Ask me about college

[i am a raging faggot who loves big dicks]

I suppose that's true if you see making little money as synonymous with underachieving.

I do. I'm in a bitter mood, seeing as how I'm smarter and more driven than you are and stuck at a state school for financial reasons.

[Superbus]

A big reason I wanted to get into one of these big schools was the financial aid options, as most of the Ivy leagues will cover 100% of all costs, including living and books, for families with combined incomes under $60,000, which was a very alluring prospect.

Who ends up footing that bill?

[Black Knight]

Who ends up footing that bill?

The college. Harvard has something like a $25 billion yearly endowment. They can't spend money fast enough, and the same's true for all these big schools with weathly alumni. Lucky for me.

[Celice]

I've heard that one of the bigger school names also has quite a nice romp with stock shares too, as a source of money to be given.

I'm quite content with my community college at the moment.  The next university over employs some of the teachers here--people pay somewhat large amounts of cash to listen to the same classes and the same teachers as we do for about $20 a unit.  Or maybe it was $40.  And that can easily be wiped off with a BOGG fee waiver.  So first two years can be built up with good teachers who actually have time to see you and work with you for a small price, compared to the university life next door.

Its policy on sustainability is also a nice aspect, as is its current plans for rebuilding.  Thus one of the reasons I'd like to become a professor for 'em.

[i am a raging faggot who loves big dicks]

I've heard that one of the bigger school names also has quite a nice romp with stock shares too, as a source of money to be given.

They do. But, unfortunately, in the kind of reverse classism that helps the poor and minorities but hurts competent, qualified individuals, they apply income standards to it.

[Superbus]

The college. Harvard has something like a $25 billion yearly endowment. They can't spend money fast enough, and the same's true for all these big schools with weathly alumni. Lucky for me.

Awesome. So what about the people who work hard at a middle class income? They're essentially fucked, right?

My yearly income - by myself, at 27 - last year, gross, was, $52,549.27, according to my tax forms. That's just me, and I'm not 30 yet. Now, let's say 25 years from now, I've got a fucktonne of qualifications and am in an IT role that suits my massive talents and even more massive balls, and my beautiful and charming future wife has become the next Freud, only without the Oedipal tendencies. Count inflation into the mix, and you could be looking at a house where our income approaches $200K, easy. Now let's say that the minimum median income has been raised to $80K, vice $60K. If our first child has the talent to get into an Ivy, we're going to have to foot the entire... we'll say tuition plus R+B goes for $50K, unless they go to Yale and choose to live at home (and if they take after us, they will run screaming at the first opportunity). We don't need help, so why should we get it, right? Now imagine being in a position like Hinata's parents, where she also has two other siblings that went to college, and one of them is a doctor.

Jesus, no wonder her parents hated me before even meeting me.

But forget about us; in this situation, Hinata and I both make well over the minimum median income combined. But let's cut that in half, and say we only make $100K together; not as good, but still above the median income in just about all states, and probably about average in my state by then (which has the highest). But hold it! We're above the threshold! Essentially, we're told to go forth and multiply... or rather, we should probably stop before we go bankrupt, haha poor people. So my child - and her massive talent - will have to go to a lower school and pay her own way for the most part, with help from piddly grants, in a system designed by nature to extort from it's own students due to supply and demand of services (it costs much less money to do most things out in town than it does to do them on a campus more often than not) and vendor lock ("What do you mean, I HAVE to have this $150 book for your class that you HAPPENED to write? What do you mean I need this class to graduate!?"). Either us, or our child, will be in hock for years upon years paying off a "mandatory" education.

So congratulations, but don't expect me to give two flying shits that you got into Harvard. I personally want to know what quota you filled.

[i am a raging faggot who loves big dicks]

more massive balls

[Hinatalope]

To add to that, my tuition's in the six figure range (typical of a private college) - I forget the exact amount. Even in LOANS, I was only about to get loans in the four digit range, which while every little bit helps is still a drop in the bucket. So while my student debt won't be AS bad (until grad school, at least, and that's dependent on the program), it's still there. I've been extraordinarily fortunate to have parents willing and able (barely) to foot the bill, but they're approaching retirement age, so I'll likely be on my own for grad school (and in my field - psychology - grad school is essentially MANDATORY to get anywhere). Which is fine by me, because they already put three kids through college, so I don't want to be any more of a drain.

[i am a raging faggot who loves big dicks]

I'll likely be on my own for grad school (and in my field - psychology - grad school is essentially MANDATORY to get anywhere).

There's a very common school of thought saying that if you have to pay for grad school, you shouldn't be going.

[Crystal Shards]

There are some things you can do with a bachelors in Psychology, it's just not anything like counseling, which is what Hinata wants to do, right?

~Crystal

[aznswordmaster1]

Ok I hate to admit it but, I am getting at that point where I'm gonna be in a dorm, man time sure moves fast...

Anyway, I got a question, so what do you guys think is a good idea in terms of classes to take, is the best way to go if you go undecided but you still have an interest in one or two areas.

[i am a raging faggot who loves big dicks]

Ok I hate to admit it but, I am getting at that point where I'm gonna be in a dorm, man time sure moves fast...

Anyway, I got a question, so what do you guys think is a good idea in terms of classes to take, is the best way to go if you go undecided but you still have an interest in one or two areas.

Don't go undeclared. You will be wasting time.

[quanta]

Don't go undeclared. You will be wasting time.

Not necessarily, but you better have narrowed it down a lot so you know what intro classes to take and can minimize catching up (AKA you're not wasting time if you just pretend you're a double major for a little while; at least clear GE's like crazy or something). If you aren't declared by sophomore year though, something is probably wrong. Oh, and you ought to be willing to play catch up unless you want to spend an extra year in school (an extra 5,000-50,000 dollars depending where you are).

If you really are completely clueless though, then go to community college instead or something.

[Black Knight]

Awesome. So what about the people who work hard at a middle class income? They're essentially fucked, right?

Just thought I'd mention, according to Harvard's financial aid policy, families with incomes under 120,000 receive substantial scholarships (just not necessarily 100%), and families under 180,000 can still receive handsome benefits. There are movements at these schools to eliminate tuition altogether in a couple years, because they don't really need the income generated by it and the fact remains that they would encourage more people to apply that way.

If you're trying to convince me that a family that makes over 180,000 a year is in some sort of situation of financial hardship, unless they're renting a penthouse in New York City, I would say they can at least try to make accommodations. It's not like that's almost approaching quadruple the amount of money a family that qualifies for a full scholarship makes or anything, or that after paying full tuition they would still be making several times the amount of money a less affluent family makes.
 

[Superbus]

There's a very common school of thought saying that if you have to pay for grad school, you shouldn't be going.

Woah, what the hell is that supposed to mean?

[Ferry Fer the Dancing Queen of West New Orleens]

Fellowships and TA positions will often pay for your entire graduate study. And if you can't get either one of those... it's definitely a reasonable opinion.

[i am a raging faggot who loves big dicks]

If you're trying to convince me that a family that makes over 180,000 a year is in some sort of situation of financial hardship, unless they're renting a penthouse in New York City, I would say they can at least try to make accommodations. It's not like that's almost approaching quadruple the amount of money a family that qualifies for a full scholarship makes or anything, or that after paying full tuition they would still be making several times the amount of money a less affluent family makes.

Which would make sense, if not for the fact that the proportional amount said family is interested in paying may be vastly lower, yet the student gets dinged for it.

I'm smarter than you. I'm more driven than you. I've already accomplished way more than you. But my parents (who make over $120,000 a year) have no interest in paying more than a pittance for my education. So it all counts against me even though I get no benefits.

Saying "goddamned spoiled proles" may normally be a bit much, but it's oh so appropriate here.

Woah, what the hell is that supposed to mean?

Exactly what it says. The vast majority of grad students I know who are in anything except something like an MBA program (which is really a glorified set of business credentials) pay nothing to go to grad school. They are in fact being paid to teach, something like $17,000 a year. That was a direct quote from my department chair: "if you have to pay to go to grad school, you shouldn't be going."

[Superbus]

Which would make sense, if not for the fact that the proportional amount said family is interested in paying may be vastly lower, yet the student gets dinged for it.

I'm smarter than you. I'm more driven than you. I've already accomplished way more than you. But my parents (who make over $120,000 a year) have no interest in paying more than a pittance for my education. So it all counts against me even though I get no benefits.

Lighten up, Francis. You don't know how driven this kid is, and you SHOULD have accomplished more than he did. I'm as excited for him as you are (that is, completely ambivalent), but you're using your bitterness about your own lot in life to make it into a personal issue. Back off.