CBS vs Full Ride

I do not think CBS will take the admit away.

With the right amount of tact, the situation can be communicated well I suppose. Something like this may work if you choose to NOT mention the other school.

I am fully committed to going to Columbia Business School, as it has always been my top choice. However, with mounting undergrad debt and the opportunity cost, I would be much more well positioned to make the decision if I were offered some form of financial aid.

However, if you DO choose to mention your alternative, it might help with something like this:

I am fully committed to going to Columbia Business School despite receiving other admits with full scholarships, as it has always been my top choice. However, with mounting undergrad debt and the opportunity cost, I would be much more well-positioned to make the decision if I were offered some form of financial aid.

Thanks for the replies- your assumptions on schools are correct.... I was just offered ~1/4 tuition per year from CBS as part of their need based aid which certainly shifts the balance. I do fear risking my CBS admit so at this point I feel like any negotiation may be off the table given I am grateful to have received anything.

My question on which school to choose now also hinges on any substantial difference in quality of IB placements coming out of each school- does the difference in ranking/prestige actually matter- and if CBS gives more exposure/resources in regards to fields such as PE/IM down the road which would be worth the differential in cost now?

"My question on which school to choose now also hinges on any substantial difference in quality of IB placements coming out of each school- does the difference in ranking/prestige actually matter- and if CBS gives more exposure/resources in regards to fields such as PE/IM down the road which would be worth the differential in cost now? "

I think the answer to this question depends on which T15 you have an offer from. If it's Stern, there won't be a difference in IB placements unless you're only recruiting for The Raine Group. At other's T15s with less dedicated resources towards NYC IB recruiting (even Johnson to an extent), CBS may be the better option for your career goals.

It's difficult to quantify the value of future placement opportunities - I can't disambiguate what's afforded to candidates from their background rather than the program they went to. But in the immediate sense, CBS has better placement and more resources dedicated to PE/IM opportunities. I'd say that carries over to when you might be looking for other opportunities 2-3 years down the line.