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Help, Columbia Vs Hunter


Kesler

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Hi all, 

I got into Columbia and Hunter MSW programs and I simply can not make up my mind. Does it really just come down to name value (Columbia) vs cost (Hunter)? I'm from Israel and been living in NYC for the last year and a half, studying in Columbia will be a great achievement but I can not afford it and will 100% have to take out loans. As you know, being a social worker won't make you a millionaire which makes gaining debt even scarier. That being said, I'm not sure will stay in the NY area forever and therefore the name value of Columbia holds great value for my career (I think). So, as you can tell I am very much undecided.

If anyone here went through a similar decision or have any advice, it would be appreciated.

Thanks

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I don't know if you saw a previous post that was similar to this, comparing NYU and Hunter. Honestly, I have my MSW from NYU but I have THREE degrees from Hunter (BA, MSEd, MA), NYU is great but cost a fortune and I'm now in serious debt. Hunter has an amazing social work program. If I had to do it again I'd get my MSW from Hunter. And like Columbia, it has "tracks" so you can focus on your specific interests. 

I still love NYU and I'm going back for my DSW, but if I had to do it again I would get my MSW at Hunter because it is equally as good but costs a fraction of the price. 

Edited by olayak
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Hi olayak, 

Yeah I saw the post you mentioned, but I wanted to see if there are any non Americans that went through a similar decision as I described in my post. Thank you for your reply and good luck with your DSW studies. 

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I'm not an international student for the US, but I did go overseas to study for a time. I had to take out loans for my studies, but if I had the chance to go back and start over, I wouldn't have taken out all those loans. The name of the school you attended may carry some weight, but I think an employer will look at your relevant experiences more than what institution you attended. I think it will ultimately come down to cost/benefit ratio. Is going to Columbia so important to you that it's worth going into loads of debt? Can you go to Hunter, save money, and still have great opportunities for your studies that will help you in your future career? 

It might help if you created a pro/con list of the benefits and drawbacks of each school. I was accepted to Columbia last year but I decided against attending because of 1) the astronomical cost of attendance per year and 2) the cost of living in NYC. It wasn't a smart idea for me to attend, especially since it was a master's program and I was still considering going for a doctorate later on. Personally, I wouldn't choose Columbia, especially since you'd have to take out loans to cover the full cost of education. If a scholarship was on the table, then I would spend more time considering Columbia. But when you take the cost of education, living expenses in NYC, and the average salary of a social worker into consideration, having that name on your CV might not seem like such a big deal anymore. 

It all comes down to which school you think will offer you the best training and practical experiences at the price you can afford. I wish you the very best of luck with this decision and with your future studies. :)

 

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How flexible and understanding were the professors at NYU?  Were they strict in terms of deadlines or were they willing to accommodate you and give an extension if you had circumstances that arose? Were they helpful if you needed help with an assignment or were they difficult to access? 

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9 hours ago, Bella429 said:

How flexible and understanding were the professors at NYU?  Were they strict in terms of deadlines or were they willing to accommodate you and give an extension if you had circumstances that arose? Were they helpful if you needed help with an assignment or were they difficult to access? 

They were really understanding and helpful. They were always accessible. I feel like most social workers are understanding of special circumstances. The deadlines are strict but they do understand special circumstances. 

Edited by olayak
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