Can someone please tell me about the social life at NYU and NYU Polytech in Brooklyn? My son wants to be in a city but I have read conflicting reviews about the people and social life. And how about those winters? Are there long walks to classes? Which dorms are preferred? He’d be a transfer.
Freshman dorms are typically the closest to campus so as a transfer he will be a bit further away. However, the only dorms that really have long walks (about 20 minutes) would be Lafayette and Greenwich, but they have bus service throughout the day. I can’t speak for NYU Polytech as it’s pretty separated from the main campus, but social life at NYU is definitely different than most colleges. Whether that’s a good or bad thing is up to your son and his personality. It’s a very New York vibe. What I mean by this is that most people are working while attending school, and when they aren’t working, they are either studying or exploring the city. NYC is a fast paced city and a lot of the students that choose to attend embrace that life style.
Some people that attend, and this is common amongst transfers, have a very optimistic vision of what NYU and NYC would be like but rapidly change their minds after the first few weeks. I was a transfer and while I loved the change from a social perspective, my academics initially lagged behind because the students that have been there have already adjusted to the lifestyle.
It’s competitive, it’s messy, and it can be hard but also fun.
If you son wants to drink out of red plastic cups, paint his face and go to football games - or find others who like that kind of thing, that could be tough. If he likes to sit in a bar and talk and has more of a indie/intellectual city vibe - he’d probably love NYU.
There are plenty of solo cup parties, just no football games. 