Turning my back on Rice for NYU! (Am I being rational?)

Applying to College
1

<p>Rice was my number one choice for quite some time, unless of course I got into my Ivy reaches (which I knew probably wouldnt happen). So when I was rejected from Wharton and Columbia College I knew that wanted Rice badly, I really wanted that acceptance letter.</p>

<p>Well I got the waitlist.</p>

<p>And while it never hurts to have more options, I plan on accepting a spot on the waitlist and sending in supplements/reccomendations/updates to make myself more convincing.</p>

<p>But I considered the other day, could I honestly say to Rice (should I decide visit or talk to my rep) in words or writing "If Accepted to Rice I ensure you that I will withdraw my deposit and enroll at Rice."</p>

<p>I mean my primary interests are law and business, and I got into Stern at NYU! </p>

<p>I could go with a Finance Major with an International Business Co-Major... both of which are Stern's star majors, topping the charts in both fields (except for Wharton), and Stern also has a pre-law advisor and a pamphlet suggesting how to go about preparing for a future in law while attending Stern.</p>

<p>So with a nice $15,000 scholarships thrown in the mix... what reason DO I have for picking Rice over NYU besides non-academic things like a campus, community, etc....</p>

<p>I feel like if I did enroll at Rice I would be sacrificing a strong foundation in business and networking that would seriously help me get into an elite Business Grad School, and if I exhibited success at Stern and prepared for the LSAT's and did as well on them as I have most other standardized tests... what possible advantage could Rice give me towards a law degree?</p>

<p>It feels awkward saying that I would accept NYU over my long-time first choice Rice, which is considered by most to provide an over-all better education and is more prestigious than NYU, but why does that matter when the school I am attending in NYU specialized in my interests?</p>

<p>It just feels strange, a month ago it would have been Rice... no questions asked, but now, even if I did get off the waitlist, Im not sure if I would attend... </p>

<p>Thoughts?</p>

2

<p>You can tell Rice truthfully that Rice has always been your first choice and you are still very interested.</p>

<p>If you do get off the waitlist, then you can decide. </p>

<p>Congratulations on your acceptance and financial award for NYU.</p>

3

<p>Ahhhh...go to NYU and never look back. I wish my S (who attends NYU Stern) got a scholarship! He's happy there and doing well but it costs a lot!!</p>

4

<p>If you're majoring in Business, go to Stern.</p>

5

<p>Are you kidding? Stern is the much better choice for your interests and is as elite in the business world as Rice is, probably more so anywhere but Texas. Don't look back. Congrats! I think of Stern as a temporary loophole. It should soon surpass Wharton for undergrad just because of location and faculty.</p>

6

<p>NYU Stern easily.</p>

7

<p>Ohh the decisions, im so totally stuck on this subject that I'm literally 50/50% between these two schools and keep changing my mind on how I feel about them:</p>

<p>I've been accepted into NYU's Stern and plan on focusing on a Finance Major with a International Business Co-Major, eventually pursuing an MBA... BUT I also am maintaining a HIGH interest in attending a top law school someday. I also have the option of further pursuing a chance at Rice University.</p>

<p>For all intents and purposes, lets pretend I have a choice between the two schools with a similar financial situation at both, and that campus setting is irrelevent. (with the exception of better opportunities in NYC versus Houston).</p>

<p>Pursuing finance becomes highly relevent here because while Rice offers an overall better undergrad education and experience...but Stern would definitely push me further in the field of finance and Int'l Business.</p>

<p>However a recent post in regards to my dilemma troubled me about the possibilities of a finance major, ill just go ahead and quote it:</p>

<p>"*NYU-Stern is a good school for what it does, but business? C'mon, major in an academic subject that interests you. I know that "ibanking" sounds really cool and prestigious to you right now as a high school senior and you've probably read a couple of articles about it in Forbes, but the reality is that it is a time consuming and social irrelevant job. NYU-Stern would put you in a good position to get one of these jobs, but from what I hear, there is a harsh curve on classes, meaning you could end up with a less than impressive GPA. That doesn't help for law school......</p>

<p>Undergraduate business isn't even a real major. You don't need it to work in business. There's a reason why HYPS and many other top schools don't have business degrees.*"</p>

<p>This sort of thing shook me to my core because this is exactly what I'm basing my decisions off of... but would attending Stern over Rice be a serious flaw on my part because im jumping into a field that may hurt my chances for a top law school while also putting me in a field that may end up being extremely distasteful for me?</p>

<h2>So am I really caught up in a naive fantasy about being some well-payed Wall Street player or is there more to a finance major that what I'm hearing... also anything you can tell me about International Business would be extremely helpful.</h2>

<p>I think this is a better portrayal of my current dillema at the moment, particularly the law school caveat... how harsh is the curve at Stern that I keep hearing about? If (with enough effort) I can still maintain hope of attending a top law school while attending Stern then I would feel much more relieved of that EVERY PERSISTANCE CHURNING IN YOUR GUT that tells me I might be forsaking an opportunity in law by attending a rigorous school like Stern that could easily grind up my GPA should I slip and fall... and be stuck in a field like finance that I might soon find to be repulsive as well.</p>

8

<p>This could be a non-issue...you have to enroll somewhere, so enroll at NYU and if you get in to Rice off the wait-list (highly unlikely at any university, it's a numbers game), THEN we can talk about it</p>

9

<p>I realize it could be a non-issue, but my mind has blown this out of proportion and it has also brought in issues (is Stern even a good idea if I want keep top law schools open as an option? is finance that great of an idea) that weren't even issues before.</p>

<p>I also believe that telling Rice that I will matriculate if taken off the waitlist would boost my odds of getting off, making itself a small dillema.</p>

10

<p>you can tell them that if you want - that doesn't make it a binding agreement so it won't matter much, if at all. you are worrying way too much - you will probably change your major again anyways.</p>

11

<p>
[quote]
It should soon surpass Wharton for undergrad just because of location and faculty.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Doubt it. But it's certainly closer to doing so than Rice.</p>

12

<p>I agree with kcirsch - this could be a non-issue and you are worrying too much. Truth be told, you would probably have a positive experience at either, just very different. You must maintain a 3.67 GPA to remain in Stern Scholars - not an easy task. But my guess is that it isn't easy to maintain a high GPA at Rice either. That is no slough-off school.</p>

<p>I think if you are wanting to get an MBA eventually, don't go the route of undergraduate business because many of those classes will be a repeat. It would probably be better to major in something else and then round out your education with the MBA. If you are wanting to go to law school, it might be interesting to do undergraduate business (you can minor but not 2nd major in nearly all the departments from the CAS at NYU) and combine that with a law degree.</p>

13

<p>if you are talking about business, NYU all the way !</p>