<p>I currently attend a private university with a good reputation that is extremely expensive. It turns out that with our less than stellar financial aid package, my family just cannot afford it anymore. After college I plan on going to grad school to study Occupational Therapy. With that being said, would it be better for me to go to transfer to an inexpensive college for undergrad (specifically a city university such as CUNY Hunter, CUNY Baruch, CUNY Queens, etc) and save money for grad school or take out more loans to fund my education? Since I know it will be asked, I am happy at my current school but I can’t help but feel like I am making a mistake by spending all this money and putting my family in such a financial hole. </p>
<p>Any help/advice is appreciated during this stressful time.</p>
<p>Are you instate for a SUNY/CUNY? If so, then transfer to a school that you can commute to, if possible.</p>
<p>Realize that as a transfer student, no school is going to give you great aid, so likely your cheapest option is a local public.</p>
<p>NO…it is NOT wise to borrow to finish at this school. You have GRAD school to pay for. </p>
<p>I hope some high school students who potentially will be in the same situation read this thread. It’s unfortunate that the family spent soooo much unaffordable money on the first year or two at a school that the student won’t get a degree from.</p>
<p>If your family truly cannot afford it then it’s a no brainer.</p>
<p>Let’s face it – the CUNY’s do send people to grad schools, including many excellent ones. Although relatively fewer go to such schools, an argument can be made that this is because many of the students there could not have been admitted to the better private schools.</p>
<p>The real question is how well a student who is admitted to a better school, but who chooses to go to a CUNY (for whatever reason) will fare. I know that there was a study by Princeton Profs. – which suggests that, in fact where you are admitted is more important than where you go in predicting future success.</p>
<p>Bottom line – I think the value of the more prestigious universities is that if you do “ok” there, you can still get into a good graduate school, while if you go to a CUNY you will need to excel.</p>
<p>If the student is a rising junior, then the good thing is that he/she will be in upper division classes at the CUNY. That can often mean that the classmates will be the ones who were weeded out in lower division creating a stronger academic atmosphere in those 300/400 level classes.</p>
<p>Also, is there a CUNY that has OT grad program? If so, try to go there.</p>
<p>thank you both for your advice. i just started my sophomore year. to answer your questions, yes I am a NYC resident so because of CUNY’s low price i would have to take out zero loans, SUNY i would probably have to take out 5k a year.</p>
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<p>Me being one of them. ;)</p>
<p>good to hear 
if you dont mind me asking, which CUNY did you go to? which do you think (currently) have the best rep?</p>
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<p>Oh gosh, that was a million years ago (Queens College undergrad, Penn State grad school) I’m afraid it would be of no use to anyone now, sorry.</p>
<p>If you couldn’t afford it, why did you go back for your sophomore year? Can you drop out now without owing a boat-load of money for the fall semester? Find out if that is possible. If it is, go home, get a job for the fall, and work on your transfer applications so you can start at CUNY second semester. If it is too late to get your money back for the fall at your current college/university, then stick it out until the end of the term while you work on those transfer applications. If you can’t start at CUNY second semester, then take the spring off while you apply for fall 2013. Do not borrow one single cent more than is absolutely necessary.</p>