If you're thinking about community college vs. Ivy League universities, I must congratulate you. You're way ahead of your peers. While you have the option to go to an Ivy League university, you're probably thinking about the costs that are associated with going to an elite university.
The first factor you'll want to consider is exactly that, money. Will your family being paying for your education or not? If you're family isn't going to sneeze at $200,000, then you can skip reading this post and simply decided on attending an Ivy League school. However, most families do not have that kind of money stashed away. For most of us, $200,000 in Ivy League tuition would require us to take out student loans. If you fall into this group of students, community college might prove to be the best option for you. It's going to depend on your industry and job security coming out of college.
Competitive, Highly Paying Industries
Lets say, you're going into an Ivy League school for a competitive industry like Finance. If you're planning on becoming an investment banker, then you're probably not too worried about paying off your tuition. Another example might be researching pharmaceutical solutions. The University of Pennsylvania is known for the first Hepatitis B vaccine that do prove to be lucrative careers, though highly competitive. If you're aiming to get into a high competitive space with high paying jobs, then going straight into an Ivy League school may be best for you.
Low Paying Careers or Undecided Majors
On the other had, if you're not pursuing a high paying major, such as writing, performing or arts, community college can be a great way to save cash. Even if you turn down an Ivy League offer for community college, you can still be an Ivy League transfer after 2 years. The major difference is that you'll be paying community college tuition rates (~6,000 for 2 years) instead of Ivy League tuition rates (~80,000 for years). Now, that's a huge difference for any industry. But, when you factor in taking out student loans, the interest after graduating can really hurt. That's why if you're not paying off your student loans quickly, community college is a great option. You'll end up with the same degree at a fraction of the price.
What Would I Do?
Well, I didn't have the option to go to an Ivy League school straight out of high school, but I would go to community college first if I was undecided. Then, with all the extra money I save, I would buy a new car and put the rest away in the bank. This way, I can save money and when I transfer to an Ivy League university and graduate, I can focus on pursuing my passion rather than just getting a job to pay off loans.
And in case you're worried about taking the right steps at community college, I would suggest checking out this guide.
This article was inspired by Karl M Mcdonald.
Karl M McDonald is a specialist writer, namely writing about genetics and DNA testing. He does however, delve into a diversity of other topics including pregnancy, parenting and schooling. More articles by this author can be found in the article knowledge base for www.easydna.ca.
