So I have two days to commit to a college, yet I’m still unable to make a decision. The options that I am considering are NYU and an enormous public state school.
I am in love with NYU, and their Political Science/Government program is ranked considerably higher than that of the state school, but I would have to go deeply into student loan debt in order to afford it.
The state school, on the other hand, would allow me to graduate virtually debt-free, but I am concerned that, because its enrollment is so much larger than NYU’s, as well as the fact that it is ranked lower and in a much less opportunistic location, my college experience and future prospects would suffer.
I would really appreciate any input!!
Debt-free is what you should aim for here. Many of the best internships and first working opportunities in poli sci are unpaid or barely paid. Graduating without debt will mean that you can take that kind of position.
Which state school? Ooooo let me guess. Geneseo?
@happymomof1 Thanks for the input! So is location not as much of a concern in getting those internships?
@Muad_dib Nope- I’m actually from Texas! My in-state options are Texas A&M and UT, but UT is a better school
UT Austin is a great state school. NYU has only recently become popular because of its location in New York City. Save the money and go to UT Austin. Heavy student loans are bad and you cannot always guarantee you will get a high paying job in political science.
Honestly, UT-Austin and NYU are on the same tier. No one parses rankings that closely.
Also, if you noticed, NYU is also huge.
Going heavily in to debt for NYU as a poli sci major makes no sense at all.
NYU is a lot like a big state school, except that it doesn’t provide the sports to unite the school; it is in NYC; and it’s really expensive.
This is a total no-brainer. Go to UT-Austin. Great school, great city. If you take on debt for NYU you will carry that for a long, long time. Go to UT. Your 23 year-old self will thank you. Heck, your 40 year-old self will thank you as well, because it can take that long to pay of big college debt.
Thanks to everyone for the advice! I did want to add that I was also considering American University, but had written it off due to the difference in ranking. As a PoliSci major, would that be a sensible choice, or is UT still the better option?
Are costs the same?
You’re making the beginner mistake (granted, made by plenty who apply to college) of putting too much weight on overall rankings without understanding how people in the real world actually think.
If I was certain that I was going in to poli sci and would not deviate and costs were the same, I would pick American. But costs trump a lot in poli sci, especially when you are talking about schools that your level. And you haven’t talked about what you may possibly want to do. UT-Austin almost certainly has better connections for any political work in TX than either NYU or American, for instance.
@PurpleTitan I would have to take on about $10k in loans for American, so it’d be more expensive than UT but not nearly on the scale of NYU. Realistically- or at least it seems to me- a PoliSci degree at these schools would likely require a graduate degree, so I’m currently thinking about law school. I’m pretty set on my undergrad major, but not entirely sure what direction I hope to take afterwards. However, if I were to work in government, Texas state politics would not be high on the list.
Thanks so much for responding!
This is an easy choice: UT. Even TAMU would be a better option for someone looking to have a career in Texas long term IMO.
If it’s law school, then where you go to undergrad won’t really matter. Also, what you major in won’t really matter as well.