i'm not going to read all the posts, or defend anybody, but i just want to straighten some things out, since i believe people are misunderstanding each other here.
Here is the very basics of my understanding of what happened here.
1. Topic creator asks whether HKS is worth $130k in debt
2. Someone responded that for that much debt, you would need to make at least $242k per year, probably from some formula online
3. Vannik pointed out that it is possible to afford $130k in debt with far lower income, and that numbers are too conservative
4. Some people point out that the public service sector (assumed to be topic creator's field) has not nearly as high income as other fields, so they argue $130k debt to work in public sector is a very bad idea
So, here is the conclusion:
1. It's a bad idea financially to get $130k in loans, even if it's for HKS, if you are going to work in the public service sector after graduating.
2. You do NOT need income as high as $242k in order to afford $130k in debt. People have different priorities and different willingness to devote different % of their income towards paying off debt and still living comfortably.
I think both vannik and his critics will agree to the two conclusions above.