Huge dilemma with schools.

I would go with Cornell and take the hit on the gap year. You can use that time to enroll in classes at your state school and transfer credit, or just travel the world and such.

Go to AEM and make whatever sacrifices you have to to stay there. It's an Ivy, stick it out, get the GPA, get a job coming out, and enjoy your life. It depends on the state school largely, but given that you've gotten the ticket into an Ivy, you're probably the sort of kid who's driven enough to succeed anywhere. In my book, better to go somewhere your opportunities will best serve your talents. Again, depends on the state, but an Ivy's almost definitely gonna do more for you.

Cornell 100%

But I'm not guaranteed a job coming from Cornell, only an interview, then it's basically up to me from there. Coming out a bachelors in CS with an econ minor wouldn't give me the same opportunities as Cornell does?

From a state school you're most likely going to need a very high gpa (3.8+) and do lots of networking to get the same opportunities that someone coming from a top private school with a reasonable gpa would have.

Are you factoring in that I'd be majoring in Computer Science from my state school with a likely minor in Econ? Would this quantitative major give me a solid chance at breaking into finance? Yeah it would definitely be hard to break in coming from Finance/Econ at a state school vs. Cornell AEM but with CS vs. AEM I would imagine they offset each other equally since AEM is barely quantitative...

AEM is golden at Cornell. Easy major, kids have ridiculous GPAs, and they get recruited heavily. I know dozens of kids graduating with BB offers.

No school is going to GUARANTEE you a job period. Once you get the interview it's up to you to prove your worth to the firm regardless of the school name on your resume. Take that year and do something worthwhile. Travel somewhere warm, cause Cornell has some of the shitiest weather on the planet.

Definitely go to Cornell AEM instead of a state school... period. It's a fun place to be and you'll get good grades relatively easily (compared to the rest of Cornell) and then you'll get recruited at all the best firms just as you would from more prestigious ivies or Wharton.

You can do something interesting (like traveling and learning a language) this year...

Baruch doesn't have CS as a major, though. And if you assume that Fordham is only going to me $15k a yr, that's comparable to the publics. Still crossing it off the list?

Yes. Remember that you've got a lower cost of living outside the city, a well-established research program at both schools, and just generally better recruiting opportunities. If Fordham were free, that could change the balance, but Stony Brook and Rutgers, if anything, are worth a little more in terms of tuition than Fordham for CS. For that matter, Penn State and Maryland College Park are worth more in terms of tuition for CS than NYU and Columbia- if you're a CS major who wants to be a programmer, you'll have more opportunities for on-campus recruiting with the banks and tech companies at a state school which is fairly strong in engineering than at a private school with a weaker engineering ranking. Private school doesn't mean the quality of the education or degree is better. There's probably a reason Fordham knows they have to offer you a scholarship for CS. And sometimes, it's just better to pay full price at The Mens' Wearhouse for a basic charcoal suit than buy a size 63 Olive-colored Armani for 70% off at Century 21.

If you are a Catholic and have your heart set on a Catholic school or have your doubts about engineering vs. liberal arts, that could change the equation. Otherwise, buy the appropriate suit that fits, not the olive-colored one that was marked down from a high price. In this case, if you're at one of the state schools I mentioned (Penn State, Maryland, Rutgers, Stoneybrook) and the cost is the same or only a few thousand dollars a year higher, you are taking a step back by switching to Fordham.

A transfer to Cornell would be an increase in risk, but if you enjoy business and want to roll the dice and see if you hit Wall Street, that transfer makes a lot of sense.

Cornell CS, absolutely. But Fordham CS vs. Stonybrook CS, that shifts in favor of Stonybrook.

OP's choices were Cornell AEM or Fordham CS- he wasn't sure he could make it into the CS program. He wanted to do CS, I told him Stonybrook was the better option than Fordham.

You will never get your college years back, keep that in mind.