Boston U full scholarship vs. Yale full price

[Anonymous]

OP said they have $120K in a 529, can pay $25K/year, and her DD would have to take out $15K/year in loans for Yale.

If she went to BU tuition free for undergrad, she'd have $220K left for three years of med school- more than enough. She'd have $0 debt upon med school graduation.

If she went to Yale for undergrad, she'd have $60K in debt before she even got to medical school, and then $250K+ left from 4 years of med school.

It is absolutely, positively mind-boggling to me that anyone says Yale is worth it in this case. No wonder we have the student loan crisis.

[Anonymous]

I am taking my DD to Bulldog days in the AM. Are you and your daughter going OP?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is a real academic pecking order in Cambridge/Boston. BU is pretty far down the list. I don't care if it's free.

And you're an idiot.

[Anonymous]

The choice is not Yale vs full pay BU but Yale vs full pay BU with guaranteed admission to medical school. The latter is worth picking BU over Yale.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is a real academic pecking order in Cambridge/Boston. BU is pretty far down the list. I don't care if it's free.

This. MIT and Harvard, obviously. Boston College and Tufts too. And I'm probably missing a small SLAC in Boston that's above it too.

The best looking girls at BU and Wellesley all gravitate to Harvard men first, MIT second. Could be very frustrating for your DC if he's male.

So you think with your crotch.

[Anonymous]

Anyone here still clamoring for Yale boggles the mind

[Anonymous]

This has been raised before, and it's a bit old-fashioned and tongue in cheek, but...

If DC is girl, there is more value in going to a "prestige" school because she will be surrounded by rich young guys. But this probably won't matter since she wants to be a doctor. For men, it's almost better to go somewhere more humble, where he won't be dismissed as one of "the poors" by the rich girls at Yale.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This has been raised before, and it's a bit old-fashioned and tongue in cheek, but...

If DC is girl, there is more value in going to a "prestige" school because she will be surrounded by rich young guys. But this probably won't matter since she wants to be a doctor. For men, it's almost better to go somewhere more humble, where he won't be dismissed as one of "the poors" by the rich girls at Yale.

OP here. DD is a lesbian. Gasp!

Anyway, decision will be made by Wednesday evening! She's doing the Bulldog Days M-W and will decide then.

Thanks for all your input.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This has been raised before, and it's a bit old-fashioned and tongue in cheek, but...

If DC is girl, there is more value in going to a "prestige" school because she will be surrounded by rich young guys. But this probably won't matter since she wants to be a doctor. For men, it's almost better to go somewhere more humble, where he won't be dismissed as one of "the poors" by the rich girls at Yale.

OP here. DD is a lesbian. Gasp!

Anyway, decision will be made by Wednesday evening! She's doing the Bulldog Days M-W and will decide then.

Thanks for all your input.

Good luck to your daughter, OP! She has 2 great options and can't go wrong, IMO (but I'd choose BU if I were her)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This has been raised before, and it's a bit old-fashioned and tongue in cheek, but...

If DC is girl, there is more value in going to a "prestige" school because she will be surrounded by rich young guys. But this probably won't matter since she wants to be a doctor. For men, it's almost better to go somewhere more humble, where he won't be dismissed as one of "the poors" by the rich girls at Yale.

OP here. DD is a lesbian. Gasp!

Anyway, decision will be made by Wednesday evening! She's doing the Bulldog Days M-W and will decide then.

Thanks for all your input.

Good luck! And don't forget to report back!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My friend turned down Yale for a slac as and spends so much time wondering "what if?" I know that financially it makes sense to pick BU, but if it were my dc, I would encourage Yale for the outstanding academics, cohort and overall experience.

Exactly. OP, I'd think hard about that.

+100

+1,000,000

Meh. I went to prestigious Ivy over going to my state flagship for free (UF) and had a great experience, but spent a lot of time thinking "what if I wasn't so much in debt?" My life could have gone very differently.

Haha, I had then EXACT same choice (though somehow coming out of ivy didn't have as much debt -- maybe younare older before Ivy aid got very generous)

But i know career wise I would have ended up in almost exact same career -- you can take the boy out of the country but can't take the country out of the boy. I just didn't have the chops for how to plan and navigate a 'big' career -- no clue and no worthwhile advice from friends and family.

But ivy degree DEFINITELY helped in dating and I married way way up from what would have been my lot as a UF Honors grad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The fact your kid wants to be a doctor changes the equation. Yale is helpful to get into professions such as i banking or start ups. Med school don't care whether it's Yale or BU, they care about the MCATS and gpa. I would take the full scholarship, your kid is going to want to keep loans down if he or she is going to med school and avoid being half a million in debt by the time they are done.

I know tons of people in a competitive medicine field and most of them did not go to ivy leagues. Now if your kid wanted to do a start up or banking or another field then the equation changes again, but as a wannabe doctor whatever school works as long as grades are good and super important to keep student loans down since you'll be studying for a long long time not earning any money. I know doctors with a ton of student loans that can't even hug houses in their mid thirties.

But what if he changes his mind like so many college kids do? I too was premed until I bombed organic chemistry, as were most of my friends.

OP, your child should do whatever gives him the most options long term. I think that's Yale.

But what if the student changes their mind or bombs after going a couple years to Yale? Isn't he/she still in debt?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This has been raised before, and it's a bit old-fashioned and tongue in cheek, but...

If DC is girl, there is more value in going to a "prestige" school because she will be surrounded by rich young guys. But this probably won't matter since she wants to be a doctor. For men, it's almost better to go somewhere more humble, where he won't be dismissed as one of "the poors" by the rich girls at Yale.

OP here. DD is a lesbian. Gasp!

Anyway, decision will be made by Wednesday evening! She's doing the Bulldog Days M-W and will decide then.

Thanks for all your input.

Then, she needs to be surrounded by young rich women. BU is a school where most kids are comfortable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My friend turned down Yale for a slac as and spends so much time wondering "what if?" I know that financially it makes sense to pick BU, but if it were my dc, I would encourage Yale for the outstanding academics, cohort and overall experience.

Exactly. OP, I'd think hard about that.

+100

+1,000,000

Meh. I went to prestigious Ivy over going to my state flagship for free (UF) and had a great experience, but spent a lot of time thinking "what if I wasn't so much in debt?" My life could have gone very differently.

Haha, I had then EXACT same choice (though somehow coming out of ivy didn't have as much debt -- maybe younare older before Ivy aid got very generous)

But i know career wise I would have ended up in almost exact same career -- you can take the boy out of the country but can't take the country out of the boy. I just didn't have the chops for how to plan and navigate a 'big' career -- no clue and no worthwhile advice from friends and family.

But ivy degree DEFINITELY helped in dating and I married way way up from what would have been my lot as a UF Honors grad.

Wel op's daughter will not be "marrying way way up" like you. Sounds like you went to college back in the day for that old famous MRS degree.

[Anonymous]

I hear Tim Tebow is still single.