New York University

Going to school at NYU is like being in Old Europe with the way Greenwich Village is. The location gives one a small town feel but is in the middle of a big city. The academic programs here are very challenging, the students/faculty are top notch, and the university is pretty good with making use of its tremendous resources which it partially has by being in New York and partially by being a wealthy college.

2nd Year Female -- Class 2007

Campus Aesthetics: A+, Collaboration/Competitive: B

I have mixed reviews about his place.
Having come from a primarily suburban setting, NYU was NOT my first choice since there practically isn't a campus at all, not to mention a common building or student center. (The latter was torn down for some mysterious reason so another could be built in the exact same place. Budget surplus, I guess) The lack of a campus or common building means people congregate in dorms, which are open only to residents. A resident has to sign visitors in and basically hold their hand the entire time they're there. So unless you know someone on the inside you can forget about socializing there.

If you're a freshman hope that you'll get a dorm near the cluster of classroom buildings near Washington Square, as this is where you'll probably meet the people you'll interact with for the rest of your career here. I ended up in an upperclassman dorm because housing lost my deposit 3 times. Although the place was really nice, there wasn't the social interaction you'd find in Weinstein or Brittany, two mainly freshman dorms. So I got screwed there. I was fortunate enough to be accepted into CAS scholars, which provides you with a scholarship and paid weeklong "vacations" to NYU's study abroad sites, such as Florence or Prague. However, unless you are involved in this, don't expect the University as a whole to pay much attention to you. Otherwise, NYU is out for your money, which happens to be a lot.

This university has grown too fast for its own good, and now it's up a creek. Facilities are crowded, (I swear there are 2X the number of students from last year), housing is scattered around because NYU leases whatever they can find. The Bio and Chem labs are crammed into 1 building, and I've yet to see a decent lab that's open to undergrads for general purposes. We have less than 10 open-to-all computer labs to accomodate 20,000 students. Yeah, most people bring their own, but if you compare with a similar sized school, (U Michigan has like 16) this is one area that is extremely lacking. The crowding problem will only get worse. NYU is getting record numbers of applicants, and space is dwindling. Try building anything in New York City in a timely manner, even if you manage to find a lot and get approval. If you originally hail from a city environment, you probably won't have any problems adapting. If you're from the suburbs, or a rural area, you may want to reconsider, unless this is what you want.

People here are generally friendly, but are for the most part unapproachable. Like I said, the friends that you'll value most will be those you meet first year in your dorm, or perhaps in your classes. After that, it seems like everyone remains in their little "groups", and generally do their own thing. You might be able to talk to them, but you probably won't get to know them.

All in all, the academics here are pretty good. The only problem I have is with the core curriculum courses you have to take. They’re for the most part a waste of time and just busy work. Take care with Writing Workshop…don’t step in the bullshit. Otherwise, the courses I’ve had to take for my major have been quite good. First year biology is taught by various professors, who lecture on the topics they do research in. This is quite interesting, you don’t have to listen to the same guy for a whole year, and you can ask basically any question you want and the professor will probably know. Expect to be challenged, but don’t expect to have to compete with your classmates. The professors I’ve had seem to discourage it, and don’t make you memorize crap like the structure of the stereoisomers of glucose in low level courses.

There are some redeeming features at this school, but if I could go back and do everything over again from the end of high school, I’d without a doubt go somewhere else.

1st Year Male -- Class 2004

Surrounding City: A+, Campus Aesthetics: D-

I grew up in NYC and attended NYU as if it was some local commuter school. It was about 20 minutes away from my house by foot. Yes, it seems almost surreal that I am one of the few poor local inner city kids who got a chance to go to a highly rated college, especially an expensive and well known institution such as NYU. I came to the school paying a meager tuition of $10,000 per year without room and board. The rest was taken care by a scholarship and some grants I received. This was in the mid to late 90's and NYU sure has changed since then. Not much in terms of the education and culture, but the buildings/infrastructure and faces have changed over the years. The tuition has skyrocketed and what hasn't these days if I may ask. People today are paying more because the school provides more. I didn't have WiFi internet access around campus and all the small luxuries when I was there. The few pet peeves I have with the school are that it is somewhat unfriendly to its students. It is managed like a large corporation and the students are like numbers, where they are easily replaceable at will. The other is the Bobst library, which is outdated and too small/cramped for a university such as NYU. They really need to do something about the Bobst in terms of keep up with the times. In terms of my experience, I would describe it as OK. It could have been better, but definately not worse. I often felt left out because I was stacked against with the more outspoken students with superior upbringing. They were either White or Upper crust Asian whose parents had money and education. I came from a humble working class background and was the first to attend college. But that didn't stop me from getting the things I wanted in life. I made friends, even study aboard and have kept in touch with 2 professors who are still teaching in the university. Today, I have re-entered the university as a part time continuing education student with a totally different outlook. I feel much more confident with the school, and see it as a powerful institution more than anything else. Being older, I can now appreciate NYU with its diverse resources that can be "exploited" when one graduates. It is probably the only school where its alumni can reconnect or utilize it to the fullest. This is the real beauty/return of the school. I can buy books from the computer store and professional bookstore needed for my job. I can go to the Bobst library and attend some of the classes for free to kill time. Now what school has a computer store? Many of you will not realize it until you get a little older. My advice is to trust your instincts, live life to the fullest and never give up. NYU is for go-getters and it has the resources (this includes all the people and fellow students) for you to reach your goals!

Alumnus Male -- Class 2000