<p>I’d like to go to a college with a large, beautiful campus and pretty background. I’d want the college to be well-known. I am interested in journalism/economics/political science. I want to go to a bigger school. My parents can afford about $23,000 a year for school. But I don't want to spend that whole amount because it means I'd have no grad school money or be able to do anything in college (no $ for study abroad or staying a nicer dorm some year, etc.) After that, I take out loans. I applied to places I couldn’t afford, assuming I’d get financial aid. I didn’t get financial aid, so I’m down to some options I’m not that excited about (either because of money or something about the school or both).</p>
<p>The obvious thing for me to do is to just go to U of I and then try to transfer if I don’t like it. But transfer students don’t tend to be eligible for merit scholarships. So I’m thinking maybe I should wait a year and apply as a first year student. Anyway, here are my options:</p>
<p>My choices:</p>
<p>University of Illinois
Chancellor’s Scholar
$15,000 a year
Campus
Kind of Ugly Campus</p>
<p>NYU
DEANS Scholar
$25,000 a year
More internship opportunities
Central Park
No campus</p>
<p>Gap Year
I could take a gap year, do something cool (maybe study abroad) then reapply to schools I can get more significant merit scholarships at. With AP credits, I should still be able to graduate college on schedule. The problem with this is, it could be expensive (not as expensive as a year of college, but still). It could depend on whether I get a scholarship from the organization sponsoring the gap year. Also, there is no guarentee I'd fare better in this admissions round.</p>
<p>Well, I was thinking of applying to U Michigan, UCLA, Washington St. Louis. I know that I wouldn’t necessarily get a merit scholarship, but I think I would have a decent shot at it. And if not, I could always go to U of I instead.</p>
<p>The NYU scholarship is pretty significant, you would most probably have to go to a considerably lower ranked school to get more than $25K in merit aid. And don’t most gap year scholarships go to kids with financial need?</p>
<p>I would choose one of your current choices. I would also not worry so much about money for grad school. PhD programs most often cost nothing, and a top student going to professional school should be able to handle loans when they graduate.</p>
<p>hmom5–NYU also has one of the highests costs to start with though-- $50,000 a year. I’d just be applying as a first year student, i wouldn’t need some sort of special gap year scholarship.</p>
<p>Getting a bigger scholarship at Wash U than you got at NYU would require you to be the kind of student HYPS is fighting over. UCLA doesn’t have big merit scholarships and I don’t know about UMichigan, but it seems unlikely if you’re OOS.</p>
<p>As for the gap year scholarships, I was referring about your idea to use the year to study abroad and get a scholarship to do so. I think most programs will assess your need as colleges do.</p>
<p>You really need to do your homework here. You say you want a strong, well known school and a big merit scholarship. That’s unrealistic for almost all students. The $25K NYU is offering you is huge in the realm of merit aid and to get this kind of money or more from other colleges will very likely mean going way down the rankings charts.</p>
<p>I mean, i was thinking that i could accept at one of my choices, defer for a year, reapply. i could always just go to the original choice. </p>
<p>and even if i didn’t… i see no reason i wouldn’t get into the same programs i got into the year before–the only difference between my application last year and this year is that i’d have a year of volunteering/work/internship.</p>
This is extremely unethical. You are promising the 1st school that you will attend, but at the same time, applying to other schools. Do not do this.</p>
<p>About your original decision, Illinois and NYU are both excellent schools.</p>
<p>Well, ethically it might be wrong, but if you can do it I’d go for it. You could write an essay on how Machiavellian you are, haha. Seriously though, if you plan to do anything like that make sure of the technicalities such as getting your admissions everywhere revoked. It could be something akin to dual deposits.</p>
<p>all right, all right. i’m convinced, i won’t do it.</p>
<p>nyu or u of i?
The difference in cost is about $65,000 total ($16,500 per year). Is that difference worth it? (I’d have to pay back a total of $32,000 or so in loans after graduation).</p>
<p>Also NYU is not worth the extra cost when you have UIUC. </p>
<p>For some reasons students (especially in Illinois) take UIUC for granted. UIUC is a GREAT university. Sure NYU has the city, but U-C is a great college town. </p>
<p>“kind of ugly” is not a reason to turn down a great education.</p>