Anonymous
Post 05/22/2026 01:13     Subject: Ivy worth full pay?
I’m struggling to see how this is a serious request for advice when you've withheld the most critical context. Rankings vary wildly by source, and the 'prestige gap' outside the top tier is largely a myth.

If you actually want meaningful input, you should clarify: Does this price difference require your family or your kid to take on debt? What is your kid's planned major & how does the Ivy specifically serve those goals better than the other option?

Sorry to say but you basically seem to be looking for validation rather than any genuine insight ppl on DCUM could provide.
Anonymous
Post 05/22/2026 00:51     Subject: Ivy worth full pay?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My DS got accepted to one of the Ivies—think Princeton, Yale, or Harvard—but we would have had to pay the full cost, around $100K per year. He also got accepted to University of Florida with a full ride (tuition plus room and board).

We told him that he could attend UF and have $400K+ (depending on investment growth) waiting for him at graduation, or he could attend the Ivy. Seven years earlier, one of his older brothers had been in the exact same situation and chose to attend an Ivy League school, which he later regretted. His $300K could have grown into several million dollars. We’re not wealthy, so while money isn’t everything, it’s important to be able to live a stress-free life.

My older DS advised his younger brother to take the $400K and attend UF, and he did. He’ll be a freshman at UF in a few months.

YMMV.


let's see what he thinks of his decision later.

i was full pay at HYP. no regrets!


PP here. Did you fully read what I wrote before commenting? DS older brother paid full tuition at HYP and regretted the decision.


It sounds like your entire family has bad judgment. Passing on H/Y/P for Florida, however, borders on criminally bad decision making. But here you are bragging about it.


The moms of kids who make these terrible choices are always extremely vocal about it on DCUM. I think they’re trying to seek validation because deep down, they know Florida over HYP is insane. Another example is the BC over Georgetown mom.
Anonymous
Post 05/22/2026 00:39     Subject: Ivy worth full pay?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My DS got accepted to one of the Ivies—think Princeton, Yale, or Harvard—but we would have had to pay the full cost, around $100K per year. He also got accepted to University of Florida with a full ride (tuition plus room and board).

We told him that he could attend UF and have $400K+ (depending on investment growth) waiting for him at graduation, or he could attend the Ivy. Seven years earlier, one of his older brothers had been in the exact same situation and chose to attend an Ivy League school, which he later regretted. His $300K could have grown into several million dollars. We’re not wealthy, so while money isn’t everything, it’s important to be able to live a stress-free life.

My older DS advised his younger brother to take the $400K and attend UF, and he did. He’ll be a freshman at UF in a few months.

YMMV.


let's see what he thinks of his decision later.

i was full pay at HYP. no regrets!


PP here. Did you fully read what I wrote before commenting? DS older brother paid full tuition at HYP and regretted the decision.


It sounds like your entire family has bad judgment. Passing on H/Y/P for Florida, however, borders on criminally bad decision making. But here you are bragging about it.
Anonymous
Post 05/21/2026 21:58     Subject: Ivy worth full pay?
Depends on the career goal. I agree w most of the posts here. If your kid is aiming at a career in Finance. HYP makes sense.
Anonymous
Post 05/21/2026 21:54     Subject: Ivy worth full pay?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My child got off an Ivy waitlist. I hope this post doesn't get derailed on that point. My question is---->is a close to full pay Ivy worth it? We were offered $10k in aid. Total cost will be roughly $80-85K.

I'm not going to say which school it is.
In general, would you stretch to pay it?
We're currently set to pay half the money for a school ranked around #30.


Don't tell us the ivy but at least tell us the alternative.


This.

Huge difference between GA Tech and UCSD where a quarter of the kids can't solve for X: 7+x=6+2 And over 100 freshman have below middle school level math proficiency.
Anonymous
Post 05/21/2026 21:52     Subject: Ivy worth full pay?
Anonymous wrote:My child got off an Ivy waitlist. I hope this post doesn't get derailed on that point. My question is---->is a close to full pay Ivy worth it? We were offered $10k in aid. Total cost will be roughly $80-85K.

I'm not going to say which school it is.
In general, would you stretch to pay it?
We're currently set to pay half the money for a school ranked around #30.


Don't tell us the ivy but at least tell us the alternative.
Anonymous
Post 05/21/2026 21:07     Subject: Ivy worth full pay?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My DS got accepted to one of the Ivies—think Princeton, Yale, or Harvard—but we would have had to pay the full cost, around $100K per year. He also got accepted to University of Florida with a full ride (tuition plus room and board).

We told him that he could attend UF and have $400K+ (depending on investment growth) waiting for him at graduation, or he could attend the Ivy. Seven years earlier, one of his older brothers had been in the exact same situation and chose to attend an Ivy League school, which he later regretted. His $300K could have grown into several million dollars. We’re not wealthy, so while money isn’t everything, it’s important to be able to live a stress-free life.

My older DS advised his younger brother to take the $400K and attend UF, and he did. He’ll be a freshman at UF in a few months.

YMMV.


Really? I hope you made that up, because your poor second child might come to regret it. You let your first kid "advise him", when he doesn't have the many years of perspective necessary to realize the full value of his brand-name diploma?

Unwise on all fronts.


Yes, it’s very possible that he may regret his decision later in life. However, I hope I did a good job raising him so that he can make the decision that is best for him. At the end of the day, it’s his life, not mine.
Anonymous
Post 05/21/2026 21:00     Subject: Ivy worth full pay?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My DS got accepted to one of the Ivies—think Princeton, Yale, or Harvard—but we would have had to pay the full cost, around $100K per year. He also got accepted to University of Florida with a full ride (tuition plus room and board).

We told him that he could attend UF and have $400K+ (depending on investment growth) waiting for him at graduation, or he could attend the Ivy. Seven years earlier, one of his older brothers had been in the exact same situation and chose to attend an Ivy League school, which he later regretted. His $300K could have grown into several million dollars. We’re not wealthy, so while money isn’t everything, it’s important to be able to live a stress-free life.

My older DS advised his younger brother to take the $400K and attend UF, and he did. He’ll be a freshman at UF in a few months.

YMMV.


let's see what he thinks of his decision later.

i was full pay at HYP. no regrets!


PP here. Did you fully read what I wrote before commenting? DS older brother paid full tuition at HYP and regretted the decision.
Anonymous
Post 05/21/2026 20:57     Subject: Ivy worth full pay?
Anonymous wrote:My DS got accepted to one of the Ivies—think Princeton, Yale, or Harvard—but we would have had to pay the full cost, around $100K per year. He also got accepted to University of Florida with a full ride (tuition plus room and board).

We told him that he could attend UF and have $400K+ (depending on investment growth) waiting for him at graduation, or he could attend the Ivy. Seven years earlier, one of his older brothers had been in the exact same situation and chose to attend an Ivy League school, which he later regretted. His $300K could have grown into several million dollars. We’re not wealthy, so while money isn’t everything, it’s important to be able to live a stress-free life.

My older DS advised his younger brother to take the $400K and attend UF, and he did. He’ll be a freshman at UF in a few months.

YMMV.


Really? I hope you made that up, because your poor second child might come to regret it. You let your first kid "advise him", when he doesn't have the many years of perspective necessary to realize the full value of his brand-name diploma?

Unwise on all fronts.
Anonymous
Post 05/21/2026 20:54     Subject: Ivy worth full pay?
Anonymous wrote:My child got off an Ivy waitlist. I hope this post doesn't get derailed on that point. My question is---->is a close to full pay Ivy worth it? We were offered $10k in aid. Total cost will be roughly $80-85K.

I'm not going to say which school it is.
In general, would you stretch to pay it?
We're currently set to pay half the money for a school ranked around #30.

Depends on your goal. If premed, I am having a hard time imaging full pay at an ivy over half COA at a T30.
Anonymous
Post 05/21/2026 20:43     Subject: Ivy worth full pay?
OP, the ivy is likely the right pick.
Ours went to an ivy in the top 10 and turned down a full ride--to a school that offers rare full merit scholarships--around T30. We did not apply for aid because we make a lot, but not so much that it is not a stretch.

The ivy has been worth it several times over. There is no substitute for what that level of peer group and faculty does for a bright student.

Anonymous
Post 05/21/2026 20:36     Subject: Ivy worth full pay?
Anonymous wrote:I am a parent of a current Ivy undergrad and so far it has been worth it. He is inspired by his surroundings, fellow students and faculty, not saying that wouldn't be the case at other schools but there definitely is some sort of "it" factor.


+1000
Anonymous
Post 05/21/2026 20:33     Subject: Ivy worth full pay?
Anonymous wrote:My child got off an Ivy waitlist. I hope this post doesn't get derailed on that point. My question is---->is a close to full pay Ivy worth it? We were offered $10k in aid. Total cost will be roughly $80-85K.

I'm not going to say which school it is.
In general, would you stretch to pay it?
We're currently set to pay half the money for a school ranked around #30.

Go to the ivy and dont look back

Worth every single penny.
Anonymous
Post 05/21/2026 20:16     Subject: Ivy worth full pay?
You didn’t mention in your OP what your kid wants to do. That’s a huge part of this. Just because the school is an ivy doesn’t mean it’s a better fit or that the program is better for the major. There are a million reasons your kid could prefer one school over the other. We need to hear those reasons.
Anonymous
Post 05/21/2026 20:14     Subject: Ivy worth full pay?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My DS got accepted to one of the Ivies—think Princeton, Yale, or Harvard—but we would have had to pay the full cost, around $100K per year. He also got accepted to University of Florida with a full ride (tuition plus room and board).

We told him that he could attend UF and have $400K+ (depending on investment growth) waiting for him at graduation, or he could attend the Ivy. Seven years earlier, one of his older brothers had been in the exact same situation and chose to attend an Ivy League school, which he later regretted. His $300K could have grown into several million dollars. We’re not wealthy, so while money isn’t everything, it’s important to be able to live a stress-free life.

My older DS advised his younger brother to take the $400K and attend UF, and he did. He’ll be a freshman at UF in a few months.

YMMV.


And your kid couldn’t have decided this before applying to the ivy? Just weird…


I still can't believe op's kid could have gone to H/Y/P and instead is getting a Florida degree. Just a complete waste.