NYU v. University of Illinois

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I'm deciding between these two schools. </p>

<p>I got into the honors program at NYU along with a $25,000 scholarship that will allow me to go there for $25,000 per year. It has internships and seems to be home to people along the lines of creative/intellectual, and I'm like that, so I could fit there, I guess. On the other hand, it doesn't have a campus, and, I don't know, I'm worried it might not have that whole college feel. No hanging out on the quad, etc, etc.</p>

<p>I also got into the honors program at UIUC along with a $10,000 scholarship that will allow me to go there for $15,000 per year. It has a huge frat/sorority scene, which I'm not a fan of. Then again, it's pretty big, so there are going to be groups I'll fit into, I figure. It has a campus, though not a particularly attractive one.</p>

<p>I keep switching back and forth between these two. Sometimes I think that I can't pass up NYU, especially on scholarship, but then I think that I'll be missing out on the college experience with such an independent student body and I'll hate the city. But my parents went to U of I and I’ve sort of been working like crazy throughout high school to do better than them, and UIUC is where I would have ended up even if I hadn’t worked hard. </p>

<p>I also got into some higher-ranked schools (Dartmouth, Duke, U Chicago, Northwestern) but I can't afford them. And I got into University of Alabama on full scholarship, but I think it might be more valuable to get an undergraduate degree that is more impressive to an employer.</p>

2

<p>I say go with NYU. If you truly hate the experience, you can always transfer, but I doubt you will hate it. NYC is a great place to be and NYU is a wonderful wonderful school. That $25,000 scholarship is great too!</p>

3

<p>NYU is nowhere near worth 40K more than UIUC. I would save the 40 Grand and go to a GREAT university like UIUC.</p>

4

<p>^^ hmm. There’s a lot of people who would disagree with you on that. Especially since I doubt you know much about either schools as I do.</p>

5

<p>You might be interested in this thread, also involving NYU, UIUC and two other schools:</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/694236-nyu-v-illinois-v-wisconsin-v-alabama.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/694236-nyu-v-illinois-v-wisconsin-v-alabama.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>
[QUOTE=nwmpl]
Then again, it’s pretty big, so there are going to be groups I’ll fit into, I figure.

[/QUOTE]
</p>

<p>I’m also creative and intellectual. I was at UIUC for two semesters. Even outside the Greek system, the campus tends to be socially mainstream. Honestly, I didn’t find UIUC to be accepting of creative types or anyone else outside the mainstream for that matter.</p>

<p>FWIW, Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village is used as an unofficial quad by NYU students.</p>