Notes

Is going to a low ranked school a bad idea? Some context: I'm 15 years old, I'll graduate when I'm 16 and head straight to college. My family makes a good amount of money on a surface level but my parents don't plan on helping me pay for college. There are a few schools that I'll likely get a full ride to, the ones I'm most likely to are Alabama State University & Alcorn State University. These schools are/seem to be pretty low-ranked. I'm worried about job prospects and such after graduation--will I be able to get into a decent grad school? I want to get my Masters in English or Education, and I plan to teach outside of the US. I'm a dual credit student so I already have college credits, and I would only be at the school for three years at most, but likely two. After college I'm considering trying to do a bit of work in United States schools to get some work experience and to improve my chance of getting into a decent MA program, before possibly working abroad in a place without stringent age requirements, or working as an au pair. How much would these schools limit my options? My parents are telling me to go to a better school but I really don't want to be saddled with debt, especially if I'll be able to go to a good school for my Masters. After that my undergraduate degree will matter very little. I guess I'm wondering if I would be screwing myself over by going to one of these schools. My parents are acting like it isn't a big deal to end up in debt, I can just pay it off later, but my mom is still paying off her own. I want to start off being financially stable. I'm worried employers and admissions faculty will look down on my degree, regardless of the kinds of grades I get. I plan on working/interning so that I have more of a resume, as well as studying intensively for the GRE when the time comes, but is this enough?

More context:

Teaching outside of the US often is more lucrative than teaching inside it. Places like South Korea and Saudi Arabia give good opportunities for saving, a lot of higher paid positions increase salaries with Masters degrees. If I decide not to teach outside the United States I probably will not get my Masters. I have very little interest in teaching long term in the United States. I only have 2-3 years left of school anyway, and my GPA combined with my SAT exceed the scholarship requirements for the both of the Universities I've listed.

My main question is basically if I get a full ride, is it likely that going to one of these schools will negatively impact the process of achieving my goals in a substantial way that wouldn't be present if I went to a better school?