<p>Which is overall a better city for a college student?</p>
<p>(I have applied to NYU, Northeastern, and Boston University - among others)</p>
<p>I had a colleague once who left a college at which he worked in NYC to start working at a college in Boston. He said that the difference was when you walk into a bar in NYC, someone asks "What's your sign?" In Boston they ask "What's your Alma Mater?" If you ride the T at night in Boston it's all college students. Walk down the street at night and students are everywhere. NYC is a city that has some colleges. Boston is a network of college campuses with a city attached.</p>
<p>If anyone in a New York bar actually opened with "what's your sign?" I think they would be punched in the face. With good reason.</p>
<p>It all depends on your definition of "better." </p>
<p>If you mean socially -- meeting lots and lots of other college students and having lots of fun things to do and places to go to -- then I would choose Boston. The sheer number of college students there is almost overwhelming at times. And the students stand out more in Boston since they are such a large percentage of the total population.</p>
<p>If you're focusing on incredible cultural opportunities like Lincoln Center, Broadway shows, MOMA, etc, then NYC is tops (although Boston is no slouch in that department either with the Museum of Fine Arts and the Boston Symphony). Also, NYC has many more internship opportunities -- particularly in fields like finance, TV/film, and fashion.</p>
<p>Personally, I prefer Boston. I love the mix of modern city and history. Also, I think (at least for me) it seems like a better place to live, while NYC is more of a place I love to visit but wouldn't necessarily want to live in.</p>
<p>the NYU area is really great. It's pretty artsy, and of course is packed with college students, from NYU and from the many other NYC schools. There are many bars in the area if that's what you're into (when you turn 21 of course), and of course the shopping and restaurants of SoHo. There are many colleges and universities in NYC itself, including NYU, Columbia, Fordham, St. John's, the CUNYs, Long Island University-Brooklyn, etc. In fact, NYC (and specifically the area around NYU) is frequently ranked as one of the top college towns (Princeton Review best college town rankings has NYC at 2 (NYU), 4 (Barnard), 6 (Columbia). Boston comes in at 11 with Northeastern, 14 (Emerson), 18 (Boston College), 20(Boston U). They're both great, visit both and see which city "feels" better to you. I personally love the NYC vibe (after being in DC for 4 yrs, I definitely can say i prefer NYC over DC, no matter how "great" the Gtown area is for DC).</p>
<p>Boston is a great city to be a college student. There are 10's of thousands of college students, cultural activities, museums, professional sports. It's a city, but it's a much smaller and more "manageable" city than NYC. No need for a car, plenty of public transportation except for very late at night. I lived as a student in Boston for seven years and have made my home in the NY area as an "adult." Boston for students. NYC for adults. :)</p>
<p>Boston is far better for college students. So many schools, and they go to each other's parties quite often.</p>
<p>They're very different. Boston is smaller, and absolutely filled with college students! It's the world's biggest college town, seriously--so much there is oriented towards the fact that it's full of students. Boston would be an easier city, especially if you're not from a big city. </p>
<p>New York is huge, and more of a "real city"--that is, not full of college students (of course, the areas around many of the colleges are more college-oriented, but the city as a whole is certainly not). Being on your own in New York would certainly be more challenging.</p>
<p>I prefer New York, but it's really a personal choice.</p>