New York University

NYU was my top choice, mainly because of the location and because it offered an undergraduate journalism major, while Columbia didn't. NYU's journalism program has a great reputation (as does the entire school) but I didn't find it particularly rigorous, having attended journalism workshops with college instructors while I was in high school. Based on that, I think the education I got at NYU was just as good (or just as mediocre) as I would have gotten at a less expensive school. NYU has a stellar reputation, but many of the kids I met were total idiots. I don't know how they got in. Maybe all the drugs slowly eroded their minds, or maybe they just acted like morons to impress people. How to deal with an overabundance of idiots? Seek out people you enjoy being with, because I'm sure dimwitted kids roam campuses everywhere. Based on the reputation and probably the glossy brochures, I had such high hopes for NYU - but I was miserable in my first year, faced with the classic triad of freshman horror - a bad roommate, unappealing core-curriculum classes, and the reality of finding yourself in an environment where you don't know anyone and nobody seems to care about the fact you exist. But after I ditched my evil roommate and moved to the luxurious Water Street dorm sophomore year, things were definitely looking up. I found in my time at NYU that the location tends to be the reason people go there. The actual education is fine, but nothing special, and it's true that a lot of the students there are rich, spoiled assholes. Nevertheless, I did find a bunch of good friends there and ended up graduating with two majors and a high GPA. I also found an awesome job that pays relatively well (for journalism) at a large daily newspaper, but all the networking and internships to get me that job were my own work, and not something that NYU helped me find. I really feel that I could have gotten the internships just as easily if I had gone to Kansas State or somesuch. If I had to do it over again, I'm not sure if I would still choose NYU. My gut tells me no; that I would have been happier at a smaller college where more attention is paid to students. But living in New York City during your formative years is also an amazing, valuable experience, and unfortunately New York City doesn't offer a small, supportive college nestled in Greenwich Village. It offers NYU - take it or leave it. I decided to take it, mostly because I didn't want to go through the hassle of transfering, and I didn't really hate it THAT much. Please keep in mind, though, that NYU is truly not for everyone. If you are a super-driven person who manages well completely on your own, give NYU a shot. If you grew up in a very supportive environment with a close-knit family, a group of good, close friends and high school teachers you considered friends, like I did, then going from that environment to the tough reality of NYU may be too drastic. I have a friend who left after one year because she was unhappy there (I met her after I graduated); a person from my high school who went to NYU a few years before I did transfered to a more traditional college - there's no shame in transferring or even dropping out if you're in a situation where you're not happy. But it's better to avoid that situation in the first place, so do your homework about NYU and any other college you're thinking about. I was so blinded by the beauty of New York and the thrills that awaited that I didn't check out the school thoroughly enough before I accepted the invitation to attend.

Alumnus Male -- Class 2000