skills are easier to evaluate and therefore the name of the school doesn't matter as much. Especially if you can get hands-on experience as an undergrad, then where you went matters less than what you learned. It also helps you refine your interests if you're able to get out of the classroom and get your hands dirty.
In less technical fields, such as literature or sociology, the name of the school can matter a lot more since these types of skills are hard to evaluate. If you're planning on going to graduate school, then the department's reputation will still matter more than the schools. However, if you want to get a job straight out of undergrad, the name of the school could matter a great deal. If this is the way you're leaning, you may want to attend a local state school for a year or two and then transfer to a more prestigious school if that becomes necessary. This gives you a lot of flexibility and lowers your costs.
Monica Barrett
Monica’s Answer
I would say that a big name school may be worth it depending on what you want to do, but most of the time the heavy burden of the debt you will incur is not worth it. If you can obtain a quality education that costs a lot less, then you will have an advantage going into the workforce later because you will not be saddled with so much debt. Student loan debt can eat up a big portion of your paychecks and the interest will continue to accrue as you go along. You may want to start saving to purchase a home in the future and start building your financial future, but if you have student loans that can erode your ability to save. You may want to defer the loan payments but that just means you're pushing the payments out further and in the end it will cost you more.
My advice is to research the field you want to go in and find out if a big name school will really make a difference in opening up doors to the workplaces you're interested in. Talk to people who already have the career you want, and see what they would think of a graduate from the schools you are considering attending. Make sure the school you select is accredited and well-respected as a quality institution. Your goal should be on getting the best education you can which will prepare you for the future. Once you have your first job, your work can speak for itself and in many fields, most of your coworkers will not know or care where you went to school. You need that educational foundation in order to be successful in the future, so if you can obtain a comparable education at a lower cost, it is definitely worth considering. However, if you are going into a field where the academic background from a big name school is highly valued and will be a consideration in graduate school down the road or in every position you apply for, then the high cost may be worth it.