| Topic Name: |
How much debt is too much? |
| Message Name: |
I agree, and I'd also like to note that.. |
| Date Posted: |
04/19/2001 |
| In Reply To: |
It's hard to assess your question with even the customary imprecision without a few more specifics, but the general rule is that a top 10 school opens enough doors to
make up for increased debt.
In the second 10 to 15, the issue gets a bit closer, and below the top 25 or 30, the
"school rank" differences become less important, and cost becomes more important among same-tiered schools.
I went to an extremely inexpensive public law school in my home state, and never kicked myself that I did not go a tier or two higher when I had the chance. But my "top admit" would have been something like bottom of the first tier/top of the second tier. That's a far closer question. If your top admit is top 10, it's worth the debt. |
| Message: |
I agree with the above, but I'd like to add that the real difference betweeen schools ranked 15-25 and those ranked 1-14 are geographic.
For instance, students who graduate in the top 40% from Georgetown (ranked 14th) can work anywhere and expect to have a decent shot at making around 125K a year. But students who graduate from, say, USC or Boston College and are in the top 40%can only expect to make 125K a year in that school's "territory." The difference between schools in only in the top 25 and those in the top 14 isn't so much the amount of money made, but where they can expect to make it.
I'm at the University of Southern California, and I expect to make as much as graduates of more prestigious schools. But I'll have a hard time finding my pair of "golden handcuffs" outside of Southern California.
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