Tag Archives: summer

NYU SPI: Money Away!

Today is a scary day. The $500 housing deposit has been cashed, the $500 tuition deposit has been cashed, the $6,000 loan has been awarded to me, and the $244 one-way ticket to New York City has been purchased.

Why one-way you ask? Because you never know what might change in the next few months. I may want to stay an extra day, week, month, whatever. Some exciting opportunity may offer itself that might require me to stay longer than for just the program’s duration. Thus, the one-way ticket. I can always buy another one-way ticket back to Salt Lake City once I know what exactly my plans are.

The finality of everything (and the loss of so much hard-earned substituting dollars) is beginning to make me nervous. Doubts are creeping in, and then being washed out by excitement, and then creeping back. Much like that infamous itsy bitsy spider we are all so familiar with. Damn spider.

I remind myself that this is something I have wanted to do for a very long time, and that the past few months of hard work has paid off and now it’s just a matter of time and money before I get to embark on the next chapter of my life. It’s important to remember these things, because change is scary. 

While New York City offers the restaurants, nightlife, youth and glitter that I have been aching for since moving to the middle of the desert to hang out with cowboys and children, there are still things I am going to miss terribly like my wonderful boyfriend and kitty.  

45 days left until take off.

NYU Summer Publishing Institute Experience- Part 1

Ah, the beginnings. I tortured myself for months writing and re-writing the SOPs, reworked my resume just as many times, and changed the “Books You’ve Read Recently” at least five times. Partly because I read so many books during the duration of the application process, and partly I kept changing my mind when trying to pick the five books that best made me look smart, up-to-date, but not pretentious. 

It is very possible I over thought everything. 

After all the work, I ended up applying to three summer publishing programs (getting a Masters in publishing seemed expensive, time consuming, and probably pointless). I applied to NYU, Columbia, and University of Denver. NYU accepted me first, and based on a strong feeling Columbia would reject me (and the fact that NYU is pretty damn awesome) I committed to NYU right away. University of Denver accepted me, and Columbia did indeed reject me. 

So. The hard part is over, right? I’ve been accepted. I’ve sent in my $500 tuition deposit. Everything is a go!

No, it’s not.

First there is the minor issue on how to pay for this wonderful experience. Obviously I don’t have the $6,000 I need for tuition and housing just gathering dust in my bank account. So, the student loan.

Except. Because it’s such a short certificate program I cannot get the regular federal (wonderful) loans. I have to apply for the dreaded, expensive, PRIVATE loan. 

That is still in the process of being figured out. I’ve applied to Sallie Mae (as I already owe them money from my first bout of education) and eagerly await their response. 

Then housing. Tution is only $4900, the rest of the total cost goes to housing and stupid mandatory meal plans. So I had to apply for dorm housing and pay the $500 deposit on that, too. 

All of this would be nothing if NYU would send me some more information. Like, a program guide in the mail. An e-mail explaining my next steps. Something that tells me I have done everything correctly and look! It’s all totally worth it because this summer is going to be amazing in these 10 ways….

But alas, NYU has quieted down since first accepting me and acknowledging the receipt of my deposits. My excitement has fizzled out under the strain of the expense and paperwork. 

Thus begins my journey through the 2010 NYU Publishing Institute.