CBS vs Full Ride

Question

Need a bit of advice regarding CBS scholarships in relation to ED admits but don't want to give too much detail away. I was lucky enough to be accepted to CBS ED which is my top choice, but prior to my acceptance, I was offered a full tuition scholarship from a top 15 school. I know there is some ethical dilemma in regards to the ED statement at CBS and the fact that my other acceptance is still looming, so I am wondering if there is any room to leverage the full merit scholarship to negotiate something from CBS or if that is basically impossible. I do not want to come off us ungrateful or unethical, but I have $$$ undergrad debt so the money is definitely a consideration and getting even a little aid from CBS would be ideal. CBS is definitely my top choice, but ultimately I think would be able to land the same IB role from either school since I have a finance background (t15 school also ranks well in IB placement), which is complicating this decision.

souvik101990 · Answer

Thank you for sharing your dilemma. I can't imagine how hard it must be with two great schools and so much money being thrown at you :P

I am going with the assumption that your T15 school is either Stern or Johnson, because of what you mentioned about IB. I would not worry about the reneging. Your career is more important than a weird binding decision that (in my opinion) chokes people.

There is ZERO downside in asking for more aid. What do you have to be ungrateful about? You did very well in your application and that's why CBS admitted you. Asking them to make the decision a bit easier is NOT a bad call. Whether you want to mention your other admit is a separate issue and we can chat about that, but I would not worry about saying no to them.

It looks like you can achieve your goals realistically with either schools, so in that case the CBS brand would not perhaps matter all that much. However, if this was Duke or McCombs(which is not that great for IB to be honest), I'd be more inclined with going to CBS with $0.

bb · Answer

Most schools only move when there is a scholarship offered at another program and if the OP reveals the other admit and scholarship it violates their agreement for the ED.

I can definitely relate to the dilemma. You don’t think there is a chance CBS could yank their admit from under them if they disclose the other admit? Are you suggesting to just ask for more $$ ?

Posted from my mobile device

souvik101990 · Answer

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.

anon3535 · Answer

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?

MBASomeTime · Answer

"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.

CBS vs Full Ride

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