From various people I heard that there is no real community and that it is very hard to make friends. Is this true? A social community is an extremely important part of college (making connections etc.) so I am very concerned. Any kind of response from current students, alumni, and admitted students is appreciated!
Mother of 2 D’s. One is a 2012 graduate–she is still close friends with many of the people from NYU-- people she met freshman year and beyond. So she has remained close friends with people from her Weinstein (freshman year) dorm floor, friends with about 20 or so people from the Vocal Performance department, friends with people she took classes with in the music department and has friends from Steinhardt’s scholars program. We are NYers and she remained in the city after graduation. And so did many of her friends who attended school with her.
My younger D is a junior studio art major. She made many close friends from the Exploration Floor she joined in Third North as a freshman. And their friends as well. She is also close with a group of art students, students from the Bronfman Center and students from Steinhart scholars.
If you reach out and get involved, you will have no problem making friends and feeling part of a community.
@uskoolfish thank you so much for the input! I think I’m a pretty extroverted person so its very reassuring to hear that.
No doubt NYU has a unique campus environment when compared to traditional campus scenes. It is one of the things the school battles with and, frankly, tries to cover up. It is probably the biggest concern we have with the school as my son weighs the pros and cons (price also isn’t a pro). But as I tell my son, for anything NYU might be lacking in the traditional sense of a campus, it more than makes up for in the unique opportunity it presents given its location. In the end, it all depends on what sort of community experience the kids want.
I know three kids at NYU and their parents. All the kids admit that the traditional feel and college social life stereotypes are lacking but it does not bother them. I think it bothers their parents more who feel they ar ebeing deprived of that traditional experience.
In another thread I ask for advice comparing NYU academically to another university. I hope that can be done. But comparing NYU to other and more traditional campuses might be a futile exercise given the unique alternatives NYU offers.
I also tell my son that at NYU he’ll probably meet a lot of people and encounter several opportunities that have nothing to do with the school. The possibilities in NYC are endless. Sure, this may take away from the typical college experience but it might be a wonderful/enriching experience nonetheless.
I just wish NYU wasn’t so overpriced. It’s like the Bulgari of universities.
I was surprised by my younger D’s freshman experience. Her entire floor spent a lot of time together and a lot of that time was spent in the dorms. Yes, they explored the city. But surprisingly she met a lot kids who did not have the money or inclination to go out on a regular basis to clubs/ bars/ concerts. Instead they hung out with each other, watched movies, grabbed meals from the dining hall or cooked for each other. I think that made them a very cohesive group and my D will still living with 2 of those girls in a suite as a senior and some of the other kids will be on other floors in what is known as Senior house on West 13th Street.
They do not have traditions in the sense that other schools do, but there are traditions that are unique to NYU. And I do not feel that either D lacked anything in the development of friendship department. And when you talk about connections beyond friendship…on a professional level… there are just so many opportunities for networking and collaboration.
There is a cliché among students and staff that “NYU isn’t for everyone.” The truth is, no college will fit every student. Yet this statement is particularly true for NYU, due to its size, lack of campus, lack of Greek life, student apathy towards sports (generally, a lack of the typical American college experience) etc…
Your social life at NYU will be what you make of it. You won’t have your friends served up to you on a plate, as you might on another college campus, where you’d find people mingling or playing frisbee on grass. Here, you have to go out of your way to meet people. Go to a party, knock on doors, join clubs, talk to the person next to you in Intro to Art History… Rest assured, you will be able to find your niche so long as you are trying and given that you’re a (generally) affable person.
@bankdaddy Off the top of my head, I can think of USC (similar in terms of ranking, upward trajectory, academic strengths, urban, large, private.) There are also many schools that might be similar in culture, or that attract a similar student type (if we must label, artsy, hipster, activist) - Sarah Lawrence, Wesleyan, Vassar…