NYU Liberal Studies Program vs. Rutgers SAS

Colleges and Universities A-Z New York University
1

<p>Hello!
So I applied to NYU's CAS and as seen from the title, i was put into the liberal studies program. I just have a couple of questions. A lot of people are saying that the LSP is more like a high school setting (where you don't get a lot of freedom). Well, for my freshman year, I was offered admissions in Paris. Does anyone have any comments on the global liberal studies program?</p>

<p>Anyway, well I want to major in French but would it be worth it to go into lsp and then transfer over into CAS (some people said that if you're in LSP, you don't start working on your major until junior year and that might be a lot to handle). Is anyone a french major? </p>

<p>Whereas if I go to Rutgers, the tuition is so much cheaper (the tuition for my first year since I'd be in paris for NYU would be 59k and nyu is paying about half of that. the other half, near 27k, i'd need to take out in loan which would be the federal perkins loan etc.) and their language program is pretty good as well. </p>

<p>or I was thinking in perhaps going to rutgers for my first 2 years and then transferring over into nyu? (so that perhaps i can start right into CAS and not in LSP).</p>

<p>(I know others have said that nyu isn't really worth it unless you're going to stern just because it's so expensive....=/ but hopefully someone can help me!)</p>

2

<p>French major and living in Paris? Seems like a match made in heaven. But I don’t know the earning potential of a French major and what field you are looking to get into, so that should be taken into consideration when deciding which school you attend.</p>

<p>However, if finances do not matter, then NYU should undoubtedly be your choice. The exposure you would get being in NYC, and the obvious advantages of being in Paris, the reputation of the school, everything makes NYU a superior choice.</p>

3

<p>Oh of course, if finances didn’t matter, I’d definitely choose NYU over rutgers! The thing is, I can study abroad with Rutgers as well, and also study abroad as well in NYU once i enter CAS. (I don’t want to teach french, possibly go into the business side for french or linguistics etc.)</p>

<p>In the liberal studies program, we don’t really get much say into what we want to take (for our courses freshman year) so I don’t know if transferring would be better.</p>

4

<p>Natra,</p>

<p>Well, with the LSP you are in for sure at NYU CAS. However, you are not guaranteed a transfer after two years at Rutgers.</p>

<p>Also, NYU gave you a very nice aid package if 27K is your merit/ grant money. You will probably not get that amount as a transfer. I think the FA may be tougher to get as a transfer. So you would be full pay at $60K for the last two years of NYU CAS (assuming you will not get anythng from NYU later as a transfer), if you get in as a transfer. So, the positive is that the money works out to be the same whether you start off in NYU LSP or transfer into NYU after 2 years (based on your known FA package now). The negatives of transferring from Rutgers are the unknowns of getting into NYU as a transfer and getting a generous FA package as a transfer student into NYU.</p>

5

<p>By the way, LSP students can transfer up to 32 AP/ college credits into the NYU school they eventually will graduate from, though you still have to take the core courses during the two LSP years:</p>

<p><a href=“Arts & Science”>Arts & Science;

<p>Here is some feedback on LSP by a current LSP student with the person’s first year schedule of classes:</p>

<p>"Anonymous asked:
honestly, is the work in LSP easier or harder than in CAS? how much homework time do you have per night? and do you think you could post your schedule? it would help a lot. thanks!</p>

<p>Apparently it’s easier. It’s basically just different. We have a lot more reading, which I guess equates to being easier. My homework load varies depending on what we’re doing in my classes but usually I have a couple short essays/chapters to read for Writing, less than 100 pages (usually) in Cultural, a reading in Social (pages vary a lot), and nothing really in Life Science except read over notes/write up a lab. And, because classes meet every other day, you have the rest of the day and the next to do it, so it’s not as bad. Plus, there’s the weekend.</p>

<p>And absolutely, here’s my schedule</p>

<p>Monday
12:30p-1:45p— Writing II
2:00p-3:15p— Cultural Foundations II
3:30p-4:45p— Life Science</p>

<p>Tuesday
12:30p-1:45p— Social Foundations II</p>

<p>Wednesday
12:30p-1:45p— Writing II
2:00p-3:15p— Cultural Foundations II
3:30p-4:45p— Life Science</p>

<p>Thursday
12:30p-1:45p— Social Foundations II</p>

<p>Friday
12:30p-1:45p— Life Science Lab</p>

<p>I really don’t know how I ended up with all 12:30 starts this semester but I did.</p>

<p>And this was my last semester’s schedule if it helps:</p>

<p>Monday
11:00a-12:15p— Writing I
12:30p-1:45p— History of the Universe
4:55p-6:05p— History of the Universe Lab</p>

<p>Tuesday
11:00a-12:15p— Cultural Foundations I
2:00p-3:15p— Social Foundations I</p>

<p>Wednesday
11:00a-12:15p— Writing I
12:30p-1:45p— History of the Universe</p>

<p>Thursday
11:00a-12:15p— Cultural Foundations I
2:00p-3:15p— Social Foundations I"</p>

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<p>Well do transfers into NYU get any financial aid? The thing is, within Rutgers, you can take courses your freshman year and start working towards your major but with LSP, the curriculum is stricter (for a lack of better words). I’m just worried that during my junior and senior year, I’m going to be overwhelmed with courses that I need to take towards my major.</p>

<p>Also, does anyone know the job rates for NYU (for french?) vs. Rutgers?</p>

7

<p>Natra,</p>

<p>Are you saying you need to take out 27 thousand dollars per year in loans for NYU? If so, then no, it is absolutely not worth it. That’s $108,000 in loans just for your undergrad (and that’s assuming that costs won’t go up - and you know that they will.) First, that’s way too much for undergrad debt for any school. Second, can you even get that much in loans? or is that both you and your parents taking on that debt?</p>

<p>Paying off those loans will be a huge hardship for many years to come. Unless you can be fairly certain of a high starting salary in a high demand job like engineering, taking on debt if you have other alternatives is a very bad idea (and $108,000 in debt is a very bad idea for anyone, future engineer or French major). Please run a debt calculator on what the monthly payments on a $120,000 debt will be (that’s probably what the loans will actually be with tuition increases.) And consider that your starting salary will probably be much less than you think. French or Linguistics are both interesting fields, but unfortunately the job prospects are slim. I’m not saying that to discourage you. Not everyone goes to college to get rich. But you have to go into any debt situation with your eyes open and think about what kind of salary you are likely to get and how much debt you can comfortably handle without living like a pauper for years to come.</p>

<p>Almost any college in the country will allow you to study in France for a semester or a full year. And France is wonderful whether you go there with NYU or Rutgers!</p>

8

<p>Oh and by the way, since I’ll be in Paris freshman year, the tuition is 59k but once I’m a sophomore, I can come back to Washington Square Park and the tuition there is less (since I wouldn’t be in Paris). It’s about 40k</p>

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<p>Horsfeathers,</p>

<p>Yes. the loan that I need to take freshman year would be around 25-27k. And i was thinking the same thing (Rutgers does offer study abroad for french)</p>

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<p>the biggest loan that I’d be taking out would be the Federal Perkins Loan which is 25k</p>

11

<p>Please consider your choices very carefully. Try not to think that you can achieve your goals only at NYU (or any other school). I don’t know what your costs would be at Rutgers, but I bet they’re nowhere close to NYU’s. And why would you want to go to a school where you can’t take whatever courses you want to take right away? It’s your money and your education. You have a right to choose courses that interest you and that apply to your major right away, not wait until your third year. What if you won’t be able to fit all the requirements in during your junior and senior year? Then you’d have to stay another semester or two and take on more debt.</p>

<p>My daughter goes to a small liberal arts college and she and her friends have completed study abroad programs all over the world, some for a semester and others for a full year. Please take a look at Rutgers options. I’m sure they have something you’d enjoy. After all, once you’re in France, does it really matter what your home college is?</p>

<p>And please run a debt calculator on what the full NYU debt amount would be. That monthly payment is scary! The NYU financial aid people won’t tell you that. They don’t care what happens to you after they get their money. Remember that colleges are not only educational institutions, they’re also businesses that care about their bottom line, not yours.</p>

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<p>I was addressing Natra’s financial cost for 4 years of NYU with 27K grant money vs. 2 years of NYU with possibly $0 grant money. The point is that there may not be much cost differential in the 2 methods for you to graduate with a NYU bachelors degree.</p>

<p>However, if you are thinking of attending Rutgers strictly, without tranferring out, that would be the best case scenario financially. </p>

<p>Given your concerns about the limited flexibility of the first two years of NYU LSP and unknown prospects of being a French major, Rutgers again may make more sense.</p>

<p>Also, you should be aware that NYU (after Paris) in NYC would be $42,000+just for tuition and fees. Add room and board and the cost would be closer to $57,000+ for year 2 at NYU. Unless you plan to commute from NJ to NYU?</p>

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<p>Rutgers is only 23k a year and while they’re not giving me as much money as NYU is, the loans that they are offering are rather small. (The Unsubsidized loan and subsidized loans are only 2-3 thousand dollars).</p>

<p>Yea I agree, unfortunately, NYU is just too expensive for me.</p>

14

<p>Evolving,</p>

<p>No I don’t plan on commuting. And yes, i understand that if I do transfer, I might not be able to get any money.</p>

<p>Do you know anything about transferring into NYU? Do credits get lost?</p>

15

<p>Natra,
As I recall from reading previous posts, it is hard to get much money as a transfer into NYU (harder than getting FA as an incoming freshman, for sure).</p>

<p>Here is info from the NYU CAS website about transferring in credits to NYU CAS. I would inquire about classes you plan to transfer into NYU from Rutgers and if they would be accepted by NYU before taking the classes at Rutgers. This is, if you are still thinking of transferring into NYU.</p>

<p>NYU CAS Website:</p>

<p>Transfer Students
Transfer students must complete 64 points in the College with a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 overall, in the required major, and in the optional minor. At least one-half of the courses used to complete the major and any minor must be courses offered by the College. Any transfer courses to be applied toward major or minor requirements must be approved by the department. Courses in which a grade of C- or lower was obtained are not transferable.</p>

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<p>evolving,</p>

<p>by 64 points do you know what they mean?
anyway, so basically if I want to transfer, I should ask CAS what courses they would accep etc. from Rutgers. (in the major of course)</p>

17

<p>64 points = 64 credits or 2 full years of courses at NYU.</p>

<p>1 semester - average 4 courses taken, 4 credits per course average = 16 credits per semester in residence at NYU</p>

<p>1 year of 4 credit credit courses (on average) = 32 credits per academic year</p>

<p>2 years of 32 credits/ academic year = 64 credits taken over the two years at NYU as a transfer into NYU starting Junior year.</p>

<p>What this means is you basically have to take a full-time course load at NYU (or average 16 credits per semester/ 32 credits per academic year) for 2 academic years to graduate with the NYU CAS degree after being transferred into NYU CAS Junior year.</p>

18

<p>Oh I see. That makes sense. Thanks for the help!</p>