I read an article in the New York Times Magazine this past week by Lisa Belkin about the price of college tuition, and if paying more is necessarily worth it. “Does a $50,000 a year education really buy a better life than a $12,000 a year education? Or does it buy a fancier sticker for the car?” asked Belkin. She also goes on to say that “an online survey of 2,500 users on the website meritaid.com, found that 57 percent of [high school] seniors are looking at ‘less prestigious’ schools because they cost less.”

When I was in my senior year of high school and deciding to apply to college like every other student my age, I only really had one school in mind, and that’s the school I graduated from with a degree in Journalism. It was a California State University school, where I paid no more than $6,000 a year ( in fact, I think it was less than that) for four years. While others were in a race to get their applications in to UCLA, USC and out of state schools, I already chosen the school which I believed had the best journalism program in the vicinity. And I was right.

I believe a great majority of the people who applied to the brand name schools, only did so for that reason: name recognition. They weren’t thinking about the cost, or if the school had what they were looking for, they and I’m sure a number of parents, figured a bachelor’s degree from UCLA equaled a lifetime of health, wealth and happiness.

I had only one thing to say to that philosophy: It’s not the school, it’s you. The letters “U,” “C,” “L,” and “A” do not make you better educated, smarter or a better person. You make yourself better. You bring the fight, the passion, the willingness to learn. You create your own opportunities, not the prestige behind a school’s name that does not come with anything substantially better than the state school you choose to go to, except a hefty price tag that makes no sense.

The only thing that might be worth your time at a brand name school is the networking opportunities that you might have available to you. You’ve heard the saying “It’s not what you know, but who you know.” Well if that’s the case for these schools, then they’re nothing more than an elite club that values a social network over education.

I have the same position at work with people who graduated from so-called “better” schools. They’re no more better than me because of their education. I paid less then half of what they paid, had amazing professors who actually had real-life journalism experience and I even was a reporter for a local paper while I was still going to school. They paid to learn theories, rub shoulders with inflated egos and have a social network at their disposal.

Now, a year and a half after I’ve graduated, as I get ready to apply to schools in order to get my Master’s degree, I am faced with a dilemma. In fact, I’m faced with many dilemmas. I have looked at journalism schools across the country and beyond. The best I’ve found, that suit my needs and desires come in the form of Columbia University, New York University and Northwestern University. I haven’t thoroughly looked at their fees, because I’m already stressing out about GRE scores, letters of recommendations and clips – one more thing would just take me over the edge. I am sure all of them are in the $20 to 30,000 range or more. Going to Columbia would be a dream of mine, but they only offer a Master of Arts to candidates to have a considerable amount of experience in the field. I’m guessing that means five or more years. That’s discouraging. Their Master of Science program is good, but I think it would be more or less repeating what I already know. I don’t know if I can literally afford to do that. NYU and Northwestern look amazing to me right now as well. Their programs are great and everything I’m looking for.

I want to go to these schools not because of their name, but because of the incredible programs they offer. But what if I don’t get in? What if I’m not good enough? Why does my ability have to be measured by some test scores and transcripts? Why does anyone’s? I know I’m good enough. I have the passion in me. But what if I don’t have the scores? What then? What if I don’t have enough experience yet to apply to a graduate school of journalism? Why does that even matter? What do I do if I don’t get accepted? Do I choose a safety school? Do I banish the thought of not getting accepted out of my head? And what if I do? How do I pay for it? Where do I live? How do I pay to live?

There are just so many questions that I, nor anyone else does not have answers to. The truth is, I’m scared. I think that’s normal. Some of the best things I’ve done in my life have been preceded by fear. Like when I traveled thousands of miles to Barcelona to meet my boyfriend, or when I spent an entire night with a magician at The Magic Castle whom I had only met a day before hand to get a story and write an article, or when I interviewed at a position where I felt slightly belittled, although I stood my ground. I came home thinking, it was the worst interview ever and I was for sure not going to get the job because they were not impressed. I ended up getting it, but didn’t take it, due to the fact that I wasn’t quite interested in the arrogance and unpleasant environment I foresaw myself working with and in.

Oh, it’s not just the test, or the essays or the Master’s degree. It’s life. Thrust into the world, after school, is difficult. This is the real test. It’s all a test.