ultimatelesbianhere's journey

I received a job offer this morning for a Development Associate position in Higher Ed Advancement, with a salary of $64K. The posted salary range was between $50K and $84K. As an alumnus of the institution, this would be my first job after college. Although I lack direct fundraising experience, I believe my data analysis and management skills from my Economics degree, along with my years of customer-facing experience, add value. I live in a high-cost city and was hoping for a salary closer to $70K. During the first interview, I mentioned a salary range of $59K to $67K based on a similar position at another university. However, as I progressed through the interviews, I recognized that the role has more scope than I initially thought. I've been actively working on gaining Excel certifications, learning SQL, and I plan to start a master's in Business Analytics in Spring 2027. Now, I'm contemplating whether it's reasonable to negotiate for a higher base salary closer to $70K, or if that would be unwise. Regardless of their response, I genuinely want the job, but I can't overlook the high cost of living and the student loans I have to start repaying this November.