Am I being unrealistic about debt?
I got off the waitlist at my top choice, a T120 state school and was offered an over 50% scholarship, and would owe $21k per year in tuition as an out of state resident. Haven’t researched yet if I would qualify for in state tuition after 1L. I have an offer from another school, a T130 that I was planning on attending for $14k per year, my top school declined to match it. However, my top school is in a very low COL city, I would pay $800-900 in rent, at my second choice it would be around $1200. I would also be close enough to my hometown at my top choice that I could pick up bartending shifts every once in a while at my current summer job, and could potentially pay rent with two shifts a month, and I will have help from family for groceries and other random expenses. Would it be dumb to pass up my top choice just because of tuition being higher? Salary/bar passage/employment outcomes are about the same but I would likely be able to find a job in my hometown easier with my top choice. I have zero debt from undergrad so taking on at least $65k is very daunting.