<p>I know there have been tons of topics on this, but I would still like direct inputs and feedback.</p>
<p>So, all my life, I have wanted to go to my dream university (NYU) and live in the best city on earth. I worked incrediblly hard, finally got in, but can't afford it. On the other hand, I got into a different school that I loath with all my heart (UVA), but they have offered me alot of money. If I go to my dream univ, I will be in alot of debt ($40,000 in total) while for the other, it will only be half of that. </p>
<p>However, for the areas that I would like to major in (Public Adminstration, Management Development, Film (haha) NYU is ahead, and the city offers tons of internship opportunites. </p>
<p>So, it is worth it to put myself in so much debt, go to my dream univ, live in an awesome city and get a good degree or instead, go to a univ in a crappy city, be miserable for four years but be debt free?</p>
<p>I would love to hear from those who have already graduates, and had been in a similiar situation.</p>
<p>Dream school! NYU is so freakin awesome. I'm not a graduate or anything but NYC is way too exciting and is well worth the extra 20 grand. For the most part, you can only get one 4-year college experience in your life while you can always pay back money that you owe. You might as well go to the place that will definitely make you happy. Anyways, that's just what I think.
I'm doing the same thing by giving up a full ride at the mediocre UCR for the far more prestigious UCSD, and I'll probably have around only 20 grand of debt in total since it is a public school.</p>
<p>Some of the apartments in NYC though can cost less than the room and board. Many people at NYU also work a job at some point as well. </p>
<p>Education will inevitably pay for itself in the job that you get. And NYC offers a lot more in the job market and grad school stuff. Plus, being incredibly happy is good too. =P Definitely NYU</p>
<p>If you are talking $20,000 in TOTAL debt difference over the four years then take NYU, if that is your dream school. HOWEVER, if you are going to incur an extra $20,000 per year in debt then you are crazy to go to NYU over Virginia!</p>
<p>By the way, Congrats on getting into such fine schools. Many kids would kill for either school.</p>
<p>If you really have done the math carefully, taking into account cost of living travel etc., and it really only works out to be a $20K difference over 4 years, then going for your "dream" is reasonable.</p>
<p>However, if this is an optimistics assessment, and it's actually going to end up being more like a $30K or $40K difference, I'd be very hesitant.</p>
<p>So are you going to be debt-free or not if you go to UVa? In one place, you say that you'll be in debt for half of $40,000 and in another place you say you'll be debt-free. </p>
<p>Graduating with $20,000 of debt isn't the same as being debt-free. And, as other posters asked, is the amount you're talking about incurred over 4 years or just this year?</p>
<p>Well, I was saying Debt free but then adding (kinda). </p>
<p>UVA will be a total $20,000 debt for the full four years. However, NYU will be somewhere between $40,000 to $ 60,000 for the total of fours years. I am just estimating based on what I got this year, and my financial cirumstances over the next three years. </p>
<p>I do not loath UVA so much as I loath the city and where it is located. I applied there because it was a safety school, and I knew that I would get alot of money from them.</p>
<p>If we are talking about an extra $40,000, take UVA. Not only is $40,000 significant,but you also have cost of living increases,which will increase this to about a $50,000 increase. Moreover, with private schools, there are all sorts of hidden costs that these schools tend not to talk about. Take UVA. It is a fabulous school.</p>
<p>IF you really loathe U Va (a top school that is a dream school for many), take a gap year and reapply to school that you love -- and can afford. If, for instance, living in NYC for college is your dream, apply to a tier 2 NYC school like Fordham which may give you merit aid.</p>
<p>Another option: Learn to love U Va and being relatively debt free. Spend summers in NYC on internships, and live there after graduation</p>
<p>$40 k + in debt after graduation would cripple your post graduation options, including possibly not allowing you to live in NYC.</p>
<p>I normally post for an OP to take the less expensive school, but in your case the additional debt may be worth it. $40,000 additional for NYU. On another thread entitled "how much is too much debt" I like one post that said that one year's full tuition was that poster's max. That amount feels right to me, unless you plan on a low paying job out of school like teaching or social service.</p>
<p>Why do you loathe UVA? Do you have legitimate reasons for hating it, or do you just hate it because it's not NYU?</p>
<p>$40k is a lot of money and NYC is a REALLY expensive place to live. Everyday costs of living are extremely high. Probably about twice what they'd be anywhere else. </p>
<p>Personally, I'd say to save your money and go to UVA (with a positive attitude!), and move to NYC later on in life when it won't be as much of a financial burden (remember that college students are broke).</p>
<p>sometimes it doesn't matter why a person loates something... it might not be rational. Changing attitudes about a school (or anything really) is not easy, takes a long time, and is rarely complete.</p>
<p>I say go with your feelings (founded or not), and enjoy NYU.</p>