My dream school ever since I was in middle school was USC and my second choice as of late has become NYU (I don’t know why I decided on two of the most expensive schools in the country but whatever). I’m a relatively below average applicant for USC and slightly above average for NYU so I was thinking about ED2ing to NYU to improve my shot. I feel pretty confident about getting into NYU ED so I was wondering if boosting my chances of getting in there was worth effectively throwing away my chances at USC. I want to go into quant research and NYU is more well respected in that field than USC and location-wise more jobs for that industry are in New York. Most of my reasons for wanting to go to USC are non-academic, mainly I liked that USC had a “real campus” and as a massive sports junkie don’t know I would be that happy going somewhere like NYU with no D1 teams. In the grand scheme of things my reasoning for wanting to go to USC are kinda dumb, but for some reason I’ve been really hesitant about pulling the trigger and applying ED2 to NYU. My other worry is not doing ED2 and more than likely not being accepted into either. Money isn’t really a factor in the decision since both schools are essentially at the same price point.
Good for you in re-visiting the idea of your “dream school”. You fell in love with USC at 12/13? I’m guessing that some of your interests are still the same (sports?) and that some have changed quite a lot (music? friends? ECs?). A clear-eyed look at what you really love about USC- for who you are now and who you will be growing into over the next 4-5 years- is really smart.
There are so many universities with a “real campus” and there are so many great places for quant research that making your choice binary between the two doesn’t make a lot of sense. For example, UMi practically splits the difference (geographically speaking) and gives you a top 10 quant research program and a ‘real’ campus (& fab UG experience) and great sports. Trifecta really.
So, some more questions:
- Why didn’t you ED1 to USC?
- What other unis are you applying to?
- Is “I want to go into quant research” a proxy for “I want to do IB in NYC so I can make tons of money”? If not, what do you want to do in quant research?
- Does “money isn’t really a factor” = my parents are happy to be full pay wherever I go / no debt involved?
USC doesn’t have ED, @collegemom3717
If you want quant research I would lean NYU, but it is still a reach for all unhooked students.
Have you been accepted anywhere yet? Where else are you applying? There are many schools with a ‘real’ campus feel, good school/sports spirit and strong quant majors/placement.
This really isn’t important though is it? The important question is can you afford both schools without taking more than the $27K max federal student loans?
And to answer your questions:
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USC doesn’t offer ED or EA so I wasn’t able to do it there
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I’m applying to my state schools, USC, NYU, Georgia Tech, UMich, Northeastern, and applied ED1 to Carnegie Mellon and was deferred
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I’ve always wanted to be in the finance field my life and these past few years I became really interested and passionate about data science and machine learning. I started some clubs at my school and got a couple certifications in this area.
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Money-wise my parents aren’t able to cover everything. I’d be graduating with ~20-30k of debt from either school. The field I want to go into pays pretty well so hopefully it isn’t too much of a burden.
I’ve only been accepted so far into Indiana University and listed the other schools I’m applying to below. I’ll need about 8k annually in loans so hopefully the federal loans cover that.
The campus issue also isn’t extremely major for me it was more of just a preference thing. I just grew up idealizing everything about USC for some reason and have formed an emotional attachment to the school despite having no connections to it whatsoever.
Do you have Kelley direct admit? If so that’s a great option.
So your parents can contribute $70K+ per year, each year, for 4 years? Or will you qualify for need based aid? Federal loan limits are $5.5K first year, then $6.5k/$7.5K/$7.5K. Talk to you parents about how your family can fund the gap.
ETA:
Did you apply EA to GTech, NEU, and Mich?
“don’t know I would be that happy going somewhere like NYU with no D1 teams.”
If you are not confident that you would be happy attending NYU, don’t apply ED.
Will your family qualify for need based aid ? Is the $8k the gap between what you’ll get in aid and they can afford? Or will they not qualify for aid but have told you they can give you all for nyu but $8k a year.
Your major is decidedly attractive….you needn’t necessarily got to a ‘top’ school. And college costs more than they tell you it does…so if you need $8k it might more likely be $12k or $14k. Kids spend a lot more than the schools allow. Pizza, concerts, travel, spring break trips and much much more.
Are your parents going to sign for a loan above federal limits ? If not how will you find your schooling?
Seems to me, IU with I’m assuming merit, may be a smarter choice for you here. Or you can find an even less expensive solid school and save your parents boatloads - like 100k or more from IU and 200k vs NYU. What’s your state school ?
I just see four years of upcoming financial stress on both you and your family based on what you wrote. Hope I’m wrong. That’s never a good thing.
Good luck.
I did get Kelley direct admit and my parents can pay ~60k a year plus the money in my college savings working out to about 290k total. I haven’t applied to NEU yet but I have to both UMich and GaTech.
The 8k is the gap between what they can afford and the sticker price of the school. IU was my state school and I got a merit scholarship there for about 6k a year.
oops 
So to me, IU in-state finance with a data analytics co major is such a no brainer in this situation.
You may have $290k saved. But what about siblings. Or grad school.
IU says it’s $27k a year all in. So let’s say $30-32k. Then you got $6k a year. So you are mid 20s all in for a first rate b-school with wall steeet presence…granted not as strong as NYU.
But for $50k + annual difference, it’s beyond a no brainer.
Yes I’m purely looking financially.
If your parents can pay 60k a year, it sounds like they are funding from income. So they likely will be stressed.
You’d be spending $50k a year more based on hope, marketing, and a story…and little more.
And many kids at NYU live further out to find cheaper rent. Our family friends goes to nursing there, lives decidedly far away to afford rent and has a job (granted she can study at the job when there’s no customer activity).
I’m 100% looking at the financial end - both $$ spent and stress avoided….to me IU is a slam dunk here.
It’s a destination school nationally and you have a wonderful opportunity.
ED to NYU and you potentially throw that away. To me IU is the winner over every other app you have out there from CMU to Umich to GA Tech.
Just my opinion
Good luck.
This is my opinion also. With an in-state option that is this strong I do not see the point in spending twice as much to go somewhere else. Taking on debt is a big risk.
My S’s first choice was USC a couple years ago. Because of no early application options, he ended up not even applying. He felt he needed to use the ED strength somewhere and USC denying him in Rd would have made it impossible to do. He ended up at Tulane, accepted ED.
OP, ask your parents if they will do you a deal: you go to IU and they gift you the saved difference (or a meaningful chunk of it). You graduate with no debt, get recruited by a Wall St firm and (this is the crucial part) have a nest egg ready for you when you are ready to buy a place.
We might have this issue next year. The fact that USC only has RD makes deciding whether to apply ED elsewhere pretty tough. My D23’s current favorite school, RIT, is a good match; we are sure she’d get in via ED and think she’d still likely be accepted via RD, but what if we’re wrong and she doesn’t get accepted to RIT because she applies RD just so she could also apply to USC, which is a longshot at best? In her case, an applicaiton to USC kind of makes sense: It is the top-ranked school for the major she wants. Still, it would make no sense to apply RD to USC if we know she’ll get in ED elsewhere, and is it worth even a small risk of being rejected by RIT, which has as a very good program in her major, just to have a longshot at the school that has the ‘best’ program?
In your case, however, it doesn’t sound like you’re aiming for USC because it has the best program for your major. If you can get in somewhere else that has a better program and happens to be cheaper, too, that’s probably where you should go. There’s no rule anywhere that says you can’t be a Trojans fan unless you went to school there, and maybe there’s still hope: Could you go there for a postgraduate degree?
@DeeDeeR4 - Just a thought from a parent that is very familiar with both schools - I am going to take money and even major out of my thoughts, as there are more experienced posters that have addressed those issues.
What you love about USC socially is pretty much the opposite of what you will find at NYU. Have you visited either school recently - have you been to NYC as a young adult? NYU has no defined campus, not school spirit around sports and sits right in a very active, loud, urban and engaging area of NYC. USC’s campus looks straight out of a movie set, Trojan spirit is high and it is self contained. Access to LA - but not in LA.
Happiness at a school is important for success - let me repeat that - Happiness at school is important for success.
The feeling I get from your post is that you are just ready to have a decision and be done - that is understandable. BUT you want it to be the right place for you and I don’t read that at all in your post about NYU. You were deferred at a highly competitive school, you are a qualified student and you already have an excellent option. Are you ready to give that all up and apply ED2 to NYU if you are accepted ?
I lied - one money thought: both schools are in areas that are quite expensive. Do you/will you have weekend $ or will you be on a strict budget for expenses ? I have one child at a rural school and one at a urban school - the rural student rarely touches her spending $ and will end up with a positive balance at the end of the school year - the more urban student empties her bank account monthly and uses her own savings for additional expenses that occur outside of campus.
My dream in life was to eventually move to NYC when I’m older and I’ve liked the times that I visited, but they were really limited and probably not the best representation of living in the city (especially on a student’s budget). I do enjoy having a sense of community at a campus, but my entire life I’ve gone to large schools with a lot of different people so I’m used to having to push myself out of my comfort zone to branch out and make friends with people I don’t know very well.
Many jobs today are leaving NYC. NJ, TN, TX, India. Yet….If yiu get there, I’m sure you’d appreciate your parents assistance helping you to cover living costs. A lot less likely at NYU.
Maybe you need to head there for a visit for a few days…check it out.