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I know that this is a personal decision, but I thought it might help to get some advice.
I live in Boston (grew up north of the city, did undergrad in connecticut, and now live in the city and work at a shelter) and applied to 4 schools: Simmons, BC, Columbia, and Fordham. I want to do the clinical track. I was accepted to the two boston schools and had to give them an answer over a week ago. I chose Simmons because they offered me a $20,000 scholarship and because they have an extra day of field work, and because they are all clinical.
I'm still waiting to hear from the NY schools. I have always kind of fantasized about moving to NYC (short term, not long term) and experiencing everything the city has to offer, putting myself outside of my comfort zone, etc. The two schools I applied to don't necessarily seem like a better fit than Simmons, and I doubt they will offer me as much money (although, money is not the top determining factor for me in choosing where to go). I also want to do well in grad school, and I'm an easily stressed person and wonder if moving to an intense city like new york while simultaneously starting grad school is a recipe for disaster. My boyfriend said if I chose to go to ny he would come with me, but that won't necessarily be easy, as he would need to find a job and make ends meet as he struggles to pay off his monstrous loans. We already live together and are serious, and I don't want to go to NY without him.
Simmons feels like the best fit, but I can't help wondering if I would be giving something up by not going to New York. Of course, I can always move to a new city after I get my Masters. Saving money might be the smartest thing to do, if I have trouble being a social worker and paying my bills down the line or choose to go back to school for a ph.d. In the meantime, i'm not sure how to cure my restlessness. I'm young and should be taking risks because you only live once, but I still want to be reasonable. Any thoughts?
I would say, any school that is offering me a scholarship would be my #1 choice. My cousin has a SW masters from Columbia and she is paying back loans up the kazoo and the jobs are paying around $40k. She says now that she wishes she would have considered cheaper options.
I would take the scholarship, finish school and then move to NYC for a year with your boyfriend. Then you will have the time and money to enjoy the city instead of trying to make ends meet here in addition to all the work you will need to do for school.
I second the idea on taking whoever offers you the most money relative to the cost of the degree.
Keep in mind that grad school is usually 2-3 years and sometimes 1 year for social work. You can always get your degree and then move here for a job. Trust me, those 2-3 years of you not living here will be a drop in the bucket of a lifetime that you do have to be here.
Having survived moving to NYC for a PhD program (psych, although not clinical, but neuroscience/neuropsych), if I were you, obviously motivated to get that degree and do well....With a good offer from someplace that feels like a good fit, TAKE IT, RUN WITH IT, AND FINISH IT. At this point, your program and degree completion will become your absolute core existence. You don't need to add the stress of uncertainty about changing environments, money demands, comfort of the program you attend, etc. on top of trying to focus on survival and success in a graduate program.
If you come to NYC under such circumstances, it creates a certain kind of "locked in" dependency on sticking it out to completion (because you will have to invest so much both tangible and intangible). NYC can be wonderful; it can also be dreadful. The most "wonderful" parts of it are best experienced with the RESOURCES ($$$$) TO "DO IT RIGHT." REGARDLESS of financial aid, a grad student's life here is almost always hand-to-mouth, loan check to loan check, financially and in other ways pretty stressful.
Once you get that degree, you have the option of giving this city a try, as a person with qualifications to get a really great job, with less dependency on remaining here because you are halfway (more or less) through achieving one of your most critically important goals! I did it here, have been here now half of my life, still paying off student loans, and really tired of that.
Are you talking about SW school? NYU might have been generous with scholarships. If you apply to Columbia (at least not that long ago) if you applied for aid they would want your parent's tax forms even if you were an independant adult. NYU only considered your financial situation if you were an independant adult. That being said, If Simmons would make your life easier and less stressful, go there, but if it will always nag at you that you didn't go to NY for grad school, then just make that leap and go to NYC. You can always go to NY in the future, but you won't have the option of graduate housing, a student counseling center to help with your transition, hand holding, etc. Just things to think about.
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Take Simmons
