CvsH

I "dreamed" about ending up in Columbia and NYC.... and I ended up in Harvard (I applied the day before the app deadline "just in case" I was not accepted in Columbia) and in Cambridge... which is not the most exciting place in the world

I decided to write this message because I am finding myself in a very stressful situation. I am an international student who wanted to pursue Master "X" (I prefer not to disclosure) and attend Columbia University. I have had this idea in my mind for the last 2-3 years. In this particular field, Columbia is very well ranked (bit over Harvard), yet I would say it is not such a big deal because they are more or less similar (I mean, it is not MBA where Harvard is always better ranked than Columbia and are important in that field). I really wanted Columbia because I really liked the program and obviously... because of NYC. So last year I made my apps, and I was happily accepted to Columbia. It was great! I also applied to other universities (including Harvard) as a back-up. When the financial aid came, I learnt from Columbia that I got $0 scholarship, yet I got $25k scholarship from Harvard University. The length of the two Masters is comparable, yet tuition in Columbia is slightly more expensive (all the semesters combined, like $3-4k, so the overall additional cost would be $25+3/4 = 28/29.000 dollars more expensive). I also thought that Cambridge/Boston would be cheaper than Manhattan (I was wrong, Cambridge has Manhattan prices). I am not by any means super wealthy, so economically, Harvard looked a better deal. Talking to some professors and friends who studied in the US, most of them advised me to go to Harvard, than you cannot beat the name (even my thesis prof. at undergrad, who is a Columbia alumni and married to a Harvard alumna, told me to come here), especially internationally... and being almost $30k cheaper, would be a no-brainer. I had visited Boston/Cambridge once before (in summer, true) and I thought I could live here. I was wrong. I have been here for 1 month and a half and I hate the physical environment and every day I wake up, I wonder what I am doing here. Most people in the Master, when asking them why they chose Harvard over any other... the reply is 99% of times... "Because it is Harvard and everybody knows about Harvard"... so I feel there is quite a few "unhappy" people that made this decision because of the name... I feel it is so sad to be 2 years of your life just to put this name in your resume instead of another one... Also I really think the Columbia program and courses would be more interesting for my career, and yet obviously at Harvard I have a wide range of courses to pick at from, I really don't feel convinced on many of them. I am seriously thinking about withdrawing... coming back to work (abroad) and re-apply to Columbia next year (if they take me as I declined their offer (!)), but also, the additional cost would be a lot (because I would probably get no fin-aid again). It may look ridiculous, but I have to be happy and I doubt I will be it here in the next 2 years, and I really feel that NYC and specially the Columbia program and environment would be a better fit for me... just came here because it was cheaper (good reason) and I was influenced to go for the ""best"" name. I don't know what to do. Any thoughts?