<p>Alright, I'm not a big fan of typing extensive explanatory paragraphs, so I'll keep this brief and then list my thoughts. Basically, I have a choice between these two schools. I currently reside about 15 minutes away from Lafayette's campus. I'm planning on commuting if I attend there, and I will obviously be staying in a dorm should I matriculate into NYU. My circumstances have unfolded in a manner so that I will be paying almost identical amounts to attend either school. So, here's who I am:</p>
<p>Gender: Male (Straight)
Race: White
Political Views: Conservative
Religious Views: Semi-devout Christian
Views on Drugs: I'm so straight-edge it's not even funny.</p>
<p>Intended Major: International Relations/Economics (something involving international studies)</p>
<p>So, as you can see, I have a bit of a dilemma. I realize the academic superiority of NYU over Lafayette, for I believe it will definitely cater to my future plans much better than Lafayette (no offense to Lafayette, but NYU is far more advanced as far as globalization). However, I do not see myself fitting in socially at all at NYU (and I think my rationale is quite clear). </p>
<p>My ultimate goal is to transfer into Penn or Harvard (I realize how impossible the latter is), but for the time being I need to make a decision between where I want to commence my college career. While I want to thrive in an academic environment, I want to equally be happy and not regret my college decision. Can anybody offer me some insight?</p>
<p>Have you visited NYU? </p>
<p>While I would think you might be more comfortable socially at Lafayette, you certainly could find some kindred spirits in the crowd of 20,000 at NYU. You just might have to look harder and work a bit at it. </p>
<p>Here’s some resources for you. If you can, try to email or call them.
Christian Fellowship
[Come</a> As You Are - Home](<a href=“http://nyucru.■■■■■■■■■■/]Come”>http://nyucru.■■■■■■■■■■/)</p>
<p>Various religious organizations
[Centers</a>, Clubs, Organizations](<a href=“http://www.nyu.edu/life/student-life/diversity-at-nyu/spiritual-life/centers-clubs-organizations.html]Centers”>http://www.nyu.edu/life/student-life/diversity-at-nyu/spiritual-life/centers-clubs-organizations.html)</p>
<p>NYU College Republicans
[NYU</a> College Republicans - Main Page](<a href=“http://www.nyu.edu/clubs/republicans/events.html]NYU”>http://www.nyu.edu/clubs/republicans/events.html)</p>
<p>Choices Housing - substance free (at some schools, this works - at others not, depends on the demand)
[CHOICES</a> Communities](<a href=“http://www.nyu.edu/life/living-at-nyu/on-campus-living/get-involved/special-interest-housing/choices-communities.html]CHOICES”>http://www.nyu.edu/life/living-at-nyu/on-campus-living/get-involved/special-interest-housing/choices-communities.html)</p>
<p>If you decide on NYU, you should consider finding a roommate through the Facebook roommate page (someone will probably start one soon if it isn’t set up already). </p>
<p>You might also consider posting your question on hellodocks’s Stern thread.</p>
<p>Best of luck with your decision!</p>
<p>We just visited Lafayette this past week…and I’ve lived in NYC my whole life. You’re definately looking at two completely different schools! NYC school are a buffet of life experiences, in every way possible…but you’re definately going to have to be proactive in finding your niche…work at creating a community of friends and activities, in one of the most liberal-minded cities in the world. </p>
<p>“Conservative” is fine. Are you open-minded and accepting of people who don’t share your views and opinions?</p>
<p>(1) International Relations is an honors majors at NYU, which you cannot enter into until sophomore year after completing certain pre-reqs and maintaining a 3.65GPA.</p>
<p>(2) We just completed a multi-million dollar religious Center, with the Catholic Center taking up the majority of the building. Obviously, being religious isn’t a problem.</p>
<p>(3) There are plenty of straight-edge people at NYU. </p>
<p>(4) The only thing you may find different is that most people at NYU are socially and politically liberal. There are some conservative people, but even those who are politically conservative are usually socially liberal. </p>
<p>(5) You want to go to places like Harvard and UPenn? They’re just as liberal as NYU. All of the top colleges lean very liberal, so that’s just something you’ll have to get used to. NYU is more socially liberal than UPenn or Harvard, but NYU, Harvard and UPenn are all very much politically liberal.</p>
<p>@londonb</p>
<p>I’ve heard some bad things about CHOICES (which I did look into). I’ve been told that either people there break down half way through the year and give in to alcohol/drugs or they are crazy evangelical Christians who are hard to relate with. Are these rumours true?</p>
<p>@JoBenny</p>
<p>I am open to opinions, but I can be extremely caustic when it comes to debating against opposing views. If it becomes too overwhelming and I can’t find a few people that agree with me on issues, I become extremely depressed and get a feeling like I’m trapped in a corner with the world against me. </p>
<p>@NYU2013</p>
<ol>
<li>I know that.</li>
<li>Didn’t know that. Sounds pretty cool. I’ll check it out when I revisit in a few weeks.</li>
<li>I don’t believe that. I hear that the dorms are full of people smoking pot and drinking on weekends. </li>
<li>Yea, I expected that. The whole libertarian appeal. </li>
<li>Well, when I visited Penn and Harvard, the students there seemed much more different than the ones I experienced at NYU. I felt comfortable with the crowd at those two schools, but at NYU I felt extremely uncomfortable and anxious.</li>
</ol>
<p>I’m pretty sure NYU is ultra-liberal and only you can decide whether that may or may not be a problem. It sounds like you’d rather go to Lafayette; why would you want to go to a school where you feel extremely uncomfortable and anxious amongst the students? But I think being exposed to a different social context such as NYU’s might be very good for you too and encourage growth; you never know if how you feel now will be the way you feel even a year or two in the future. After all, you go to college to learn and experience the new; how can you do that if you’re reluctant to interact with those different than you?</p>
<p>Either way you can’t go wrong and I’m sure you’ll be fine wherever you go! If it makes you feel any better, I’m 80-90% sure I’ll go to NYU and I certainly don’t plan on smoking pot and drinking every weekend in my dorm (I don’t smoke or drink but wouldn’t necessarily call myself ‘straightedge’, labels are for soup cans, blah blah blah). I’d say I lean liberal in the social political spectrum (although economically I’m pretty conservative) but I would never shove my beliefs down anybody’s throat (so long as no one tried to do it to me).</p>
<p>I know there are church groups you can join as I know several who are involved in them and whatnot and there is substance-free housing available if you’re that adamant about the straightedge thing (which I might even consider myself, just because I feel that it would help maintain my focus academically).</p>
<p>Penn is a bigger party school than NYU - fact. I know from having spent time at Penn. </p>
<p>Just because you heard a rumor, doesn’t mean it’s true. There are a number of people at NYU who are straight edge. There isn’t much drinking in dorms because RAs usually shut down parties, so no one parties in the dorms. </p>
<p>There are people who smoke, but that’s easily avoidable.</p>
<p>NYU2013, can you address the question about Choices at NYU? Also, do you feel the Explorations program is a good way for someone to find floormates with similar interests? Both of these programs are great in theory…</p>
<p>I’m conservative socially (on everything other than gay rights and abortion), and was ok at NYU. I wasn’t straight-edge, but wasn’t far from it either (never touched pot, drank socially but not often). I had a friend freshman year who didn’t drink (not for religious reasons, I think medical?), and nobody gave him any **** about it.</p>
<p>That said, yes there will be some people who try to smoke pot in the dorm (angry girls usually take care of this without RA assistance :D). And there will be some drug addicts, one of my suitemates huffed and snorted all kinds of **** before we (the other 3 of us) got him chucked. But trust me, if you resolved never to do any drugs this is a strengthening experience, not temptation. The rest of the room was clean, and we stayed that way.</p>
<p>I have a lot of friends from the Ivies, and I can tell you Penn and Harvard students are a lot more over the top when drinking than NYU is.</p>
<p>Re: Explorations, some people will do it to get priority on a better dorm, but largely they work out from what I’ve heard.</p>