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Help!

Columbia is my top choice school, but unfortunately, I did not receive any grants from them. I do not qualify for financial aid at any school, so I'm relying solely on merit awards. I have asked Columbia to reconsider, taking awards from NYU, Penn, Michigan (all 45k), Duke (75k) and Vandy (95k) into account. Hopefully, they'll come back with some good news.

If not, does anyone have any thoughts? Is Columbia worth $45k more than NYU??

My goal is biglaw in NYC post graduating.

Any advice helps!

Comes down to NYU and Duke, IMO. I'd pick NYU but others might recommend Duke.

I am in the same situation as you although I qualified for need-based aid. In the end, though, my decision comes to NYU being about 40k less expensive than NYU. I also want NYC BigLaw and am strongly leaning toward NYU. It will place just as well as Columbia in this regard.

NYU easily. NYU and CLS both place phenomenally well in NYC biglaw, and this is the area in which you would be most justified in calling the schools peers. Without a doubt, if you want NYC biglaw, you should take the extra $45K from NYU. You will end up in one of the same great NYC firms, but have a nice chunk of change in your pocket.

Debt:

Vandy - 130k
Duke - 165k
UMich - 185k
NYU - 215k

Throwing out CLS/Penn since they cost sticker and you have peer schools. I'd probbly take Duke at 50k less than NYU but I think it's a tossup between Duke/NYU.

bk187 wrote:Debt:

Vandy - 130k
Duke - 165k
UMich - 185k
NYU - 215k

Throwing out CLS/Penn since they cost sticker and you have peer schools. I'd probbly take Duke at 50k less than NYU but I think it's a tossup between Duke/NYU.

He actually got 45K from Penn. If I was in this situation I'd try to get more from Penn given their placement power into NYC Biglaw and lower COL compared to NYC. With no extra money from Penn though, go for NYU.

Yah Columbia shouldn't be an option at this point.

Tiago Splitter wrote:He actually got 45K from Penn. If I was in this situation I'd try to get more from Penn given their placement power into NYC Biglaw and lower COL compared to NYC. With no extra money from Penn though, go for NYU.

Oh misread that. I'd still split between NYU/Duke.

if you don't qualify for financial aid, might you not have any real "debt" after graduation anyway? As in, perhaps your parents are going to foot the bill? I realize this is still real money, but it is a lot different question than if you plan on paying off whatever "debt" you accumulate via loans over the next 10-15 years

TheRedMamba wrote:if you don't qualify for financial aid, might you not have any real "debt" after graduation anyway? As in, perhaps your parents are going to foot the bill? I realize this is still real money, but it is a lot different question than if you plan on paying off whatever "debt" you accumulate via loans over the next 10-15 years

Most people who don't get need-based aid still ending footing the bill on their own.

TheRedMamba wrote:if you don't qualify for financial aid, might you not have any real "debt" after graduation anyway? As in, perhaps your parents are going to foot the bill? I realize this is still real money, but it is a lot different question than if you plan on paying off whatever "debt" you accumulate via loans over the next 10-15 years

...wut?

Tiago Splitter wrote:

bk187 wrote:Debt:

Vandy - 130k
Duke - 165k
UMich - 185k
NYU - 215k

Throwing out CLS/Penn since they cost sticker and you have peer schools. I'd probbly take Duke at 50k less than NYU but I think it's a tossup between Duke/NYU.

He actually got 45K from Penn. If I was in this situation I'd try to get more from Penn given their placement power into NYC Biglaw and lower COL compared to NYC. With no extra money from Penn though, go for NYU.

It's a good thought, but my interactions with the Penn financial people have suggested that they don't consider Duke a peer and won't match their scholarships. ould probably take Duke here unless you're adamant about an urban school, then take NYU. EDIT: In light of COA figures below, go to NYU.

Thought I posted this, but looks like I didn't

So I think I've narrowed it down to NYU/Columbia.

My fiancee and I live in NYC now and he will be paying for our apt in NYC if I stay here for school. We've budgeted about 65k over three years for rent that I would not be paying. Whereas I would be paying rent/utilities in Durham AND my fiancee would have his NYC apartment.

That being said, without interest and including COL:

Duke = roughly $135k over three years
NYU = roughly $125k over three years
Columbia = roughly $160 over three years

If Columbia is where I want to be and the FinAid office doesn't change their decision of no aid, is it worth the cost difference, even in the grand scheme of things? Does this change opinions?

sunnyjbw wrote:Thought I posted this, but looks like I didn't

So I think I've narrowed it down to NYU/Columbia.

My fiancee and I live in NYC now and he will be paying for our apt in NYC if I stay here for school. We've budgeted about 65k over three years for rent that I would not be paying. Whereas I would be paying rent/utilities in Durham AND my fiancee would have his NYC apartment.

That being said, without interest and including COL:

Duke = roughly $135k over three years
NYU = roughly $125k over three years
Columbia = roughly $160 over three years

If Columbia is where I want to be and the FinAid office doesn't change their decision of no aid, is it worth the cost difference, even in the grand scheme of things? Does this change opinions?

Oh I'd def take NYU in that case as long as your fiancee doesn't mind you not chipping in for rent.

sunnyjbw wrote:Thought I posted this, but looks like I didn't

So I think I've narrowed it down to NYU/Columbia.

My fiancee and I live in NYC now and he will be paying for our apt in NYC if I stay here for school. We've budgeted about 65k over three years for rent that I would not be paying. Whereas I would be paying rent/utilities in Durham AND my fiancee would have his NYC apartment.

That being said, without interest and including COL:

Duke = roughly $135k over three years
NYU = roughly $125k over three years
Columbia = roughly $160 over three years

If Columbia is where I want to be and the FinAid office doesn't change their decision of no aid, is it worth the cost difference, even in the grand scheme of things? Does this change opinions?

100% NYU. No way CLS is worth $35K more if all you want is a biglaw job in NYC. Thats the bread and butter of both schools, and you will almost certainly get it from either, with an equal shot at all the top places.

You'll have the same biglaw options from either. It sounds like you're going to stay living in the same apartment you're currently in so the neigbourhood distinctions won't make such a difference. I guess commute time might be relevant there but I cannot imagine paying that might more to go to Columbia to have the exact same options unless there is some particular reason you believe you would hate NYU.

sunnyjbw wrote:Thought I posted this, but looks like I didn't

So I think I've narrowed it down to NYU/Columbia.

My fiancee and I live in NYC now and he will be paying for our apt in NYC if I stay here for school. We've budgeted about 65k over three years for rent that I would not be paying. Whereas I would be paying rent/utilities in Durham AND my fiancee would have his NYC apartment.

That being said, without interest and including COL:

Duke = roughly $135k over three years
NYU = roughly $125k over three years
Columbia = roughly $160 over three years

If Columbia is where I want to be and the FinAid office doesn't change their decision of no aid, is it worth the cost difference, even in the grand scheme of things? Does this change opinions?

Columbia=NYU for getting NYC biglaw jobs. When deciding between the two, the correct answer is almost always take the cheapest option (which usually is NYU, but sometimes is CLS). If subjective things pull you either way (location/vibe/NCAA conference) those maybe could justify choosing a school that was $10-15k more. Since you don't seem to care, accept a little bit for CLS's "prestige" and NYU is $35k cheaper than CLS, the correct answer is NYU.

I'm pretty much just joining in on previously expressed sentiments, but enjoy the village.

NYU all the way (from a current CLS 3L)

My school needs to stop giving out so many TTT scholarships. We're not 37.5K better than NYU and everyone knows it now.

timbs4339 wrote:NYU all the way (from a current CLS 3L)

My school needs to stop giving out so many TTT scholarships. We're not 37.5K better than NYU and everyone knows it now.

Fixed by a NYU 1L.

I had almost an identical choice three years ago, and I will accepting my diploma from NYU next month; that tells you how I voted.