<p>im not sure what i want to study but im leaning towards studying law in grad school... although im not sure how the whole process works because im the first american in my family and the first to go through this system.</p>
<p>NYU- i love new york city and nyu has a great reputation... its always been my dream, but it costs around $45,000 a year!!! thats almost $200,000 for all four years</p>
<p>UCSD- i dont really like the beach or the lifestyle of this school, but it is a great school and would only cost around $20,000 per year making it $80,000 for all 4 years</p>
<p>my dad has always planned to put me through my first 4 years of college... at a UC in state cost. SOOO i can either go to UCSD and have all 4 years paid and only take loans for grad school OR go to NYU and have 2 years paid by my dad and take out loans for the last 2 years and grad school.</p>
<p>i would go to NYU in a heartbeat if it were the same cost as UCSD... i just cant make this decision! is the experience of NYU worth the debt... or should i put my dreams aside and save money?</p>
<p>did NYU offer you any financial aid (yet)? i know in my case with USC, i was almost certain that i couldn't attend because of the $47,000/year price tag, but they gave me so much aid that it equaled, in some cases bettered, the price of the UCs i applied to.</p>
<p>If those are the real prices (no finaid, etc.), then UCSD hands down. You'll probably learn to love it there, it has great academics, it's smaller, it's cheaper, it's near San Diego (big city = yes), etc. NYU too has great academics (though it and UCSD excel in different areas), it's much larger, it's much more expensive, and it's thousands of miles away. I'd go for UCSD.</p>
<p>It seems location and money are the two elements you're considering in choosing which school to attend. It seems location is more important than cost; if so, then choose NYU.</p>
<p>If I am wrong in my assessment, then let me know.</p>
<p>people become lonely at nyu that have families in the nyc area. coming from cali , i would say go to UCSD. what's so bad about beautiful weather all year round? believe me, the northeast cold gets quite old after a while. while nyu probably has a better rep among common people, those in academic circles know ucsd is a school on the rise. plus, it's a lot cheaper. also, i know you said you love the city, but have you visited nyu itself? it has a very different feel to it than other city campuses such as columbia or fordham (aka there is no feeling of one).</p>
<p>and i moved to california when i was 8, from new jersey so i know how the weather can be, and i love having snow in my backyard and having actual seasons, other than sun and rain. also- my mom works for american airlines so we get free flights... so when im homesick i can just jet home for the weekend :)</p>
<p>one more thing i might add, i prefer the city to the beach... in fact i dont even like the beach so going to UCSD concerns me because most people go to UCSD because they WANT the beach.</p>
<p>This is easy - go to UCSD, especially if you are aiming for law or grad school. As a practicing lawyer, I know too many people who graduate from law school with crushing debt (close to 6 figures or more), which in turn really limits their options professionally and personally (what kind of law to practice, when to buy a house or condo, when to start a family, even whether to defer law school to pay down some of that debt). The impacts can be felt for 10 - 20 years after one's terminal degree. Life is tough enough without the burden of debt. There are a number of threads on the Parents board about how much salary is required to support $x worth of loans, so you might check them out and run some numbers. Borrowing for post-grad school is certainly understandable, but not undergraduate.</p>
<p>i would suggest you go to the school you really like to if able. for grad school, you can pay by those money that you earn by doing research with professor. and also, it is a good opportunity to try to establish your personal creditability and financial management ability. you should try to eliminate your expense and try to get a job with a well organized study plan. in that way, i don't see money is really a big deal. as the matter of fact, if you do not enjoy your school such as ucsd, you are going to spoil your future. also, it is a golden opportunity for you to conduct with people who are not in your state and try to get a very vast social network, i think it would really help your future.</p>