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Ask HN: Expensive college, no money, no credit history. What do I do?

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Re: Ask HN: Expensive college, no money, no credit history. What do I do?

#21

Post by beatpanda »

Go to the cheap school and do something substantial there that makes you stand out. It'll be much easier there and cost you a lot less, meaning that when you graduate, you'll have freedom of choice regarding what to pursue without the albatross of debt around your neck.

Meanwhile, if you think the education at MIT is worth it, you can get a lot of the CS stuff through OpenCourseWare (like I am, because I go to a bullshit JavaSchool).

The only real reason to go to MIT is the connections you'll get, which might be substantial, but keep in mind that these days, talented people tend to find each other just fine without a college campus as a medium.

Yes, you will be doing more interesting things at MIT, but there's nothing stopping you from making interesting things happen at the cheap school, and being an initiator of interesting things is way better than passively benefitting from the initiative of others.

Debt isn't just a burden, it's a tool of social control. Don't be a victim. Go cheap.

Re: Ask HN: Expensive college, no money, no credit history. What do I do?

#23

Post by JoachimSchipper »

arn wrote: post #15

I find it interesting that while there tends to be a lot of "higher ed isn't worth it" posts that trickle to the top of HN, everyone replying to this thread is recommending going to MIT. I also think you should go to MIT. Especially given your description of your self-motivated history. I didn't go to MIT, but I would expect the caliber of education and, more importantly, the higher level of the other students at MIT…

There is a difference between paying $BIGNUM to go to a not-so-great school and paying $BIGNUM to go a renowned school, especially if you're going to learn something that will let you pay off $BIGNUM easily.

Re: Ask HN: Expensive college, no money, no credit history. What do I do?

#24

Post by deafcheese »

Another alternative is to go to Poly for a year or two and take care of some general requirements. Then, transfer to MIT. Schools are generally very receptive to transfer students who they originally admitted in the first place, especially if you explain that the decision was financial.

Also, just a note - I'd advise you to be wary of the advice you get. Few people have attended both MIT and Poly are able to directly compare them. The opportunities you will find at both schools are simply different, not necessarily with one being better than the other.

MIT will certainly have more resources and opportunities than Poly. However, keep in mind that there will also be more smart, motivated people vying for those opportunities, and in reality there is a fixed number of opportunities you can realistically pursue anyway.

But Poly will allow you to stand out. In a place where few of your peers will even bother to speak to the professor after class, you can monopolize on the opportunities that are available. Plus you will always be seen as "that guy that got into MIT," and your peers will view you as a leader, allowing you to take leadership positions and convince other people to join your projects with ease.

Also, don't underestimate the magnitude of the money you will save. 100K could be the totality of savings you will amass 4-5 years out, graduating from MIT. That's a lot of time to grind away paying off debt.

Re: Ask HN: Expensive college, no money, no credit history. What do I do?

#25

Post by hilite »

ncash wrote: post #5

I faced a similar problem when I was starting college. My father is disabled and my mother passed away during my junior year of high school, so I had zero financial support from my family for school. Due to financial considerations, I chose a state school where I had some scholarships instead of the big name tech school that accepted me. Let me tell you, I have regretted it ever since. The simple fact is that if you…

I have to echo ncash's comment. Don't let money stop you to choose a school that you are supposed to go. Any problem that can be solved by reasonable amount of money is not a problem. When you look back after 10 years, $100K is not much of money. Try to raise money by loans, working, and even from friends/relatives. No doubt this is not easy but you are young that got nothing to lose.

Re: Ask HN: Expensive college, no money, no credit history. What do I do?

#27

Post by ajkessler »

ajkessler wrote: post #20

Definitely do MIT. There are literally thousands of scholarships out there, even if you're a rich white kid with no sob story. Seriously. If you treat hunting down scholarships as a job over this summer, I have little doubt you can track down the money to fully cover your expenses.

Just ran across this:

http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/chris-rock-little-...

and

http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/the-1-day-iwilltea...

This guy did exactly what I'm talking about. You can too.

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