I was offered a full tuition scholarship at both of these schools, and I can’t decide. I plan on double majoring in political science and economics on a pre-law track. I want to be a lawyer and eventually go into politics. Which college do you think would be best in terms of prestige, connections, social life, and quality of education? I want to enjoy college, but I also want to be involved in campus life and to be prepared for law school. I live in the south right now, so Vanderbilt’s location and culture are more familiar to me, but I’m not afraid to leave and experience something new. I just want to be challenged while also enjoying my college experience. I would like to travel abroad and have research opportunities.
I think one of the biggest things to consider is the campus life.
Vanderbilt has an absolutely gorgeous campus. It’s also well defined and near but not in the center of a city
NYU has a collection of buildings in the heart of new York, which gives you a ton of stuff to do but not really a campus to come back too.
It all comes down to preference really. If you are going to law school undergrad has little to no affect so just go where you will feel happy, try and get travel stipends from the schools to go visit. Best of luck, you have two amazing options!
You will love Vanderbilt and Nashville, which is a rapidly developing city and the campus is also relatively balanced politically. It’s also a lot cheaper for entertainment - NYC pricing is 2-3x more for just about everything.
wait nyu and Vanderbilt have not come out yet unless you mean early?
Vanderbilt has a defined campus and the positives have been described above. The negatives might include that it’s very fratty / footbally (which might be a positive for some people but I think that because football/ frats/ drinking is so dominant, there might not be enough to do in Nashville, even though it’s a wonderful arty city) and there’s a medical center plunked into the middle of the campus
NYU does not have a defined campus and that can mean less definition of community. But! There are hot spots for NYU students throughout that area, including gorgeous and lively Wash Square Park, the many excellent coffee houses, the lively music scene and clubs interspersed on the campus, restaurants, etc. Also in breathtaking NYC there’s so much more to do besides hang out on campus and get drunk at parties. The City is your learning space, and the list of free and cheap things to do (and expensive too) is long and varies every day. (https://www.timeout.com/newyork/things-to-do/free-things-to-do-in-nyc ) Additional free things in the City will be available through NYU connections and agreements for students at the museums and elsewhere. Cheap student tickets to shows. Cheap eats can be had all over. Transportation is a breeze and you will not need a car. You will never be bored. Never. Connections to law firms for internships; the UN; advocacy organizations; any kind of art, science, tech, or industry that you can imagine, they are all available to you and NYU has deep career connections in the City.
@ANormalSeniorGuy I got large scholarships to both schools, so I was notified early. I applied RD to both.
@Dustyfeathers yeah that did scare me a bit about Vanderbilt. I’m not super into the idea of football and frats being my main source of entertainment. I am definitely the kind of person who would prefer to spend my time exploring the city.
One thing about NYC is that no matter what your political stripe, or your interest area, you can probably find a close community. NYU area is an arty, outre area of the city, with amazing jazz, film, theater, food. But there are also more conservative areas of the city. And many quiet areas – http://untappedcities.com/2013/07/29/daily-what-peacocks-cathedral-church-st-john-the-divine/
and areas with real nature in them. – http://untappedcities.com/2016/10/13/top-10-places-to-catch-fall-foliage-in-and-around-nyc/4/
While I’ve never taken a count, these people are attempting to do so – http://www.nycreligion.info/ – I would venture that every religion (and atheism and secular humanism) is represented in the city, so you should be able to find what suits you someplace. If you look hard enough in NYC you can find almost anything you might imagine.
Really. http://www.localssurfschool.com/
Most people’s first year is a culture shock. Then you adjust and it’s great. Think of it as coming to a foreign country and you’ll do great. Except that the water in NYC is some of the purest in the world. (True fact.) http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/html/drinking_water/index.shtml
Virtually every ethnic group is here, probably. I think the borough of Queens has like 800 languages. At first the City can feel huge, fast, and crowded and you may feel that no one will know you, but really once you’re here awhile, the deli guy will have your order almost before you get to the counter, and the gal with the great coats who catches the bus at 8:41 passes by you each day, and then there’s that one guy you see across your Poly Sci class–oh he’s right there in my subway car way uptown by the Cloisters! http://www.metmuseum.org/visit/met-cloisters
And your professor will be playing with his/her kids in Wash Square Park . . .
You start to get the feel for the city and the fact that we all live close together, so we all talk and get to know each other. It’s a blast.
There’s a ton to do in Nashville. Vanderbilt isn’t even necessarily a dominating influence, and there’s definitely more than football, fraternities and drinking. It’s not even really a college town - it’s a bona fide large city. You can spend a lot of time exploring Nashville. It’s not as big as New York, but it has its own cultural flavor to enjoy.
It’s true that there’s likely something for everyone in New York, and it’s a great city to live in. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that much of that stuff is quite expensive - especially down in the Village nearby NYU. I also question how much you’ll venture into the boroughs. (NYU students are probably far more likely to go to Queens than a Columbia student, though, both due to proximity and general adventurousness.)