There isn’t a right answer.

I used to be pretty adamant that I would never take the ivy league road with a ton of debt. And I still am, but I definitely see some benefits that come from being an ivy league student the more I meet.

Here’s why I would choose the lesser-college with a full ride — I could take that 250K and put it towards professional development work. Even if I spent 5K per year on mentors, internships, and external courses, I would likely end up learning more for the cost of 20K while still coming out with a degree. Moreover, having 250K will allow you to be more risk-tolerant meaning you could pursue more lofty projects.

Here’s why going to an ivy for 250K is still a viable option — connections, support, and exposure. The more I talk to ivy league students, the more I realize that the level of conversation and the university experience is just different. At ivy’s, you’re able to make connections much easier (their alumni connection is powerful!). Ivy’s have better support systems (help with external projects, professors that are not just researchers, but active in their field). And exposure — being around so many brilliant students puts you in a different mindset and directly puts you in the middle of innovative things.

Note: I’m oversimplifying and generalizing these examples.

But what would your preferred option be?

#themillionimpactmission