I would say no... It's a prestigious name to have on the piece of paper, but I'm not sure that's worth starting out in life with a full mortgage-worth of debt.

I would say no... It's a prestigious name to have on the piece of paper, but I'm not sure that's worth starting out in life with a full mortgage-worth of debt... I think I'd have had to double down and go through the I-banking/consulting/doctor/lawyer track to try to dig out, rather than go into something I actually kind of enjoy. I was poor enough that the financial aid made it a better decision - something like 3-5k more per year than going to my state university, which doesn't look anywhere near as good on a resume.