Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Ronald Nelson stunned the nation when he was accepted into all eight Ivy League schools. This week, the high school senior from Houston High School in Memphis, Tennessee, made his decision — he rejected the Ivy's, as well as a number of other big-name, high-profile universities.
Every school in America seemed to be tripping over themselves to welcome Nelson, for obvious reasons. He has a 4.58 GPA, has taken 15 Advanced Placement courses, scored a 2260 out of 2400 on the SAT, is a state-recognized alto saxophone player, and (in his spare time) serves as senior class president.
Nelson said "no" to Yale, Columbia, Harvard, Cornell, Dartmouth, Brown, Princeton, and the University of Pennsylvania — as well as schools like John Hopkins, Stanford, and and Vanderbilt. Why? Because, as much as the schools may want him to study there, they haven't offered him scholarship money and his family (like most) would struggle to pay the tuition.
Just to give you some idea: the cost to attend Harvard in 2015, including tuition, room, board and fees is $60,659. Four years at the prestigious university will cost you more than $240K, which is about $51,000 more than the median home price in the U.S. Even if Nelson were to get some financial help, how much is enough to offset the cost?
More from The Stir: Teenager Gets Accepted to ALL 8 Ivy League Colleges
Instead of signing up for a lifetime of debt, this wise teen made the right move and accepted a full scholarship at the University of Alabama, where he was also accepted into their honors program.
Earning a degree from a top-notch school is a great accomplishment, as long as you are sure you won't feel the financial consequences 40 years later. Is it worth not being able to buy property for 15 years or to have to turn down a job you worked your butt off in school to get because you have to earn a certain income to pay off your loans?
This student — any student whose work ethic rivals his — can attend a great state university or a local college, a school you've never heard of, and accomplish great things.
I applaud this young man for his maturity and for being able to see the bigger picture:
What do you think about this teen's decision to reject all eight Ivy League schools?
Image via Today.com
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
