# Should I have free college or really good college **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 12, 2002, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-have-free-college-or-really-good-college/97746 "2002-03-12T01:37:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Jman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jman/32/4416_2.png) [@Jman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jman)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2002, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-have-free-college-or-really-good-college/97746/21 "2002-03-14T05:02:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by monstro \* > \*\*I had an offer to go to Cornell on partial scholarship and I turned it down. Knowing what I know now about the place, I have no regrets. \*\* Hey, don’t be knockin’ my Alma Mater. 🙂 FWIW, I absolutely loved Cornell. As for the original post: go with the college that you really have your heart set on. You’ll get a good education from most any college. A free college education certainly has its benefits…if going to the mucho expensive school is going to put you in debt for the rest of your life, I wouldn’t do it. (although there are ways to pay for expensive schools without huge loans). However, in a job interview, _all other things being equal_, most engineering firms are going to take an applicant from MIT over an applicant from Podunk State. School reputation definitely plays a role in examining applicants for your FIRST job. After that, I’d say that most of your worth as a job prospect lay in how you performed in that first real job. However, school reputation definitely doesn’t play the biggest role, and a top notch student at a lesser regarded school will mop the floor with a below average student from a fantastic school. ---
**Author:** ![Kaje](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f04885/32.png) [@Kaje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaje)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2002, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-have-free-college-or-really-good-college/97746/22 "2002-03-14T06:27:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jman \* > **Hey, don’t be knockin’ my Alma Mater. 🙂 FWIW, I absolutely loved Cornell.** Go Big Red. Anyway, for my $.02. ASU, GW, etc… you’re choosing from some really good schools where the caliber of the education will be pretty well comparable. I could have gone to UT Austin for rediculously cheap and even though I like it here, I think I could have liked it there too, for less money, and received the same level of instruction. Point being, if you were choosing between a tiny school and a prestigious one you might need to weigh a few more things out, but all the schools you’re looking at will have no problem getting you where you want to go. Disclaimer: this is just the opinion of a guy who has only so much experience, so heed accordingly. ---
**Author:** ![super\_head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d6d6ee/32.png) [@super\_head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/super_head)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2002, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-have-free-college-or-really-good-college/97746/23 "2002-03-14T07:02:26Z")
I was a National Merit Finalist back in 1990 and had a few options open to me… Johns Hopkins was asking me to apply for their med program but I had no interest in medicine, Duke (who had first notice of me through their TIPS program) was offering me a tiny scholarship (maybe), and the University of Alabam offered me a free ride with a stiped. So, Tuscaloosa (U of A) was the choice for me. I got a good education, primarily by being in control of the classes/teachers that I wanted. I took part in the Honors program. I got involved in extra-curricular activities centered around my career choice. How did I make out? You tell me… …right after college, I interned in Finland for a year. I came back to the States and got a job consulting with Price Waterhouse. Five year later, I’m now living in Denver, doing internal consulting for a financial industry company, making nearly twice what I made with PW (now PwC). For a kid from Alabama, I think I’ve done ok. In other words, you’ll get out of it whatever you put into it - but I think someone else mentioned that. ---
**Author:** ![super\_head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d6d6ee/32.png) [@super\_head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/super_head)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2002, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-have-free-college-or-really-good-college/97746/24 "2002-03-14T07:04:26Z")
Good lord, that should say “Alabama” and “stipend” - I promise it’s tonight’s beer and not my education that caused that. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-have-free-college-or-really-good-college/97746.md?page=1)