NYU or USC?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Hi. I am currently a freshman at the University of Southern California. I applied to New York University as a transfer and got accepted today. I'm currently in the Annenberg School of Communications as a Broadcast Journalism major with a second major in History. I feel much more like becoming a History Professor than a Journalist. If I went to NYU, I would probably try for a double major in History and Hebrew Language/Literature.</p>

<p>I don't hate USC or anything. It's a good school, but I just don't know if its for me. I don't much care for the party scene (the Greek scene) or LA (I'm much more of a New York person). I just think I might be happier elsewhere.</p>

<p>Would I be crazy to leave USC? How do the two schools compare academically and in terms of prestige? And are the type of people who go to NYU that much different than at USC? I like the idea of being in Greenwich Village as compared to USC which is on the edge of South Central. I'm also probably more of an East-Coast person. Would I be wise to leave USC for NYU? Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks!</p>

2

<p>Hi Nietz,</p>

<p>I am just curious about your transfer to NYU. You heard from them that early? Did you submit your application early?</p>

<p>Congrats.</p>

3

<p>I sent my application online in mid-March. According to NYU's admission website, they send their decisions on a rolling basis throughout April. I got an email saying they had officially received my application on the 7th of April, so I think they started processing the application then. It was really quick of them, I didn't expect to hear back from them so fast.</p>

4

<p>I would go ahead with the transfer. Academically, I don't think there's a huge difference in quality. You seem to fit more into the NYU mold than the USC mold. I think NYU is a bit more prestigous, but again, they are extremely close. I do have one question, why do you consider yourself more an east coast person? Is that where you grew up?</p>

5

<p>Hey Nietz...</p>

<p>I am a freshman at USC too. I am currently in the same boat as you, trying to decide whether to transfer to the College of William and Mary or U of Rochester. I am from upstate New York, and I definitely know what you mean about being more of an "east coast" person. Partially, I think some of it just comes down to how much I don't like L.A. Where do you want to live after college? If you want to live on the west coast, then you might want to stay at 'SC, but if you want to live on the east coast I'd go to NYU. </p>

<p>Anyway, it is nice to know I am not the only person here thinking of leaving. Let us know what you decide!</p>

6

<p>Having been to both universities, I would say that NYU and its surrounding community carries more of an academic atmosphere than USC does.</p>

7

<p>Dear Nietz,</p>

<h1>I received an email from NYU too:</h1>

<p>We have received your application for admission. Thank you very much for applying.</p>

<p>You will soon receive written confirmation that initial processing has begun on your application. That letter will include several key items from your application that we ask you to double-check (your name, address, term of entry, intended major, etc.) to be certain we have the correct information. If you notice any errors, please follow the instructions in the letter to respond with corrections.</p>

<p>All applicants to NYU receive a randomly assigned University ID number. Your number is XXXXXXX. Please use this number in any future correspondence or telephone contact with us.</p>

<p>Please do not use the 'Reply' feature on your browser to respond to this message; this e-mail address is not monitored and you will only receive an automated response. Due to the high volume of mail that our office is currently receiving, we are not able at this time to confirm what materials we already have (or have not) received in support of your application. We will, however, be in contact with you later on if your application is missing any required documents. </p>

<p>For information on application requirements, notification dates, and many other topics, please visit our web site at admissions.nyu.edu. If you can't find the answer to your question on our web site, the telephone number for the admissions office is (212) 998-4500.</p>

<p>Thanks again for applying!</p>

<p>Manager of Operations
Office of Undergraduate Admissions
New York University</p>

<p>=================================</p>

<p>It mentioned something about the written confirmation, did you receive one? I haven't heard anything from them. I am so scared right now. </p>

<p>Did you call them before to find out if you miss anything? I worry if any of my stuff is missing.</p>

<p>Thanks.</p>

8

<p>Dear flopsy,</p>

<p>you said:
Having been to both universities, I would say that NYU and its surrounding community carries more of an academic atmosphere than USC does.</p>

<p>Why would you say so? people usually criticize NYU as having not campus-atmosphere ...</p>

<p>Does USC have more party scene than NYU? I am not a party-person and am seeking for a high-quality education (with lots of employment opportunities) in business marketing ... So USC or NYU?</p>

<p>Thanks</p>

9

<p>I would say NYU's surrounding community had more of an academic atmosphere because of the fact that it was in the "artistic" district of NYC, with lots of old cafes, pizzerias and nooks for students to do their reading, all with the ambience of Old Manhattan. Kind of like the city of Berkeley, but with more class.</p>

10

<p>i tried applying a year or so ago to transfer to NYU from USC, just to see if i could get in there, and they actually lost my application materials, i found it highly incompetent of them.</p>

<p>But i had at least thought about it, honestly, the trasnition could be rough, especially for school. If you feel more like an east coast person you might want to consider waiting until you graduate or go out there for internships.</p>

<p>but your choice of academic fields makes the decision a little harder, since i'm not sure if USC really has a big draw for history studies like some of its other programs do.</p>

<p>but always consider the idea that you can always go to new york, or even NYU at a later date.</p>

11

<p>Maggie,</p>

<p>I wouldn't worry so much. I'm sure many people haven't heard back from NYU yet. However, if you are really worried, you could call the admissions office and check. Here's what NYU says about the process:</p>

<p>Two to three weeks after an application is submitted (allowing more or less time for mailed versus online applications) an applicant should expect to receive an e-mail confirming that their application has been received and processed by our office. After another week or two, an applicant can expect to receive a more detailed written correspondence indicating which materials have been received in support of their application (such as standardized testing, transcripts, and recommendations.) </p>

<p>Students who do not receive either an e-mail or a written correspondence (after allowing for the necessary processing time noted above) may contact our office at the phone number below to inquire about their application's status.</p>

<p>NYU #:
(212) 998-4500</p>

12

<p>Nietz, I'm sorry for going off-topic, but I'm interested in applying to Annenberg next year for print journalism. Do you know how that's like?</p>

<p>If you don't mind, can you give any specific reasons for abandoning journalism? I'm a junior now, and I'm not sure what I want to study in college. I've been interested in journalism, but I also thought about English or history. I just don't want to regret my decision later on by committing to a professional school.</p>

<p>If you can help out, I'd appreciate it.</p>

13

<p>Gogolbordello,</p>

<p>Annenberg is probably one of the best schools for journalism in the country. It has a large endowment, great facilities, and great faculty. It is also fairly selective, I think it only has about a 25-20% acceptance rate. It's much easier I think to get in if you are male, as Annenberg is 80% or so female for some reason, and they need more males to apply. I must confess, I have not had a class there yet, but I have worked at their college television news station, and met many fellow journalism majors and some of the faculty. It is really an excellent program. Even if you major in Print Journalism, you will have to take courses in Broadcast Journalism, and even Online Journalism, so you will be prepared to do almost any type of journalism. </p>

<p>I haven't given up on majoring in Journalism. My goal right now is probably to become a Professor of History, but with a Journalism degree from Annenberg I would always have something to fall back on. If you aren't sure about your commitment to Journalism, you could always do a double major like I'm doing. I'm not passionate about Journalism, but a degree in it will open many doors. I am very passionate about History, which is the only reason I've considered dropping Journalism if I go NYU. It is worth noting that NYU also has excellent Journalism program (though I doubt it is as good as USC's), and I might still do a double major in History and Journalism there, if I decide to go.</p>

14

<p>Nietz,</p>

<p>I caution you as I actually know a current Annenberg student who transferred to NYU for his sophomore year, then transferred back to USC for his junior year and is very happy. Unfortunately, I do not recall exactly why he transferred back from NYU.</p>

<p>With that said, it seems as though NYU would be more of a fit for you. While one should take into consideration strength of program, and Anneberg is the clear winner here, one also needs to consider fit and overall satisfaction. If you're just not happy at USC/Los Angeles -- and LA is not for everyone -- and you see yourself in the city, then by all means go for it. As someone pointed out earlier, both schools academically overall are near each other, though rankingswise and departmentally USC is not only a little stronger, but greatly improving as well. As far as the people who go to each, I'm sure you'll find more in common between NYU and USC people than say... University of Iowa and USC people. A big difference I've noticed though, and this is merely an observation, is that USC students are more focused on being trendy while NYU students are more into that weird, counter-culture (or at the very least, definitely not trendy) scene. Whichever you choose, you can't really go wrong so focus on what makes you happy.</p>

15

<p>usc apparently had 55,000 applicants this year and they accepted around 5%. thats impressive... haha all bc of football</p>

16

<p>Hmmm, USC is selective, but I wouldn't say it's that selective.</p>

17

<p>well considering most of those 55,000 applicants dont plan to major in football, i'm sure it isnt all because of football.....if that were true all the past BCS winners would have seen the same situation.</p>

<p>and yeah i'm sure thats a pretty exagerated figure anyway.</p>

18

<p>Hello Everyone,</p>

<p>Looks like I'll be staying at USC. The financial aid at NYU is horrible... </p>

<p>NYU expects me to pay 20,000+ dollars a year, more than four times what I'm paying at USC. It's much more than I'd be willing (or able) to pay. The NYU financial aid office told my family that it "does not meet the need" of students, and says that most students graduate with more than 60,000 dollars worth in it debt. While I try not to let cost get in the way of a good education, that is simply too much. </p>

<p>Unless I get into Brown University in Mid-May as a transfer, my next three years will be here at SC. But I'm not counting on getting into Brown. Everyone be warned about the financial aid at NYU!</p>

19

<p>Yeah, at the Princeton Review website, NYU was ranked as one of the colleges that have the most students dissatisfied with financial aid.</p>

20

<p>Hey Nietz,</p>

<p>Sorry to hear the news but don't be too disappointed. USC is still a better school overall and you happen to be in one of the best programs in the nation. And if you're still disinterested in journalism, what's to stop you from switching majors anyway?</p>