Move to NYC immediately after high school, or wait until graduating college? (apartment)

[Luxe]

Hello everyone, I am currently a senior in high school with excellent grades and would like some opinions regarding my future plans. I visited NYC many times and I enjoy it there and I would like to live there, however; I don't know if it would be better to wait until I finish my undergraduate degree or just go ahead and move after high school. Housing most likely wouldn't be a problem as I could live with my grandparents while in school, but I am concerned about out of state tuition since I live in NC. If I did move, would it be wise to attend a community college for two years and then transfer to a four year college? I will ultimately move there because I'd like to attend dental school in NYC, but to me it seems as though it would be beneficial financially to go ahead and move now because in about four to five years my grandparents might not be there and they are a crucial part of my plan. Thoughts?

[StinaTado]

If I were you, I'd do my undergrad as cheaply as possible (either through scholarships or through state school) and try to work or intern in NYC during the summers, then apply to NYC for grad school. You'll have a hard time getting a decent job in NYC with no college degree, work experience or major connections.

Once you have a degree and no (or very few) student loans, NYC suddenly has a lot more opportunities. There are some great dental schools, so make sure you keep the grades up in college.

[canyontothesky]

If you know for a 100% fact that your grandparents are ok with you living with them as an undergrad, then you should establish residency in NY a year ahead of time, like now, and then you'll get in-state tuition then. You'll have to officially change your address to theirs. I think if you can make it happen to where you can live in NYC with no trouble, then do it, absolutely, and your point of them maybe not being there in 4-5 years is valid. You don't sound like a lot of other HS students who come on here expecting to get a $10/hour job and an apartment and make it here. If you are living rent-free, I say go for it. If you're sure you're going to be a dentist... sounds good to me.

[Luxe]

To Stinatado: This is exactly what I thought would be the best option, but I heard a lot of talk about the prestige of your undergrad being a factor in your admissions to schools such as NYU and Columbia. What would be the best way of getting an internship in NYC since I'd be going to school in NC and therefore wouldn't have any connections to NYC?

To Canyonthesky: I don't think changing my address to my grandparents would be possible as I am still in high school in NC and I'm pretty sure you need to live in the state and have your official address in the school zone your assigned to. I'm also well aware of the cost of living in NYC and without my grandparents I'm not sure I would be able to make hence my concern of the timeliness of moving there.

I also posted this in the General U.S forum to get more opinions and from what I've heard there it also seems smart to wait until I finish my undergrad degree in NC before moving to NYC. I'm still at a loss but as of now I'm leaning towards staying in NC for a while my reasons being that I can save on school here in order to go to a great dental school in NYC, if I have a degree my chances of getting a job are better and I could potentially move in with a couple of roommates, and the undergraduate schools in NC are simply better than those in NYC.

[StinaTado]

Check with your school's career services and alumni office. My boyfriend does a fair bit of hiring for his company and he usually sends an e-mail to our alumni office, which is somewhat common. A lot of getting an internship is knowing someone, so I'd ask your grandparents if they have friends/friends with children in the industry you're interested in. I'm a freelancer and I've only gotten 2 gigs based on my resume- the rest comes from recommendations and word of mouth, so getting people in the area to talk you up is big. Ask alums, professors, anyone who has a connection to NYC for help and you'll find bigger and better doors opening.

As for establishing residency, that's not a terrible idea if you want to go to a state school, but you'll have to wait a year before starting school and if you truly have excellent grades, you can do better. You could always apply to schools in NYC and see if you can get scholarships- if you can get in, Columbia generally has really good financial aid for their undergrads. There's also Fordham, which is a great school as well. Going for school is great because it helps a lot with the networking and gives you a bit of a cushy existence while you decide whether you'd like to live in NYC long term.

[TurtleCreek80]

Go to th very best undergrad program you can get into & make excellent grades. This will give you a better chance of admissions to a NYC dental school than the community college & a prayer of getting into an equally ranked NYC school your sophomore or junior year. Make sense?

Also, not sure why grandparents are crucial the plan IF you don't really need to be in NYC until dental school & post- dental school employment. If they're still alive, great- live with them as long as possible to keep your costs down. If they're not, you'll be ok, too.

A third option is to go to the best school you get into and then try to transfer to NYU/ Columbia/ etc for your last 2 years of undergrad. Best to keep your tuition low though so you won't have massive student loans. Manhattan is affordable for almost everyone who is employer IF they are debt-free.

[FOReverxpeace]

If I were you, I would stay in NC, probably until I graduate from college. Because first of all [and not to sound harsh], you don't have money at the moment, you're living with your grandparents and using their money or your parents [or you're prob. gonna find a part-time job here]. I suggest you spend the next 2 years in college in NC, then transfer to a school in NYC, or work on an internship. Once you graduate from college, it'll be so much easier for you to find a job, especially in NYC. Just wait, you'll get your chance!