Would you rather go to a great school but be in college debt over 100k or go to community college and no debt?

Honestly, community college isn't as terrible as people (namely teachers) make it out to be. Most four-year institutions are forced to accept transfer students from community colleges within the state, although it depends on the exact state laws. In Virginia, for example, someone could get their Associate's Degree at Thomas Nelson Community College, transfer after two years to the College of William & Mary (a great school, by the way), and graduate with a diploma that only reads " Degree: College of William & Mary." Just because a school isn't on Princeton Review's Top 50 Colleges in America doesn't mean you won't get a good education there. A professor at William & Mary once told me that saying you must go to an ultra-prestigious college in order to be successful and have good job is like saying that you must eat every meal at a 5-star diner or else you'll starve. It simply isn't true! Sure, going to a prestigious school is great and all, but it's not the end of the world if you a) don't get in or b) can't afford it. Plus, the more expensive and harder-to-get-into a school is, [generally] the more generous they are with financial aid if you genuinely can't afford it.