- Lyndon Low used almost $200,000 in student loans to attend Columbia University for graduate school.
- Low’s Columbia professor helped him land a job at Investopedia immediately after graduation.
- Low said Columbia opened professional doors for him but the debt isn’t worth it for everyone.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Lyndon Low, a product manager in San Francisco, California. It’s been edited for length and clarity.
Since high school, I’ve wanted to attend an Ivy League school. I had model grades in high school and strict Asian parents. However, after I started hanging out with the wrong crowd, my grades dropped too much, and the best college I could attend was California State University, Long Beach.
I aspired to work in international affairs and diplomacy. After graduating with a BA in East Asian studies in 2012, I had difficulty finding work and felt I’d have far more opportunities with an Ivy League degree.
I applied to two graduate programs: Johns Hopkins and Columbia. I chose these schools because they were prominent in my aspired field. My parents were overjoyed when I got into Columbia for graduate school.
Attending Columbia helped me start my career, but I’m not 100% sure these positives outweigh the almost $200,000 student debt I’m left with.
I took out loans to attend an Ivy League graduate school
I went to Columbia entirely on loans for two years, with the help of some scholarships to assist with housing and living expenses.
Academically, I didn’t do so well that first year. I struggled with the cutthroat academic environment and the bell-curve grading system. I hadn’t needed to put in much effort at Cal State to get good grades, and I was unprepared for the intensity of the curriculum and study habits at Columbia.
I saw a psychologist, was diagnosed with ADHD and depression, and was put on antidepressants. I took a leave of absence between 2015 and 2016.
My professor helped me get my first job
Columbia was expensive, and I needed to work to cover living expenses. The break allowed me to recharge and return with a renewed focus to deal with the academic rigor.
That year, I worked as a part-time after-school teacher, Postmates delivery bicyclist, and other odd jobs. Returning was just as cutthroat as before. I continued to struggle but eventually graduated.
Shortly afterward, I got my first job because one of my professors, David Siegel, was also the CEO of Investopedia. He helped by forwarding my application twice through his company, the first attempt didn’t result in a position. His second referral led to an interview, which resulted in me securing an internship.
I then successfully converted that internship into a full-time role after graduation in 2017. My Columbia program included programming, tech, strategy, economics, and finance, making it natural to move into tech and work at these intersections.
Columbia opened doors, but my grad school debt makes things difficult
I’ve had financial opportunities because of Columbia, the name has opened doors in concrete ways. In my most recent role, I noticed an immediate shift in the interviewer’s perception when they saw Columbia on my résumé — it brought instant credibility. I worked there as a staff product manager but left last month due to their return-to-office mandate.
Additionally, while working in Asia, I experienced firsthand how the Columbia name carried significant weight in professional circles.
When I mentioned my Columbia graduate degree, it often created immediate connections and opportunities that weren’t as readily available when I only mentioned my undergraduate institution. However, the emotional and mental weight of the debt is enormous.
My student loan debt makes it hard to focus on anything else and forces me to make safer choices, prioritizing immediate needs over long-term aspirations. Some of my classmates had the flexibility to take unpaid internships or extend their job search. But that wasn’t an option for me. I had rent and bills to pay and parents to support. That meant having less power to search for different career paths or negotiate a higher salary.
I’m glad I went to an Ivy League, but I don’t think I’d recommend it for everyone
The reality is that while tech has become more open to non-traditional backgrounds, coming from a well-known institution like Columbia still provides a significant advantage in getting past initial screening stages and being taken seriously in the interview process. When tech companies need to filter large applicant pools, university pedigree often serves as a screening tool — many application systems literally include dropdown menus of preferred schools.
Knowing what I know now, I’d still attend Columbia again, but I’m not certain I’d recommend an Ivy League for someone who doesn’t have family helping to pay for it. I think many other avenues besides Ivy League can help you achieve your goals for half or a quarter of the cost.
If you attended an Ivy League and would like to share how it impacted your career please email Manseen Logan at mlogan@businessinsider.com.
