Easy choice--- Syracuse.
Far better school, more faculty, fwd thinking Dean, but worse living area and lots of snow.
CCNY is all the way uptown-- not in the thick of things.
Changed years ago for the better, but still more to go.

looks like the decision may be made for me...theres almost no way I can afford Syracuse...its 35k/yr vs 15k at CCNY...all depends on how much scholarship I get...

I guess my question boils down to: is Syracuse worth the extra money and living somewhere I don't want to live? (Bear in mind I have been living somewhere I hate for 5 years now and am paying everything myself with no aid whatsoever)

hey sspringer..
I know that financial burden can be tough..I'm pretty much in the same boat with paying for college out of pocket but you have to keep in mind that CCNY is a relatively new program..plus the extra expense of living in NYC will add up quickly even if the cost of tuition is pretty low. Even though choosing a school based on the branding of a school should really not factor in choosing the right school for you but it will help in the long run when when you realize that it will open certain doors for you. I do know that CCNY is a pretty good programs after talking to people up in the NYC area but if it was my choice I would go with Syracuse for the opportunity to study under some top notch professor. If you really want to end up in NYC afterward I would invest some time in finding summer internship programs that lead me that way. Just my two cents and I hope that helps.

Looks like my decision has been made for me, as I found out that Syracuse architecture gives all their grad students major scholarships after the 1st year, and I was accepted with advanced standing so I dont have to take everything over again.

Hey sspringer,

where did you hear that Syracuse Arch school gives out major scholarships to all their grads???

the financial advisor...but as it turns out, once you commit they send you lots of info including a sheet with all the scholarships available...turns out their definition of "major" is rather misleading.

Seems that it comes out to around 1/2 tuition for the best of students after the first year...I really hope all this money I'm about to drop will be worth it.

sspringer how are you liking the program, do you feel that you made a great decision?

Absolutely...so far I love it here! Its certainly not perfect, but the program seems very intent on raising its reputation and competing more with the top schools, and theyre doing that by really being open to the students and recognizing that its the students who can make it happen. We've got great professors who have great resumes, as well as decent facilities. Probably whats made me most happy with my decision, however, has been the program director and our advisor. Mark Linder has been great as far as listening to where I want to be when I graduate and helping me tailor my degree plan to help me achieve that, and the advisor, Speranza Migliore, is fantastic help as well. It is very evident that they WANT us to be there, and they WANT us to excel. The dean, Mark Robbins, also seems to be doing some great things to elevate the prestige of the school, such as bringing in great names for lectures and visiting studios, and is pretty open to listening to the wants/needs of the students.

The financial situation is also pretty good, they are very helpful in doing what they can to get you scholarships and other opportunities for aid, each and every semester.

Like I said, its certainly not perfect, but its light years ahead of where I was for undergrad, and I definitely feel like Im at a place that can provide me with the education I need to be better.