Overall, I agree with the central point of the article that you have to consider very carefully the cost/benefit of an expensive private school.
But I disagree with AN’s statement “super smart students tend have free ride from those Universities.” I went to a top 5 college and very few of my classmates had a “free ride.” Most top 10 colleges offer only need-based financial aid. I know many “super smart students” – perfect or near perfect standardized test scores/GPA, won major science/math/essay competitions, published papers, etc. Most of them have significant debt from private college. There just isn’t enough merit-based scholarship out there to cover full tuition/costs (“free ride”).
