I do! I’m not a recruit (I’m a walk-on for Columbia), but the coach provided an informal recommendation 
You did say:
And that will not happen if you go the engineering route at most if not all flagships. If you are absolutely sure engineering is what you want OSU is probably a better option than a 4+1 program.
2 Likes
You have no options until, and if, you get an acceptance from Barnard.
1 Like
Okay. Thank you.
I meant to point out that I think it’s silly to think that way. That’s the mindset I’m trying to abolish because I’d be focused on getting the T10 stamp of approval. Not that it has any direct correlation to the intensity of the program.
If you scroll up you’ll see that I don’t have a lot of time to make a choice once I get the decision back. I’m trying to weigh hypotheticals… so I’m not a deer in headlights come March.
1 Like
OSU all the way, especially for engineering. Don’t forget that the 4+1 adds another year of alreaady expensive costs.
6 Likes
I understand. Maybe Barnard is a much better fit for you, I don’t know?. I am personally biased towards LACs but in your particular situation it is hard to make a case for Barnard even if you were to be accepted.
In regards to this point, although I don’t agree completely with William Deresiewicz you might find his article helpful (his book is good too):
Another good source is Frank Bruni:
https://www.amazon.com/Where-You-Not-Who-Youll/dp/1455532681
Edit:
This is a good running thread on what to expect at OSU engineering.
If engineering is your path OSU Engineering >> Barnard 4 + 1
And, OSU >> Columbia if your total debt at Barnard would be more than a car.
fwiw, your starting salary in an engineering job will be $0 higher if your degree is from Barnard than if it is from OSU.
And telling the coach that wants you that you will give a final answer by mid-March, knowing Barnard’s responses are in late March and that you will have to stall for up to 2 weeks is absolutely playing with fire.
10 Likes
A few thoughts and clarification:
Appears you have an amazing offer from OSU - and have not committed to the school - you are waiting until you hear back from other schools regarding acceptance - most of interest is Barnard.
You did not apply to Barnard ED due to financial concerns - but it looks like you did apply to Brown ED? Were you going through the recruitment process at Brown too?
Are you talking to other coaches - you mention several other crew programs in your other post? The big thing is that it seems like you have a spot at OSU and that may leave the coach unable to recruit this late in the game - if he was relying on bringing on an experienced coxswain vs a walk on and you may have taken a spot from someone else that can now no longer apply this late.
Maybe this is not the case, but I see potential for you to leave a negative feeling about your current high school/club crew team with that coach and maybe others - if you are using crew as an admission bump - yet also shopping around. Is your full ride tied to staying on the crew team ?
The Barnard/Columbia engineering program is a time commitment - have you spoken with current athletes to understand if this is doable? This may provide one more decision point for you as you weigh your options.
Do you have a clear understanding of what the Columbia coach is doing with admissions - ie: you let him know if you get in and then you can be on the team or is he supporting your application with Barnard admissions? I believe several coxswains joined in the ED round.
There seems to be some outstanding issues and I keep going back to the fact that you have communicated to the OSU coach a timeline that does not reflect when you will have answers from Barnard and potentially other schools not mentioned on this thread.
Do you have a high school counselor that can consult with you about this plan and/or your current crew coach too ?
4 Likes
Take the scholarship, and all that goes with it (sports, instant community, no debt). Then go to grad school somewhere fancy if you still have that itch. Seriously.
5 Likes
The best way to abolish that mindset is to take the scholarship and not look back. If it’s about rankings, employers won’t care. In fact, almost all employers recruit locally and regionally because it’s more cost effective that way.
It seems like you are saying the Barnard is too expensive (since you did not apply ED for that reason).
If so, then hoping for admission would be a false hope, since admission that is too expensive is still equivalent to rejection.
In addition, the 4+1 engineering program would add an extra year of cost compared to a regular 4-year engineering program.
1 Like
My daughter got into both Barnard and Brown in the regular decision process and chose her merit based full ride at another school. We do not qualify for financial aid and so when she weighed her options, she thought why turn down this great opportunity in front of me especially knowing she was going to grad school in the future. You said you could afford Barnard but it required you and your family to go into debt. My question to you is the debt worth it in the long run for the educational opportunity. This is a question only you and your family can answer. As for our family, we are blessed that she could choose any of her options without taking on debt but in the end she felt the Ivy league education was not worth the cost or saying she was going to an Ivy league school. I do not know if this advice is helpful but I want to say my heart goes out to the class of 2021 because you are having to make these big decisions without many of you being able to see it first.
2 Likes
Congratulations on your OSU offer! My two cents: you would NOT be wasting your potential if you don’t attend a T10 college, it’s a huge misconception. There are plenty of bright, strong students and great faculty at state schools. I got my Ph.D. from Columbia, where I taught both Columbia and Barnard undergrads, and I’ve been a professor at a large state school, similar to OSU, for years now, and I can tell you that I’ve had amazing students at this state school, no worse than those at Columbia or Barnard. I’ve heard this from other colleagues, too, who had taught at Ivy League institutions previously that the best students here are as good as the best Ivy students, it’s just there’s more variation in quality overall in state school, because they’re more inclusive and less competitive (although some majors, like engineering, are usually very competitive). If you were strongly against a big school (like my daughter who just didn’t see herself at a big university and wouldn’t be able to pursue her specific interests as fully as in a liberal arts college), that would be a different issue. But since you seem to love OSU and have a great offer there, I wouldn’t let prestige affect your decision.
5 Likes
You can’t borrow huge amounts of money. The only debt solely in your name will be the ~$5500/year federal student loans. If your parents have to take on “significant debt” this school isn’t affordable, especially since they’re going through a period of “financial instability.” Why would you contemplate a choice that you know will cause stress and be a financial strain for your family? Are you an only child or are there siblings whose educations your parents have to plan for?
4 Likes