I currently go to UNT, and dislike it. I always wanted to go NYC, because that is where are the companies I would like to apply to work for are headquartered (Nylon, The Fader, Broadly, i-D, ShopJeen, V-Files etc). Not only do I want to be in New York but I really need intellectually stimulating liberal arts classes that my current school is just lacking. I don’t feel like I’m learning, I feel like I’m back in high school.
NYU Gallatin was my first choice but obviously…money…My parents are divorced, my mom makes about 30k a year as a school teacher with me and my little sister. I doubt NYU cares and will give me any sort of aid. So I started looking at other options like Eugene Lang and Pratt. Slightly less expensive, but still artsy and liberal. Not sure the calibur of their actual courses but it would be worth it try no? Then I was looking at Hunter, and they are very limited in terms of courses that I would want to take, but I could be going to school relatively cheaply in the city and be able to internship. Is it worth paying to basically live in NY?
I know this is a lot of information but I plan on making a transfer decision for Fall 2016. This has been a non stop ache for me and I would really appreciate some insight from others 
What seemed limited about Hunter’s course offerings? You might want to look into other CUNY schools if Hunter does have what you want. What is your intended major?
sorry, meant to say doesn’t!
CUNY Hunter is a great school, but it’s difficult to get housing. I didn’t apply for this reason.
I’m from New Jersey, so trust me, living off campus in NYC is nearly impossible unless your family is wealthy. Hunter’s not known for art, either.
Pratt is a decent school. Eugene Lang (The New School) is a good school, but it’s definitely not a traditional college experience, which is common in NYC.
What do you want to major in?
I would like an integrative studies major where I can dabble in more than one thing without limiting myself. I’m interested in humanities, anthropology, women’s studies, fashion buisness, and perhaps some comm design/art direction. I looked at Hunter’s course catalog in the areas I’m interested in and their course options were very small compared to other schools I had looked at. And I yes, but the cheap price of Hunter would help offset the price living on my own. I’m not afraid of a shared 1500 dollar a month studio apartment with me and friend.
Save the `living in NYC goal’ for after your graduate and have a landed a job. Address the lack of stimulation in your current liberal arts classes now by transferring to someplace else if you really are unable to get what you need at your current school. Is there another in-state option that is affordable that would meet your needs? Remember that transfer students do not usually get the generous financial aid packages that freshman (sometimes) do so if you are counting on that, you are probably setting yourself up for disappointment.
Another option at your current school: Buckle down now and try to graduate early by a semester or more. And plan to spend a year studying abroad somewhere interesting. Time will fly by.
I understand what you mean by waiting why I graduate but to land that job I need to get good internships ( aka the ones in New York)
How much will your parents pay for college? The tuition for [url=<a href=“https://portal0.uapc.cuny.edu/uapc/public/fin_aid/financial_aid_estimator/award.jsp%5DHunter%5B/url”>https://portal0.uapc.cuny.edu/uapc/public/fin_aid/financial_aid_estimator/award.jsp]Hunter[/url] is ~$16k and living in NYC won’t be cheap. I don’t think transfer students get any aid, so even if you qualify for Pell and take the student loan you’re probably looking at a gap of $20k/year.
Summer internships will get you where you want to go- pack up your schedule during term time with challenging classes.
There is nothing magical about NYC internships. Firms in NY, like firms everywhere, are hiring entry level people for their potential and you can demonstrate potential at an internship anywhere in the country. Get yourself into your career center tomorrow and find out what kind of internships students have gotten in the past and how to apply. Find the list of alums from your school who work in the industry you want to enter and set up informational interviews with them about the kind of credentials you need and how to structure a career path. Talk to recent alums from your school who have jobs in the place you want to get advice on how to get there.
Anyone who says “I have to be in NY for school if I want to get internships or work there later” needs to do more homework. Walk into any company in NY today and ask where the interns, analysts, trainees, etc… come from. The answer is ‘everywhere.’ A long time ago, spouse and I both made it happen from schools in CA. So far as I know, this is one of the few things that hasn’t changed.
When you say firms I see you don’t understand the industry I plan to get in. I want to work the magazine and fashion industry. The companies I have in mind to work at have opportunities for internships which is what’s going to get my foot in the door for the company I plan to start me career at. Again these companies are headquarterd in nyc. I checked about summer internships but those are not available at those companies. I really wish you would have thoroughly read my question. I’m not here asking about wether I should go to New York or not, I’ve already done the research and that is the smartest path career wise for me. I am asking about schools in particular so please no more comments about being in nyc in general.
And as for tuition my parents agreed to contribute 23,000 a year and wherever I decide to transfer I will pick up the difference.
Keep in mind that if you don’t get to NY for your undergraduate degree you can still find a job in NYC, If money is a limiting factor there is just no getting around the fact that it is an expensive place to go to school and to live.
Have a look at Marymount Manhattan on the Upper East Side.
They are a more traditional liberal arts school, with a decided arts-orientation, including strengths in both Theater and Dance. They do have pretty decent graphic design, as well as good business major options.
If your parents are divorced, check each school’s financial aid web pages to see if they require financial information from both of your parents (usually with the non-custodial parent part of the CSS Profile).
@Yungstudent, have you looked at FIT or SUNY Purchase? Those might be options. FIT is in Manhattan, SUNY Purchase is around 45 minutes drive from midtown Manhattan. I would think that you could get internships in NYC while at Purchase, but I have no first hand knowledge of the school or its internships.
@hop I have looked into Marymount, a lot of reviews said the liberal arts department was the bottom end and was definitely a theatre and dance focused school.
@WalknOnEggShells I applied to FIT and didn’t get in my senior year, but either way that path is too specific for what I want.
I did read it thoroughly. And my answer still applies. I realize it’s not the answer you want.
But for others who are reading this thread and are interested in getting entre to the fashion journalism industry, the way in is through networking and connections. There are thousands of undergrads and unemployed recent grads like you hounding these companies to work for free - and those with the connections get in. My advice remains to start wherever you can get your foot in the door at any publication for the work experience, make the connections, and the lateral moves you need to make in order to work your way in. But why believe me? Like I said, contact people you know who work industry and ask how they got there.
Can I just ask what field you are in that gives you such insight to the industry?
I have made career connections with people in the industry, not necessarily journalism but styling. I keep tabs on the people that are in positions I would like to achieve one day and watch what they do, their growth. I did research on their linked in pages to see what schools they attended, what major they had, where their first job was. And you are very correct, it’s all about connections. When you say that there are hundreds of undergrads hounding but only those with connections get in, that’s what I mean about internships at these companies.
That’s the whole point.
For anyone who believes I have stars in my eyes about the “big city” that is not the case. My aunt used to live in NY for awhile I am not awestruck. I have done my research on people, brands, and companies and if all those specific companies where my dream job is are in NYC, the common sense thing is to want to go there. This isn’t like banking or business where there are headquarters for the same company in every city in the world so it doesn’t matter.
Anyone else who has anything to add to the thread, please I am not asking wether I should go to NYC or not, I have already decided that’s whats best. Please stick to my original quandaries about the best NYC option available.
Thank You.
You can also intern during the summer time - there are scads of undergrads that descend upon New York every summer to do internships at fashion mags. I sublet out my second bedroom to a summer student who was interning at Conde Nast one summer. You don’t have to intern at the exact company that you want to work at in the future - It helps, but it’s not necessary - and there are plenty of magazines and fashion groups in the city that have summer internships. (I had some undergrad students go on to do this.)
(Also, you can’t control what people post here…when you ask a question on a public forum, people are going to try to help you by giving you information that’s adjunct to what you asked. A lot of students think they know something when they are mistaken. But it appears that you don’t want to be swayed, so I’ll keep further thoughts to myself).
Frankly, if you are a transfer student and your mom only makes $30K, there are very few options that will be affordable for you in the city without significant financial aid. CUNY is the cheapest option, but OOS tuition is just under $17K per year, and even the cheapest studio share is going to cost you around $700/month (so $8400 per year). Add in the cost of food (let’s say a very conservative $4000) and other miscellaneous expenses (also a very conservative $3000 a year) and we’re talking $32K per year cost of attendance. And if you plan to stay over the summer and intern,
All of the private options I can think of and/or that have already been suggested (Marymount Manhattan, Fordham, Pace, Long Island University, College of Mount Saint Vincent, Parsons, Yeshiva) are more expensive.
One option is St. John’s. New transfer students are guaranteed a 40% tuition discount (http://www.stjohns.edu/admission-aid/scholarships/transfer-scholarships). That brings St. John’s $38K tuition down to $22K, but you still have to pay living expenses, and St. John’s is in Queens - and not terribly close to Manhattan.
So your most affordable option that keeps you close to the city is a CUNY campus like Hunter, City or Baruch. Honestly, you may have to compromise here a bit. If your dream is to work at Nylon et al., and interning is the most important thing to you, then having a wide breadth of courses to choose from doesn’t really matter so much as long as you can study most of what you are interested in. Plus, as a CUNY student you can likely cross-register at other CUNY schools, so you could take some fashion classes at FIT or business classes at Baruch, if you wanted.
SUNY Purchase, New Paltz, even Stony Brook but… why not Baruch?
http://www.baruch.cuny.edu/wsas/areas_of_study/index.htm
They have a lot of internship access.
I would also recommend Marist.