[credit_guy]

> I would've gotten at MIT (where I did get in).

Not sure I follow. You got admitted at MIT and decided to go to a Big-10 school? Is Big-10 the Big Ten Conference, with Ohio State and U Michigan?

You really did that?

Have you ever seen this ?

https://sfs.mit.edu/undergraduate-students/the-cost-of-atten...

  > 58% of full-time undergraduates received an MIT Scholarship during the 2022–2023 academic year. Among those, the median family contribution after student term-time work  was $9,926.

[whateveracct]

1. My contribution was even lower. No need to take out a single loan.

2. I (and my parents) actually did dig into the real cost. It was more than that. It was doable but with loans and/or my parents dipping into funds well beyond their college savings for me.

Not sure I would've gone even if the costs were closer tbh. Culture fit is important.

[credit_guy]

> Culture fit is important.

If it was not a fit, why did you apply to MIT? 99% of people who apply to MIT are people who are absolutely hungry to get into MIT. I never heard about anyone accepted at MIT and turning it down because they realized it was not a good cultural fit for them.

What exactly was the cultural issue that you didn't like? People being rich? The MIT crowd is not rich. If you travel the one mile or so from MIT to Harvard, you'll immediately see the contrast between MIT kids and Harvard kids. MIT is definitely a place for hard working people from all backgrounds, and if anything, the rich are underrepresented.