Originally Posted by mithawk
Originally Posted by Bostonian
Near the end of his freshman year at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Ari Weinstein was offered $100,000 to drop out of school.
In reality, being a drop-out from a HYPSM is a low-risk affair. You already have street-cred from being admitted to (channeling JonLaw), "one of those hallowed institutions." And if all else fails, you can probably go back and finish your degree. The risks are much higher for someone dropping out from State U.
Low and middle income students get very good financial aid packages from the Ivies, worth $200K or more over 4 years, and giving them up is a risk. Students from high-income families do not have this risk. If my children drop out, the money in their 529 plans is not going anywhere. And at age 24, students are considered independent, and the expected family contribution drops to zero.