Hmm...I see, and after doing the math, it's hard to argue. But what if the dream school is Cornell where there are internship opportunities at Belmont Park and Westminister, the campus is considered one of the most beautiful university campuses, technology is embraced, political views lean to the left, terminal surgeries are not in the core curriculum, PBL teaching style prepares students for collaborating with colleagues and problem solving. The state school is Texas A&M where internships take you to the state penitentiary to work with "non-violent" criminals at the prison farm, College Station is one huge traffic jam- construction zone, profs fear the internets, people are a bit too conservative, terminal surgeries are required, and lecture and cram for the exam is the learning style. Yes, I realize I have made a lot of generalizations with the above statements.
I see you're going to keep trying to argue reasons as to why you SHOULD pay an entire house-worth's cost MORE unless someone tells you NOT to - so here we go:
-Have you not been to the campus yet? It sounds as though you have yet to visit - am I right? Yes, Cornell is in a very bucolic area, in the middle of nowhere, but you'll never leave the building except to go home and sleep - and that's the same for Tufts, UTK, and a slew of other vet schools that are located in the mountains/countryside. That's not a reason to incur an extra 150K in loans.
-Internship opportunities are where YOU make them. I have a friend who was able to snag a paid internship with with a prestigious government agency.....by walking in the front door, asking about it, and being persistent! Don't expect to be spoon fed opportunities - a job after graduation won't land in your lap, so to speak.
-Technology is embraced everywhere you go - Ohio state takes all of their tests on computers, for instance - lame excuse to have 150K in debt.
-If your politics are so far left that you think running away to Cornell is your answer to those problems, here's a wakeup call - it's the countryside! That means farmers, hunters, et al. Those "left-leaning politics" you're referring to are actually down-state in NYC, not in upstate NY - the only reason the state is "left" is because the population down-state greatly outnumbers the up-state population. Academia in the US, no matter where you go, is going to have a more generally left-leaning view of the world than the population that surrounds it - so you're not winning on this argument either. I'm from the Northeast - I know what it's like up here. NOT a reason to incur an additional 150K in debt.
-Terminal surgery is a big deal, I don't like it either, but there are other schools that don't do them - that's an ethical question you have to answer for yourself and decide if it's worth paying about $1,ooo/mo in loan repayment after graduation.
-PBL is also at other schools, not just Cornell - again NOT a reason to incur huge debt.
-What's wrong with community service with "non-violent" criminals at a prison farm where they're learning critical skills including emotional bonding with animals? I have an issue that you have an issue with this - are you too good to help others that are bettering themselves, regardless of the fact that it's in prison? They're not going to grope you, steal your phone, and if they make comments, guess what? They're in prison - you tell the guard and they get into A LOT of trouble and lose their privilege to work at the farm! I think this is a unique opportunity to observe a side of life that few get to see - and in the process you get to help animals and people!
-Traffic is everywhere - NOT a 150K excuse.
-Professors are aging everywhere - so what? What are you going to do on a day when a huge snowstorm hits (b/c they DO) and you have to get to class, but you have no internet, no electricity, and can't gain internet access and are now unprepared for classes? Not an excuse for more debt.
-We're back to the politics again - get over it - You're going to be out in the world, working with people whose personal views you disagree with on a regular basis. You can't just up and move because you don't agree with someone or don't like their views because they're "too this or too that." Learn to work with people who think differently and find a group of friends who make you feel comfortable and perhaps think the same as you. But yet again NOT A REASON TO INCUR HIGHER DEBT!
-Lecture - cram is the learning style? Bull. That's a PERSONAL style not THE learning style.
You've stated NO reason, aside from terminal surgery, as to why you SHOULD incur a higher debt-load by attending an OOS school. Go in state. You'll thank yourself.
