<p>...Macaulay Honors college at Hunter. When she said that to me my reaction was just like everyone else, "are you kidding me??!!" NYU is my dream school and I would die to go there, she got accepted but instead goes to cuny. Do you think she made a good decision? Macaulay honors college gave her free tuition, laptop, and $7500 for research, but still, it's cuny. what do you guys think? would you make the same decision?</p>
<p>wow. i dont know, maybe its because of the tuition. I mean you have to admit NYU is fu**ing expensive and food in the city is pricey too. I’ve heard of Macaulay honors college since it is getting more popular and a lot of kids in my school considered going there since basically everything is paid for plus the other benefits, but the name of it won’t go that far as opposed to NYU. whatever, it’s her choice.</p>
<p>Some people are forced to make decisions like that. I made a decision like that (but still a little less extreme.) </p>
<p>Don’t presume so much. You might end up having to make a similar choice.</p>
<p>I say let her do whatever she wants.</p>
<p>Your friend make an excellent decision. I was accepted to both NYU and Macaulay Honors College at Hunter, and if I could go back and make the decision over again, I would’ve done CUNY. I’m a Soph at NYU and I love it here, but NYU is ridiculously expensive, and the program I’m in is making is extremely difficult to finish my major in 4 years, plus I’m going to Grad school so perks like $7500 for research would make a big difference for me.</p>
<p>Hunter College offers all the perks of Manhattan, it’s FREE, you get perks like research money and a laptop; I feel stupid for not picking it. Chances are your friend is planning on Law/Med/Grad school and wants to save her money for later, plus she realizes it’s not worth going into severe debt for a brand-name (and NYU is good, but not so amazing that I would ever go into debt for it.) Your friend sounds a lot smarter than half the kids I meet here who are in severe debt for Undergrad at an overpriced school. The students in CUNY use the same textbooks, their profs also have PhD’s, they’re learning the same stuff - difference is, we’re paying $200k for it, they’re getting it for free. I think many students here overestimate the NYU name - most Americans haven’t heard of NYU, this isn’t Harvard or something everyone instantly recognizes. </p>
<p>So yeah, I love NYU and am grateful for the opportunity to go here, but if I could do it again, I would’ve gone to CUNY Hunter Honor’s College.</p>
<p>Most people that I’ve spoken to know NYU. At any rate, I’m more concerned that a potential employer will recognize NYU as a good school, and that is pretty likely. Also, NYU has a much better alumni network and more than a few top-rated programs and departments.</p>
<p>The extra cost isn’t completely unjustified, though it does depend heavily on what your plans for the future are.</p>
<p>CUNY Honors College is starting to develop it’s own reputation. in terms of finances and future plans, it was probably a fantastic decision. i know a few people who went to HC and they were pre-med. to start med school with almost ZERO debt is amazing!</p>
<p>My personal opinion is that your friend made the right choice. Macaulay at Hunter was actually my first choice. I applied ED and was deferred and then was rejected the second time around. I was, however; accepted into NYU CAS, so that should tell you something about the selectivity of Macaulay. It’s actually an amazing program. If you’re accepted in you not only get free tuition, free laptop, $7500 and free room and board, you also have a seat held in a med school for you provided you meet the guidelines (Not sure about law schools and the like, I was only interested in pre-med when I researched). I would have chosen it over NYU in a heartbeat had I been admitted. However, it’s no longer the well kept secret that it once was and now stronger applicants are making it much more selective, especially with the economy in the shape it’s in. </p>
<p>Macaulay is run out of CUNY schools, but it is not a CUNY education. It’s actually viewed as a different college entirely from the CUNY school it’s housed in and is beginning to gain a reputation for turning out some very well-educated students. Also, the Macaulay at Hunter is known to be the best of the Macaulay programs and it’s also the only one that offers free dorming to its students. Don’t knock your friend’s decision, because she will probably end up with the same (if not better) education as she would have received at NYU but with more perks and personal attention and no debt. Kudos to your friend for her intelligent decision and not buying into the “dream school” attitude.</p>
<p>@Lauren</p>
<p>i feel you. i was deferred and then rejected at MHC too, haha.</p>
<p>MHC vs. NYU would be a difficult decision… your friend isn’t crazy for passing on NYU.</p>
<p>A lot of pre-med students who end up at NYU get weeded out by the tough curriculum and end up majoring in Economics or the arts. Also, although NYU is well connected, I don’t see why you wanna pay 120k for an undergraduate and then paying 200k for med school afterwards. Once you get into med school, no one will know what undergrad you went to.</p>
<p>^^^^</p>
<p>If i were pre med id never go to NYU. Id think a good Liberal arts college would be best for me in that case :)</p>
<p>NYU is AMAZING for preMed! Most American preMeds don’t make it to Med school - either they can’t handle the classes, their MCAT is too low, or they simply get rejected - many Med schools have acceptance rates around 3%, and those aren’t just the elite schools! At NYU, 83% of preMed students make it to Med school, and NYU adequately prepares its students to be competitive for admissions and for the rigor of Med school. My Chem prof was amazing; I hated Chem in HS and he made me love it. So if any preMeds are reading this, please don’t get discouraged by some of the comments here.</p>
<p>Of course it’s hard - it’s not supposed to be easy, because if you can’t handle basic Gen Chem, how are you gonna handle Med school? If you’re struggling with basic science classes, it’s a wakeup call that being a scientist, physician, or engineer isn’t the career for you! I’m a terrible singer - you don’t see me auditioning for Tisch musicals, complaining they don’t pick me. 
</p>
<p>I agree it’s a horrible idea for preMeds and preLaws to go into severe debt because you have a lot of schooling ahead of you. For me, NYU Undergrad was worth it because my parents are paying for college, but not Grad/Med, so it didn’t make a difference whether I go to a public or private school - either way college is free and I would pay for school after that. I think it’s a terrible idea to go into a lot of debt for college though. CUNY Hunter Macaulay College is pretty amazing.</p>
<p>yeah I’ve been thinking, when the time comes to choose between private vs. macaulay (if i get in), and i’ve always thought of the prestige more than the any other aspect. =/ but macaulay really is a good choice judging from your answers. im happy for her. thanks for all your answers btw. =)</p>
<p>@Alix2012</p>
<p>wow. most American pre-meds don’t make it to med school? that’s so discouraging! =(</p>
<p>Arghghghg I feel like slapping myself. If I had known about MHC when I was applying, I would SO choose it over NYU. Jeezes.</p>
<p>Can we apply to MHC as transfers? :P</p>
<p>Would it be smart to apply ED to MHC @ Hunter? I would love to go to college in NYC</p>
<p>@ ya-alim
don’t regret. NYU is an amazing school. =)</p>
<p>@ Damon 1570
judging from these answers I would definitely apply to MHC @Hunter, and early decision is great if you absolutely without a doubt want to attend if admitted. I am really considering early decision now.</p>
<p>well the thing about Macaulay is that not a lot of people know about it. Kids from out-of-state who wish to study in nyc usually look at Columbia or NYU, and CUNY’s are usually anonymous, let alone the honors college. It truly is and i think still is, a “best kept secret”. Free tuition and dorm in nyc? not to mention the upper east side? who could pass this up? you’re friend is wise in which i didnt mention in my previous comment. huge kudos to her.</p>
<p>i kinda think Ya-Alim was being sarcastic…</p>