<p>You can’t count on financial aid as a transfer. So at best that would be a possibility – and of course you couldn’t even count on being admitted to Barnard again as a transfer.</p>
<p>I think you need to spend some thinking about your goals and which school would best foster them – and also think about how flexible you are. (Perhaps your goals will change after you are in college? Do you really want a career as an accountant? Or perhaps that is your idea now because it just seems practical ?). Barnard might be better if you are more concerned about academics - it’s a strong academic program, you would be surrounded by students who plan to attend graduate school, either for professional degrees or to pursue Master’s or Ph.D’s. But as noted - it wouldn’t get you anywhere near qualifying to become a CPA.</p>
<p>But again… is that what you really want? </p>
<p>Coming back to your other questions:</p>
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<li><p>Is NYC worth it? NO. If you go to Barnard, go for the academic environment – not the city. If you think that there are more opportunities for your career aspirations in NYC than in California- then you can move to NY after college and get a job there. Then you’ll be able to focus on work and career while getting paid. </p></li>
<li><p>You wrote:
</p></li>
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<p>If working while you are in school is unappealing – then you are probably not going to be happy at Barnard – because it is a given that the cost for your first year is $8000 – and usually the expected student contribution goes up somewhat in later years.</p>
<p>I am glad my daughter went to Barnard and I very much encouraged her to go – but she WORKED. She took a retail job the summer before college to earn money, she consistently worked 2 or 3 jobs during the school year-- and I think she was juggling 5 or 6 part time jobs at once during her final semester. She even works two jobs now while attending grad school in the evening – she has a full time day job, she has a little business on the side for herself that brings in a few hundred dollars a month – plus those evening classes. </p>
<p>My daughter used to be a dancer but she really didn’t have time for dance in college or since - I think she occasionally takes a dance class these days, but my point is that there really wasn’t time in her life to continue a serious commitment toward dance. </p>
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<li> You also wrote:
Do you want this to be the LAST time in your life that can afford to take a low-paid but fulfilling, community service oriented job? Or do you want the freedom during your summers and after you graduate to continue to focus on that big part of yourself? Because the debt you take on may determine the choices you have as a college graduate. Listen to your heart - and pursue the education that you need for the job that you really want, not for a job that you think you will need just for the money to reach your true goals. (I mean – maybe you should study dance and look for a job with a nonprofit working with kids – you could actually do that with debt, as long as you limit yourself to federally subsidized loans that are eligible for income-based repayment down the line – but that’s a different set of priorities than what you have been writing about when you talk about the potential benefits of going to NY.)</li>
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