New York University Top Questions

They are amazing

I am a psych major on a pre-med track, and honestly many of my classes are HUGE. My science classes have all had approximately 600 students in them. Psych classes range from 50-200 students. The core required classes are the opposite though. There are about 10-20 students in each. Foreign language classes are also very small and tight-knit. I still have not been able to decide which I prefer. I enjoy the feeling of being in a giant lecture class but it is always great to receive more attention from your professor. None of my science or psych professors have known my name. This sucks because students definitely need letters of recommendation from their professors. Professors are usually readily available during office hours to answer questions but with science classes there are always hundreds of students visiting during these hours so you are still not getting much one on one time with them. The professors do their best though. They have all been great for the most part. They are all very knowledgeable but most importantly PASSIONATE. I have yet to have a professor that doesn't love the subject he/she is teaching. Classes are pretty challenging so students are very competitive. NYU students study hard. They're beasts. People sleep in the library. Our library is enormous but it is still impossible to find a seat most of the time. We go hard. Freshmen take a while to acquire this drive, but it comes with time. I can definitely say that NYU gets you well prepared for landing an awesome job once you graduate. With all the competitiveness and desire to succeed, it isn't hard to find one.

Most students are driven, fun and engaging, which makes for a very demanding academic environment. Teachers challenge their students and are committed to their intellectual growth. While most NYU graduates end up landing good jobs, this is a reflection of the geographic location more then it is the support of their career center. Unless your a Stern student it is impossible to bank on the wasserman center's assistance.

Class sizes are all over the place, ranging from fifteen (one of my Journalism classes) to about 400 (many of the MAP classes). The core curriculum is very frustrating, but if you have a lot of AP credits you can get around a lot of it. I'm in Tisch, so I can't really comment on any of the other school's academics besides CAS. That being said, NYU is very separate. If you're in Tisch, please don't come here expecting to be able to take classes in Steinhardt and Stern. That's just not how it works, sadly. Most of the required classes that I've taken here are extremely monotonous, but my CAS journalism classes have been excellent. The teachers are all freelance journalists, and are willing to help you land internships or just help you. Tisch is very different, but the classes are small and your professor's will help you if you ask. Many complain that professors are not accessible, and this is true if you're in a bigger department.

The academic life, if I were to put it in three words, would be: impersonal, tricky and cold. While I've had classes that have had under 20 people in them, I would say that would only be 20{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the classes I'm in. Unfortunately, being a music major, I have nearly 40 kids in my class because NYU decides to take 1400 kids into their music program every year. Professors are a mixed bag. My Writing The Essay professor was nice and almost motherly in a way...but they are some professors that are solely there for the graduate work. I took an ethics class last year and the professor was teaching us stuff totally different from the textbook. She would constantly forget core terms of the class. It was commonplace for people to correct her while she was talking. And in terms of hanging out or spending time with professors outside of class-don't be surprised if you get rejected. These professors are doing serious work and obviously do not have time for your petty questions. Class participation is a mixed bag. Yet again, it depends on what class you are taking. My music classes have no class participation because I'm sure half the kids skated right into NYU because they are gay or because they are quirky. However, some classes I've taken through CAS are stimulating and are quite enjoyable. It depends on where the quota is going for that semester.

Academics aren't anything special. Find a professor and have them take you under their wing. The core curriculum for CAS is stupid. Apply to Gallatin or Tisch.

Students tend to be competitive. NYU's admission rates are low, so students have to be driven, generally. This follows high-achieving students from high school to college.

Professors in small classes know my name (3 of my 4 classes). My favorite class right now is "The Meaning of Leadership" where we learned about leadership throughout time and sectors. My least favorite class was human biology because I had to take it and I hate science. Students are always studying. Class participation is mandatory in most classes; no one really participates in lectures. I don't think I have ever heard a conversation by NYU students that wasn't intellectual. Students are not competitive. My most unique class was probably "Homelessness" in the social work department. My school, the School of Social Work, is awesome because it is tiny and very close-knit. My dean and I know each other very well and it is just great. I see my dean outside of class sometimes but not many other professors because they all have other things going on just like I do. NYU's academic requirements are ok besides Writing the Essay. I think the education at NYU is all about learning for its own sake, unless it's in Stern.

Encouraged to learn just as much outside the classroom as you do inside.

Students are pretty competitive, classes range from 20-200 people, professors generally love student's input and opinions, and our library is amazing.