Overview

New York University is both one of the nation’s largest private colleges and best regarded schools in terms of academics. It is primarily located in Manhattan in New York City (based in Washington Square). The university boasts more than 12,000 students, 18 schools, and one the country’s largest academic libraries. With its prime location, excellent academic reputation  and superior facilities, NYU  is also a very competitive school in which to earn admission.

Getting In

Getting into NYU is no easy feat. It is a particularly selective school with less than a third of applicants (30%) being admitted during the most recent admission cycle. Most admitted students receive SAT scores in the mid-600′s to the mid 700′s for each component of the test (reading, writing, and math). ACT scores tend to range between the high 20′s to low 30′s. The average GPA is around 3.7 (A-) and most admitted students are in the top 10 percent of their classes. Virtually all successful applicants are at least in the top quarter of their classes.

Some programs such as the Tisch School of Arts are bit more forgiving on academic credentials for students demonstrating superior artistic and creative skill sets. Nevertheless, as a school that has been described by Kaplan as one of the “new Ivies”, it is not surprising that NYU overall has stringent admission requirements.

What It’s Like:

If you attend NYU, you’re going to attend a top ranked university in one of the world’s largest cities. As an elite school, the student body is composed of high achieving, intelligent, and motivated students. As an urban school, the campus and building are spread out among several city blocks.

Not surprisingly, NYU is very expensive. The total estimated cost of attendance is around $60,000 a year – though a large number of students receive some financial assistance. Nevertheless, taking advantage of what the city has to offer can be quite costly. New York’s famous theaters, restaurants, and transportation may be inaccessible to financially strapped students. As a corollary to the high cost of attendance, many of those who attend NYU are from wealthy backgrounds (some are even famous).

NYU students are overall quite bright. This does reportedly mean that the social life at NYU takes a secondary role to academics and some students regret that campus social activities are less impressive than at other schools. For those focused on academics, however, the school does seem to deliver. While some may quibble over the abilities of the faculty, almost everyone agrees that most NYU graduates will go on to future success. There does seem to be a bit more of a focus on the arts at NYU than at comparable schools, but with programs such as its top notch business school, there is likely plenty of room for practically minded students to thrive.

What Students Like About It:

• Location: If you’re a fan of the city and can cope with the high cost of living, NYU will allow you to have the NYC experience that you desire
• Strong programs for those pursuing degrees in the fine arts
• Modern dorm rooms and residential life buildings – (No community bathrooms)
• Intelligent student body
• Attending the business school (Stern) virtually guarantees you a good job

What Students Don’t Like About It:

• Cost: Not only is the cost of attendance (tuition and room and board) very high, it’s also overall a very expensive city in which to live
• Lack of community – many students complain that it’s difficult and meet people and make friends outside of classes; there’s nothing that brings students together and there isn’t a central campus
• Students can be aloof and unfriendly
• More practical students complain that the school emphasizes liberal arts instruction and the fine arts at the expense of other programs

The Verdict:

NYU is undoubtedly a top college, but it’s not for everyone. If you love the Big Apple and have a big wallet to go along with it, NYU may be the gateway to NYC for which you’re looking. For more cost conscious students, there may be better options. In addition, if you’re looking for the typical college experience (larger social networks, sporting events, etc.), NYU probably won’t be able to deliver. For those with artistic interests, this school caters to you, but business minded students should note Stern’s stellar reputation and ability to help you land a good job after graduation.

http://www.nyu.edu/