<p>I say, if Harvard is not the place you want to be, prestige or not, it might not make you happy. But hell, if you don't go, you can still say you got into Harvard and rejected. Thats a nice kick in their butt. (bitter at them because I got rejected lol)</p>
<p>Anyhow, it would be an amazing experience, and the connections you would make there would be phenominal, so either way, I don't think you could make a bad decision</p>
<p>Thanks guys for all the input, I really appreciate it - I'm definitely looking at my financial situation closely here, its going to be the deciding factor.
Tisch for grad school doesnt sound so bad either :)</p>
<p>Wow- this is really wierd that I just came across this thread. A few years ago my sister auditioned and was accepted to tisch and to her shock Harvard. She chose to attend Harvard and is studying film there! She loves it, if that helps your decision in any way...good luck!</p>
<p>Go Harvard=d</p>
<p>Another vote for Harvard here.</p>
<p>Tawny - keep in mind that college and career are two separate things. With a career you are always learning, always growing, always moving forward. College is only 4 years... a career as a successful filmmaker could easily be 50 years. </p>
<p>You are thinking only in terms right now of which school will give you the best technical training for your art -- that makes sense, but years from now that won't matter. What you don't learn in school about film you will pick up as you go through your work. But for the rest of your life you will be drawing on what you gained academically and intellectually from your undergraduate educational experience - and that will be irreplaceable, never to be repeated. </p>
<p>And for a more practical consideration: you will make connections at Harvard that will come in very handy in years to come if you ever need to get private financing for a film project. Your Tisch classmates will mostly be struggling artists, just like you --and in any case they will be more worried about their own projects and career aspirations than in helping you out. But many of your Harvard classmates will be investment bankers, earning 6 figure salaries. They will have the money connections that will help you in a business that often comes down to money. </p>
<p>So - definitely: Harvard. No question.</p>
<p>omg harvard gg</p>
<p>are you kidding?</p>
<p>HARVARD of course</p>
<p>I don't get why this has to be so hard...
The choice is obvious.</p>
<p>I think if film is your true passion you should pick Tisch if you can somehow make the payments work because Harvard doesn't offer much as far as film goes unfortunately. I always thought it to be the Ivy that lacked any character, although I am sure you could make the most out of it. Another thing about film is that you could take the free Harvard education and then do film in grad school. I don't know. It's a really hard decision.</p>
<p>HARVARD. Why the heck would you turn that away?!</p>
<p>If you're serious about film, the industry connections you make among Tisch student body and faculty, as well as the New York City area as a whole, will prove far more invaluable to furthering your career than a diploma from Harvard.</p>
<p>But if you're solely concerned about prestige, the choice is simple.</p>
<p>coming from someone wo has wanted to go to NYU since they were old enough to spell it...
from someone who is in a similar situation with $$ and aid...
from someone who worked for four years like a madman for NYU, and DOESN't have a hard-on for the ivy league...</p>
<p>HARVARD! HARVARD! HARVARD! HARVARD! HARVARD! HARVARD! HARVARD! HARVARD! HARVARD!</p>
<p>...ahem</p>
<p>HARVARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!</p>
<p>full ride @ harvard..this is coming from someone who has been on this site for too many years and given lots of helpful advice, you will not regret your decision.</p>
<p>You'll only bring hardship on yourself if you pay for NYU. Definitely go to Harvard. How is your film career going to turn out if you're broke?</p>
<p>I don't think you can make the decision based on other people's advice. In this situation, only you can know which feels right for you. Congrats!</p>
<p>Tawny, If you want to be a creative artist, avoid debt. I cannot impress upon you enough, as a writer myself, what an interference debt can be. You can learn what you need at Harvard plus grad school. I honestly think it might be better to do Tisch as a grad student. By the time you get there you will already be that much better and more accomplished as a filmmaker than you are now, and you will be able to put the connections at Tisch to better use.</p>
<p>Harvard. ...</p>
<p>If you're willing to take the debt, and film is your passion, then Tisch is easily the answer to your question. But $200,000ish is a lot of money to owe, especially for one going in to such an industry. Harvard has superior programs in most other programs, like History, English, and Psychology, all which a knowledge of is necessary for an artist to flourish (NYU does have the best philosophy department in the US though).</p>
<p>So, my point is neither one is a bad decision. The idea of Harvard undergrad, and Tisch grad is a great idea, because then you'll get the best of both worlds: the finest humanities education possible, a superior and more challenging film program (grad vs. undergrad), and only two years of debt, rather than four. If money was no object, I'd say Tisch, but there's a lot of money at stake here and instead of worrying about that and making artistic compromises you wouldn't otherwise make after college, I would probably have to say Harvard is the better choice.</p>
<p>Honestly, I know people who take the full ride for a lower "ranked" school. But you got into Harvard, cmon who would turn down a free ride. Debt sucks, and being almost 200k in debt by the age of 22 is not good. You can always go to NYU for grad school. When you graduate from Harvard with a good education and no debt you will feel good but when you are almost 200k in debt after graduating from NYU you will regret it. If you even have to come on these forums to aks us whether or not to go to NYU than you obviously don't love it that much. Plus, it wil be easier on your parents because they won't have to worry about the cost of college.</p>
<p>Thanks guys for alll of your responses... this has been a really interesting situation for me... and I appreciate all the input. I was also surprised to see so many votes for Harvard considering Tisch is a theatre/film person's dream... (and especially on the NYU board!)</p>
<p>I've been trying to contact NYU's FinAid with my appeal through phone calls, emails, faxes, Sat @ the Square, etc...for over a week now... NO RESPONSE. Its been so frustrating... And it turns out my parents can't even qualify to take out the kind of loans we'll need...</p>
<p>by the way, 2400what: I DO love NYU.. A LOT... if I didnt, I wouldnt be considering it still next to harvard... and that is why I'm on these forums.</p>
<p>in fact (maybe this is stupid - because, hey, i can just go to harvard) but i'm actually pretty upset over not being able to go to film school... it has basically been my dream for a lloonnng time and I worked really hard not only to get in, but to try and qualify for scholarships/good aid because of my family's financial situation... and its kinda upsetting to see that yeah, i worked hard, and i got in, i got a good scholarship, i even got into the tisch scholars program.... but i STILL cant go.</p>
<p>At this point it seems I'll be attending Harvard...
okay, no tisch, but... <em>obviously</em> still very exciting!
unless a financial miracle occurs...
(which is unlikely)
And after Harvard I am DEFINITELY pursuing Tisch for grad school.</p>
<p>thanks again for all your input, it really DOES help.</p>