GS is it worth it?

<p>I’ve been accepted to GS for this fall. I was really excited at first, but now I’m freaking out about the cost. The tuition alone is 35k, and there seems to be major debate on cc about legitimacy of GS. I think some one on cc even called it adult night school!
Can someone please detail there experience thus far at GS? Do you have full academic access? For example, will I take my calculus courses with students from SEAS? Has anyone been recruited by employers out of GS or had worth while internships? Are there any GS students that got into the SIPS? Are the cc/seas students hostile with GS? Am I making a mistake? Is it worth it?</p>

<p>Congrats on being accepted.</p>

<p>I asked the same question before I enrolled:
<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=256284%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=256284&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Yes, you do have "full academic access". You will take the same classes as CC/SEAS students (except for UW, CC, Lit Hum for which GS gets its own sections). There's more information in other threads, please do a search.</p>

<p>IMO, GS is what you make of it. I can't tell you if it's a mistake or if it's worth it (I still ask myself those questions) as it will depend on your circumstances and other options.</p>

<p>It's a tough decision, good luck.</p>

<p>Thanks for the link. It was helpful. :)</p>

<p>Does the fact that GS students haven’t really responded to my questions imply that they are not having success in the program?</p>

<p>If anything, it implies that GS students don't come to this forum. If you know anything about internet forums, you'd know that complainers are usually the loudest. If there were hordes of people having a horrible experience at GS, you would have heard by now.</p>

<p>Frankly, I don't know what I'm still doing here. ;)</p>

<p>GS might not have the same prestige as CC or SEAS but there are very few places where that will matter, you're still a graduate from Columbia and employers will want to interview you. Listen, there are no guarantees in life, a degree and prestige can only take you so far. After you step through the doors of a potential employer, all that matters is your wit and interviewing skills. What GS might provide you are more open doors and opportunities than most other schools.</p>

<p>Every year GS grads go on to med school, top law schools, Wall Street, etc. Whatever you want, you can potentially get. If you have the grades, work ethic and the smarts to get there, you'll get there. But remember, the competition will be fierce and you will have to work your butt off. Nothing will be given to you.</p>

<p>To mitigate costs, some people go to school part-time or take the minimum number of credits (12) to qualify for the max GS scholarship (You receive the same amount of financial aid whether you take 12 or 18 credits). Because of this it might take you longer to graduate. If you don't mind graduating in 6 years instead of 4, then that might be an option.</p>