Yep! I chose a local state school over my top choice.
State school was free with financial, extrapolating my financial aid package I would have graduated from the top choice with ~$60,000 debt.
I didn't understand the prestige differential because literally everyone I knew at best went to that state school. One of my high school teachers even told our class that we should not aim higher than the state school, because everyone who ended up going somewhere better flunked out and at best eventually graduating from the state school. At least he was telling us a state school was achievable?
State school was free with financial, extrapolating my financial aid package I would have graduated from the top choice with ~$60,000 debt.
I didn't understand the prestige differential because literally everyone I knew at best went to that state school. One of my high school teachers even told our class that we should not aim higher than the state school, because everyone who ended up going somewhere better flunked out and at best eventually graduating from the state school. At least he was telling us a state school was achievable?