Simmons College VS. City College NYC

[katieleighbee]

Hello all! 

I graduated last year from a small private women's college with a BA in History. I didn't intend to go for my masters degree (this decision was made due to family health issues that have since been resolved, not a lack of interest in studying at the masters level), but after months of frustration with a job search and a change in my family's situation, I decided to apply to both of my "dream schools" on a whim. 

Well, I've been accepted at both. 

I was accepted to Simmons with a small scholarship (not enough to cover more than two credits a semester), and after visiting the campus and the department I'd be studying with, I'm in love with the history department and not much else about the school. I'm not crazy about Boston as a city (sorry!), seeing as Simmons is a women's college (for undergrads, coed grad programs) it felt so much like my undergrad school that I was almost uncomfortable (I'm looking for a totally different experience than I had in undergrad), and after much research it seems like the only neighborhoods I'd be able to afford in Boston are a good distance from the school itself. 

I was accepted to City College in NYC with no apparent funding (however, even without funding it's much more affordable than Simmons with funding), and I absolutely love the neighborhood it's in, I love New York City itself, and even though it's much more expensive to live in even the more affordable neighborhoods in New York City than it is to live in my home state, the prices for apartments near City College totally beat out the prices in Boston. 

City College seems like the clear choice, but I'm afraid to turn down Simmons. They've worked with me personally on so many levels, given me gracious extensions in making my decisions, and I know that with it being a smaller school, I'd be able to get much more assistance academically and when it came to internships and such. My family cannot offer me any financial assistance, and I'm pretty sure that unless CC offers me an assistantship, or Simmons comes through with a job that they've very tentatively informed me about (not even offered, just informed), I'll be on the hook for all of my tuition and living expenses, most likely through loans.

I'd be very grateful for any insight that any of you would be able to offer! 

Thank you!

Edited April 3, 2016 by katieleighbee
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