Turning down an Ivy

[Lifesaver]

Am I crazy for contemplating doing this? Someone please tell me I'm not crazy.

 

Tulane vs Penn. Ready, go...

[Kristopher]

Prestige matters little in the field of social work. No one will go "ohhh you went to Penn". They really only care about your experience in the field. Pick the school that offers the course content you want, and is in your price range.

Edited February 27, 2014 by Kristopher

[Lifesaver]

Course content: Penn

Price point: Tulane

[Figaro]

Which one do you really want to go to? Which one will give you the educational experience you want to have? 

[LAKingsMaverick]

I think it really depends on where you want to go. One of the things about Tulane that really has be interested is the disaster relief certificate and the courses catered toward that. Granted I did not apply to any Ivy league schools. BUT I can say, I go on a service trip to new orleans 4 times a year and have throughout my undergrad career and it really is an amazing place. It's become my favorite place in the country. Location wise I would say New Orleans. But that's just me! I think it's like a lot of people said, prestige matters little in the field of social work. 

[Figaro]

LAKings makes good points. Honestly, no one can possibly know what you most value and want out of your education. Neither of your choices are bad ones and each one has its virtues. I do, however, think that it's a mistake to assume that all the Ivy has to offer over a quality, but less pricey school is "prestige."  Penn has a fantastic social work program with small class sizes, great professors and a lot of opportunities. It's not just about prestige if you come out of that program. You'll have an excellent education from there. People who want to work in social work are by nature, nice people who believe in equality of opportunity and we are often so eager to prove ourselves as non-elitists, that I think there's an actual reverse stigma to attending or even considering an Ivy or another really top program that's expensive.  In social work as a field, it does seem true that loosely, an MSW from any of the top 25 to 50 schools or so will be awesome as a credential in the field, if you are sure that you will always use it only for jobs in the field. If you're not sure about that, then think that through. I'm seriously considering Penn myself.  I'm not flipping out about the cost because my monthly payments will be the same for ten years no matter where I go. The lawyers have all figured that out already and because of that, they aren't worrying about the cost of where they go to law school, yet I keep seeing social workers, who will make far less income and are of far more use to society than most lawyers, worrying about the debt load while Larry and Sally the Lawyer from Georgetown Univ. Law School plan to get huge sums forgiven in ten years and aren't losing sleep over it. The ones who are also getting MSWs will be our competitors for the social service jobs that we need to get for PSLF, so you want a good school on your resume to compete with the army of out-of-work lawyers who chase after every public service job that can pay over $50,000 (to get the loan forgiveness in ten years).  So, go where the program best matches what you want to get out of it.  It seems that Tulane is a good school. I'm just not familiar with it, only because I'm not from the south. It takes a lot of work to decide these issues.  Go where it makes you happy.  Really.  But, check into your re-payment options before you decide just based on the cost.