<p>I was rejected by all my top choices, in order of preference: Princeton, Stanford, Harvard, MIT, Yale. </p>
<p>I'm not sure where to attend next year. I would really like to transfer to Stanford, but don't know what school would give me the better edge for getting one of those few transfer spots. </p>
<p>I'm deciding between USC (Trustee scholar and University scholarship, so cost of attendance is only around 10k) and Columbia SEAS (cost of attendance is 40k a year). I've looked at USC as a safety throughout the whole application process because I thought I would get into at least one of my top choices... but now I'm considering them a lot. My major would depend on which school I attend (biochem and premed at USC and operations research trying for concentration in financial engineering at Columbia) and since I like both finance and med equally, majors aren't a factor for me. </p>
<p>Any tips? Also, my parents are not willing to pay for either school because they're too disappointed with me about not getting into HYPSM. I'm torn because USC is going to be really good to my GPA for med school and it's practically free and I can double in Marshall and have sophomore standing upon entrance, but Columbia SEAS has such good access to Wall Street internships and is an Ivy, but is also grade deflated. </p>
<p>Which one do you guys think is better and why? Keep in mind, I'd really like to go to Stanford, but also that I know I can't expect to get in, so I'd like to be happy no matter where I am. </p>
<p>PS, I don't like big cities (can't get out of that one, but I dislike LA less than I dislike NYC) and I want to have lots of research or internship opportunities and my family is on the West Coast. And I want classmates who are interested in learning and creative/intellectual/more academic than party animals.</p>
<p>Personally, I would go to USC. It’s a fantastic school, and it seems to fit your preferences more than Columbia does. You do need to take cost into consideration if your parents aren’t willing to pay. It might not be an Ivy, but it is a very well-respected school nonetheless, and not only in California. It seems like you will have more academic freedom, be able to succeed, and not stress out about money there. </p>
<p>LA is obviously a huge city, but it is much more spread out than NYC, and it’s a much more relaxed environment in general. It feels kind of like a really big suburb. USC does have the party/greek reputation, but I guarantee you that you will find just as many people who are as serious about learning as you are.</p>
<p>“…I’m torn because USC is going to be really good to my GPA for med school and it’s practically free…”</p>
<p>$10,000/year is not “practically free.” That said, since you figure Columbia’s COA would be $40,000/year and your parents won’t pay (and nobody will lend you that much money), and because you seem to plan on graduate/med school, USC is the only option that makes financial sense.</p>
<p>Aww.. I’m sorry to hear of it, aerableparable.</p>
<p>I think location remains the single most important factor when choosing a school, so you may be better off if you go to USC, though someone told me that it was called the University of Spoiled Child… I don’t know about your mummie and daddy; they might prefer Columbia in terms of ranking. Perhaps Stanford also has a liking for Columbia for that matter, and then you could say that NYC wasn’t right for you when transferring.
I suppose your parents will eventually move on and pay your tuition though.. My parents nearly cut me off when I failed to come up to their expectations and fell very low, really low.., but now they support me.</p>
<p>And dntw8up, Columbia told me I could get loans through Citibank to cover my EFC, but interest might be as high as 9%… =(</p>
<p>I’m not sure at this point whether I’m going to med school, I recently learned that I don’t need to apply to grad school immediately after I graduate to get into good grad schools, so I’m even more unsure now. </p>
<p>Is location considered a good reason for transferring? Because I’m confused as to what are and are not good reasons for transferring. Please clarify. Thanks</p>
<p>If you borrow $40/year for Columbia at 9% (and it will likely be more as costs rise each year), you will have monthly payments of over $2000/month for those loans. That is quite onerous. </p>
<p>I don’t see why you would consider it, given that you have at least as many (if not more) reasons to prefer USC, from the way you have described it.</p>
<p>There’s also this like “I will pay for the right school” that is just bogus. The OP has gotten into two very good schools, and one is not quite up there with HYPSM, but still one of the top schools in the country. However, his/her parents aren’t going to pay for his/her education? That is ridiculous. Being able to pay for a great education and not going to? Potentially leaving their child under mountains of debt? </p>
<p>I’m not saying that parents HAVE to pay for their child’s education. I’m just talking about the line between schools you’d pay for and not pay for. The OP’s parents seem able to pay for their child’s education, but are unwilling because they are disappointed that their child didn’t get into HYPMS. I mean COLUMBIA, a school it seems to the OP is more suited to but is forced to choose not to go to because of financial considerations. </p>