NYU isn't a tight-knit campus school because its buildings are scattered throughout Lower Manhattan, so meeting people and developing a network is more difficult than the traditional environment where you may often see the same faces around school. On the flipside, the city life is much envied by others, and you're able to blend into the regular rhythm of the city. The students are often quite divided by their respective schools within NYU, which act almost as a status symbol in the community.
Do you have any tips for prospective students?
When you come to New York, be ready for extreme variations in temperature and weather when you go outside. If you come from the sunny South, then it might take a while to become used to the gloomy, wet, and dark weather that engulfs the city during the winter. Unless you are in the park, the tall skyscrapers will block most of the sunshine, if any. However, the campus is surrounded by a remarkable patchwork of boutique shops, eccentric lounges, and curio shops. There is more than enough for you and a group of friends to stroll through for many semesters. However, be accustomed the possibilities of the night life; it is not a joke that there are odd people and odd things that appear when the sun sets. Because NYC has such a well-developed infrastructure, take it upon yourself to explore the city, and the landmarks. In all honesty, I'm not going to repeat the same answers given by school officials. Living here, you will see that every stereotype of New York City is true. It is the world's craziest city, and all your perceptions and notions of what it is, are indeed true.
Do you find there’s enough academic rigor at your school?
If you are applying, or have been accepted to Stern, then I will begin by telling you to work exceptionally hard. The first year will incorporate several classes in other schools and departments, but the few Stern classes you may have will be tough unless you put in 110% every day. Stern has an unruly grading curve, where you are expected to perform flawlessly to earn an A, not to mention an A+. Don't be tricked by low levels of coursework throughout the semester because small assignments are often graded harshly and account for huge grade percentages. From what I hear of friends in other schools, the College of Arts and Sciences is quite demanding in their levels of coursework, and you will be required to schedule many hours of laboratory if you pursue the Sciences. Also, do not be misled by the perception that Liberal Studies is the runt of the school, and therefore the students there have little work. My roommate has little work, but others who have enrolled in tough classes are quite often buried under mountains of work. Tisch has, by far, the least rigorous curriculum, but for what it lacks in academic rigor is made up by its demand for creative talent, imagination, and innovation.
Describe the dorm life at your college.
Dorm life is exceptional at NYU; however, I cannot stress the importance of finding roommates that are suitable to your personality and living habits. Allowing the University housing system to randomly place you with someone is very risky, and can ruin your entire first year, if not entire college experience. To play it safe, (if you have the option), find someone from your high school to room with. By growing up and living in the same area, it is safe to say that they maintain similar living standards as yourself. But, all in all, there is no trump card to play, and housing is perhaps the craziest wild card you'll ever encounter. When you do become situated with dorm life, it is very comfortable and pleasingly social. Coming from a Hayden resident, I can say that Hayden is known for its parties and social crowd, but other dorms are quite rowdy themselves. Hayden is a very old building, and comes with odd smells with every floor. However, that means that each floor grows very close with each other, even between floors as well. It is difficult to meet, hang out, and get to know most of the people on your floor the first couple weeks, but by Midterms, you'll have bumped into each other so much that you start to hang out and talk. Of course, you shouldn't walk into dorm life expecting to become a huge family, exchanging every moment of your lives. Being a little shy myself, I couldn't make friends with the entire school in one night, and Welcome Week events didn't help that much. Creating a new network of friends was not painful, but was not a walk in the park either. Just find it in yourself to be friendly, and friends with come.
One of the biggest issues prospective freshmen may consider is security and safety. Honestly, people may say that things get stolen all the time, but on my floor, everyone tends to be honest and hold a higher moral ground. Of course, lock your doors when you're out of the room, and take standard safety procedures, but people that go to a...
Describe the food and dining at your college.
Food and Dining is much better than what you would expect. Current students often tell you that the food is terrible, but remember that they've been eating the same variety of food for many years, so of course, they'd be sick of it. The food offered at Weinstein and Hayden are varied and consistently quality foods; every residence hall offers special nights, for example when Rubin offers steak night every Friday. But for you to find your favorite location, you must visit each dining hall. For one of the nicest dining halls, you can go to the Palladium residence hall. It is a sophomore residence hall, but it also houses one of the two NYU gyms and the Wasserman Career Center. The Palladium dining hall offers a delicious deli, sizzling pizzeria, made-to-order sushi, and hot grill line. Its philly cheesesteak, combined with seasoned waffle fries, are legendary.
For my dietary plan, I eat several small meals throughout the day, so I often get a to-go box that you can fill up with as much food as you can fit. Of course, each meal swipe is all you can eat, so you're welcome to sit down and eat until your stomach bursts. From breakfast until dinner, dining halls have waffle makers, cereal bars, salad bars, and a deli to satisfy whatever you crave.
Also, there are specialized dining halls like Kimmel and Weinstein's Kosher that offer entirely Vegan or Kosher menus. Each semester you are given dining dollars, and across the street from the Library is a Starbucks where you can spend those dining dollars without spending out of your wallet. Dining dollars are pre-loaded on your NYU ID card like a gift card, and you can spend it at small grocery-like pantries in the dining halls. These pantries offer everything from toilet paper to frozen pizza, and dining dollars carry over from Fall to Spring semesters (but not from year to year, like Spring to Fall), so if you can't spend it all, it will carry over and then you can bust it all on Red Bull during Spring finals.
What’s there to do for fun at your college?
To be honest, I don't know if I can accurately describe the culture of the City without writing a book. First are the clubs, lounges, restaurants, and cafes around the general campus. What everyone does the first couple weeks is explore the city. Walk around, and go window shopping! I didn't find out 5th Avenue was two minutes from my residence hall until halfway through fall semester. So, if you don't want to eat Italian cannoli or classic cheesecake, take a walk down 5th Avenue, or Broadway and experience the culmination of the world's most exclusive styles, fashion, and design statements. NYU is situated in Greenwich Village, and if you can't find anything to do here, you won't be able to find anything to do anywhere. Food is an infinite experience in the city. Pizza is a dollar a slice, and halal carts run every street corner. All the attractions of New York City are at arms reach. You can take a subway to virtually anywhere in Manhattan, and beyond. Whether its going to Columbia to visit friends, or to Times Square (especially on Halloween and New Years), any traveling is entirely in your reach. Before the weather gets cold, Washington Square Park has a giant fountain that becomes a massive tourist attraction. So if you want to stay local, grab a cup of coffee and sit down in the park or Gould Plaza and read a book to the sounds of the city. If you don't mind the travel, which isn't that long to begin with, take a stroll through Central Park. It is something that you'll rarely get the chance to do once classes begin, but make sure to take advantage of Central Park, especially in the sunny months. In addition to the regular shopping and eating, remember that New York City is home to some of the world's most exclusive fine arts. Whether its the New York Philharmonic, the Metropolitan Opera, or the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the arts are at our fingertips ready to cultivate young and cultured minds. Because we are NYU students, our student IDs often mean stude...
Do you feel you’re getting value for the money you’re spending on college?
It is difficult to gauge the bang for the buck, because the school is rather expensive, but financial aid varies heavily from student to student. In addition, I feel that perception of bang for the buck changes from person to person in their appreciation and adjustment to city life, and their overall adaption to the University, its officers, and its facilities. Since this topic is highly subjective, I'd recommend any prospective student to visit and spend a day or two walking around and attending some classes. Some students are in love with the city, and are willing to shell out almost, or full tuition to attend. However, some students hate the city and cannot stand the constant hustle and bustle. They would choose a university that stands in a college-town, and quite possibly transfer out of NYU their first year.
If you were to ask for my personal preference, I would say that my rating of bang for the buck lies somewhat linearly with the rest of the country. I believe that attending Stern for its business program and exposure to an industry of my dreams and hopes is worth the money, but again, this is a rather complicated topic and almost entirely relies on the factors of life and experience that surround and have surrounded you.
How would you describe campus safety? Do you feel safe on campus?
Campus Safety is great, but I believe that the school's emphasis on the presence of officers misleads prospective students into thinking that we live in a dangerous area. Do not be afraid to walk around at night because the city is quite alive at night. However, this is not to say that you should not be wary when you walk alone, say, at 2am from the library. I believe this a much stronger issue for upperclassmen as their residence halls are much farther away from the centralized campus than freshmen dorms. Upperclassmen will most likely invest in bikes, or use the services of NYU Safe Ride.
NYU isn't a tight-knit campus school because its buildings are scattered throughout Lower Manhattan, so meeting people and developing a network is more difficult than the traditional environment where you may often see the same faces around school. On the flipside, the city life is much envied by others, and you're able to blend into the regular rhythm of the city. The students are often quite divided by their respective schools within NYU, which act almost as a status symbol in the community.
When you come to New York, be ready for extreme variations in temperature and weather when you go outside. If you come from the sunny South, then it might take a while to become used to the gloomy, wet, and dark weather that engulfs the city during the winter. Unless you are in the park, the tall skyscrapers will block most of the sunshine, if any. However, the campus is surrounded by a remarkable patchwork of boutique shops, eccentric lounges, and curio shops. There is more than enough for you and a group of friends to stroll through for many semesters. However, be accustomed the possibilities of the night life; it is not a joke that there are odd people and odd things that appear when the sun sets. Because NYC has such a well-developed infrastructure, take it upon yourself to explore the city, and the landmarks. In all honesty, I'm not going to repeat the same answers given by school officials. Living here, you will see that every stereotype of New York City is true. It is the world's craziest city, and all your perceptions and notions of what it is, are indeed true.
If you are applying, or have been accepted to Stern, then I will begin by telling you to work exceptionally hard. The first year will incorporate several classes in other schools and departments, but the few Stern classes you may have will be tough unless you put in 110% every day. Stern has an unruly grading curve, where you are expected to perform flawlessly to earn an A, not to mention an A+. Don't be tricked by low levels of coursework throughout the semester because small assignments are often graded harshly and account for huge grade percentages. From what I hear of friends in other schools, the College of Arts and Sciences is quite demanding in their levels of coursework, and you will be required to schedule many hours of laboratory if you pursue the Sciences. Also, do not be misled by the perception that Liberal Studies is the runt of the school, and therefore the students there have little work. My roommate has little work, but others who have enrolled in tough classes are quite often buried under mountains of work. Tisch has, by far, the least rigorous curriculum, but for what it lacks in academic rigor is made up by its demand for creative talent, imagination, and innovation.
Dorm life is exceptional at NYU; however, I cannot stress the importance of finding roommates that are suitable to your personality and living habits. Allowing the University housing system to randomly place you with someone is very risky, and can ruin your entire first year, if not entire college experience. To play it safe, (if you have the option), find someone from your high school to room with. By growing up and living in the same area, it is safe to say that they maintain similar living standards as yourself. But, all in all, there is no trump card to play, and housing is perhaps the craziest wild card you'll ever encounter. When you do become situated with dorm life, it is very comfortable and pleasingly social. Coming from a Hayden resident, I can say that Hayden is known for its parties and social crowd, but other dorms are quite rowdy themselves. Hayden is a very old building, and comes with odd smells with every floor. However, that means that each floor grows very close with each other, even between floors as well. It is difficult to meet, hang out, and get to know most of the people on your floor the first couple weeks, but by Midterms, you'll have bumped into each other so much that you start to hang out and talk. Of course, you shouldn't walk into dorm life expecting to become a huge family, exchanging every moment of your lives. Being a little shy myself, I couldn't make friends with the entire school in one night, and Welcome Week events didn't help that much. Creating a new network of friends was not painful, but was not a walk in the park either. Just find it in yourself to be friendly, and friends with come. One of the biggest issues prospective freshmen may consider is security and safety. Honestly, people may say that things get stolen all the time, but on my floor, everyone tends to be honest and hold a higher moral ground. Of course, lock your doors when you're out of the room, and take standard safety procedures, but people that go to a...
Food and Dining is much better than what you would expect. Current students often tell you that the food is terrible, but remember that they've been eating the same variety of food for many years, so of course, they'd be sick of it. The food offered at Weinstein and Hayden are varied and consistently quality foods; every residence hall offers special nights, for example when Rubin offers steak night every Friday. But for you to find your favorite location, you must visit each dining hall. For one of the nicest dining halls, you can go to the Palladium residence hall. It is a sophomore residence hall, but it also houses one of the two NYU gyms and the Wasserman Career Center. The Palladium dining hall offers a delicious deli, sizzling pizzeria, made-to-order sushi, and hot grill line. Its philly cheesesteak, combined with seasoned waffle fries, are legendary. For my dietary plan, I eat several small meals throughout the day, so I often get a to-go box that you can fill up with as much food as you can fit. Of course, each meal swipe is all you can eat, so you're welcome to sit down and eat until your stomach bursts. From breakfast until dinner, dining halls have waffle makers, cereal bars, salad bars, and a deli to satisfy whatever you crave. Also, there are specialized dining halls like Kimmel and Weinstein's Kosher that offer entirely Vegan or Kosher menus. Each semester you are given dining dollars, and across the street from the Library is a Starbucks where you can spend those dining dollars without spending out of your wallet. Dining dollars are pre-loaded on your NYU ID card like a gift card, and you can spend it at small grocery-like pantries in the dining halls. These pantries offer everything from toilet paper to frozen pizza, and dining dollars carry over from Fall to Spring semesters (but not from year to year, like Spring to Fall), so if you can't spend it all, it will carry over and then you can bust it all on Red Bull during Spring finals.
To be honest, I don't know if I can accurately describe the culture of the City without writing a book. First are the clubs, lounges, restaurants, and cafes around the general campus. What everyone does the first couple weeks is explore the city. Walk around, and go window shopping! I didn't find out 5th Avenue was two minutes from my residence hall until halfway through fall semester. So, if you don't want to eat Italian cannoli or classic cheesecake, take a walk down 5th Avenue, or Broadway and experience the culmination of the world's most exclusive styles, fashion, and design statements. NYU is situated in Greenwich Village, and if you can't find anything to do here, you won't be able to find anything to do anywhere. Food is an infinite experience in the city. Pizza is a dollar a slice, and halal carts run every street corner. All the attractions of New York City are at arms reach. You can take a subway to virtually anywhere in Manhattan, and beyond. Whether its going to Columbia to visit friends, or to Times Square (especially on Halloween and New Years), any traveling is entirely in your reach. Before the weather gets cold, Washington Square Park has a giant fountain that becomes a massive tourist attraction. So if you want to stay local, grab a cup of coffee and sit down in the park or Gould Plaza and read a book to the sounds of the city. If you don't mind the travel, which isn't that long to begin with, take a stroll through Central Park. It is something that you'll rarely get the chance to do once classes begin, but make sure to take advantage of Central Park, especially in the sunny months. In addition to the regular shopping and eating, remember that New York City is home to some of the world's most exclusive fine arts. Whether its the New York Philharmonic, the Metropolitan Opera, or the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the arts are at our fingertips ready to cultivate young and cultured minds. Because we are NYU students, our student IDs often mean stude...
It is difficult to gauge the bang for the buck, because the school is rather expensive, but financial aid varies heavily from student to student. In addition, I feel that perception of bang for the buck changes from person to person in their appreciation and adjustment to city life, and their overall adaption to the University, its officers, and its facilities. Since this topic is highly subjective, I'd recommend any prospective student to visit and spend a day or two walking around and attending some classes. Some students are in love with the city, and are willing to shell out almost, or full tuition to attend. However, some students hate the city and cannot stand the constant hustle and bustle. They would choose a university that stands in a college-town, and quite possibly transfer out of NYU their first year. If you were to ask for my personal preference, I would say that my rating of bang for the buck lies somewhat linearly with the rest of the country. I believe that attending Stern for its business program and exposure to an industry of my dreams and hopes is worth the money, but again, this is a rather complicated topic and almost entirely relies on the factors of life and experience that surround and have surrounded you.
Campus Safety is great, but I believe that the school's emphasis on the presence of officers misleads prospective students into thinking that we live in a dangerous area. Do not be afraid to walk around at night because the city is quite alive at night. However, this is not to say that you should not be wary when you walk alone, say, at 2am from the library. I believe this a much stronger issue for upperclassmen as their residence halls are much farther away from the centralized campus than freshmen dorms. Upperclassmen will most likely invest in bikes, or use the services of NYU Safe Ride.