New York University

I am not pleased with NYU, in specific NYU Tandon. If for whatever reason you're considering it, maybe for the allure of the city, maybe for the NYU name, DON'T! I know at least a dozen other freshmen considering transferring in my program or the Civil Engineering program. Tandon is NOT as advertised, not even close. Being in Brooklyn, you're really not too close to the opportunities or fun of the main campus, and you will be stuck with a lot of the same people all day. Tandon itself consists of basically just one building on Metrotech: this lack of campus, resources, or much diversity in routine makes it that there is no community. The only way I think you can enjoy most of what the school has to offer is if you either have a big checkbook or just really love New York (and I mean really!).

The shuttle which the school offers is pretty piss-poor, any day I have tried to ride it, it was late, and it took a long time to get to main campus. This makes getting a subway pass a must, but that starts adding up pretty quick, especially if you end up getting involved with anything on the main campus.

At NYU, I just feel like a number. I have been helped out by some people from various offices (Student Affairs, Involvement) but I still just feel lost and lonely in the school. All of the events either require money or some form of transportation pass, this sucks when you want to get to a museum from Brooklyn to Midtown or if you want to attend an event at the main university. Anyway, more about lost. Tandon has a weird atmosphere, it isn't really cut-throat or competitive in a traditional sense, everybody there just is very focused on what they're doing and will rarely branch out to make friends. With the international students (which make up a pretty big portion of Tandon's student body), they'll mostly stick among themselves. Very few people there are involved in clubs, especially since EVERY SINGLE CLUB which Tandon offers at there location is STEM related and academic/professional in nature. IT sucks because if you want to join a non-STEM club at all you'll have to go to main campus, which as I've been over, is hard to do.

Let's talk about housing. I was paired with roommates nothing like myself despite being made to take a roommate survey thing. I put on it that I really needed to be in a room with only one other person at most due to a medical condition, that this space would need to be clean, and that I medically require a roommate who stays quiet after 12 as I need to go to sleep at 12. Enter a triple dorm, with two other roomates not even remotely like the type the survey suggested, infested with mold, neither of which would go to sleep at 12. I only got this fixed right before leaving for Winter break, this honestly did not help with the problems I was already having there nor did it help with me feeling just uncared-for and lost amongst thousands.

Honestly, with what the school's tuition is and the ranking of their engineering program, it just really is not worth it to go. If you graduate with the NYU name on your diploma, that's great I guess, but not a whole lot of employers will turn you down just because of the name on your diploma. As well as that there are so many other public and private universities which much better engineering schools/programs which cost so much less. For what I paid in tuition I'll tell you what I got: a spot in a school, no community, no events to enjoy, etc... I also couldn't take the amount of classes tuition paid for due to availability and free space issues, and no accommodations, leniency, or alternatives could be made. My moldy room was extra (if you do decide going don't do Clark Hall as a freshman and definitely don't choose low-cost).

Anybody who says "NYU is a party school" is kind of right, just not Tandon. And that is not because of the rigorous academia, it is just because nobody there really cares to do parties (besides a few dozen) and really don't care about socializing at all. Honestly, when you're stuck in such a big city with nothing to do, nowhere to go (besides one building), and nobody to talk to, it really sucks.If I could choose all over again, I would save my parents the year of tuition payments and just go to an in-state or any other school instead. Looking at New York for Engineering? Choose anything but Tandon. In no way could I see it as worth it unless you got a really massive scholarship.

1st Year Male -- Class 1923

Scholastic Success: A-, Individual Value: D-

1) BEWARE: IT IS VERY HARD TO MAKE FRIENDS HERE. From what I've seen and heard, social isolation is VERY common at NYU. There are A LOT of students who have loose/meaningless friendships and spend too much time in their rooms. If you want friends here, you have to WORK VERY HARD. You have to be a social machine in order to make some quality friendships. NOTE TO NYU: Why is the club fair for a school of 60,000 only open for 3 hours??? How am I supposed to get involved?? It's so crowded that you can't even get into it, all the elevators were stuck! Anyway, I found my self repeatedly going to the same clubs over and over to try and build connections, but people here are distracted by the friends they already have and their internships that nobody turns over a friendly hand. Very cold. The school is also sooo big, which makes it VERY difficult to find your people. Unless you're super extroverted, you will have a hard time here.

2) ACADEMICS ARE NOT THAT GREAT. At least not worth $70,000. The core classes I took in CAS were decent quality, but not worth the price. Some of the TA's were rude and unhelpful. The classes in my major in SPS were such low quality for a school that has such a reputation. Beware that NYU has a great name, but you don't realize the poor quality until you get inside. The problem with NYU is they are soooo big and just try and get as many attendees as possible to make $money$ off tuition. It's so big that they cannot manage quality. For example, the academic advisors here are unprofessional and unhelpful. Unacceptable for $70,000 a year! I have heard plenty of students complain about academic advisors not answering emails, missing deadlines, forgetting to do simple tasks. The issue is that NYU admits soo many students that they cannot provide quality academic advising. NYU is becoming a campaign towards building a reputable brand with lots of funding rather than an institution that actually cares for its students. Classes are not much better than at a state school, so save your dollars! Most of the professors I've had look down upon us, which is not very encouraging. I think they are also shocked at the lack of quality students at NYU.

Not sure what you want to major in? Don't come here. They make it impossible to try other classes and get into other programs. Classes fill up fast because the school is overpopulated.

3) THE CITY SEEMS GREAT AT FIRST....You come to weekend on the square or admitted students day and it looks like a dream. Everyone is so friendly as NYU advertises their brand. Washington Square and the city seems enchanting and dreamy. Be careful not to fall into this trap, especially if you are sensitive and introverted like myself. There are people everywhere and everything is always crowded. It's Manhattan. There are homeless people, crazy drug addicts, perverts, etc. You can't escape people. Whether in the dorms or on the street. TO CONCLUDE: I am now transferring schools to a smaller college near home. I really gave NYU a fair shot, but it failed me. PLEASE MAKE YOUR DECISION WISELY. There are A LOT of students who are depressed here. A lot of students who skip class because the lack of quality and arrogant professors. Just be careful because these are not the things you will see on the admissions tour. Unless you are going to be a lawyer or a doctor, it doesn't really matter where you go to school. Don't sacrifice your happiness for a name brand school.

2nd Year Male -- Class 2019

Faculty Accessibility: A+, Extracurricular Activities: D-

First off, I go to the engineering school. Currently it goes by the name of Tandon, but given how ridiculous the school is, it will probably change its name by the time that you read this. In the last 3 years, it changed its name 4 times from Polytechnic Institute to Polytech to NYU Polytechnic to Tandon.

My main hatred for this school lies in 3 things: the major, the student conduct office, and the tuition. I do have some positive things, which I will mention, but they will be some few. I do have a lot of negative things to say about this school, so please take some time to read them and buckle up for the TRUTH!

First my major isn't even called biology. It's called biomolecular science which is just a fancy B-llS%$@ NYU name to look smarter when the programs are bad....

The professors in the BMS department or CBE department truly do not care if you succeed or not. They don't care about teaching or if you're learning. All they care about is their own research and themselves. Send them an email for help on an assignment or ask them a clarifying question, no response.

Want to volunteer or sell your soul to slave away in their research lab, response within minutes. All the professors really talk about are themselves, their research, and where THEY want to go. Not where YOU the student want to go.

The lessons are poorly planned and disorganized. There are rampant cheating going on and self studying because truly no one knows anything or what the professor is getting at. 9/10 times the professor knows the class is cheating and simply does not care.

The BMS department is utter trash. The professors don't do any of the grading, so they literally hire student TAs to grade the exams and lab reports.... more often, your TA may be your age or younger than you.....

that's right, they hire inexperienced and petty teenagers to be in charge of your grades and your future. I am not lying. I have class where the TA is a sophomore in undergrad and there were students in my class who were MASTERS! wtf is wrong the professors.

Also the TAs can even assist in academic dishonesty if you are besties with them. they will help you out in grading when you don't deserve your grades.... Also its a clique system where friends nominate close friends to become an abusive and stupid TA with them.

My other concern about this school is the Student Conduct Office at Main campus. It's run by a bunch of turds who are aware of the shit that goes on in both the Brooklyn and Manhattan campuses. They know students who deal, who do drugs, who drink, who even rape.... Yet they try their best to cover up each scandal to protect themselves and to protect the "reputation" of the school. This can be seen when a school offices asks for evidence of an "alleged" crime, and then suddenly the evidence disappears!!!!! Or the school refuses to give you back the evidence. Or even "forgetting" to turn in the evidence to the police. SUCH BS. This school is whack AF.

There is also the high price of tuition for this crappy education and for the terrible administration. Anyways, the only good thing about this school is the vast resources in doing research, the city is New York, and so much to do in the school and nearby. However, the school would only promote student clubs and fairs to freshman only. Then when they turn older, they stop caring for the freshmen now that they are locked into this school. It's a stupid cycle.

4th Year Male -- Class 2019

Surrounding City: A, Education Quality: F