<p>Any more news? I'm still waiting/ they're reviewing my app!! Tired@nyc/newfound are you both going to be attending in january? Congrats :-)</p>
<p>JUST FOUND OUT THAT I GOT IN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!!!!!!!!!</p>
<p>rcl268 did you hear anything yet?</p>
<p>Congrats!! No, I haven't heard anything yet!!! Probably not a good sign.... last I heard they were reviewing my application.</p>
<p>congrats to sphelthead!! hope to see you there!</p>
<p>rcl268: Hey, yes I'll be coming for this January - can't believe it's only a month away. i hope you get great news soon!</p>
<p>Does anybody know how big the spring class is?</p>
<p>I'm still under review....and still nervous!!</p>
<p>Hi rcl268,
Don't worry too much about it. You'll get in. The best way of knowing if you had gotten in is the PHONE CALL from the admissions office. And there is always The Harvard Extension School, if you don't get in.</p>
<p>I came across this earlier and thought some of you might think it was useful....</p>
<p>Today, 07:23 PM #497
benjaminetanyaho
New Member</p>
<p>Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 1
Join the club es four. I am a GSer and the financial burden is too heavy so I am transferring as well.</p>
<p>jaykoblives, call the VA and Columbia staff about the financial aid matching program. I will allow you to find the answers for yourself and you may realize shortly that you should not depend on that match. However, if your living expenses are paid, then you can use E-5's BAH and 8k to nearly pay for tuition.</p>
<p>Future GSers, the financial aid problem is very real. GS entices new students with a decent scholarship in the first year, but it seemingly decreases in following years. As other GSers have recently stated, GS is a great program for any student that can afford it. Many GSers have stated that discrimination and condescension do not exist and I partly concur. I could care less about a young adult's opinion of me and I usually receive a "Wow!" after I tell life story, but the "separation" is very apparent. Housing is very limited for GS students and so is financial aid. When you walk into Butler or step into Philo or run into Mathematics and know that your fellow classmates (CC and SEAS) get a very significant discount while you pay full price, you are being discriminated against. That feeling is a major reason for my eventual departure from GS, but I will be back in the Ivy because graduate school really matters. :-D</p>
<p>There are many prestigious universities that offer more financial aid. Remember this, doing well at a inexpensive school still provides a gateway to an Ivy League graduate program. The name on your degree does not make the person, the person's name on the diploma matters the most.</p>
<p>LUKEJDAVIS,</p>
<p>When students discuss the financial burden of GS, they are usually referring to the necessity of federal and private loans and a part time job. </p>
<p>The total cost for one year at Columbia is roughly 52k. With federal loan caps based on academic status and measly scholarship money from GS, you are looking at roughly 30k+ that you must make up. Hopefully, the student didn't have a decent paying job or you can throw FAFSA out of the window. 20-30k+ a year in private loans for your undergraduate degree is certain financial death. Ask any GSer that finances their education and the financial burden can be mentally crippling. Or the GSer simply ignores the impending debt, but the joke is on them when they are faced with a 1k monthly student loan bill from 50k+ in student debt.</p>
<p>I am here not to deter people from their aspirations and dreams, but to educate people about the financial ramifications of attending Columbia GS.</p>
<p>Just as a counterpoint: I'm a self-financing GS student, and I've received decent scholarships (roughly $15k/year, this year). I've also gotten federal Pell and SEOG grants and work-study (you can revise the FAFSA after you're accepted to point out that you're going to be a student and thus not making what you were while working full-time). In addition to federal loans, I've taken out about 6-7k per year in private loans. I can't say that it's "mentally crippling"; I wanted to go to Columbia, did the math, and concluded that it was feasible. In my view it's an investment, and, while obviously I'd like to have less loan debt, I do feel a certain pride in paying my own way. Just my thoughts ... I know it can be a tough call and don't claim to speak for others.</p>
<p>Money is abundant. </p>
<p>Even $200,000 in loans (GS+COL in full) is manageable if you know how money works. Now, if you want to join a monastery after Columbia then maybe GS is an exorbitant cost. But for anyone leaving an internationally recognized Top 10 university into one of the greatest economic centers in the world (NYC), then paying off a student loan shouldn't be a life numbing burden.</p>
<p>^
LUKEJDAVIS, not to pry, but can you explain exactly what you think is going to happen after you graduate from Columbia? It sounds like you're putting a lot of faith in a piece of paper.</p>
<p>Cost of living in NYC is already expensive. How do you see a 200,000 dollar loan plan panning out as far as monthly payments are concerned? Is it realistic to assume a six figure salary right out of college (especially with the current economic situation)? It seems like a six figure salary would be necessary to live well with that kind of debt living in an already expensive part of the country: NYC. Average two bedroom in decent part of Manhattan goes for about 2500/month not including utilities.</p>
<p>I dunno, it just doesn't seem like you've thought this out very far. I could be wrong so feel free to set me straight. I'm planning on applying to GS as well but having second thoughts about accepting admission if they offer it to me. </p>
<p>If you're a liberal arts type of student, consider also that if you get accepted into Amherst College, the top liberal arts college in the country, you do get need based financial aid. A Pakistani guy from my community college just got accepted with a free ride. Amherst is a pretty respectable institution. If I'm faced with the decision to choose between 100 grand in debt from Columbia and a fat zero in debt from Amherst, Amherst wins every time.</p>
<p>Jay, ironically, I'm not going for the piece of paper but for the education. Actually, I'm giving up a six figure salary and a partnership in a growing company to learn at Columbia. I'm not counting on the diploma making me any money, I know people can make whatever they choose, it just depends on what they are willing to do for it. Like one example is the apartment you chose, I don't want to be harsh because I think you are asking a question and not trying to antagonize but why would a student or even a fresh alumni spend $2500/mo on an apartment? Get a room for $750/mo in Morningside. For me, money is just numbers it's not the happiness of a new car or a bigger house than the neighbors. So when I look at $100K I don't see this encumbering loan that is more than I can handle, I see it as $2300/mo for 5 years and I then I figure out how to make more than that and still live comfortably. Since I've already saved $1750 in rent because I live in a modest apartment I only need to squeeze out $550 for the next 5 years. See how it becomes manageable?</p>
<p>Honestly though, if you like Amherst and it's going to be free then you should take it without hesitation. I don't want to go to Amherst so that isn't much of an option for me.</p>
<p>I'm not positive about what I want to study at Columbia, I'm trying to decide between Physics and Econ. Maybe, I'll do the Econ/Math route so it'll open options up for a Physics grad program. (They usually ask for, at a bare minimum, a minor in mathematics.)</p>
<p>^</p>
<p>LUKE, I'm not trying to be presumptuous, but judging from what you've revealed about your past work history, it sounds like you might have quite a bit of money saved as it is. This makes GS a viable option for you.</p>
<p>You suggested I get an apartment for $750 in morningside heights. A, I don't think off campus housing exists that cheap in that area, although, I could be wrong. Secondly, I'm a married man. If I moved I would be asking my wife to leave her current job in order to accompany me to NYC. Being a saintly woman, she is willing to make temporary sacrifices for the greater good of our family, but I really don't think a $750 apartment in NYC is going adequately accomodate us.</p>
<p>And you might say "well that's not Columbia GS' fault". You're right. However, GS touts itself as a school for non-traditional students. Non-traditional students typically have families. When I consider whether or not a six figure debt charge is worth it or not, I can't just think about myself, but my wife and our future kids. You talk about $2500/month like a temporary inconvenience when, for many people, it's not just an inconvenience, it's crippling debt.</p>
<p>You've apparently had a job making a six figure salary. I was a US veteran. I don't have massive savings. I'm 25 years old, already behind the power curve in getting a four year degree.</p>
<p>Columbia GS has to ask itself if its trying to attract mainly people like you, people who have significant professional experience who can afford heavy debt, or a diverse population of students from different backgrounds. Keep in mind, the GS program was FOUNDED to handle the influx of veteran students after World War II. </p>
<p>The reason I mention Amherst specifically is because they have a philosophy that is more student friendly than GS. They figure that if a student is good enough to be accepted to Amherst, they're good enough to afford Amherst. In this way, Amherst bends over backwards to make those admitted able to attend. If you compare this policy to the other schools in Columbia, it's very similar. If it's good enough for CC and SCEA students, why not GS? Is the difference in standard the way it OUGHT to be? That's the issue.</p>
<p>Interestedparty, it sounds like you got a great deal and I wish I had a similar aid package. I really screwed myself because I had a six figure job prior to Columbia and I received no grants, work study, etc from FAFSA. Basically, I am stuck using Stafford and private loans with the small amount GS scholarship (6k for the year). Every aid package is different and there seems to be no consistency because I have many friends that will graduate from Columbia with easily over 50k-75k in loans. </p>
<p>Luke, I really admire your dedication because I had the same mentality when I started at Columbia. Damn it all and deal with the loans later... Well after reviewing some friends loan histories through SSOL ("Loan History"), 60k in a variety of loans (subsidized and unsubsidized stafford and private) equates to $800 dollars a month. That amount of change is nothing to sneeze at, especially in this economic climate.</p>
<p>If you are interested in Economics, take a class with Gulati. He is a great professor and will increase your interest in Economics easily. </p>
<p>Everyone, my posts are not attempts to sway people, but merely to present a real situation. Are situations different? Of course and hopefully you will make an educated decision based solely on your decision if accepted. Good luck and godspeed!</p>
<p>Hey Guys! I just got a call from GS and I got in!! Hope to meet some of you at orientation!</p>
<p>Congrats rcl! glad you won't need to stress it anymore.</p>
<p>I just got accepted as well.</p>