<p>I love NYC and I am thrilled to have been accepted for a masters program at NYU Steinhardt School, however, I am reluctant to send the $200 deposit yet. I'm still awaiting answers from two other schools. I told friends and family the good news and although they congratulated me, they all said the same thing; " great school, but so expensive". This got me thinking since I know financial aid at the graduate level is based more on merit rather than need. </p>
<p>NYU is my top choice, but is it really worth the money?</p>
<p>I'm having ot make the same decision for Penn's Gradschools of Education......I have to decide by April so hopefully I will have heard form other schools by then. Heh, I almost applied to NYU too! I ended up applying to Teacher's College instead...stillno word from them :-(</p>
<p>Anyway, I guess it all depends on if you are willing to take out the loans and if you think you will be able to thandle paying them back after graduation......do you think going to NYU will help you in the LONG run? It's a tough choice ain't it? Most of my family are also thinking more so about the $$ and they have good points about it.....it's a lot to think about!</p>
<p>Try contacting admissions and telling them you are waiting on other replies and want to be able to make an informed decision....that's what I did for Penn and they didn't have a problem with it.</p>
<p>I don't know what to tell you. On the one hand, you only get one education ( in my view, at least) so why not make it a good one. On the other hand, those words of wisdom might not sound so hot when your saddled with $60,000 of student debt to pay off. As I said, you really need to consider what YOU want. Do you want to get a great degree that you can be proud of for the rest of your life, or do is it more important for you to make money and live as debt free as possible right out of the gate?</p>
<p>Honestly, I am more sympathetic towards people who get very expensive masters at Ivy league schools or other top notch programs either in the US or abroad than I am towards kids who pay full tuition to go to Harvard undergrad. I don,t care what the school is, $150,000 debt for an UNDERGRADUATE education is ridiculous.</p>
<p>Applelinguist - It is a lot to think about. I'm getting different kinds of advice. From my family they tell me it is far to much money to pay for even though the school has a great reputation. From my friends they tell me that once I get a job the salary will absolutely outweigh the cost of school. </p>
<p>I'll contact the admissions office and tell them I prefer to wait a little bit more. I hope you hear good news from Penn. :)</p>
<p>jmleadpipe-I agree with you on that. I decided not to go to a very expensive college for undergradand to tell you the truth for me it was the right choice.</p>
<p>I'm paying alot for out of state tuition to a public, but top tier school. I really like my undergrad school and am glad I choose to come here...it's not an Ivy, but it's a decent public and while I will graduate with loans, I had a great experience and the debt is not nearly as much as someone who may have gone to a private school and paid full price for four years.</p>
<p>My cousin turned down both Harvard AND Columbia because of lack of funding for her program. She, however, was applying for a PhD program, so there's a big diff in paying full price for 5 years or more and paying full price for two years (masters)....</p>
<p>Penn seems like a great place to be for me and it may be worth it in the end, especially if I want to get a FULL TIME position (possibly even at Penn...many of their full timers in the English Language Program are Penn alumni).....this is too much on my plate! I really did NOT expect to be admitted...lol. Heh, all I need is for Teacher's College to accept me and my head will explode.</p>
<p>Again, I truly believe that 120K for undergrad is idiocy, unless you can pay it out of pocket (which no 18-20 year old can do unless he is a drug dealer) or your parents hook you up.</p>
<p>Masters, on the other hand, I have mixed views about. Many schools, especially UK schools seem to be telling students "Come to our school and pay full price. We get your money, you get a world class degree. Fair trade." In some sense, I understand people who get high priced masters degrees, just because they see it as an investment. They pay for a great degree, they get said degree, which then opens up doors for them.</p>
<p>My older sister went to Columbia, one of my cousins went to Penn for undergrad, but he went with a scholarship and so did my sister. We don't come from a high income family. I went to the University of Puerto Rico for my undergrad and turned down NYU then. This Uni may not be consider a top school in the continental US, but in PR is a very well known school and is very challenging academically. Their top programs are; Engineering, Geology,Marine Biology, and the Natural Sciences. </p>
<p>I see NYU as an invesment for the future, yet I still have mix feelings about it.</p>
<p>I think that there is a sliding costs / benefits scale when you're talking about grad school costs. If you get into a school that is almost as good, and costs 1/3 the price, that would seem the better option. However, if the other options are relatively unnoticed schools with a mediocre academic rating, I think paying the big money up front is worth it. It has the possibility to open up much bigger doors once you get into your profession.</p>
<p>Emory has one of the most highly regarded public health programs in the nation. Depending on your focus, it could potentially have the strongest program.</p>
<p>I kindda get the mixed feeling towards NYU. I got into the MPA program there, however, I guess I will probably choose the MIA program in SIPA instead of NYU MPA, although that means I need to pay more for the tuition.</p>
<p>I'm a little shakey on NYU myself as a New Yorker. The school is excellent for professional programs. While programs like the MBA, the JD, and the MD are pretty reputable, i'd be a bit weary of tossing in 30k per year for say...psychology or anything ending with "studies" behind it.</p>
<p>It really depends on what you are going to do with your degree afterwards...</p>
<p>if you are going into non-profit/social work sector, the amount of debt you have coming out is going to make a big impact.</p>
<p>on the other hand, if you are going private, then the 'brand' of the school is slightly more important in terms of career/alumni network so the extra debt might be worth it if you are going to utilize the connections they offer.</p>