<p>I was accepted to Columbia University in New York, NYU Tisch (Film), and the University of Texas Plan II & Communications. Unfortunately, my parents cannot afford Columbia's 60k tuition each year (as I have two younger brothers, one of which will be in college starting fall 2012). My parents told me that if I were to go to UT for two years and decided to transfer to Columbia, they would be willing to pay the tuition (but right now, we cannot afford it). My only reservation is the low probability of transfer admittance into CU (as well as other ivies, ie Yale, Harvard, etc...). NYU has given me a scholarship of 25k each year (through their MLK scholars program).
Right now, I'm interested in film, but not enough to go to a specialized school such as NYU Tisch. I feel that Columbia has the academic availability as well as the New York exposure that would be great to start a career after undergrad; plus Columbia has been my dream school ever since I've started the college application process! (I would really like to start a career during and after undergrad instead of going to grad school for another 2-3 years.) I really enjoy the idea of Columbia's Core curriculum and I believe an education in numerous academic areas produces the best visionaries/filmmakers. I've visited NYU and I was very uncomfortable with its lack of campus and I ultimately believe there is no cohesiveness or community there. Also, I'm not a NYC fanatic that absolutely loves night life and parties.
Although I would definitely go to Columbia over NYU, the $140,000 debt I would be stuck with makes me feel that 4 years at Columbia isn't worth it. I would much rather go to UT Plan II for two years and experiment with psychology, literature, social sciences, theater and music, then transfer to Columbia, Yale or another ivy.
I would really appreciate some opinions and advice!</p>
<p>My appeal to the Columbia Financial Aid board was to no avail. And could I/should I take out loans for over $140,000 in 4 years?
*Keep in mind that tuition has the propensity to increase 3-5% each year.</p>
<p>Absolutely not. Don’t even consider taking out that much to attend Columbia and burdening yourself and your family. An Ivy League education will not dig you out of a $140,000 deep hole. </p>
<p>Is it possible to attend NYU for something other than Tisch, or did you apply exclusively to Tisch? Seems pointless to apply there if you’re “not [interested] enough to go to a specialized school such as NYU Tisch”</p>
<p>Aside from that, looks like your only open option is UT…</p>
<p>No undergraduate degree is worth $140,000 in debt.</p>
<p>The only loans that you can borrow without a cosigner are the ones you qualify for by filing FAFSA. Here are the Stafford Loan limits:
Freshman $5,5000
Sophomore $6,500
Junior $7,500
Senior $7,500</p>
<p>This means that Columbia, is out. NYU is probably out as well, unless their financial aid package will make it cost your family the same as U of T.</p>
<p>Right now your options are:
Go to U of T because it is what you can afford, and consider transferring in a couple of years.
Go to a local community colleges, and plan to transfer after you complete your associates degree.
Take a Gap Year, and make a whole new list of colleges and universities to apply to. Perhaps you will get better aid offers.</p>
<p>pch340: “Is it possible to attend NYU for something other than Tisch, or did you apply exclusively to Tisch? Seems pointless to apply there if you’re ‘not [interested] enough to go to a specialized school such as NYU Tisch’”</p>
<p>I applied to NYU Tisch in November without the knowledge I would develop 5 months later in April. Once you do more research, visit a school, and talk with students that go there, it’s certainly reasonable to change your mind or reach a more refined conclusion about a school; hence, my feelings about 4 years at NYU.</p>
<p>Well I understand changing your feelings about the school, but why apply to Tisch if you didn’t want to go into a specialized major?</p>
<p>And personally, I feel you could get used to NYU rather quickly. The huge, 10+ story library and Washington square park (which is right in the middle of the school) act like a regular college campus, and give you that ‘community’ feel. So initially it may feel uncomfortable, but ultimately you would like it.</p>
<p>I’m curious about the likelihood of successfully transferring out of UT Plan II after two years and continue studies at Columbia or another ivy. Although, I know that Princeton doesn’t take any transfer students, Harvard and Yale, an extremely small number, and Columbia, I’m not sure.</p>
<p>I just don’t feel like 4 years at UT would be the same as 4 years at Columbia. UT is great for people that are definitely going to grad school. But I’m not going to be a doctor, lawyer or engineer. I would like to start writing, acting, or making films right after undergrad, mind you with a high caliber and eclectic liberal arts education (especially in climate where I can get out of my comfort zone and not be surrounded by kids I went to high school with). Plus, Plan II doesn’t even constitute the majority of the UT (like I feel it should, then again that would make it more of a private school). Out of tens of thousands of people at UT, only 120-180 are Plan II students. But right now, I think I have no other option.
Going to Columbia would force me to spend a great deal of my energy in applying for scholarships and working to ‘reduce’ the debt I would have (insignificantly). Such energy should be spent on studying, learning, building relationships, and experiencing college and the world.</p>
<p>Not sure why you are complaining about plan II being small since that is what makes it unique and special and branded as UT’s Ivy. There is a kid giving up Harvard to go to Plan II from my local school. </p>
<p>Your expected future career makes it impossible for you to take on loans since most people in those professions end up waiting tables or doing other things while they are waiting on auditions and dont want a steady job while waiting for the big break. If you are expecting to write, why would would you sneer at plan II when it is supposed to give you the most writing exposure possible?</p>
<p>Oh! Please don’t try to figure me out so fast. I’m not “sneering” at plan II. I just feel that an institution that has a few “honors” kids, and then everyone else, seems a lot like high school. I never intended to go to UT for four years, so the fact that plan II may be “UT’s Ivy” doesn’t shower me with the inspiration to go there. And do you know why your friend (or the kid you heard about) gave up Harvard. His or her situation could be completely different from mine. I have an actual friend that is giving up Yale, Stanford and Columbia for UT out of financial reasons similar to mine, but not out of an idealistic and righteous desire to attend “UT’s Ivy”. Don’t get me wrong. The truth is I’m going to exploit every available opportunity at UT to discover and develop my passions and skills. But UT isn’t comparable to Columbia, Yale, Harvard or Stanford.
Also, In no way is a person who desires to make it in the arts forcefully subjected to “waiting tables or doing other things” while hoping for a “big break”. Education, intelligence, exposure and the exploitation of opportunity go a very long way.</p>
<p>You should take a closer look at NYU and Tisch, and the actual courses you’d be taking – not to mention its prestige, the NYU resources and the fact that NYU students don’t seem to feel that they don’t have a campus.</p>
<p>“My only reservation is the low probability of transfer admittance into CU”</p>
<p>Certainly a tough decision, especially since you had your heart set on Columbia.</p>
<p>For what it’s worth, I was able to transfer to Columbia successfully mid way into my sophomore year from Emory. This is after I was originally wait-listed when I applied as my senior year in high-school. Given that you’ve already been accepted once, your chances of getting admitted again should face better odds.</p>
<p>^^basing a conclusion off of one anecdote is not using critical-thinking skills. The number of transfers accepted by a highly selective school in any given year depends almost solely on the retention of Frosh/Sophs. If all of them return, for example, there are no beds available to accept transfers.</p>
<p>To tehol44; Thanks. That may be my best option. Were you able to transfer a decent amount of credits from Emory to Columbia? I heard there was a lot of work for transfer students to make up. Also, are transfer students forced to go into the School of General Studies or can they transfer into Columbia College? Do you (did you) feel that it was worth it?</p>