NYU: 90k a year (no financial aid) MADE DEPOSIT
UCSD: 40k a year (haven’t received my fafsa yet but probably won’t get aid)
I have until May 15th to make a decision.
I got into UCSD for world literature and culture (marshall college) and also got into NYU spring admission into the Liberal Studies Core. I’m a senior in southern California, and I am having a hard time making a choice.
I’m not 100% sure what I want to major in. I think it would be cool to make doumentaries for a living because I love journalism and film. At the same time, I also want to make a lot of money and NYU’s LS Core gives me the flexibility to transition to business or even law which are other potential interests. At UCSD, which I know is better for STEM, I’m not sure if I can change from my major of world literature, and switch degrees to something STEM (likely impacted majors). But I am in general a really well-rounded person with academics
I feel like UCSD is a good choice- perfect weather beautiful area, cheaper prices, beach volleyball courts right by my college, and beautiful beaches.
ON the other hand, I cannot deny how much better NYU is in terms of humanities, prestige, and name. It was one of my dream schools for a while and I was going to ED (but went regular). I also think it would be cool to not live in California my whole life and try out the city (although seniors last year that went to the east coast for the most part wished they stayed in cali which worries me). I have a combined 6 weeks experience at east coast cities- manhattan included, and I had a good time, so I don’t think I’ll be miserable in new york city, although when I went to tour NYU (which the tour got canceled from demonstrations so I had to do a self-guided) I did kind of feel like the air and some of the buildings were gross, but the park and library was really cool.
Anyway, my mom insists she can afford NYU, and they want to take out loans just for the tax-deductions. She even offered to pay the loans for me. My dad said they can only pay 50k a year for a school without taking out loans.
The spring start is kind of weird to me, right now I plan on using that fall gap semester to work and take community college classes to get as much credit and grind so the spring transition to college is easier.
My preferences for college are thus: mid size, (ideally good weather at least sometimes), cool people (I have been told I give NYU stuent/would blend in there). Not interested in greek life, good intramural sport opportunities, fun things to do, good teachers, academic.
I was originally going to fully commit to NYU but started second guessing myself when I saw the higher average starting salaries at UCSD, and thought about me missing the nature and weather here in California., also the price difference- which my mom again insists is not a problem.