Columbia vs. Chicago $$ Forum

[kc794]

Hi all, and thank you in advance for any input! I'm trying to decide between Columbia and University of Chicago and would love opinions.

I wasn't even considering Chicago until they offered me 75k. I've always wanted to go to Columbia and would really like to be in NYC (I like the city, my friends and bf are there or nearby, I want to work on the east coast, etc.). Rankings are similar (although Columbia's lay prestige is much better) so I think most of the decision is money vs. location. I'm getting a lot of financial help from my parents, but 75k seems hard to turn down.

Thoughts?

[curry1]

Hi all, and thank you in advance for any input! I'm trying to decide between Columbia and University of Chicago and would love opinions.

I wasn't even considering Chicago until they offered me 75k. I've always wanted to go to Columbia and would really like to be in NYC (I like the city, my friends and bf are there or nearby, I want to work on the east coast, etc.). Rankings are similar (although Columbia's lay prestige is much better) so I think most of the decision is money vs. location. I'm getting a lot of financial help from my parents, but 75k seems hard to turn down.

Thoughts?

This depends on how much support your parents are offering you. If they are willing and easily able to pay all of your costs then just go to Columbia. If not, go to Chicago.

[Rigo]

Go back to Columbia and ask for more money.
If all things were equal and you were debt financing I'd say go Chicago, but uprooting your pretty established social life doesn't seem ideal.

[BlendedUnicorn]

Hi all, and thank you in advance for any input! I'm trying to decide between Columbia and University of Chicago and would love opinions.

I wasn't even considering Chicago until they offered me 75k. I've always wanted to go to Columbia and would really like to be in NYC (I like the city, my friends and bf are there or nearby, I want to work on the east coast, etc.). Rankings are similar (although Columbia's lay prestige is much better) so I think most of the decision is money vs. location. I'm getting a lot of financial help from my parents, but 75k seems hard to turn down.

Thoughts?

This depends on how much support your parents are offering you. If they are willing and easily able to pay all of your costs then just go to Columbia. If not, go to Chicago.

Unless your parents are billionaires (and I assume they're not because you're going to law school and you're asking about this) you should treat their money almost as if it's your own. Not only is that the decent thing to do, but it also probably will end up being your money one day.

That all being said, you should negotiate with Columbia (and presumably NYU and Penn if you want to be in the Acela corridor). But I absolutely wouldn't turn down $75k at Chicago to go to Columbia.

[BlendedUnicorn]

also, lol:

(although Columbia's lay prestige is much better)

[proteinshake]

Chicago.

[RSN]

Absolutely negotiate with Columbia with the Chicago money. If they won't budge (I'm fairly confident they will), then you should go to Chicago, but if you can get Columbia up to $50k or so, that's probably enough to merit the switch considering your family help.

[dabigchina]

Chicago. 75k buys a lot of plane tickets. Direct flights are like 2 hrs? You could visit every other weekend if you wanted to.

[landshoes]

My pitch for Chicago: I love NYC and I actually love Chicago too, but it's cheaper and so much easier to find housing here and my standard of living is much higher (plus there is still a lot to do when I want to go out, great public transit, really cool bars that are affordable, etc.)

It's also incredibly easy and cheap to get back to NYC from Chicago. I fly back and forth from the East Coast almost every weekend for various reasons, and flying in and out of Chicago is a dream.

That said, if I had a nice and cheap apartment setup that would be convenient to Columbia, I might hang on to that. Not for 75k though.

[kc794]

Thanks for everyone's responses and input! I'm also know considering Stanford (no $). Any thoughts?

Thanks again!
Katherine

[ponderingmeerkat]

NYC is quite literally the easiest market to "get back to". Chicago will have no problem placing you there and there isn't a social life on the planet that's worth $75K. Go to Chicago...make new friends...it's not cosmic.

(Lay prestige is a hilarious non-factor to include in this analysis so I'll laugh that one off.)

[Pragmatic Gun]

NYC is quite literally the easiest market to "get back to". Chicago will have no problem placing you there and there isn't a social life on the planet that's worth $75K. Go to Chicago...make new friends...it's not cosmic.

(Lay prestige is a hilarious non-factor to include in this analysis so I'll laugh that one off.)

TITCR

[BoyJord]

Thanks for everyone's responses and input! I'm also know considering Stanford (no $). Any thoughts?

Thanks again!
Katherine

Doesn't change anything with no $$$. Go to Chicago. All of the schools are gonna get you (back) to NYC and one of them is offering it a discount-- not to mention CoL is lower. Easy choice

[Rigo]

Goals?
I'd try to get (more) money out of both Columbia and UChi with a Stanford acceptance but I'm shameless.

At least really push Columbia to budge.

[existentialcrisis]

Negotiate with ClS. What about NYU?

[Po$eidon]

I had this set of options last year but I withdrew from both as I was elevated at my job. Try to negotiate w/Columbia. Chicago is much friendlier w/money than either NYU or Columbia in my experience but CLS does negotiate w/them. Moving that far from your social life (bf) is hard

[jbagelboy]

Columbia comes into play if you get $50k. Negotiate. PM me if you want to discuss.

[Po$eidon]

also, lol:

(although Columbia's lay prestige is much better)

Co-signed

[Tiago Splitter]

Keep in mind that Columbia's tuition is almost 6K a year more too.

[dm1683]

I fly back and forth from the East Coast almost every weekend for various reasons, and flying in and out of Chicago is a dream.

LOL you must fly through midway then.

[landshoes]

I fly back and forth from the East Coast almost every weekend for various reasons, and flying in and out of Chicago is a dream.

LOL you must fly through midway then.

yup

[Nebby]

also, lol:

(although Columbia's lay prestige is much better)

git rekt mate