New York University
Hallmarks and Quirks
Things I'm Good At:
- Sports. They're not the main reason people like me, although I do have decent swim, diving, and fencing teams.
- Churning out powerful and famous alumni mainly from my Tisch School of the Arts: Maurice Kanbar Institute of Film and Television, and my Stern School of Business.
- Law. My law school is pretty rad. The U.S. News & World Report ranks it number one for tax and international law.
- Build-your-own majors. I have a wicked awesome "build your own major" program that's very popular. Since I'm so eclectic and have a super cool location, almost anyone can find a place to fit in here.
My Top 5 Must-Haves:
- Subway pass. Can't live without it.
- An umbrella. You walk everywhere and weather reports are never correct. You don't want to have to buy a cheap, five-dollar umbrella from a sketchy subway stranger because you got stuck without one in the middle of a downpour. Or, heaven forbid, stand under gross, dripping scaffolding while waiting out the rain.
- Winter boots and a warm coat. This city can get cold and wet.
- Street smarts. Be aware of where you are at all times so you don't end up in any dangerous neighborhoods when you're out exploring. Also, you don't want to have your cabby mistake you for a tourist and try driving through Times Square just to jack up the price on the meter. Don't ever accidently end up in Times Square. It's a nightmare.
- Comfortable shoes that you look good in. This sounds like an oxymoron, I know. They are a rare thing to find—an endangered species, really. But trust me, if you find a pair, they will be your best friends and you will never let them go. Ever. Well, until they break.
Why You Might Have Heard of Me:
- My film program is legendary. Spike Lee teaches a few classes, and Martin Scorsese has been known to show up.
- You may run into George Lucas or Francis Ford Coppola in the hallways just because they're visiting a friend that's a professor here.
- I've been voted the number-one dream school in the country…a lot.
- I live in the greatest city in the world. It's two thirds of my name.
- Bobst Library is one of the largest academic libraries in the country, and it also famously was home to one of my students for eight months.
On a regular Saturday night, you can find me...
On a regular Saturday night you're likely to find me at the latest, greatest, and cheapest (if you're lucky) restaurant in the city. You can get pretty much get any kind of really good ethnic food (except Mexican; strangely, there is no good Mexican food in NYC).
You can also go to a bar, club, poetry slam, Broadway show, ballet, opera, independent film, improv comedy show, music show, or your friend's small theater production. I truly live in one of the most culturally and artistically diverse cities in the world.
You'll probably find yourself supporting a lot of your friends' "art" during your four years with me. Everyone has a creative project they're working on. I encourage you to go to these things—you're likely to have some friends and acquaintances that are talented enough to become famous someday, and it's always nice to help them get there by showing some support.
Favorite Hangouts:
- You can spend a nice day sitting in Washington Square Park munching on some street food while enjoying the many street performers.
- A lot of students frequent Mamouns, a really awesome falafel place on MacDougal Street.
- MacDougal Street has a lot of great places to eat, like Creperie, Saigon Shack, or Artichoke Basille's Pizza.
- Comedy fans flock to the free Wednesday night show at UCB in hopes of catching a cameo by Amy Poehler or any of the current or former SNL stars.
Quirks:
- I send more students to study abroad than any other university in the U.S.
- I am the most-Googled U.S. university by overseas students.
- My founder, Albert Gallatin, was the Secretary of Treasury under Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Gallatin is also the name of the School of Individualized Study (or the "make your own major" school, basically).
- While some of the first fraternities were created at NYU, Greek life is not so big here anymore.
- Students judge each other based on what school they attend within NYU. Most of the school spirit can be found within the smaller schools. If you attend Tisch School of the Arts, you're a Tischie and proud. If you're in the Stern School of Business, you're a Sternie and will likely have little to do with anyone outside of Stern.
Famous Alumni:
- Aziz Ansari
- Alec Baldwin
- Kristen Bell
- Woody Allen
- Jack Dorsey (creator of Twitter and founder/CEO of Square, a mobile payments company)
- Martin Scorsese
- Philip Seymour Hoffman
- Lady Gaga