New York University Top Questions

living in new york city rules

Great location, best "campus" ever, Administration is bloated a difficult to navigate

nyu would be better if there was more of a community and more green spaces (which is kind of a trade-off since it is in new york city).

nyu is a love-hate relationship. you're in the heart of the city, you get to explore great areas and have a college experience unlike (and in my opinion, much better) than any other school. you'll hear a lot of students here moaning about how much they hate nyu, but the truth is they wouldn't dream of going anywhere else. most of my classes have been great. there are always some dud teachers that kill the subject for you, but i've been legitimately interested in everything i've taken. the worst part of nyu, by far, is the red tape and the administration. there are a lot of logistical things that are a pain in the ass for students trying to register for classes, pay bills (oh those expensive bills), etc. nyu does a lot to "reach out" to it's students, but it feels like they don't really care. STAY AWAY FROM NYU COUNSELING. they aren't there to help you or do what's best for you, they are there to screen according to a green book of "depression warning signs" (yes, this actually exists and is given to every university employee) and keep you from making nyu look bad (throwing you in a hospital so that you don't kill yourself on nyu property)

NYU is great because the campus is so integrated into Manhattan. It's as if you're going to school in New York, not specifically a university. If I could change one thing though, it would certainly be to make the school cheaper, I'm going broke paying for college. It's exciting that next year a brand new dorm will be open on 23rd and 3rd and I had the good fortune to get a room on one of the higher floors. I'm pretty excited for the view. And a kitchen. Very excited for the kitchen.

NYU is a huge school right in Manhattan, so people who are looking for a big school spirit-y sports school won't be too happy. But on the other hand, there are tons of schools like that and no other school quite like NYU. The opportunities here - social, academic, professional - are completely unlike any other school I've seen.

The best thing is the amount of money it has so that most things here are really high quality, there are a ton of resources available, and we can hire good quality professors that have been out actually doing the things they're teaching us. If I could change something, I would close the 26th Street dorm. People in my hometown get really impressed when I say I go to NYU. They're usually taken aback.

NYU is definitely too large to cultivate any sort of school spirit or unity. The way I often describe it to people is that half my graduating class could die in a fiery subway wreck, and the only thing I'd notice is that the line for the elevators is shorter. However, being in New York offers you a lot of opportunities that you wouldn't get in a less urban area, or even in another city. So if you're the type to take advantage of that, it's still worth it, but if you'd rather have a more traditional college experience that includes knowing most of the people in your classes and having school traditions and graduating with a sense of having participated in some common experience, then NYU is not the right choice.

The best thing about NYU are the amazing apartment style housing options that are offered next year. I would absolutely make the school smaller. I'd also do an experiment where I pick up this university and plop it down in the middle of Idaho, and see who applies. People are usually pretty impressed when I tell them i go to NYU, they something like, "oh wow enjoying the big city?" I spend most of my time in my dorm, my friends dorms, or at the dining hall or at the gym. NO COLLEGE TOWN. Everyone is pretending to be 4 years older than they are. We are 18, not 24, stop going clubbing and to stupid bars. NYU's administration likes money. They rip you off. always. There is very little school pride.

The best things about NYU are its location and its resources. I would change the layout of the school and perhaps consolidate it a little more so it had a more community feel, it's alienating sometimes. It feels too large because it is so spread out, but I don't the the actual number of students is the problem. I spend most of my time around Washington Square and St. Marks Place. It's definitely not a college town in the classic sense, but there are plenty of things for college age kids to do. The university administration often seems like it takes pleasure in making things as bureaucratically complicated as possible, but I have been impressed by Gallatin (my school's) administration. There isn't really school pride, just New York City pride. There are a million unusual things about NYU, particularly, we don't really have a campus, or many of the other identifiably "college" things. I'll always remember watching Obama speak in Washington Square Park. I think the most frequent complaints are: hard to meet people, no campus, alienating.