<p>Hello,
I need some advice desperately...
I've narrowed my choices down to NYU and UT Austin (Summer Program) and I'm having a lot of trouble deciding between the two. Like many other students, the issue I'm having is money. Is the NYU education worth what it will cost me and my family? Here's a breakdown:</p>
<p>NYU: I got a total of $15K in scholarships, plus $4K for work study, leaving me to come up with $33k. I want to major in international relations, so NYC is pretty much ideal. </p>
<p>UT Austin: I would have to do the Summer Program and major in Political Science since UT doesn't have an international relations major. However, UT is considerably cheaper and I love Austin...</p>
<p>So which one do I choose?? I hate how expensive NYU is, but I'm worried about getting into a good law school as a UT grad, especially since I didn't apply for plan II or honors... please help!</p>
<p>I used to want to go to NYU a while back..
but I hate cold weather..
check out these ratings that princetonreview gave. It's probably not 100% accurate, but it does give a general picture of the school
<a href="http://www.princetonreview.com/college/research/profiles/rankings.asp?listing=1022976<id=1&intbucketid=%5B/url%5D">http://www.princetonreview.com/college/research/profiles/rankings.asp?listing=1022976<id=1&intbucketid=</a></p>
<p>I would say Austin is awesome, but New York is probably really cool too (never been).
you'll definitely have fun watching sports and being a longhorn and whatnot.. NYU.. I have no idea what their mascot is. They aren't big in sports at all.</p>
<p>Also, I would say a UT degree is probably more prestigious worldwide.. since UT is pretty well known outside the US (but this is just a guess). Besides, the cost of living at UT is definitely much less than NYU.. You'll be spending way too much for an NYU degree..</p>
<p>Art and fashion, UT is starting an IR major next year, just so you know!</p>
<p>I heard about it at the Texas Exes scholarship interviews, and I don't know how publicised it is, but there will be an IR major from what I hear.</p>
<p>NYU are the Violets. Can you imagine cheering for the Mighty Mighty Violets to roll down the field?!</p>
<p>OP, I would like to share a little bit about my wife's situation. She received her ba and masters in international relations, and she wanted to become an academic, so she went for her PhD. Since no school has a set PhD program for IR (though some allow you to develop something close to it), she accepted admission to UCONN for her PhD in PolySci. She is not happy with her choice. Not only are IR focused classes of a different grain, she feels that her lack of pure PolySci classes in her BA and Masters has put her at a disadvantage in the program. Though her concentrations are in IR and comparative politics, she feels that the PolySci focus is too formulaic and works more on figuring predictions than solutions.</p>
<p>Yes, IR closely related to PS, but I have met many who have been dissatisfied substituting one for the other.</p>
<p>You can get into a good law school from either, so I wouldn't worry about that. Your real concern should be how important the IR major is. I would advise you look at the schools' catalogues, and get in touch with people in the departments.</p>
<p>If you're 100% sure IR is the major for you (and you're willing to take on the extra financial burden), then NYU is the way to go (I can't imagine a better US city for that major). If there's considerable doubt, UT would be the safer bet.</p>
<p>Best of luck :)</p>
<p>This is weird. I am having the EXACT same issue. Except I'm doing film and liberal arts. I want to go to New York so badly it is eradicating all other considerations...which is probably stupid. Because NYU is ridiculously expensive, and their financial aid sucks. I would love to go but I can't figure out if it would be worth the debt.</p>
<p>...I'm thinking no. I guess there's always grad school.
But still. This is difficult.</p>
<p>
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I'm worried about getting into a good law school as a UT grad
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Do NOT worry about this. I have three friends from UT at Columbia Law with me this year, and another friend who went to Harvard out of UT my same year. Keep in mind, these are only people in my immediate circle of friends. </p>
<p>When you apply to law school, THE most important things are going to be your LSAT and GPA. It's too early to start worrying about the LSAT, but your GPA is something you need to keep in check from the beginning. Going to UT (if you were smart enough to get into NYU), you are going to have no problem achieving top grades at a Government major (there's no poli sci at UT). If you KNOW your goal is law school, go to UT, take a course load that will allow you to maintain a 4.0 or as close to it as possible. </p>
<p>In another thread, I advised someone for whom money was NOT a concern to go for prestige over UT. However, since money IS a concern for you (to the tune of $25k difference per year in tuition ALONE), go to UT. Your undergraduate school does not make enough of a difference in law school admissions to justify the extra cost of NYU. </p>
<p>Go to UT, use pickaprof.com to choose classes in which you will be able to earn A's easily, major in Government and maybe try to transfer into Plan II if that's something you're really interested in (it's do-able). Write a Govt Honors thesis, get involved in extracurriculars, maybe work in a research job on campus. You can absolutely go to a top law school from UT. Trust me. :)</p>
<p>Wow! Thanks everyone for your help. Believe me, this advice really does make a difference.</p>
<p>I'm pretty much set on going to UT now, and I'm certain I'm making the right decision!</p>
<p>Thanks again!</p>