New York University, New York, NY

NYU is a “hot” school. If you are looking for a big, private college in the Village, maybe NYU is for you. You can join about 20,000 undergrads studying over 230 majors, in classes averaging fewer than 30 students. About ten thousand of these students live in the residence halls, and housing is guaranteed for all four years. In addition to the campus in NYC, there is a 2-year old campus in Abu Dhabi, and a campus is scheduled to open in two years in Shanghai.

NYU also owns and operates twelve other physical sites in Accra, Florence, Paris, Tel Aviv, Berlin, London, Prague, Sydney, Buenos Aires, Madrid, Shanghai, and Washington, D.C. You can attend classes taught by NYU professors in English at these sights for the same price as classes in New York. A lot of students (42%) take advantage of studying abroad.

NYU has both research opportunities and 22,000 internship opportunities for undergraduates.

What NYU doesn’t have is a campus. On the other hand, most of the undergraduate buildings are a short walk from Washington Square Park.

 

Most financial aid at NYU is need-based. The school does give merit aid, which ranges from $1000 to full tuition. Students need to submit both the FAFSA and CSS/PROFILE.

There is Early Decision I, Early Decision II and Regular Decision. Students can apply to a first and second choice college within the university.

There are 9 undergraduate schools, colleges and programs:

• College of Arts and Sciences (1443 freshmen)
• College of Nursing (63 freshmen)
• Gallatin School of Individualized Study (253 freshmen)
• Stern School of Business (552 freshmen)
• Liberal Studies (1125 freshmen)
• Silver School of Social Work (26 freshmen)
• Tisch Center for Hospitality, Tourism, and Sports Management (100 freshmen)
• Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development (567 freshmen)
• Tisch School of the Arts (776 freshmen)

NYU Poly, also known as the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn, in downtown Brooklyn is transitioning to become the tenth school within NYU. At this time, it has it’s own application.

 

There are a lot of testing choices. You can submit SAT or ACT with writing or 3 SAT subject tests or IB scores or 3 AP tests.

Students in the arts have to audition or submit a portfolio. In addition to being talented they also need to have strong academics.

Students interested in the business school need to know Calculus.

The Gallatin School is made up of students who create their own majors from classes that cross other major boundaries.

There is plenty to do because of the city location. In addition, NYU has over 400 student organizations, two athletic centers, a gym on 14th Street, 21 Division III varsity teams, and the largest theatre south of 42nd Street.

If you are looking for a big school with dorms in the big city, and don’t mind not having a campus, NYU might be for you.

If you are a student or alum, do you have any comments to add about NYU?

 

The Cooper Union, New York, NY

The Cooper Union is a one-of-a-kind private college.  Since 1859, it has been providing a full-tuition scholarship to every admitted student.  But it’s not an easy school to get into.  Only 8% are admitted.  There are about 1000 undergrads (64% male) who study engineering, visual arts or architecture.  The school has a handful of buildings (including a student residence that houses only 178) scattered in or near Cooper Square in Manhattan.  They represent both the old and the new as you can see from my photos.

Pace University, New York, NY

If you are a student who would love to go to a co-ed college in the Big Apple, you may want to consider the Pace University campus in lower Manhattan. (Pace also has another campus in Westchester.)


For undergrads, the New York City campus has about 4000 full-time undergrads in 3 undergrad schools:

• Lubin – the Business School 
• Dyson – the Arts and Sciences School
• Seidenberg – the Computer Science/IT School.

Pace also has an Honors program, which comes with benefits like significant merit aid, special honors classes, special events, research opportunities and housing.

  

The NYC campus consists of a handful of buildings including dorms in lower Manhattan and one dorm in Brooklyn Heights. If you are looking for green lawns and trees, you are in the wrong place. Your campus is the city. If going to the South Street Seaport, soaking up Wall Street, or walking across the Brooklyn Bridge excites you; Pace may be for you. My tour guide Michael, a freshman in the Seidenberg School, lived on a themed housing floor in a Freshman Residence Hall. Housing is guaranteed all four years and there are also a sizeable number of commuters.

 

Most of the classes are given in the main building pictured below. Class size averages 28 students and grad students don’t teach classes.

 

  A second building, diagonally across the street, is the home to the bookstore and two black box theatres.

 

 

The school boasts of having a large number of internship opportunities with 56% of the student body taking advantage of this opportunity (#1 university in NY for internships per US News). Pace graduates are 12% more likely to have a job after graduation based on the Fall 2011 Salary Survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

  

The Division II teams are all in Pleasantville. There is a bus twice a day between the two campuses. The NYC campus has gym facilities, but no pool. There are club hours three times a week.

  

Virtually all students (97%) get some form of need-based or merit-based financial aid. Students are automatically considered for merit aid of between $4K and $28.5 K.

  

PACE has rolling admissions with a 2/15 preferred deadline. Those who apply Early Action by 12/1, will hear if they have been accepted by the second week in January. Overall eighty-four per cent of applicants were admitted. Those who are interested in performing arts have a 1/15 deadline and need to audition; admission for the performing arts spots is highly competitive.

Are you a Pace student or recent alum?  If so, add your comments.