Some of these messages make it sound like such a simple choice: do the right thing and go to a state public and don't be bogged down with debt, or make a mistake and go to a private college and be a debt serf in perpetuity. It's like there's a whiff of negativity about private colleges that's the same negativity people have about giftedness (i.e. "Elitism! Meh.")
Thing is, some elite colleges don't provide loans as part of financial aid. Meanwhile, that in-state tuition advantage diminishes every year (UC costs $35,000 per year now). Yes, there are scholarships, but the terms for keeping them every year can be onerous (e.g. needing a 3.5-3.8 average is common, as is a high credit load).
Then there is the fact that students tend to get a lot more attention at private colleges than at state universities. At my college (which is not much bigger now than when I attended), a giant lecture class like introductory chem had 50 students. Multiple choice tests were not used.
There is also the fact that private colleges won't cancel a class due to low enrollment or force students to take classes over the summer when they could be working at a summer job or in an internship in their field. Students definitely get more attention at a private college.
I'm not defending admissions practices that have led to crazy arms races in terms of GPAs and student extracurricular activity rosters by any means. I'm also not defending the obscene costs of college in this country. I'm just trying to point out that it's not so black and white.
