Help me choose which low rent NYC university to attend

January 18, 2006 11:33 AM

I'm a twenty-one year old drop out who's looking to go back to school to get my English degree. My grades, while decent, weren't spectacular, and I can't afford NYU or New School. It's probably going to be CUNY (Hunter or Baruch) or Pace, both being fairly reasonably priced (especially, in CUNY's case, if you're a resident of NYC). BUT...

...Neither school seems to have a particular advantage over the other when it comes to my major, and before I spend the money on Pace's application fee, I'm wondering if its reputation makes it worth the bother. It's one of those schools where it seems like everyone knows the name, but no one knows anything about it.

So basically I'm wondering what school should be my first choice, what's Pace's reputation when it comes to their English program, and most importantly, which school will look better on a resume.

If anyone has any other suggestions for good liberal arts schools that have low standards for admission, I'd like to hear them. Thanks!

posted by incomple to education (9 comments total)

If anyone has any other suggestions for good liberal arts schools that have low standards for admission, I'd like to hear them.

Find out how much your grades will actually matter for admission. If you've been out of high school for a few years they won't much matter, so no need to look for a place "with low admission standards".
posted by duck at 11:39 AM on January 18, 2006

You're probably right, but I'm more concerned about my grades at my last university (which I attended until mid-2004). I was rocking a GPA that was somewhere in the area of a 3.2... Not terrible, but not fantastic. Just thoroughly mediocre.
posted by incomple at 11:53 AM on January 18, 2006

You might be being too hard on yourself. What university you got those grades at will make a difference. I wouldn't call 3.2 at a tough school thoroughly mediocre.

Also, obviously, other parts of your application can carry a lot of weight. I wouldn't totally rule out whatever schools you think you might not be able to get into. Write a stellar essay about what you've been up to since leaving college and what you've learned. The experience you've gained ought to make you an appealing candidate.

If you're concerned, you might call admissions counselors at schools of interest and discuss your situation. They'll probably just encourage you to apply, but they could at least give you an idea if you'd be in the right ballpark.
posted by zadermatermorts at 12:05 PM on January 18, 2006

I think of Pace as primarily a place for business-oriented degrees. Though I'm not a grad (from there) or an academic or anyone really, I'd go with Hunter for sure. It has a very good reputation for the liberal arts, AFAIK.
posted by scratch at 12:21 PM on January 18, 2006

Take this with a grain of salt, but I'm fairly certain you will be accepted by the CUNY system, and pretty sure you'll be admitted into Pace. Neither CUNY nor Pace are particularly competitive.

As for which would look better on a resume...I wouldn't really let that be your criterion. Neither school has such a stellar reputation that it will make the difference in a hiring process. What you do while at the school, and learn there, might. Look for which school has better opportunities and resources.

Full disclosure: I am a CUNY student, and have taken classes at Hunter. I really enjoyed them.
posted by Doug at 12:25 PM on January 18, 2006

That's great advice, zadermatermorts. And you're right, I probably am being too hard on myself, but I'm always one to err on the side of caution. With an interview and my SAT scores, I'm fairly confident that I could get into any NYC liberal arts school that isn't, say, Columbia.
posted by incomple at 12:30 PM on January 18, 2006

Thanks scratch and Doug, that's reassuring advice. All of my friends that go to Hunter really love the school, and it's quite hard to be anything but giddy about $2000/semester tuition. Good to hear about Pace's reputation as well. Thanks!
posted by incomple at 12:35 PM on January 18, 2006

cuny, definitely. pace is not the place to study english. i really don't know if it's the place to study anything, to be honest.

cuny has an excellent graduate writing program, I believe, so there must be some crossover and shared resources withthe undergrad program there.
posted by pinto at 3:38 PM on January 18, 2006

Thanks, pinto (and everyone else really) for telling me exactly what I wanted to hear.
posted by incomple at 6:10 PM on January 18, 2006