social life

hey guys! i have a question about the social life at NYU:
i am an incoming freshman in Tisch and i am a little worried about the social scene at NYU. i went to high school in the city and am pretty socially active–i love to have people around me and go out to parties and hang out with friends. however, i’ve heard that NYU is socially mostly centered around bars and clubs which are not really my thing! i understand that NYU is not the typical “college experience” but i’ve been really freaking out that i won’t have at least a partial college experience socially, which is something i was very excited for! obviously, i know that college is not all about going out and i am super excited to be studying at Tisch but wondering if someone could just talk a little bit about what life at NYU is like!
Thanks so much!!

I’m a bit confused as to what you’re asking. It’s true that the party scene here is focused around bars and clubs as opposed to the traditional college dorm parties, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t still “college” type parties. There are house parties and parties in the residence halls, etc. I will say that if you’re really dead set on the typical college experience, NYU is probably not the best choice for you. It’s what you make of it but we do pride ourselves on not being a typical college.

Well, it’s too late now!

How would you know what the club and bar scene is like if you aren’t even old enough to get in? NYC’s nightlife is as diverse as the people that make up the city, if you want the expensive table, exclusive vibe and big name artists, you can find that, if you want a communal bar that has a bunch of board games for you and a close knit group of friends, there is that also. There are parties in dorms but it is usually treated as a pregame affair before going out into the city, after all what’s the point of going to school and paying the real estate premium if you aren’t going to take advantage of it. This isn’t exclusive to drinking, from broadway shows to weekend camping trips outside of the city, to being a part of one of millions of social groups within NYC, you can pretty much find anything you want.

What is it about the “traditional college experience” that you are fearful of missing out on? Yes NYU is very different, but that doesn’t mean you can’t achieve the same feelings and takeaways through different experiences. I say this as someone who attended both a large state school and NYU.