College Decision and Acceptance (USC Honors, Clemson, NYU)

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of South Carolina
1

Hey all!

I have been a long time lurker of these forums, and now that I’m in application mode, it’s time I reach out for advice!

So to start off with my mental dilemma, I’ll give my academic credentials:

GPA: 4.0 unweighted, 5.08 weighted
SAT: 1380
ACT: 31
IB Student with a 4 in SL Physics, yet to take other exams
Other AP History credits (Human Geo and World)
National Honors Society Member
Beta Club
Key Club
Varsity Football Player

I am in LOVE with all things Business: Marketing, consumer psychology, sales techniques, I eat it up.

Hence, my target Major is Business.

My in-state colleges are USC Honors and Clemson, both solid business schools.

However, NYU has caught my eye.

I have applied to all 3, and I would love to know my chances of acceptance.

But the real decision to me comes down to USC’s Internation Business Program vs NYU’s Stern.

I’ve toured all 3 schools, and as far as college environment I really love
New York City. The city and atmosphere is just awesome to me.

But, USC has the best IB and Honors Programs in the nation (or so the statistics say).

I’d be super close to home (a 15 minute drive) and I’ve lived here all of my life,
so I’ve done most “cool” things that there are to do here in Columbia.

I am getting Palmetto Fellows and Life Scholarships in-state.
This basically (combined with grants and school specific scholarships) allows me
to go to USC and Clemson for free.

NYU is out of state, so I won’t get Fellows or Life. Tuition is upwards of $70,000
a year.

My dilemma, what should be my thought process with making this decision
(given that I get into all of my schools)?

Is there any advice that could help me?

And, what schools would you all go to given that money were not an issue,
and on the flip, if money were a larger factor?

Thanks!

2

I’m not big into ratings. At this stage, my advice is to see what they offer you and don’t make your decisions until then. Of course if paying $70k/year is no big deal to you, then you’re free to start planning now. I’ve seen plenty of kids get excited about a program and make their plans before being told they are not getting a scholarship, or are not even accepted. I’ve seen very strange things happen in college admissions. Only once the offers come in do I recommend narrowing down the choices and then visiting. You seem like a driven student and I expect you will find success in any program you choose. If you really love NYC, then I would recommend going there, but please don’t get your heart set on anything until the offers come in.

3

Have you toured NYU yet? I would recommend doing an overnight if you get accepted and if they will allow it so that you can get a good feel for the school compared to UofSC and Clemson.

Regarding cost, the key question to ask is whether or not NYU can offer you an education and opportunity at the undergraduate level that is truly $280K greater than what Clemson or USC can offer. This assumes of course that you feel that you would be happy and excited to attend any of these three and not that the decision is being made soley on cost.

Keep in mind that if you plan to study abroad for a semester or two, you’ll most likely be paying your home school tuition while studying at another college. I don’t think I’d want to pay $70K to study abroad for a year at a school in where one of my classmates is paying nothing because they went in-state and received their state’s scholarships.

4

This is your first business decision.

I went to Stern undergraduate. I loved the experience and I had lots of great opportunities upon graduation. But I would NEVER have gone if the cost was $280k more than my next best opportunity. Further, as you noted, UofSC’s IB program is one of the best in the country. It is comparable, if not better than NYU.

Save $280k and save the NYU experience for your MBA.

JMO Good luck!

5

If you want the best Business school in state (SC), USC is the one to choose.Good luck!!

6

Of course you will have to wait to see what type of financial aid package NYU offers, but if it isn’t significant, I would choose an in-state school. The amount of debt you would incur at NYU would keep you in the red for many years. Even if you made a higher income, you would be using a large portion of that to pay off student loans. From a business point-of-view, that’s not a good decision.

7

Good news in our house tonight! My daughter just got a call congratulating her on her acceptance…we hadn’t checked the mail yet today so what a nice surprise!!! One of her top choices and she is elated! OOS Mentioned a scholarship but said official information on that would be sent in March.