High school seniors are more worried about burdensome student-loan debt than about getting into the college of their dreams.
That's the upshot of the annual College Hopes and Worries survey from the Princeton Review, a test-preparation and educational services company.
Thirty-eight percent of students surveyed listed "level of debt incurred to pay for the degree" as their primary concern.
That edged out the top answer the previous three years, which was getting into their preferred school but not being able to afford it or getting enough financial aid. This year, 33 percent listed that as their biggest worry.
The high percentage for the two answers, both financially related, demonstrates how significantly thinking has changed among the college-bound.
In 2009, the top concern was simply about getting accepted to a first-choice school.
That seems to be almost an afterthought today. Just 1 in 5 students ranked that as their biggest fear.
The heightened awareness of college costs and resulting debt is probably good in the long run. But it takes a lot of the fun out of dreaming about college.
• Read more articles by WALTER HAMILTON
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