<p>Hey, OP here… I ended up choosing Cornell because NU wouldn’t match Cornell’s financial aid package… it all came down to how much my education would cost. Anyway, Cornell should be fun too, with such a large and diverse student body… </p>
<p>and if it doesn’t turn out well, it seems that I have a spot reserved for NU next year in case I would like to transfer. Just yesterday I received an email from them informing me that my academic files would be saved for one calendar year and that if I end up wanting to transfer I should just contact them, and they will give me further instructions. Is this some sort of policy unique to NU, or am I a special case (which is of course what I would like to believe)?</p>
<p>And honestly one of my biggest fears wasn’t so much that I would be giving up an Ivy institution for NU but that I would be choosing Cornell for the wrong reasons. Rest assured I am not choosing Cornell because of its “ivy” name, which I think is utterly stupid. I even felt bad about choosing Cornell because I didn’t want to buy into that mentality–but what can I do; it seems they are more financially generous.</p>
<p>In any case I’m more than ready to have a great time! Thanks everyone, again, for your helpful feedback!</p>