<prompt> Human: I am starting my senior year in high school. Ive worked hard all throughout high school and I have good chances of getting into an Ivy LeagueTop 10 college this year. Unfortunately, my family does not qualify for financial aid due to unused stock options that make their income seem much higher than it is to the admissions committees. My parents refuse to pay for the entire education, as they are retiring soon and have younger children to save for in the future. Its understandable. Almost all of the top schools do not offer any merit aid. At Northeastern University, Ill have a full scholarship through the National Merit program. Its a good school, but not the best. I dont know how much this matters.Everyone seems to be yelling different things at me. Some say to spring for the prestige, while others say to go for the full ride that Ill have at Northeastern University. I am planning on majoring in biology and Id like to get my Ph. D for research after undergrad.Since its such an important decision, I figured Id ask rpersonalfinance, since you seem to be much wiser than I am. So, is it worth it to take out 60k a year for Yale or Cornell as a biology major, or should I go to Northeastern for free? Does anyone have personal experiences with student loan debt? What have those been like?Thanks for reading and please excuse my naïveté. Loans and finance are new to me, but I want to make the smartest long-term choice.  <response>: Definitely take the full ride. I was in a somewhat similar situation, but hands down taking the full ride for me was one of the best decisions Ive ever made. Graduating with little to no debt allows you to consider taking out some loans, if you need to, for graduate school instead though in the STEM fields, there is generally moneyopportunities available to cut the costs of graduate tuition. There is definitely prestige in earning a full ride regardless. Excel in whatever school you end up attending, and watch your opportunities grow. 