As one who use to TA at an Ivy League (when doing my own Grad degree there), I can concur that awarding high marks for mediocre work is the norm. I had a prof. freak on me for giving a student a D (and I was being generous)... it was explained to me, these people pay a lot of money to be here and we reward them with good marks as a result.

Would I fly back and forth for a degree? Yes, I did it - I started my MBA in another part of Canada, then moved to Toronto and commuted every other week for 1 year (10 days in once city, 4 in the other). I was exhausted at the end of it, but I finished my degree with the folks I started with and never had to worry about the hassle of transferring my credentials.

Good luck to you. FYI make sure you have lounge access, it comes in handy with weather or mechanical delays.