<p>anybody who got off the wait lists? I just got an offer from Columbia. But I don’t think I can go given that I have already accepted NYUAD’s offer :(</p>
<p>Sheza. I think you should go for it. A lot of universities, no matter how average they may seem when you compare them to Ivy Leagues are pretty good when you compare them with local Pakistani universities. Especially LSE. NUST is still better ranked in terms of engineering, that is, if you want to pursue engineering. But then again, you’re a girl and your parents will give you arguments like ‘you should spend the next 4 years with us, the US isn’t safe etc etc.’
So weigh your options and all factors and make a wise decision. Best of luck :)</p>
<p>^ That is great man!! Congratulations on Columbia offer How was your aid package? You can still turn down NYUAD’s offer and accept columbia one. You would only lose your enrollment deposit of NYUAD, if you paid any!</p>
<p>Ill probably be going to CMU-Q if I get a decent aid package. I think the two downsides are smaller campus, so lesser resources (although I think they should be substantially good in the specific majors they do offer), and pressure to work in qatar after graduation (paid service option; which most ppl choose). Food is a problem ppl complain abt (said the admission councellor) but there are lots of different options to choose from. People do cook themselves too. </p>
<p>The CS class at cmuq is small too. Abt 20-25 students taken in to the first term.</p>
<p>Picerulz, I don’t think food should be a problem as long as there are restaurants/cafes on campus.</p>
<p>The ‘work in Qatar after graduation option’ is indeed an issue. I heard that if you get a job at a private company, your loans won’t be waived off. You MUS get a job at a govt or semi-govt employer, which tend to prefer Qatari Nationals over PRs. So, that’s an issue.</p>
<p>got an offer from Penn too. This is crazy. </p>
<p>I didn’t give a deposit to NYUAD. They don’t have any deposits. All they want is an acceptance form that you have to fill out.
So what do you guys think? can I just break the agreement I made to NYUAD? Is it that easy? I mean isn’t there any legal stuff involved?</p>
<p>^ Congrats again
I don’t think there’s any legal stuff involved, I mean its just a university selection process, not a crime.
How much aid did u get from both these places? If you got good aid, then I’d suggest you ditch NYUAD even if there IS any legal stuff involved :P</p>
<p>@duresham Ditch Ditch Ditch NYUAD There ain’t any problem if you choose Columbia or Penn now coz you got off the wait-list so just chill. Congrats again and definitely you are on a roll :D</p>
<p>Yar, i am not sure, I really want to go (just check out the new residence halls, INSANELY AWESOME!) but 4 years down the road we’ll be working there. I don’t have any issues with working, the only reservation I have is that I don’t want to relinquish control of my life and if I decide to go for PG I definitely dont want to be 30 by the time I finish it. This may not be an issue for many people but I don’t plan on working a job for very long, I am more of an entrepreneurial type.I am also waiting for the reply from NUS so can’t say anything until that’s on the table as well. </p>
<p>How do you put into perspective the fact that we’d have to work in the government/semi-government sector (private sector) doesn’t count and this sector prefers Qataris (some jobs are for locals only) and language seems to be a barrier, too. almost all the jobs list proficiency in Arabic as either desirable or required. Georgetown has a foreign language requirement but I don’t think I would like to study Arabic. </p>
<p>This is the only reason I am thinking of ditching Georgetown. :/</p>
<p>Junaid, thats what I meant when I said I wouldn’t want to relinquish control. Qatar government could boss you around and dictate where to work whether you like it or not. I dont think they will but if they do you cant do a damn thing about it since youre knee deep in debt. Learning the language shouldn’t be a problem, you could take a course here in Pakistan during the vacations and polish it during the uni and jobs also shouldnt be a big issue since qatar foundation actually wants you to work there so its not like you’ll be unemployed. </p>
<p>Moreover the admission counselor told me that starting incomes could go as low as 8k, the cheapest and ****tiest apartments in qatar are 3.5k per month. Not to mention that almost every thing there is pricy, except electronics. </p>
<p>However, the councilor also told me that if you request the qatar foundation it may allow you to pursue your PG study and put the loan repayment on hold for that time. He said its not very common but it has happened quite a few times. If that is the case than we could set our sights for top US unis and once you have a masters from there you would definitely get better jobs. You could even switch to paying 15% of your salary instead of the paid service option. </p>
<p>I’m more concerned about getting a job for one. I got an email from one of QF’s representatives and she said that if you find a job in the private sector, your loans won’t be waived; if you find a job in the public sector, your loans would be waived.</p>
<p>The key thing to note is there that they won’t place us in a job…and we all know that locals get preferred and language is an issue, too. Actually, for me, language seems to be a major issue, so I am on the verge of deciding not to go to Georgetown. :/</p>
<p>NUS also makes students take loans, so you’d have to work there (for the Ministrr Grants) and you’d have to repay the loans. :|</p>
<p>But you can expect to go to a good grad school for free. You’d probably have to take up loans and pay for yourself for grad school, too. The amount of debt will, in all probability, keep on piling.</p>
<p>True, but the amount of loan at NUS would definitely be lesser (due to lower tuition and there is a certain amount of grant in the aid package that doesn’t have to be repaid) and so paying it off might be easier. </p>
<p>Dude relax you wont be unemployed, qatar needs workers, they hire almost anyone. Its an expanding economy, most of the educated class belongs to affluent families and doesnt want to work thats why they hire cheap, even under qualified Pakistanis. Just google it. The major concern is whether you get a good job or not.</p>
How was your aid package? You can still turn down NYUAD’s offer and accept columbia one. You would only lose your enrollment deposit of NYUAD, if you paid any!</p>
There ain’t any problem if you choose Columbia or Penn now coz you got off the wait-list so just chill. Congrats again and definitely you are on a roll :D</p>