I am an international student who is on a VISA and is living in NY state. I have ED to Cornell University Arts and Sciences with a Mathematics major and have been accepted. However, I did not get any financial aid even though I applied for it, so i can get out of the binding agreement if I want. On the other hand, I have applied to St. John’s University in Queens Campus for the 6 year Pharm D. program. I got accepted with a Presidential Scholarship which means I get full tuition for the first four years.
If I tell Cornell that I am not going there, I can also wait and see what other acceptances or financial offers I get from other colleges that I have applied for. However, for campus-wise and the whole atmosphere-wise, I liked Cornell the best out of all the colleges that i have visited although I have not visited all the colleges. For instance, I did not visit Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Carnegie Mellon, WashU in St. Louis, Northeastern, etc. I have also been accepted to Northeastern with the Dean’s scholarship, and there is also the possibility of getting into the Scholars Program which provides its student full scholarship, So if I decide to say no to Cornell, I can see and explore all my other financial options, but I really do love Cornell… I don’t know what to do, for instance St. John’s gives me money and some things are guaranteeed like the 6 year Pharm Doctorate program, and for Cornell I gotta pay 65k a year with no guarantees… i would love to hear other poeple’s opinion
You can’t afford Cornell, ergo, you cannot attend Cornell. It doesn’t really matter how much you like it–you can’t pay for it, so the point is moot.
You are lucky in that you have a very financially attractive back-up. Decline Cornell ED, wait to see what happens with the rest of your RD acceptances, and in particular Northeastern, and then if no other offer is as attractive, you go where you have the generous scholarship for 4 years. There is, of course, the issue of the last two years not being covered, but it’ll be less in loans to cover two years for that than 4 years full pay for another school. In that case, Northeastern may be the best option, if the deficit of what the Dean’s scholarship doesn’t cover is less than what you’d pay for the final two years at St. John’s… though you have to weigh whether you want that Pharm doctorate, which is attractive. Basically wait until April when you have all your options, and then do the math. But Cornell is not affordable, unfortunately, and you’d be CRAZY to choose full pay at Cornell over other schools offering you a full ride (or close to it). Good luck with the Northeastern Scholars Program!
What you haven’t told us is whether your family can afford to pay for Cornell - if so, you must accept, even if you were hoping for financial aid. If not, then you should decline and wait to see what your other offers are.
If you can’t afford Cornell, don’t go to Cornell. It is as simple as that. If that happens, you will be one of a ton of students who do not attend their top choice college due to financial considerations. Be happy for the opportunities/scholarships you have been given by other schools and move on to an option that is affordable.
Listen to the other posters. How are you, or your paretns going to pay for $260,000 worth of education? That is real money, not an imaginary price tag. You will have many dreams in your life, and when you wake up, they disappear. time to wake up, this is a dream that will not happen. Sorry if that seems brutal, but it’s the truth.
what are your parents saying?
Rereading your post, I see that you applied for financial aid and didn’t get any. People seemed to have jumped to the conclusion that you are low income and now can’t afford it, but you never say that.
Can you afford Cornell? Is this a situation where you are just thinking about shopping for a better deal? The fact that you are still considering Cornell makes me think this is the case. If so, you are obligated to go to Cornell because of the ED. Applying for financial aid that you don’t really need doesn’t get you out of the ED agreement.
Can your parents afford Cornell (you just wished you’d received financial aid) or was financial aid necessary for you to attend?
In any case, your other colleges are all very good. In particular, Northeastern would seem the best possible deal for you.
I am with the other posters.
Sometimes, life doesn’t go the way we want it to.
If you and/or your parents can’t afford Cornell, then you’re not doing the right thing by going there anyway.
You’ve got the 4 out of 6 years paid for at St. John’s in your back pocket. As much as I would choose Cornell over St. John’s any day of the week, the finances have a big vote. In this case, finances should win.
BTW, my D got into her ED school and had to give her decision by 31 Dec. It’s good that you have some time with the Cornell ED decision.