<prompt> Human: Im writing to ask input on a common PF question: are the loans worth it? Im currently choosing between the two schools listed above. Also as in the title, Stanford would cost me about 100,000 more than what I have saved, while I have enough in my 529 for four years in Berkeley. I understand that PF is sometimes strictly economically rational, but I would like to put that I really do prefer Stanford. The campus, atmosphere, and students Ive met have all been fantastic. Furthermore, there is something to be said about the extra earning potential and opportunities, not to mention the networking that could be done at Stanford. So I guess the question boils down to if there is anyway that choosing Stanford could be a good move, or is 100000 in debt out of undergrad completely bone-headed?More information:I live in CA in state tuition at CalI plan to major in Economics and pursue a MBA. Thanks  <response>: Just going to add one more perspective. Go the school you really want to go to. It is not strictly a financial decision; if you end up going to Cal and not liking it, youll always regret not going to Stanford. And, like one of the other responders, I went to Stanford as an undergraduate many years ago, no way would I get in now, and got my MBA from Cal. This is a few years ago, but I lived in Berkeley for a few years after graduating, then moved to the East Coast because it is still the center of the world for finance well, maybe London. On the more snobby and college-focused East Coast, my Stanford undergraduate degree counted for more than my Cal MBA. That may no longer be the case, but it certainly was.My personal feeling is that Stanford is a school for rich kids, and Cal, by offering an extremely high quality education for many more deserving students, serves the world much better. I give money to Cal, not a cent to Stanford with the 3rd largest endowment in the country, they dont give a damn about my pissant money. Also Palo Alto is a full-of-itself and boring town, Berkeley is ten times more interesting. But youll be going to school, so you probably wont care. Go Bears. 