Is College REALLY Worth It?: A Princeton Grad's Take (ft. Karin Burkhardt) | Real College Talk Ep. 7

Real College Talk

Welcome to Real College Talk! RCT is your destination for honest and relevant college and postsecondary conversation. In this episode, we talk to Princeton graduate and financial expert, Karin Burkhardt, to ask questions like “Is college for everyone?” “Does it matter where you go to school?” “Is college worth the student loan debt?” and “How can we make the most of our college education?” With perfect timing, Karin just returned from a trip to the east coast where she toured 11 top universities within 6 days alongside her family (including a rising high school senior!). Karin starts off by sharing some of the biggest takeaways she gathered from the trip and emphasizes the importance of looking beyond a school’s website and brochure to understand it’s in-person environment and personality (1:42). She shares her own approach to the college process (4:05), as well as some tips on what kinds of things are important to consider in yours (4:55). However, Karin also holds the unconventional belief that college is not for everyone (7:00). She encourages listeners to consider the “why” behind their choice to go to school in the first place (6:52). Karin discusses the growing issue of student loan debt (8:55), actionable steps you can take today to consider what schools might justify the cost (9:00), and also offers insight on the importance of looking beyond college stats (10:50) to understand what you’re really getting from a university before submitting your deposit. We discuss the importance of balancing practicality with doing what you love when it comes to work (16:20, 22:20). Finally, Karin closes by reminding us that there is no ONE place that will make you happy and successful. Instead, it’s up to us to make the most of whatever school, job, program, or path we choose (24:50). For more advice that will make you feel both prepared and reassured (model budgets and personalized spreadsheets anyone???), reach out to Morgan via Instagram and ask her to put you in contact with Karin! Real College Talk is a podcast that you won't want to miss! To catch every episode, make sure to hit the subscribe button and turn on our notifications. You can follow us on Instagram @realcollegetalk and follow our co-hosts @morgs__anne and @nikhil.vn. We are always working on new content, so be on the lookout for our latest episodes. In the meantime, Keep It Real!