<p>Daughter got into NYU CAS Presidential honors scholars program with a $43,000 per year scholarship,$3000 work study plus an additional outside scholarship of $5000 per year making total COA about $10,000 per year. We have a EFC of $32,000 so the cost to go to Penn ended up at $28,000 per year. So the difference over 4 years is about $72,000. We have saved over $60,000 in a 529 that could be used for graduate school.
The Nyu honors program's benefits include 2 basically free trips abroad, a semester abroad, research grant, small honors classes with less than 15 per class, personalized advising with department heads and other benefits.
DD really liked Nyu and she loved all the personal attention plus felt like they wanted her, especially with the large scholarship. She plans on studying neural biology with a premed track. She also has an offer from State Flagship for basically free in honors. The choice seems to be simple in my mind and her mind also NYU.
So the question I am asking is an Ivy education that much better even if costs were not a factor than the NYU honors program?</p>
<p>Many of NYU’s departments are on-par with, and in some cases better then, the ivies. </p>
<p>Going to UPenn is not worth an additional $72,000. </p>
<p>What is she planning to study?</p>
<p>She plans on studying neural biology on the premed track.</p>
<p>NYU is excellent for anything relating to neuroscience; and of course, pre-med as well (although, all schools are technically good at ‘pre-med’.)</p>
<p>If she likes NYU, then there’s certainly no reason for her not to attend.</p>
<p>I am sorry but that is far to bias. I am die hard NYU and always have been but if your family can easily afford UPenn and it won’t cause a financial burden on your family then choose UPenn. UPenn ranks in the top 5 consistently in its undergraduate program, not to say NYU is a bad school its wonderful, but they are definitely on two different levels and that is just a fact.</p>
<p>I think comfort level/fit is very important. The prestige of the program really doesn’t really matter if your daughter has a clear preference for the “feel” of one institution/environment over the other. I think people get too caught up in rankings. If a student is motivated–and happy–they will do well.</p>
<p>I have to agree with aarcot. I go to NYU and I’m all pro-NYU, but if money wasn’t a factor I would choose Penn in a heartbeat. So many more connections, the Ivy brand, and the frank statement that NYU is at least one tier below Penn. If this was the business school, my answer would be a little different (although I’d still choose Penn), but the Ivy brand itself simply puts Penn on a different level than NYU.</p>
<p>Yeah I would choose Penn over NYU as well…</p>
<p>GO to penn
graudate programs are usualyl covered by grants and what not so that shouldnt be a problem</p>
<p>UPenn of course! An Ivy is an Ivy.</p>
<p>I disagree; I support NYU. I must admit that after reading only your thread title, I was thinking UPenn, but given that your D is planning on medical school, that money you’ll be saving is going to come in very handy. In addition, if medicine is her chosen profession, her med school will determine her career success more than her undergraduate school will.</p>
<p>Penn is not worth $72,000 more than NYU… ESPECIALLY if your DD wants to go to medical school after undergraduate.</p>
<p>Just because it’s an Ivy doesn’t mean that:
(1) You’ll get a better education.
(2) That it’s worth putting yourself in debt or financial hardship to attend.</p>
<p>To all those who said UPenn: How old are all of you? You all seem to be infatuated with the Ivy league and have no problem being financially irresponsible with some $72,000!</p>