[Andrew Blair]

From what I've heard (via an MIT information session, they're really good about getting you people to talk to), graduates from an MIT have like upwards of 5 or ten job offers before they even finish school. Sounds pretty great. However, the money is an issue, and you're really not getting any more education necesarily, it's just of a different type. You will still, eventually, need a graduates degree, probably.


However, with the really good schools, it's not an issue of money so much as an issue of getting accepted. As soon as you're accepted, the college tries to get you as much aid as you need. MIT said that, though they offer no acedemic scholarships, the average student recieved enough aid to lower the price down to only a few thousand more than state schools, like 16,000 a year, room and board included. As far as Pennsylvania goes, I think our total tuition/room&board comes to around 13,000-18,000, no aid. For a few thousand more, the better name on your diploma is far worth the money. The problem is, getting accepted. Everyone wants into MIT, and they only accept something like 1500 a year, of which 1000 actually go. Pretty freaking difficult.

But, don't be discouraged; engineers have to come from somewhere, and somewhere might be some rural town in nowhere! I'd better hope so, or else I'm in trouble!


EDIT-------------------------------
14% of first year applicants were accepted.