What would you do?!? Forum

[yarsten]

Ok, so here's the deal- my stable life plans just got crazy. I'd been planning to move to Cambridge in two weeks with my wife and daughter, Harvard-owned housing lease is signed, everything's good to go. Until...
Faye Deal just called- I got in off the Stanford waitlist. Stanford was always my first choice (family is all out west), but at this point, it seems crazy to switch. I'm getting a preliminary aid package tomorrow (assuming [hoping] it will be similar to Harvard's...) and she'll let me know if housing is available.
What would you do?!?!

[Toby Ziegler]

It would seem that moving to Palo Alto would be an easier trip, and maybe any money lost from a deposit in Cambridge would be negated by the much closer move? I don't know. But it sounds like you really want Stanford, so why not? It will be a pain to get there when you have already planned on MA but you will end up at your number one choice. But again, you can't go wrong with whatever you choose. If it were me (as you asked) as long as there was a decent housing situation set up for my family. I would go to Stanford in a heart beat, especially since us married guys have to worry about what our families will have to do while we are studying for 12 hours a day. Your wife and daughter is going to love Palo Alto in January a lot more than Cambridge Congrats on both acceptances.

[Teflon_Don]

I would still go to HLS. It depends what kind of person you are.. Personally, switching up all my plans that last minute would fluster me and cause more harm then good.

[Ti Malice]

Very personal call. Aside from your signed lease and the amount of time you've spent assuming you'd end up there, do you have any other significant ties (financial or personal) to Cambridge?

I'm betting SLS's grant award will be bigger. Our financial aid picture is different since you have a child, but SLS offered me significantly more than HLS last year ($10K+ more in grants and $8K in Perkins instead of GradPLUS), and most people report their offers to be more generous. Travel costs to visit family should be much lower for you too, so SLS might save you a sizable chunk of money. Then there's the fact that you prefer the school, financial considerations aside. Do you think you'd be happier living on the West Coast than in the Northeast? Hard to imagine you wouldn't be.

It's a shock to the system to make a change like this at the last minute, but I don't think it's crazy at all. Two months from now, when the agitation from making the switch would be long gone, would you regret not having gone to SLS?

See what the grant offer and housing situation look like and go from there.

[NYstate]

Don't be afraid of changing your plans to get what you really want. A signed lease is not a good enough reason to give up on your top choice school. You can manage this if you still want Stanford.

[Monochromatic Oeuvre]

Sounds like you really want Stanford. Don't let the little stuff get in the way of what you really want.

[Cicero76]

It sounds to me like you will regret it later in life if you don't go to SLS. Suck it up and start repacking

[Lavitz]

Voted for Stanford because it would be a fitting end after all that waiting you did this cycle.

[hephaestus]

Losing out on the deposit and logistic headaches are worth your satisfaction/happiness in the long run. Go to Stanford.

[JamMasterJ]

Stanford, easily

[NYC2012]

.

[Doorkeeper]

How does the wife and daughter feel about the potential switch?

[tirakon]

I voted yes, because ultimately you'll be happiest near your family and at your #1.

One thing you might consider: Now that HLS sections are out, how do you like your schedule/professors?

[Brettanomyces]

If you even have to think about it, you know you should go to Stanford.

[2013applicant]

Even the wording of your poll options shows that you should go to Stanford.

[Ramius]

Enjoy the bay. It's the right thing to do.

[cinephile]

Does your wife already have a job lined up in Boston? It's a big switch for your whole family, so what do they want?

[yarsten]

I'll try to reply to most of the questions asked-
Yes, I'm in Utah. No we don't really have any ties to Boston. The wife doesn't have a job lined up or anything, basically we would just have to cancel our lease (if we can??) and eat the deposit ($2700 between the apartment and the seat deposit). On the other hand every trip back home would be significantly cheaper so that probably evens out.
I guess the only thing holding me back right now is the fact that I've basically been planning on Harvard since last December when I got in. It's a tough thing to give up. And dat lay preftige...
In all seriousness, if the aid package is similar and we can get everything taken care of in time, I think I'll go with S.

[cinephile]

Sounds like a relatively easy decision then. Enjoy Palo Alto.

[jbagelboy]

I mean if you really wanted Stanford all along, go for it. Still, I could see you not wanting to change plans this late in the game given the similarity in opportunities.

I think the apartment lease money should be the least of your concerns. Its a minor sunk cost for 3 yrs of six figure schooling

[sinfiery]

Enjoy SLS. Gratz!

[MKC]

Basing law school decisions on short term hassles and a few thousand bucks in penalties for breaking a lease seems dumb. Enjoy Stanford.

[PRgradBYU]

Come join us at Stanford, man. SLS is typically very generous with its financial aid, so I imagine you'll receive more there than you received at HLS.

Also, having grown up on the east coast, I can wholeheartedly attest to the truth of this:

Don't move to the east coast unless you absolutely have to. Trust.

I bet your wife and daughter would be happier staying on the west coast and closer to your guys' families. Good luck with your decision!

[yarsten]

Still haven't heard on aid or housing, but it turns out I'm still responsible for my Harvard housing lease if they can't find another tenant. The guy on the phone said there's a good chance they'd find one but there are no guarantees.
I would love to pay $4000/mo rent.

[NYstate]

Still haven't heard on aid or housing, but it turns out I'm still responsible for my Harvard housing lease if they can't find another tenant. The guy on the phone said there's a good chance they'd find one but there are no guarantees.
I would love to pay $4000/mo rent.

Do you honestly believe they won't find another tenant? I live in New York and it just isn't a problem to find other tenants. I have never seen empty university housing. I don't think it should be an issue at Harvard.