Assuming that neither minimum wage or the cost of attending NYU changes (Hint: The cost of attendance is going to go up a whole lot more than minimum wage!) You’ll have to work 38,620.7 hours at minimum wage. Working a 40 hour full time week, that’s 985.5 weeks, or 19.3 years (I threw in 2 weeks unpaid vacation for you per year.)
Then you can apply, and hope that NYU accepts you… and take responsibility for YOUR education without any input from your parents.
That’s assuming, of course, that you don’t spend any of that money on living expenses-- a car, clothes, fast food, the occasional date, or getting your own place. But mom and dad might justifiably object to you living in their house until you’re almost 40. If you spend any money at all on any of those things, expect the timeline to lengthen.
I think that the previous three posters were all way to harsh on the OP. Yes, realistically, OP will not be able to attend NYC due to the high costs, but there was no need be condescending and imply that OP was a bad kid.
I remember when… in the 1970s, my private high school in NY listed the GPA (out of 100) and the college that GPA was attending. The lowest GPA that one could be graduated with was 60. And guess where the person with a 60 GPA went? NYU!
Hello, I’m back! Thank you for all your input (especially from a lot of the parents and Texas students. also a little note I’m actually a “she” haha). I was probably a little unclear with my previous statements and yeah it definitely made me deserve a lot of the harsher replies (which while a little helpful, honestly just made me feel bad but like ok thanks I guess). I didn’t necessarily mean that NYU was the only school I had ever thought of, I have been looking at many other colleges (believe it or not our school made us start looking for colleges in the 3rd grade) many of which are much cheaper and still fit with what I want academically, as well as still being in New York (I’ve recently been interested in Pace University which is still expensive but probably more doable, and The King’s College). I still don’t think I’ll apply in any in-state colleges (which honestly, I get it, you can stop telling me it’s cheaper I figured that out years ago lmao, I can still afford a lot of oos colleges it’s just NYU was definitely on the higher end of things). NYU just resonated with me personally because my family had never had a good track record when it came to college and I will actually be just the 2nd person to actually complete college with a bachelors degree on my mom’s side. So yes, NYU was definitely a big contender as I want to show my parents and the rest of my family that, hey I managed to do this thing that barely anyone has managed to do yet, and I wanted to do it at a college that they would be very proud of me for getting into and completing, as well as just a lot of personal reasons that I don’t want to get into at the moment. I also didn’t want to make it seem like I thought that I would guaranteed get in because I do know the reality that NYU is very competitive and will only get harder to get into throughout the years. So thank you for all your advice, helpful to me or not. It might make me seem like I’m just naive and stubborn but I am still going to work towards NYU and my parents are telling me that they are trying to get me there as well (because my family has been very blessed with stable income from very good jobs), but yes I am in fact looking for alternate options because I do know what I want, it’s just that NYU is the prime example of that, but if in the end I can’t go, I know I have other options to fall back on that I’ll probably be just as happy with. Thank you though! As harsh as it was coming from some people, I definitely see the reality of it a little better.
It’s ok to have a dream or a goal. And it’s good that you’re not fixated on one school. Work hard on your grades and your ECs in the next couple of years and things will fall in place.
My very dear cousin’s son was set on going to NY city for college. Parents made too much to get much in Fin aid, but had no extra for college because of a failed business in the past, no retirement or savings and just being over extended. It was a huge blow to him that he could not afford his dream., and that commuting to Local state U might well be his best affordable option.
A last minute ROTC scholarship (he was alternate) changed the scenario but he didn’t get into the NY schools he wanted. Good thing too, because an injury his junior year made him full pay. He could squeak by with student loans, summer and part time job, student ghetto living at Flagship U with family handouts and whatever his parents could muster, but no way that would have worked out had he gone to NYU. As it is, he has student loans in excess of $25k (parents denied PLUS so he got supplement). Guess what, those loans start increasing the instant they are disbursed so he owes more than he borrowed!!!
My parents had a college savings account within the month of my birth and thankfully my parents have had very good luck financially so there is a pretty large amount of money in there, and even if it’s not enough to completely cover some oos costs, it will get me to a point where even if I have student loans, the debt won’t get out of hand. Also if I keep my grades where they are right now, I’ll most likely be able to get merit aid, and I’m also in the IB program so I can get college credits through that which will help out a small bit.
Awesome. Some colleges limit the amount of credits you can gdt/use so look into that. Remember graduating debt free or close to it is great. Try to do that.
If your parents will only let you go OOS if you get a full ride you need to focus on getting high test scores and a high GPA. How much will they pay per year without borrowing? Will they pay anything for an OOS school?
I literally have 5 different why NYU essays written, all of which I don’t necessarily want to put into this reply but maybe I’ll condense it down later
The classes I took this year were Professional Communications, Health, Orchestra, AP Human Geography, French 2 (I also took French 1 in middle school which counts as a high school credit), Honors English, Algebra 1, and Honors Biology. Next year I’ll be entering my schools IB International Honors program and I will be taking Humanities (Which includes IH English 2 and AP World History), Orchestra, French 3, Outdoor Education, IH Geometry, and IH Chemistry.
I’m not entirely sure what exactly I’ll be taking junior and senior year because my school may be getting rid of classes that I had planned on taking, but I know for sure that because of IB, most of my classes will be IB classes, I plan on taking all APs for my social studies courses, I believe I have to take Theory of Knowledge, I will not be dropping out of orchestra, and I have to take French 4 AP junior year and French 5 Honors senior year as well
Let’s just say FAFSA will not be giving me anything
@Bagelchips the FAFSA is a financial aid application form. It doesn’t “give” money to people. The data on it is used to primarily determine eligibility for federally funded need based aid…like a Pell Grant. By completing it, you also,are able to take a $5500 Direct Loan in your name only.
NYU uses the Profile anyway. That is the real data they use to determine your eligibility for their institutional grant money.
If your family is full pay for NYU, then you can expect to pay at least $75,000 a year by the time you get there. If your parents are willing to pay that, fine. But it sounds like they clearly are saying NO. So start looking for less expensive options that meet your criteria for college.
This thread seems to be going in circles again. Op needs to educate himself and his family needs to educate themselves. His chance getting into NYU is minimal (just like everyone else oos). He has time to investigate many colleges that would fit his interests and maybe some will be affordable also. But I give him credit for starting early.
@Bagelchips, if you keep your grades high, score very well on SATs or ACTs and have solid ECs, you most certainly can get good or great merit aid SOMEWHERE. The problem is, NYU is known for being very stingy with merit aid, so a student has to be absolutely exceptional to get it (you mentioned yourself early on that you don’t think that’s you). The more “elite” or popular a school is, the more particular the school can be about who it admits. Schools give merit aid in an attempt to attract students performing at the highest levels, and if NYU is already attracting a lot of very good students like you (possibly what we call here on CC “average excellent”) then NYU has no incentive to give merit aid at that level. Some very elite schools may be generous with need-based aid for lower-income students (to increase socioeconomic diversity) but it sounds like your family does not fit that criteria.
Usually, your grades and test scores have to be at LEAST higher than 75% of other students admitted to a particular school to hope to get merit aid, and the more popular a school is (the most applicants for the fewest available spots) the higher in the percentage rankings you would have to be AND have personal qualities/ECs that the schools wants. Most colleges/Universities publish a “Common Data Set” that you can google, and in section C of the data set find out what the grades/test scores are at the 25% and 75% of the last class of students admitted. The schools also list what aspects of the application it considers most important (i.e. some schools consider essays, ECs and/or community service “most important” and some do not.)
Many of us have sounded impatient here (myself included) and we do have to step back to realize we’ve leaned lot in the months (and often years) we’ve been on this forum and you have not. You’re a starry-eyed kid, which is a good thing! But the best way to remain starry eyed is to learn to expand the possibilities of other schools you can become excited about. Those of us who sound cranky are trying to protect you…we’ve seen too many times the devastation of hundreds of students and parents who assumed getting into (or affording) a dream school would be possible, and didn’t plan for other realistic options other than a safely that the student didn’t like at all. Ever year, there are high-ranking, nice, smart students here on CC who applied only to “reach-for-anyone schools” and didn’t get in anywhere. That’s right…zilch, nada. And were forced to scramble to go anywhere at the last minute or take a gap year.
If you REALLY don’t like the state schools in Texas, do some research into other universities and colleges (private or a few OOS state schools) where you do have a good chance of merit aid. Some are bound to be in cities…maybe not NYC, but exciting places where you can stretch and grow. If it’s fun for you, but not anxiety-provoking, do a little research now on CC to find these schools but MOST of all, enjoy your high school years! Do well in your classes, but MOSTLY to learn, not as a stepping stone to a particular school. (I get on CC and worry/obsess a little, but I really don’t want my daughter to). Don’t make your present moments less important than your dreams for the future. You can’t really develop your true potential unless you immerse yourself into your interests NOW. Remember, there’s a place (or places) where you can be happy and excited other than NYU, if the NYC dream can’t happen right away.
@Knowsstuff please explain what you mean. NYU is a private university, not a NY public university. There is no preference given to instate applicants from NY, and there is no price break for NY residents either.