Choosing between graduate schools

mtennn
Wed, 21 Feb 2018 01:10:58 +0000

Hello,
I was accepted into Rutgers, NYU, and Fordham for their MSW programs. I did my undergraduate degree at rutgers and honestly kind of hated it there, if I’m being blunt. I didnt really connect with anyone and didn’t really like the campus either.
I was accepted into both fordham and NYU as well. Fordham I liked but NYU I loved. Even cried randomly when I visited because I finally got that weird and corny “this is where I belong feeling”. While that’s all dandy I would not be super pumped about being in massive debt after I graduate. I got a 12k scholarship for NYU but I would still have to take out about 30k to 40k or more a year if I add I housing ( but there is still time for me to secure more scholarships) ,while rutgers is about 17k a year and still a good school to get an MSW at.

I know to some my dilemma is an easy one (duh, go to the cheaper school) but I have been pretty depressed and lonely for sometime and feel as though living in new york might give me some umph to get out there more. I feel as though theres so much more to do there when youre not a partier and a lot of my good friends live there. The one thing that makes me happy is going to concerts and playing music and I feel as though I could do more of that there. I know you don’t have much of a personal life during grad school but I also feel like the would have more access to better fieldwork opportunities.

Basically, I rate opportunities for growth and change right up there with my need to be financially stable so I feel so conflicted.

Do any prospective, current, or post graduates have any advice? Would love to be proven wrong about either school. Would just love some insight.