NYU, NU, BU, or SU

Transfer Students
1

<p>I recently got letters of acceptance for transfer from NYU, Northeastern University, Boston University, and Syracuse University, and after researching all of them(and visiting them all but Syracuse[which I'm visiting next week]), I really can't narrow it down. I was wondering if the great people of collegeboard could help me narrow it down. First I'll give what my plans are, and then my reasoning for applying to each school. </p>

<p>First off I am a male; and I am a second semester Freshmen who wishes to major in Philosophy(go ahead, make a McDonalds cash register joke...), and possibly minor in Physics, Math, Logic, or Psychology. I am very confident in my decision to major in Philosophy, so it's probably not changing. I really like getting involved on campus, and have almost no idea what I want to do after I graduate. </p>

<p>Here's a few reasons why I applied to these schools in the first place:</p>

<p>NYU - From what I've heard, NYU has the greatest Philosophy program in the United States. I am not too big of a city buff, but education is my priority, and I am very good at adapting to situations. When I visited, I was turned off heavily because it seemed like it's a lot harder to immerse yourself in the community. This school felt more like an "Every-man-for-themselves" kind of school. I'll be honest though, I did NOT expect an acceptance from them at all, and it kind of excited me. I don't know how well I would adapt to city life; I'm very good at meeting people, but I have a high level of community reliance, and I feel that community is missing from this school. That being said, the high level of academics is incredible here, though I do not know about alumni relations too well. </p>

<p>NU - Northeastern had a very nice looking campus, I enjoyed the atmosphere. The only complaint I had here, was there was something very sketchy about the student body. I just didn't feel very welcomed at Northeastern, and felt a very low School Spirit vibe. I applied because of the co-op program, I have heard so many great things about it. I will be honest though, I was shocked to know they even had a Philosophy program... I'm pretty sure it's not a good one. But being that I have no direction as to where I'd go, I think the coop program would really help!</p>

<p>BU - Boston seemed like the best of the schools I visited. The student body seemed very welcoming, the atmosphere wasn't as good as NU's, but I don't mind. It seemed like the most transfer-friendly school, to be completely honest. I did feel a level of community here, though, and I feel that with my Philosophy major and desire to minor in something completely unrelated and rediculous, I would fit right in with their core program. And while I said that I am not a city buff in my NYU review, I must say that I fell in love with Boston. </p>

<p>SU - Syracuse is the one I've heard the best things about(aside from NYU academics, of course). SU is a traditional campus, which is very attractive to me. I hear a lot about people getting involved on campus, and great academics. Although, I've heard SU is not very transfer friendly(I heard they seperate transfer students in terms of housing from the rest of society). Based on the pictures, I can see myself there and I think it's a really cool school with a lot of spirit. They also have a reputable philosophy school. </p>

<p>Anyway, in a nutshell, that's it. I am having an even harder decision than my first school decision! Any pros/cons you guys can give me about these schools would be excellent! Thanks in advance!</p>

2

<p>You applied and were accepted to NYU? Haven’t seen your name in the NYU 2011 thread but make sure to post your stats on <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/transfer-students/1036986-nyu-2011-transfer-decisions.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/transfer-students/1036986-nyu-2011-transfer-decisions.html&lt;/a&gt;. I would also post on the NYU 2011 thread and let the other posters when/how you heard of your acceptance. Some are getting antsy.</p>

3

<p>I’m at NYU now and trying to transfer out. It’s a really great school and really challenging but rewarding. The social scene is awful and I can’t even imagine coming here as a transfer. I actually applied to SU and might end up there.</p>

4

<p>1) NYU
2) BU
3) NU
4) SU </p>

<p>Duh.haha</p>

5

<p>nyu is in nyc. crowded, tons of people, cars, filth, polution, etc etc. syracuse is more traditional college experience </p>

<p>id go with syracuse…</p>

6

<p>Yeah thanks everyone. Syracuse does definitely look the most promising; again, though, I’m really annoyed by the idea of holing up all the transfer students in one dorm, which is a big turnoff for me. It’s a terrible way of promoting transfer students to join the community. </p>

<p>And as I said before about NYU, it’s a great school, but I just don’t feel it there. Tons of people are on a waitlist so I think I’m just going to say no to them and let one person off that waitlist. </p>

<p>I guess it’s between SU BU and NU then</p>

7

<p>

Let me guess. You checked some National University rankings list. Ahaha. Typical.</p>

8

<p>haha actually no, but friends there. Ranked from the most satisfied to the less satisfied.</p>

9

<p>BU already released a decision to your for fall 2011?</p>

10

<p>I am transferring from Northeastern. Trust me, the vibe here is weird - your impression was right. Plus, the philosophy dept. here is not very good at all. I took one philosophy class and he just complained about past students and tried to give advice on choosing a major. </p>

<p>From your list, bu or syracuse seem like the best choices…
best of luck.</p>

11

<p>Uh this is a no braner. Go to NYU.</p>

12

<p>from the sound of it, I think you should go for BU.</p>

13

<p>NYU student here. ok, so besides the really good philosophy department at nyu, in order to be fully satisfied here in nyc you have to learn to be independent. As Nyutransfer1314 said, the social scene here is not the best.</p>

<p>it’s bad in the sense the there really is not sense of community and you will feel the need to be individualistic and independent. A lot of people here are independent, self-motivated, and pre-professional (especially the stern kids). You will even feel the pro-professional part as a CAS student as well. There are advantages and disadvantages to this kind of environment that NYU in nyc provides. Some cant stand it, some learn to live through it, some love it, and most people simply just live on. no big deal if you get used to it.</p>

<p>if you really prioritize academics and you are willing to be independent, then you should choose NYU. you have to make a considerable amount of effort to make friends though. Otherwise, the only ppl you know will be the ppl that seat around you in class.</p>

<p>If you’re willing to adapt to different situations, I guess NYU can really train you for the real world where you really do need to be independent.</p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

14

<p>Here’s what I’d say. (Btw…I infinitely envy you as a philosophy major. My parents and advisor kind of pressured me into majoring in the most practical of my interests with the highest potential for lucrativeness, IR/Poli-Sci, but philosophy is where my heart and soul lies!)</p>

<p>1 & 2 (interchangeable): BU or SU
3: NU
4/eliminated: NYU</p>

<p>If you’re not going to be happy living in NYC, don’t go there. That’s the best advice I can give, from personal experience. I’m almost dead-set on transferring to American U this fall, though I applied and will most likely be accepted to some schools that are far more prestigious, mostly (not entirely) because of the fact that it’s in DC. Though it’s not an Ivy or even a “top-tier” school by most measures, I knew from the moment I set foot on campus that it was the school for me. For your undergrad work, assuming you’re going on to grad and especially post-grad school, the “prestige” of the school to which you go isn’t that important - your terminal degree is the most crucial. Go somewhere that makes you happiest OVERALL, taking into account all the academic and nonacademic factors, and keep your grades up (from what I’ve heard, your GPA and extracurriculars/CV matter far more than where your undergrad degree is from when applying to grad school or even going for a job/career without going to grad school).</p>

<p>Good luck with your decision, and CONGRATULATIONS. An acceptance from just one of those schools is an accomplishment!</p>