Hi, I have just gotten off the waitlist at NYU and have 36 hours to decide if I want to put down a deposit. I really want to attend but I do not know if it is worth the 80k tuition. My parents are only willing to pay half so I am looking at 160k of debt after 4 years. I plan to Major in economics CAS. UMD is 55k because I am OOS. The Economics program is better at NYU as it is #11 but still decent at UMD which is ranked #21. I love both schools but they are very different. UMD provides that traditional college experience with a campus, football games, tailgates, and a sense of school pride. It is also warmer. However NYU is a big city school with no campus but has far better potential networking, renown professors, a better economics program, and has a more prestigious name. While I love the city life I do not know how I would feel living there all the time. Also NYU does give off a vibe of everyone being stressed and depressed. Please help!
I would pick NYU for Econ. They do really well at placing econ grads on Wall Street and consulting. If that is interesting to you, I mean. If you want to go to law school or work in DC, then UMD would be fine
A recent high school graduate wouldn’t qualify for 160k of loans. This would require a co-signer, which is generally a bad idea. If they are approved, interest rates can make this debt as large as 175k-200k.
I live just outside NYC, and we’re in the largest COVID-19 hotspot. You may not even have the “city experience” anytime soon at NYU…
Move to the city after college. You’ll be able to enjoy it much more without financial restraints!