Is anyone else being overcome with a nauseating mixture of dread and fear as Aug. 11th approaches?  It just feels a bit unsettling to have my life completely uprooted and thrown into a world (NYC) that from a distance seems unforgiving and hectically chaotic. I know that what I'm feeling is nothing but pure separation anxiety but I'm curious to see how the rest of you are handling this. 

Leaving a comfortable network of friends (and girlfriend) for a place where I hardly know anyone just seems...outrageous to me.  Am I just being completely irrational with this?  Anyone else having anxiety about building an entirely new social network from scratch?  And are there any ways to remedy this? 

Hey guys,

First off, thanks to all you helpful 1-3L'ers for the incredibly informative posts.  My question is, I have a girlfriend who lives in CA and was wondering how feasible it would be to fly back for her birthday on Sep. 1st.  As a foreigner to the great hustle and bustle of NYC, a trip back to CA would be ideal for all of the following reasons: mini-vacation before 1L classes, relieving what will undoubtedly be a tough battle with homesickness, and seeing friends/girlfriend one last time before I hunker down for good.  Unfortunately, the academic calendar seems extremely tight as Part I of the CIAL (Comparative Introduction to American Law) final isn't until Aug. 29th, which would leave me with only 2-3 days to relax in CA.

Do you know if there's any arrangement that could be made with a professor to take the exam earlier than the 29th?  And if not, at what time of the day would you guys expect the exam to end?  I'm most likely going to schedule an evening flight out of La Guardia on the 29th, but wanted to see how early I could push it without missing something important. 

For those of you who made this oft-criticized (particularly on this board) decision, what exactly compelled you to choose NYU over Columbia?  And for those of you who didn't, what prevented you from making the decision?

I certainly had reasons to go NYU (based more on instinct and visceral reactions rather than cold reason), but after talking with others, I found myself continually doubting my initial perceptions of the school.  I'd rather not go into details since I'd love to hear your opinions rather than an affirmation or criticizing of my own, but I can easily explain my situation over PM. 

Thanks, guys.  Seriously, now that the cycle is winding down, I can't thank this board enough for all its helpful (if not cynical) members. 

If all things were equal, Columbia would be the easy choice for me - I know this even without having actually visited the school (contrary to what I thought earlier in the cycle, I have a feeling that the school visits are not going to be very different). 

I guess it's all about $$ at this point.  Anyone know when they're gonna get back to us?

My parents don't intend on filing their taxes until the end of the month, but Northwestern's FA deadline is fast approaching.  Is it possible to do the Need Access form for one school and, if necessary, do another one for schools after my parents are done?  I don't know the exact details of my parents' financial situation so I'm sure there'd be discrepancies between the two.

And does Need Access even allow you to submit multiple forms?