Is Wharton Undergrad (Huntsman) Worth the Debt?
Hello, I was recently admitted to the Huntsman Program but it will probably result in my taking out around 200k in student loans. I was wondering if this amount of loans for undergrad worth it? I’ve heard opposing opinions, and want to see if I’m going to make the right choice. Currently I am interested in taking a concentration in finance, healthcare management, or business analytics at the Wharton school. I’m not sure if I should go to graduate school and get my MBA, but I’m interested in careers in investment baking and hedge funds as well. I’m not sure what I specifically want to go into at the moment, but I really love math, people, and traveling. Any advice would be much appreciated, thank you!
Yes it’s worth it if you want to pursue a career in finance. I don’t know the specifics of Penn’s financial aid policy, but I wouldn’t imagine you’d pay full cost unless your parents are very wealthy but refusing to help with tuition at all.
$200K is a lot of money. What are your other options? If you're from California and could go to Cal Berkeley for in-state tuition or you have a big scholarship from a school like Duke I think those would be compelling options. If it's Huntsman vs. South Dakota State (no disrespect) then yeah $200K for Huntsman is probably worth it. If you want to do IB/HF, Wharton is arguably the top undergrad in the world and if you stay in finance you'll be able to pay off the debt. Heck, with the result of these elections it's likely at least some portion of that debt will be wiped out anyway. I would just caution against taking out $200K of debt if you have the option to go to another, even if lesser, target for much cheaper
This is the best answer to this question. OP, what state are you in?
Ohio, my other option would be Ohio State.
Take huntsman. Program is legit. People get legit sophomore and junior internships so you should be able to knock of 15 grand while in school. Then pay of your debt in 3 years and it’s totally worth it. Hell Biden might cancel it for you lol
+1 for Huntsman. Incredible program.
There's no comparison between OSU and Penn. If you want to roll the dice, you could try your luck at HYP (great financial aid packages) or try to land a scholarship at a top 15-20 school but a bird in hand is worth two in the bush. $200K is understandably hard to swallow. That being said, I think it's a worthwhile investment for a program that will provide an array of truly outstanding finance opportunities.
It's worth it, your school and all its benefits stay with you for a lifetime. Graduate schools, specifically MBAs, are used more for branding purposes and going to Wharton means you could potentially skip getting an MBA altogether. While $200K is a lot of money, if you plan and save well, you can get it down quickly. I saved close to that amount by the end of my two year IB stint. Someone else mentioned this, but there's a chance you can get it cancelled too.
Huntsman is an incredible program, but you're not guaranteed a job in IB even with Wharton, and you'll still be saddled with debt. Just for thought.
It's a good program but no undergrad is worth $200k. If your choice is between this and community college then of course take Huntsman.
Penn will set up real nice but nothing is guaranteed you might even feel dumb when you come out of Penn and are in a class of analysts and among them are state school kids who went their school for free while you took up $200k and landed at the same spot.
Now the above is only true if you are unsure about finance which 90% of undergrads are since they have no idea what the job actually entails on a day to day basis. The opportunities in finance to the best performers will make $200k look like nothing but very few achieve those levels and it's a tough slog to get there.
Most people that even enter IB and finance even from schools like Penn will end up switching careers into something else (lower paying and more sane).
If you leave Penn, enter finance, and then hate it & leave or are pushed out then then the $200k loans will look like a dumb choice in hindsight. If you stay and do well - you will be fine and can justify it. The brand will stay with you for a long time though so that's valuable and will give you the benefit of the doubt.
Tough choice but I personally wouldn't fork out $200k for undergrad.
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