Choices, choices...

Parents Forum
1

<p>My son has heard from two schools:</p>

<p>Tulane -- invited into their honors college and offered $24,000 a year scholarship, which will be extended to five years if he attends their graduate school. We're out-of-state -- South Carolina -- so the scholarship would be nice.</p>

<p>NYU -- not accepted into their regular program, but offered entry via their General Studies program. If he maintains a 3.0gpa over the two year program he is guaranteed admission into their regular program.</p>

<p>We're still waiting to hear from two other schools.</p>

<p>We're going to visit both campuses, but he seems to be leaning in the NYU direction although he acknowledged he felt he was being accepted into their "not quite the brightest" category. He said he supposed getting in at all was an achievement and he'll take it from there if he decides to attend.</p>

<p>I don't know why I'm posting this. I suppose to request opinions on the programs if you have any and how some of you would feel if your child had the option to choose between the two?</p>

2

<p>Why does he prefer NYU over Tulane?</p>

<p>What will be the "culture" at NYU General Studies - largely commuter? peers with similar level of academic interest/achievement to him? How would such things affect his experience there?</p>

<p>NYU has a reputation for being so expensive, I find myself really wondering about why one would choose it over a ~half-ride at Tulane.</p>

<p>*full disclosure: my S attended Tulane on a similar scholarship; had to transfer because they eliminated his major post-Katrina, but I am a big Tulane fan.</p>

3

<p>I think your son would be nuts to turn down Tulane.</p>

<p>That being said, it's your money. </p>

<p>Note: My daughter's top choice was NYU, and she got into the program she applied to (Gallatin). Financial aid was skimpy. Turned them down. When she visited NYU she met a lot of students who complained of red tape, long lines, difficulty getting desired classes. Your son is looking at a choice between a fine university that is welcoming him with open arms and an overpriced, overcrowded school that is grudgingly letting him in the back door, where he will be last in line to get into courses needed for his major.</p>

4

<p>I have to concur with the above. Tulane Honors Program and money seems like a great choice compared with NYU, no money, less selective program. the schools seem pretty even in terms of student body and reputation.</p>

<p>Are there specific reasons for prefering NYU (particular major, abolutely needs NYC, etc)? Because otherwise, it seems like a clear choice.</p>

5

<p>Congrats on the acceptances!!!!</p>

<p>I'm afraid of big hurricanes but I've always wanted to live in Greenwich Village...lots of people would love to be accepted to General Studies. I'm jealous!!!!!!</p>

6

<p>Here's something to wonder about with your S. Does he want to go to NYU or does he want to live in NYC? There are many students who move to NYC right after college or grad school for work, and continue on from there. NYC won't go away, and if he wants to live there, he can move there with a strong education from Tulane and less debt. OTOH, if he envisions college and grad school as his time "away" and then he'll return to your region to live forever...he might be feeling this is his only chance to experience living in NYC.</p>

7

<p>Actually, NYU is not a bad choice, imo. The kid might be able to land some well paid intern job when he is still in college. There are tons of jobs available in city, but it is also easy to lost your focus on college study, if he think about those are 'easy money'.</p>

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<p>My s has LOVED NYU. Perfect school for him, despite red tape (so I can understand why your s would want to study there). And, from what I've heard, the GSP program is a fine point of entry. That being said, I would have felt like doing a little arm twisting (presuming comparable majors) if he had been offered the option that your s has at Tulane.
Maybe you could help him see how the $ saved, compounded over 10 years or so, would add to his earning power.</p>

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<p>I cannot make a recommendation as I have not been to New Orleans since Katrina hit. My concerns would be whether or not New Orleans is safe and whether there are any health issues regarding mold spores.</p>

10

<p>Thanks for the responses. Sorry I have not replied sooner -- I have had strep throat and it has not been a fun experience.</p>

<p>jmmmom -- from our discussions, he seems to think NYU is a more prestigious institution than Tulane. He plans to be a college professor and feels NYU would be more beneficial and is more well-known across the United States. He would stay on campus at NYU -- not commute. Oh -- and NYU not only has the reputation for being expensive, it IS expensive.</p>

<p>Hi calmom. Thanks for your response. Although the scholarship money would be nice, cost is not the deciding factor for us. He said he could look at it as them "grudgingly letting him in the back door" or he could look at it as an opportunity. There are a lot of applicants who don't get in at all.</p>

<p>garland -- thanks -- see above.</p>

<p>Muffy -- thanks so much! We live in South Carolina and have experienced a few hurricanes, but fortunately we're not quite as low as New Orleans. I'm sure they would evacuate the campus in advance, should one be heading in their direction. I'm sure they're especially alert after Katrina.</p>

<p>paying3tuitions -- we won't be in debt from the education. He said, as far as he knows, he does not plan to remain in New York -- but time will tell. I suppose it depends on where he is employed.</p>

<p>Hi anothernjmom. I think he feels his opportunities may be better post college if he attends NYU as opposed to Tulane. He's also interested in NYU's Florence, Italy campus for a year. He plans to study history and minor in English Lit, I believe.</p>

<p>jasmom -- that's good to hear. :) I don't think of the GSP program as anything negative really. Of course, he would have preferred to have entered straight into NYU's regular program. He did well on his SAT and actually scored an 800 on the writing test, but his GPA -- although not bad -- is not where it should be in comparison to his scores, so I think that's why he was not admitted into the regular program.</p>

<p>I am doing a little arm twisting -- :) -- and am going to make sure he visits both schools before choosing. We're also waiting to hear from two other schools. I feel it is best to actually make visits so he can try to experience the atmosphere as much as he can (in a short time) of each school. As for his earning power, part of what he explained to me is that he thought it may be better -- with his intended occupation -- to graduate from NYU as opposed to Tulane.</p>

<p>icy -- I have thought of safety as far as NO is concerned, but have not thought about the mold spores. :) Of course, when sending a child off to college, parents usually do have safety concerns. I know I did with my daughter -- and she went to the College of Charleston (South Carolina).</p>

<p>Thanks so much for all of your replies. I really appreciate them!</p>

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<p>If you son is planning on being a college professor, his graduate school (and what he studies/who he studies with/what he writes his thesis on) will have much more influence on the kind of job he gets versus the undergrad school he attended.</p>

<p>However....he could change his mind about what he wants to do! </p>

<p>Both are good choices. If you can afford either, and he really loves NYC and NYU....he should be able to make the most of his time in the General Studies program.</p>

12

<p>deenerbug,</p>

<p>I can't help much with the Tulane/NYU decision, but I had strep that I had ignored for a while as an adult and can say that I have never been so sick and miserable in my life! Welcome back.</p>

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<p>Thanks 2boy -- I agree -- he could most definitely change his mind.</p>

<p>Thanks to you also, mafool. Strep has been tough! The symptoms are still lingering, but I'm getting better.</p>

14

<p>If cost of education matters to you, NYU is pretty expensive. When you add all other extraeneous expenses such as books, money for eating out with friends, movies now and then with friends etc, it totals to $50,000/year.</p>

<p>My friend's DD is at NYU and complains that even a lunch outside costs nearly $9 to $10!</p>

15

<p>
[quote]
He would stay on campus at NYU -- not commute.

[/quote]
You do understand that NYU does not have a "campus" in the traditional sense, right? Student housing is in various apartment building that have been converted to dorms, some very close to the main academic buildings, some not so close. The nice thing is that the housing tends to be much nicer than traditional dorms - no corridor-style dorms with communal bathrooms down the hall --but there is still a lot of variation in amenities and rooming costs are set accordingly. </p>

<p>
[quote]
He's also interested in NYU's Florence, Italy campus for a year. He plans to study history and minor in English Lit, I believe.

[/quote]
Was he offered the freshmen in Florence option? I think that is the one big exception to the "back door" + overcrowded/red tape picture --- the opportunity to start studies abroad, living in Florence, as part of the much smaller program. For a prospective humanities major it is a wonderful opportunity -- so if money is not a problem and he has that option, then I think he is right to go for it. Of course, visiting the NYU campus won't give him much of a feel for what it will be like overseas... but I think we can all agree that Florence is an amazing city and a great way to start a college career. I also think the idea of starting college abroad is wonderful. So if that is the option, I'd say go for it.</p>

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<p>Thanks, Pharmagal. Of course, the cost of things is always a factor -- but he will not have to take out loans for his education.</p>

<p>Hi calmom. Thanks for all of your input. We're heading there Tuesday, so I'll see how everything goes. I do realize they do not have a campus in the traditional sense. I realize things will be spread out a lot.</p>

<p>He was offered the freshmen in Florence option. We were excited about that -- he was offered the opportunity as a freshman, but we were thinking of waiting until his sophomore year. So, apparently you think it's best to take that opportunity as a freshman. I'll make sure he looks into all of that. He's traveled abroad some and has been to Italy, Greece, Australia (as an exchange student) and a few other places. I know it's not the same as living in a foreign country. My sister is living in Germany right now and has been there a year and a half. She likes it, but also can't wait to come home.</p>

<p>Thanks so much!</p>

17

<p>deenerbug,</p>

<p>Your son's top choices are, at first glance, as unlike each other's as our son's were.</p>

<p>It came down to University of Michigan Engineering school and Duke's Pratt school of engineering. How to compare the two? They have very little in common. Fortunately for us, because the money was important, between scholarships at the first and financial aid at the second, our costs for the two schools were pretty close to the same. </p>

<p>In the end, Son's heart made the decision. He does not regret it.</p>

<p>Congratulations to your son on having such good choices, and best of luck to you all. Please let us know what happens.</p>

18

<p>A couple of thoughts: one, if your son wants to teach at the university level, his last degree will be the most important, and two, maybe the adcoms know a perfect fit when they see one.</p>

19

<p>Speaking as a college professor in English I would go for the Tulane program. School of general studies is going to require a lot of boring required courses, whereas the honors program at Tulane is not. In addition, the kids will probably not be as interesting to talk to.</p>

<p>My experience of the two-year program at NYU is that they only let in full freight kids and it is a money maker for the school. I have sent many of our students to NYU so I have an idea of how it works.</p>

<p>Of course if he is excited and really wants to go, and you support that decision, my opinion means nothing.</p>

<p>But my objections to that NYU program have nothing to do with the money and everything to do with the quality of the two programs.</p>

<p>It is very recent that anyone in the academic world thought much of NYU. Tulane has enjoyed its reputation for a much longer time.</p>

<p>All that said, if he is happy and excited, go for it.</p>

<p>Make sure the Florence option is offered for sophomore year. It may not be.</p>

<p>Good luck. Enjoy NY. I suggest a visit to Max Brenner's (famous chocolate restaurant) near NYU at Union Square. (13th St.) Frosh dorms are near the core campus (near the park) but upper class dorms are quite spread out. Look at South Street Seaport and East Village. D's best friend dorming in both those neighborhoods.</p>

<p>BTW: Full disclosure: She loves NYU.</p>

20

<p>There are a couple of reasons I'd favor the Freshman-in-Florence option:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Class size will be smaller there, so your son will have an opportunity to get to know his profs -- I'd imagine that most NYU GS courses are quite large.</p></li>
<li><p>It can be really difficult, in terms of planning, to arrange study abroad later on, simply because the farther along one gets the more they have to focus on getting upper level courses in their major. So even though it is very common for students to study abroad, it does take effort to set it up -- and I know that some students miss the opportunity simply because they don't think to get their apps in on time. That being said, NYU probably has among the most extensive abroad programs of any university, and many are programs that they are administering so students will not run into the same hassles about ensuring course credit that can be applied to their major as they would from many other colleges.</p></li>
<li><p>Florence is cool. Why wait? </p></li>
</ol>

<p>I think the only down side is that while he would probably make very close friends among the other Florence students, he would miss opportunities to settle into the NY life style & make even more friends at NYU, so there might be more of an adjustment period sophomore year.</p>

<p>Disclaimer: I have no personal knowledge of the Florence program -- all is based pretty much on conjecture -- so I'd suggest using these boards to try to find some students who did the program as freshmen to get their feedback.</p>