<p>Hello!
Right down to the wire here, with the big decision with NYU or Wesleyan.
Financially, NYU gave me the best option, giving me 7000 dollars short of a full ride, if I take only the "good" loans.
Wesleyan on the other hand, I'd be paying about half. </p>
<p>Both are great schools, but Wesleyan does have a bit more prestige behind it.
It also gives me the opportunity to create my own curriculum, as I do not know what I want to major in yet, but I do know what I'm interested in. And I like that it gives me the position to best discover what I'd like to do, which was my original plan for my first year (to take courses pertaining to my interests and go from there.)
It's also part of the little three and little ivies, and has a great campus.</p>
<p>NYU on the other hand, means coming out with very little debt, while also being in the city. I'm very much a city person, but I fear that the lack of a campus and disconnect from the school itself might not give me a college life. It's academically challenging, but I feel like I'll just be another nobody passing through, as opposed to the being myself I would get at Wesleyan. But I do love the atmosphere that there is at NYU, and what's there.</p>
<p>I also got accepted into BU and Northeastern's honors program, which would give me both the campus I seek and the city life, as opposed to the one or the other that I get from NYU and Wesleyan. But neither is ranked as high as NYU or Wesleyan, and wouldn't give me as much of an academic challenge.</p>
<p>What do you guys think?</p>
<p>I don’t think you can go wrong here. If being a number is going to be a huge problem for you, go to Wesleyan; if not, then save some money and head to NYU.</p>
<p>If money is a big issue, go to NYU. If not, go to Wesleyan.</p>
<p>Money is enough of an issue that I’d have to take loans and such to pay for a good majority of it, but I think I could hack it.</p>
<p>How do graduate schools look at the difference between Wesleyan and NYU? As it is rather likely that no matter what endeaver I persue, I’ll end up in grad school, this is a rather important factor. I feel as if I’m more likely to get into a better school from Wesleyan as opposed to NYU, but I’ll have less loans in the end with NYU.</p>
<p>I’m also quite the bit of nerd, and enjoy being around other nerds. Does Wesleyan have enough nerdiness within it’s borders to satisfy?
Along with that, how is travel from Wesleyan to Boston/NYC, since if I do decide to go there I feel as if I’d be travelling to one of the cities once a month anyway to go on adventures and explore and such.</p>
<p>You have a lot of cross-currents going on and some complicated match-ups. I feel for you.</p>
<p>First of all, nerd-wise, I don’t think there’s a huge difference between Wesleyan and NYU. It’s true that Wesleyan is a little ivy, but, it’s somewhat larger student body makes it feel a lot less jocky than the average NESCAC college and there’s wide latitude for “geeking-out” on any topic, at any time. In fact, it’s very much appreciated.</p>
<p>I think the main difference is academics; my understanding is that unless you are enrolled at NYU/Gallatin, you’re not going to have the same opportunity the “find yourself” that you would at Wesleyan; the wider community is just too big and there’s too much red-tape. There’s a premium at NYU on knowing what you want.</p>
<p>Also, I would have to say, that if grad school is a goal, consider the odds of gaining admittance from a small, well-known, LAC versus a large research university where not only are the faculty contacts harder to make, but you’ve also got ten times the competition from fellow classmates. </p>
<p>Lastly, the city thing. That’s the one thing NYU would trump Wesleyan on. Middletown, CT is not your average small college town; there are all kinds of people and socio-economic groups crammed together in the downtown area that borders Wesleyan; there’s an active Main Street; there’s even heavy traffic (during the day.) But, it’s not New York City. Shuttle buses are occasionally enlisted for day trips into New York, but, I wouldn’t really count on getting there “once a month” unless you are dedicated to doing it. Like most little ivies, Wesleyan exists in a bubble. But, it’s a bubble that brings in a lot of visitors from The City, including indie music groups from Brooklyn on an almost weekly basis. The music scene at Wesleyan could go toe-to-toe with NYU’s.</p>
<p>Just going to point:</p>
<p>NYU may be known for red-tape, but not everyone has a rep-tape experience. People in the Financial Aid and Bursar’s Office know who I am; my academic advisor knows who I am; my professors know who I am – even in large lecture halls professors will make an effort to learn people’s names so long as those people speak up in class. Professors like to get to know their students and if you make an effort, so will they.</p>