Daughter has pretty much narrowed it down to these two schools for undergrad. Her intent is to study global public health. For simple math purposes based on costs of attendance, scholarships (or lack thereof), etc… I have SMU at $200k and NYU at $300k for 4 years. She is academically inclined so we think she will want to go to grad school. For simplicity sake let’s say she has $300k in her college account so won’t need loans if she went to NYU but she would for grad school. It seems to me NYU has a little more prestigious name but SMU perhaps a more traditional college experience while still a well respected school. I have heard SMU has excellent internship/career help as well as alumni network but haven’t heard much about NYU. Would love to hear pros/cons, first hand experiences with either school, etc… Ultimately it’s our daughter’s decision but we want to equip her with as much accurate info as possible. We live on the west coast fwiw.
This is a no brainer - SMU.
It doesn’t matter how much you’ve set aside - no reason to overspend. And all colleges cost more than they say - ubers, trips, meals out, pizzas, Greek if they end up doing that. NY expenses will end up far more than Dallas.
Besides SMU is a FANTASTIC and nationally known name. Yes, for rankings watchers it’s a tier below NYU - but rankings don’t permeate real life, only people who are sending their kids to college.
Only reason to go to NYU is - if your daughter just had to live in the city.
Socially, SMU is probably the better choice due to its setting–a defined campus–and its focus on Greek organizations (fraternities & sororities).
Academically, global public health may be better at NYU.
Two very different experiences due, in large part, to the different concept of what constitutes a “campus”.
I understand the attraction to SMU & regret not suggesting SMU for our family members.
FWIW The common overlap school is the University of Southern California (USC). (Which suggests that wealth is a factor in common.)
Also, SMU will be receptive to the viewpoints of those who lean–or are–conservative , while such beliefs may be a bit unwelcome at NYU.
While I don’t have a lot of experience, my advice to you would be NYU. I know there are a lot of factors, but the brutal truth is that name matters a lot. I know that should not be the deciding factor and people can succeed if they work hard in any field. However, I would personally go to NYU. All of these factors that you take into account beforehand may not even work out the way we think they would. NYU is a great school, has amazing research opportunities, is in the city so you have a multitude of career and internship opportunities. I just don’t know why but I think college experience should matter a lot, but not to the extent that you would have to compromise for other things later on in life.
Interesting perspective. My view is that one sacrifices a true college experience by attending NYU.
Prefer NYU for graduate school as well as for the Tisch School of the Arts & for the study of finance.
The thing is that College experiences are very subjective and you never know what experience you may have. I thought staying close to home would be comfortable and fun but it turned out to be the complete opposite. You may choose a more traditional campus for its tight-knit environment, but one roomate, one aggressive professor or a hard class can ruin your experience, so…
We are in total agreement !
This helps me to better understand your perspective. In this respect, SMU can be a dangerous choice if one does not fit in.
First, I’ll put it out there that I’m biased as I live in NYC.
There is no way would I ever consider SMU over NYU and it has nothing to do with the ranking. NYU is much better socially IMO, a student is much more likely to find their own people there as it is a truly global campus. It is very diverse & creative. The fact that it is integrated with the area is a big plus.
How in the world did your daughter narrow her list down to NYU and SMU? She couldn’t come up with 2 more different schools. Was her decision based strictly on the academic merits of the colleges she was considering? Where do you live now?
My son attended SMU and graduated 4 years ago. He had a phenomenal experience, and got a top tier job immediately upon graduating. The career support is real – one of his profs actively helped him land his interview (texted my son’s final exam to his contact and said “you should talk to this kid” and they did). Dallas is an incredible place to be as a young adult.
I have to confess, my family is quite focused on prestige (contrary to CC received wisdom) and I honestly don’t see a big difference in prestige between the two schools. Relatively recently NYU was a regional school too; its just 10 or so years ahead of SMU in this regard.
Agree that SMU carries a lot of prestige in Texas & the West. NYU could convey negative connotations in Texas.
The negative–if it is a negative–is SMU’s association with wealth. But wealth is associated with NYU & USC as well.
@Bill_Marsh- She applied to a wide range of schools that had some type of public health program. After visiting them these were the two it narrowed down to. She didn’t get in to her top two (Vandy and USC) so we have about 12 other schools to choose from. I agree these two are different which is why I started the thread - there is no current smu v. nyu thread that I could find. We are in mid-size west coast city - in the 'burbs. Thank you.
I like NYC and lived there early in my career. During my time, I felt that the only places one could live were NYC and San Fran but okay maybe we could live in Chicago, LA, ATL as well. Certainly London or some other exotic capital city. Not Texas! I grew up in Texas and you get a mix of some thinking that living in NYC would be cool and others saying “I’d rather have tree lines than skylines any day.”
My wife and I are back in Texas. My daughter is a freshman at SMU. She has enjoyed her experience very much. Great roommate (from Midwest), accessible teachers, enjoyable courses, great residence halls, sorority and other activities like Young Life and academic/spirit groups. Overall, there’s a big push for undergraduate research and I’ve heard excellent things about the Center for Global Health Impact. Lots of Californians and only 1/3 of the students go Greek if that’s not your D21’s thing.
To me, it’s a matter of which city and campus draws in your D the most.
Thanks for the info. So as I understand you, she visited both schools. What was her reaction to them?
@Bill_Marsh Yes, she visited both schools and about 8 others. Had a whirlwind spring break around the country! SMU and NYU are so different. She liked being in NYC but liked the beautiful campus that is SMU. It’s a tie for completely different reasons. So hearing others input can be helpful to me. Thanks.
If she’s been to both, our opinions don’t really matter.
It matters where the spark is for her- and depending on your value system, the cost.
Finances and fit matter most - or at least in my opinion should.
Just because you have $300K set aside doesn’t mean you need to spend it.
And let’s say it’s in a 529 - and yes, at this point, it’s probably conservatively invested. But what if it isn’t and the markets fall and $300K is $250K or $200K.
What if you can’t eat out as much or take that family vacation?
Or if you’re daughter can’t take part on a student trip or outing with her friends because you are tapped out?
I’m risk averse - SMU is a great and national name (I believe) - likely because of the big time sports of the 80s. NYU is a great name - although like Northeastern it’s a more recent great name.
One may have a better school in healthcare - and that might matter.
But both are great schools.
I think the kicker here is -not can you afford NYU - but do you want to afford NYU?
What else can you do with that $100K - grad school, other kid 529, grand kid 529, paying down credit card debt if not in a 529, etc.
I’m risk averse - but honestly, other than, you need to be in NYC, I’m not sure how you can justify just tossing into the ocean an extra $100K - because that’s what you’re doing in a sense.
Just my opinion.
Thanks. I better understand your situation.
At first glance, SMU seems like the better choice both because of the $100,000 difference in cost and because of the leadership of the program. Dr. Bing seems like a real heavyweight.
BUT . . . when I dig down a little deeper, I think we’re comparing apples and oranges here. I couldn’t find any other public health faculty at SMU. Yes, it’s an interdisciplinary major, but all of the courses are taught by someone who’s in another department, which is where their focus obviously is as well. It’s up to the student with Dr. Bing (?) to integrate it all. At SMU, Health and Society is a major within the Department of Anthropology.
At NYU, there is an entire School of Global Public Health with 13 different public health majors and a faculty of almost 60 and with 4 sites elsewhere around the world, all in different continents, where students can continue to take NYU courses during their semester abroad. Yes, the major here too is interdisciplinary, but most courses are taught by public health faculty from a public health perspective. This is a highly developed department, offering degrees and certificates up through the doctoral level. We’re talking a whole different level here.
Comparing the two different departments, there is no comparison. Yes, you’re paying more at NYU, but you’re getting something completely different. Given that your daughter is comfortable with NYC and NYU’s unique “campus”, I would say that it’s well worth the extra cost for her.
And here’s the bonus - New York City. Why is that important? It’s the home of the UN. It’s where UNICEF is headquartered - and NYU has a relationship with UNICEF. In fact, it’s so close that you can walk to UNICEF from NYU in half an hour. Of course there’s a subway connection as well.
All the best with your decision.
I went to SMU and my brother went to NYU.
We were from NY. Few people knew what SMU was, when I wore my sweatshirt back home.
But that was 1993.
Totally different experience:
NYU is am amazing school in an amazing, walkable city, where everything is at your fingertips 24/7. Washington Sq Park used to have some drug dealings going on. So street smarts is a must. The dorms used to be gross. Not sure what they are like now. If money is not an issue, there is nothing like NY.
SMU is a suburban campus with a lot of flash. Lots of school spirit. Everything is perfect and clean. I lived in a sorority house with maids. Cars are important.
For public health, you may want to think of
this past year. How does a more conservative or
a more liberal population view the community needs? Does this influence the teachings? I would hope not. But may be something to ask.
Academically, I would go NYU. Top hospitals in NY. For a movie-like college experience, with cheerleaders and a larger Greek system, go to
TX.
PS - my son has also been admitted to SMU as well. We are still deciding between California schools and TX.
I disagree completely. NYU has no campus, is a city that is incredibly expensive, has inclement weather, no school spirit in traditional sense, no real community. Your kid is in a tiny dorm bedroom, snowed in half the winter. You need to be incredibly independent, wealthy, resilient or all of the above to attend nyu undergrad. SMU is a mid size school, amazing campus, better weather, best city life, popular greek system and amazing student community and school spirit and a killer football team. If want your kid to have a traditional college experience, there is truly no comparison between the two
Not sure why your post is directed to me ?