<p>Hello, </p>
<p>I thought I was all decided with USC full ride (Trustee scholarship). But then I was accepted to CU from the waitlist. CU is giving me some aid (~1/4 tuition).</p>
<p>I am struggling with saying no to the Columbia label and of course and clearly CU vs. USC are completely different experiences. </p>
<p>I need to decide soon! Help!?</p>
<p>Woah when did you get off the CU waitlist??</p>
<p>I think the name is worth it. Go to good school + get good job + cover your losses in no time.</p>
<p>What are you interested in studying?</p>
<p>@seung37 on the 14th of May, but my response deadline was extended to the 28th because they had to process my request for fin. aid. =)</p>
<p>@Msauce. Right now I’m thinking Physics + something politics oriented (like Poli Sci, Gov or IR). So I may go down the road of science and try for a PhD in science… in which case grad school is free w/ stypends. Or I may want to go to Law School or something, in which case I’ll need to pay.</p>
<p>agreed with msauce, what you want to study matters, and then how you feel about columbia, if the idea of studying in a (real) city excites you, then it might be worth it.</p>
<p>lastly, it all depends on your rents and it is a family decision whenever money comes into play.</p>
<p>@admissionsgeek: my parents said they would support me choosing either one.</p>
<p>That’s a really hard decision. I don’t know what I would do. However, I know a lot of my friends are going to USC and that it is an awesome school. Look into the departments. Talk to people on the USC board too for a more balanced view. Think about finances and what is important to you. And if you can – go visit! Columbia is amazing but it’s a really different experience and you need to make sure you’re comfortable with it.</p>
<p>Good luck in deciding! :)</p>
<p>Choose USC. You’ll be saving $200,000, which is a lot of money. If the difference in financial aid wasn’t so great though, then I’d definitely choose Columbia.</p>
<p>You’re looking to go to grad school, so GPA will be more important than what college you attended. Also, you will probably get a better GPA at USC.</p>
<p>Columbia of course.</p>
<p>I’d choose any school over that ghetto school named U$C.</p>
<p>well barty: if money isn’t an issue - i mean i have written a lot about columbia and what makes it incredible.</p>
<p>i really think it is a unique educational opportunity, and this idea myblsf mentions is really a poor way to think about it. it is entirely too structural, too linear, and fails to account for what college is meant to do: make you think about your life and the world around it. and that is what columbia does in a very conscious way (the core, the intellectualism) and a less conscious way (just the dynamic of the city, diversity in general). </p>
<p>there is a really poor idea out there that somehow going to NYC after college is what you should do, that the proper way to go about college is to spend time somewhere, and then go to the city, or that columbia is always there for grad school. as someone in graduate school, i can say this is not the case - the reason to go to school in NYC during college, and of all the NYC schools to go to columbia is that you will undoubtedly grow, change and alter the way you see the world because of this experience. it will make you smarter; which is not a cliche and not a lie, but a reality of the circumstance. there is no other time in your life besides college that you will have the sense of adventure and the lack of responsibility that will let you truly take advantage of a space as a playground. and, columbia is one of the few places that will give you that support and that balance to make living in NYC not just experiential, but academic and practical.</p>
<p>even the kid on here that decries columbia the most, at some point must concede that few universities ask you to learn as much, and few places in the world ask you to do as much. it is this balance within chaos that will make your life in college unforgettable and from a practical frame will make your decision worth it. you will go to grad school (whether academic or professional) with greater purpose. and i think that is all you could ask for in a college experience (and far more than most universities and colleges offer).</p>
<p>There’s no easy answer. From an economic standpoint, Columbia is not worth it. While you may look better to employers and you’ll have a better alum network (especially if you stay in the East), USC is not that bad a school and has a fair deal of regional prestige. Ultimately, if your parents don’t care about the cost, you have to decide how much you love Columbia. Did you fall in love with the Core, New York City, and the idea of being a Columbia student? If that’s why you stayed on the waitlist, and you really want to be a Columbian I’d urge you to go for it. There are more important things in life than money, and your earnings potential will be a little better at Columbia. But don’t choose Columbia if you really like USC and are only interested in Columbia because of the Ivy label. Paying $100K+ for the Ivy name is the biggest mistake you could make. The upshot of all this is that you should come to Columbia if you genuinely love its intangibles and the opportunities and experiences you’ll have as an undergraduate, but you should not if you think the Ivy name is worth $100K. At least, that’s my opinion.</p>
<p>pwoods - as someone that did convince my fam to pay quite a bit for a Columbia because it is where i was meant to be, i think it isn’t a bad idea to be more optimistic here for the OPs sake (let him/her figure it out on their own). </p>
<p>for me: columbia was home, i knew it when i stepped on campus, and it has been the most expensive decision i probably will ever make, but the connection that i made with the school, that my family has made with it - has certainly tied us as a family to the university for a long time. it was well worth the price.</p>
<p>there is a delicate balance that must be struck between “go to the most cost-effective place” and that “its a good school,” and the hard sell that has to come at times. columbia is in my estimation better, better than HYPSM. if i didn’t believe it, i wouldn’t have gone there. if i didn’t love it, i wouldn’t post on here. and it isn’t this unnecessary jingoism of a proud graduate, but has come from a rather strong sense that this is the education that so many folks lack - this experience in life mixed with the rigor of class work.</p>
<p>in the end your key point being - don’t just go for the name, is certainly true. but it seemed couched between an economic argument. in the end i hope you’d agree that if someone wants columbia and it is possible to attend financially, one should go. i think it might take some prodding on our end to maybe jog the memory of the OP why columbia.</p>
<p>My son just finished his first year at Columbia, and one of his best pals just finished his first year at USC (with a full merit scholarship). I spent some time with them the other night, and my impression was that the USC kid is experiencing tremendous pressure to major in business. He would like to study something else, but “everyone says” business is the ticket at USC, according to this very smart young fellow. Perhaps it’s just my son’s own quirks, but he is much more focused on the learning he’s experienced, and the fun he’s had, rather than career goals. I’m very pleased that he’s exploring, rather than falling into a career rut.</p>
<p>Both are great schools, but I’m glad I’m paying $50-something-thousand dollars annually to provide my son the lifetime foundation that Columbia is providing.</p>
<p>How’s that possible? </p>
<p>Columbia’s business school is ranked #9, while U$C is ranked #20. </p>
<p>No brainer… Columbia over U$C.</p>
<p>adgeek and pwoods, no need to waste so many words (not that your posts weren’t jampacked full of content or a good read). It’s not like the OP is considering Columbia and a peer school. With such a vertical difference between the C and the University of Second Choice, it would be folly to destroy one’s future for temporary gain, unless one wishes to live like the everyman or be a dumb actor.</p>
<p>But based on my self-interest I would advise you to stay the hell away from Columbia. Thanks to your stupid expanded class size, current students are getting screwed with housing.</p>
<p>As someone who was in a similar position (USC Trustee/UCB Regents, no FinAid at CU), I have to say it’s a matter of culture and preference. I was ultimately compelled to go to Columbia because I was sick of the west coast, money wasn’t an issue, and I wanted something different from high school. </p>
<p>IF you’re looking for just a fun 4 years that’s laid back, definitely choose USC. Many of my friends and high school classmates are there and having a really good time. Columbia’s social scene pales in comparison to that of USC and SC is definitely a more relaxing environment. The workload here is much greater (especially if you’re comparing a liberal arts major here vs. a liberal arts major at USC) and it shows in the social scene. It’s not to say that we don’t go out… it’s just not the focus of our existence here.</p>
<p>Obviously, the academics at CU are regarded more highly and it will show in the level of discourse in the classroom. That’s not to say that you can’t get that through USC (especially through the scholars programs) but it’s without a doubt more academically rigorous at CU. </p>
<p>I’d really say that it has to come down to fit. Don’t listen to anyone talk about the money differences and whatnot or differences in networking opportunities (although the networking here IS better). It’s your college experience–an amazing four year trip that you’ll never get to repeat–so make sure you choose a place where you’re comfortable. If you’re more cut out for USC but you go to Columbia, you might end up miserable… or if you feel like Columbia is the place for you but you place the money over the experience, you could end up wishing you chose differently. … or you could be happy at both places. My point is that you can’t put a price tag on your college experience…nor should your whore out your happiness to prestige. </p>
<p>If you haven’t visited both schools and talked to (multiple) people at both schools, do so. At that point, you should just KNOW where you want to go… and go with your gut. </p>
<p>I did… and I haven’t looked back.</p>
<p>One thing to note about U$C… I used to work for someone who interviewed graduates fresh out of college, including UCLA, Cal States, and U$C graduates, and he told me that most U$C graduates who applied for a job through him can’t even write proper cover letters.</p>
<ol>
<li>The OP plans on studying physics or poli-sci so the business school discussions are irrelevant.</li>
<li>USC is free, ie, $0 out-of-pocket. Columbia with a 1/4 tuition scholarship will cost at least $175,000 plus the lost income from that money.</li>
<li>I am not aware of the USC-Columbia differences in starting salaries for new physicists, but I have a hard time imagining that is it great enough to ever overcome a $175,000 “hole”. Besides, as a physicist or lawyer, his starting salary will be decided by where he goes to graduate school, not his undergraduate experience.</li>
<li>I suggest taking USC’s free money and saving your resources for your Phd or law school endeavors.</li>
</ol>
<p>Before you make your final decision, I would definitely read through this thread:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/905843-top-student-3rd-tier-school-four-years-later.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/905843-top-student-3rd-tier-school-four-years-later.html</a></p>