New York University Top Questions

Describe the students at your school.

Harper

The student body is pretty diverse. There are a lot of different groups/clubs if you are interested. Students tend to click to their own ethnic group. Students are politically predominantly left.

Devin

pretty much diverse, very liberal, and nearly everyone here is into fashion

Elizabeth

Very liberal, wealthy, from everywhere, generally well dressed

kristen

different types of students interact as they would in any environment, i think people here are more open-minded than other places, but they have to be, it's new york city.

Dylan

I feel like the student body has a good mix. It may take you a while, but i feel like anyone could find their niche at this school. There are definitely divisions in personality types between the different schools, but i've had a lot of friendships with people in very different areas of study than me.

Max

The student populace has quite the varied voice, but for the most part everyone seems open and liberal minded. A hardcore conservative might have problems fitting in, but as long as they didn't force their views on anyone, I'm sure they'd be fine.

MJ

I don't think anyone would really feel out of place at NYU - there are groups and niches for almost everyone. Maybe the type of person that hates big cities, but that's there own fault for coming to school in NYC. Students here are from EVERYWHERE, but you do notice a lot from NYC, Westchester, Long Island, New Jersey, simply because of proximity, I guess. Also, a lot (but definitely not all) students are privileged (NYU is NOT cheap). A lot of students would consider themselves liberal, but perhaps that's only the perception because leftists feel very comfortable being vocal about their views in NYC. The NYU College Republicans group is very active as well and has been featured on the national news for a few of their stunts.

Emily

NYU is filled with rich kids. Seriously you will never meet so many kids with their parents credit cards in one place.

Anna

I've found that most students are from New Jersey, Long Island, or Westchester, which actually shocked me because I figured a school in the city would have a much more diverse student body. While I do have friends from New Delhi and Singapore, most are from my home state of Jersey. It's actually really nice, though, because every one is pretty close-by during breaks. My best friend here lives only 30 minutes from my home, so I get to see her all the time.

Andy

Black students can feel very out of place here, because there are only a few, and if you don't get along with those few or have anything in common with them it can be tough. I think maybe if there were more black students the few that are here wouldn't have to separate themselves off and be so cliquish.

Angela

First, I would say that not all students are that integrated with each other. I think NYU is more conducive to bubbles of networks (like teams or clubs) than cross-interaction. I don't think students necessarily feel "out of place," but I also don't think students necessarily feel any sense of "belonging" or "community." There's too many people either way - you've got to relate to someone, but you're not going to relate to the majority. Most students are from the New York area, New Jersey, or California. We're more financially diverse than say, the Ivy League schools, but it's something that could be improved if we had a larger endowment. Politically, it is definitely predominantly left, which is logical, since people who choose to go to school in New York are probably also likely to be Democrats, but there are a fair amount of Republicans as well.

Olivia

There are billions of LGBT groups, theatre and music groups, a few greek organizations, and very little else. A student who is very shy or conservative would feel out of place. Most students wear trendy east village hipster stuff to class. Most students are either from the Tri state area or California, with some exceptions. Most are upper middle class/upper class, again with exceptions. Students are politically aware. They are pretty much all liberal. Stern students are the only ones I hear talking about their future salaries.

Sarah

I have found that students here tend to dress up for class more often than students did when I was in high school in CA. All different types of students interact, but sometimes there's a definite separation of races/religious groups. Most students are politically aware. Maybe business students talk about how much they'll earn one day....i really don't know or care.

Parker

Most students here are from New York, New Jersey, California and Massachusetts. There is diversity of all kinds here - ethnically, religiously, stylistically, etc. I've met just as many Conservatives as I have Liberals, just as many punk kids as I have preppy kids, and just as many who hope to make millions on Wall Street as I have who couldn't care less and would be perfectly complacent with living in a shack on the beach. If there seems to be a popular theme here among the student body, however, it is definitely that there are no shortage of students of identify with the LGBT community.

Andy

No one feels out of place at NYU. I mean, NO ONE. There is some sort of group or club or union for everyone. Literally. I have never seen a place where there is no outcasts because there are so many groups, there is no way a person could not find one that they didn't like. If they did, they could start a club of their own. And since frats and sororities aren't as popular as they are in other universities, there isn't pressure to go greek. Most students wear whatever, but generally, you can tell that the girls especially have a sort of "New York fashion flare" about them. The trends you see in magazines are the trends that a lot of the girls wear. Still, there are others that do their own thing. 4 tables of students: there would probably be the Stern table, and then three other tables with all kinds of people. Stern is kind of in its own world. Students are pretty politically active, and I would say the majority are either apathetic or left. Students speculate on what they will earn one day, but most students say that the Stern kids will earn the most, and the Tisch kids will be starving artists. It's not completely true, but we joke about that kind of stuff just because we know how intense the Sternies are.

Rachael

Everyone at NYU is very open to everything. A heterosexual, homophobic white southern/midwestern male who lives for sports would feel out of place. Students wear just about anything, but mostly indie/artsy clothing. Different types of students rarely interact. The indie kids, the asian crowd, the brown crowd, and the unclassified students sit at the dining hall. NYU students are from the tri-state area and california. Most NYU students are uppermiddle class stuents. Students can be politically aware, but many are not. Most students are left. Students do not talk about earning, other than if they are in the Stern school

Samantha

I've seen that being at NYU, or even in the city, makes people more comfortable with the idea of sexual and racial diversity, even if they weren't before. It's hard to generalize about the way people dress at NYU when there are so many different types of people. But on any given day, you'd definitely find lots of people in Gould Plaza in suits. Some fashionable people. Then there was the Uggs and jean skirt kick a while back. Never really fancied the fashion trends that flew through NYU. Most people have a good amount of money, considering that 4 years at NYU is about $200K. And NYU is cheap on handing out the financial aid and scholarships. So for the rest of us without money, well, it isn't pleasant. NYU's pretty liberal, although you'll find a right winger splashed into the mix here and there.

Dylan

NYU definitely does have a diverse student body racially, religiously, and LGBT-wise, definitely less diverse socio-economically. Due to NYU's high tuition, many of the students I encountered were economically very well off. I was one of the few students I knew who was paying her own tuition, needed loans, paid my own rent, bought her own food, etc. There are few financially independent undergraduate students that I encountered. NYU is definitely a liberal school, and students are definitely politically active and aware. There are clubs, organizations and presentations that feature prominent political leaders; I actually met Bill Clinton while at NYU.

Cody

One thing I should have expected but didn’t was how much money most of my peers seem to have. I come from a relatively poor background, and while my parents were moving me into the dorms with my belongings in boxes we’d collected from the local grocer, my fellow students were moving in with designer bags. I’ve acclimated, but I still sometimes feel like I can’t relate to some of my peers because I have bills and am taking out so many student loans. I have friends here who have literally never worked in their lives, while I’m holding down three jobs this semester just to make ends meet.

Andy

The great thing about NYU is that it's so diverse that you can make up your own group and be accepted for it. However, there's always the mainstream trend that would be called "normal" I suppose. We never wear pajamas to class but usually tend to dress up more than other students at different colleges tend to. Generally, the NYU population is extremely liberal.

Jane

NYU is actually less diverse than people think, mostly economically, because NYU isn't great at giving financial aid, and still SO many people go - people are generally upper-middle-class or waaaay above. That is boring to me. But LGBT is frequent,and religions are diverse. If there were 4 tables, they would mostly just be divided up by NYU schools.

Victor

It's such a melting pot. I love that everyone is from everywhere. Freshman year, my neighbors were two Lebanese twins from Jersey. Sophomore year, they were two girls from Holland and Switzerland. And they were all hot. Doesn't get much better than that. In terms of classroom wardrobe, there is quite a divide. There are the girls that dress to the nines, makeup, heels, Gucci purses, Coach sunglasses. Then there are the dudes with the sweatpants, beanies, scruffy beards and slippers. I prefer comfort over appearance. If there were four tables in the dining hall, one would be a group of goofy liberal arts kids, one would be packed with white frat kids in polos, jeans and sneakers, chattin obnoxiously about some "broads" or sorostitutes. One would definitely be filled with vivacious indian kids, with the token white or asian kids, of course. Finally, the last one would have some artistic, musical kids wearing band t-shirts, tight jeans, rockin' crazy hair and Converses Most NYU kids are from LI, North Jersey and California...and at least one-third of kids have some serious wealth (at least their families do). Most kids are left-leaning or full-blown liberalites, though there are some lurking moderates and even conservatives, though they don't speak out for fear of being ridiculed/stoned.

Alex

The student body is fairly diverse. There are a lot of caucasians and asians but not that many hispanics or african americans. Most of my friends come from diverse backgrounds. However, I have seen groups of friends that are predominately one race. NYU also has a large gay community and an active LGBT scene. I think everyone has the freedom to believe what they want to believe in, without the fear of being persecuted. Most people are left leaning, there are very few republicans on campus but the ones that do exist are pretty vocal about their political beliefs. Most students are really stylish. After awhile I felt the pressure to look good and stop wearing lounge pants and sweatshirts to class. For boys, collared shirts and polos seem to be popular. Girls like tight jeans and pretty tops. There are also a lot of fashion forward people that look like they stepped out of the pages of Nylon magazine. It is not a good place for those who want a lot of individualized attention from counselors and professors. If you do want that, you have to actively pursue it. NYU is also an environment that supports independence. So if a student can not handle doing things alone, they might not enjoy going to NYU. NYU students are from all over the world. But I have met alot of students from NJ and NY. Regarding financial backgrouds, I know alot of people like me who had to take out loans and depend on scholarships in order to attend NYU. However, I have met some students that don't need the aid and have paid off the tuition up front. That a lot.

Madeleine

The only kinds of people I don't meet very often at NYU are those who are homophobic or racists. Otherwise, I have seen people who are rich, poor, black, white, asian, multi-racial, multi-lingual, republican, democrat, hippy, hipster, preppy, athletic, introverted, extraverted, frat boys, book worms, you name it and we've got it. New York City is one of the biggest melting pots in America and NYU is a reflection of that. If you don't want to be a part of a diverse student body, then you shouldn't come to NYU.

Harper

A very small-minded person who hasn't had a lot of life experience would probably feel out of place at NYU, but that has more to do with the city than the school. Republicans generally feel out of place. The majority of NYU students are jews from the tri-state area. Not that there's anything wrong with that. There are also a decent number of wasps. Lots of spoiled little rich girls. Like Gossip Girl or the Hills. It's kind of nauseating.

Ash

I've had good experiences with different racial, religious etc groups of people. The only thing is that people generally segregate themselves according to those automatically. I wanted to come to NYU so I could meet a lot of different groups of people... and yet I've fallen into a group of similar socio-economic, racial, and religious background as me. Most students wear jeans or casual clothes to class, unless they have an interview or are goign to work afterwards. Or unless if they're in stern. Most NYU students are from the tri-state area.

Sara

NYU prides itself on its diversity and its acceptance of all groups of people. There is a club for every group possible. NYU is, however predominantly Jewish, but even non-Jewish people don't feel isolated because of that. There is a Kosher dining hall, but it's not something that makes people feel weird about. A non-Catholic Christian would feel out of place at NYU. I am Lutheran and I know about five Lutherans at NYU. However, even being one of these minorities doesn't necessarily make for feeling out of place because there are still clubs for non-Catholic Christians. Students do not tend to wear sweats to class like at other colleges. People do actually dress for class. Business school students usually wear a suit to class. Other students do put a conscious effort into their clothes at NYU, even if it doesn't look like it. All different types of students interact. The four tables of students in the dining hall have every type of student sitting in each chair. There may be a Muslim, a Jewish person, a Spanish person, a rural West Coast American, and a Chinese person all at the same table having a really great conversation. Like I said before, NYU prides itself on diversity because it exists and everyone embraces it and interacts with each other regardless of where someone is from. That's one of NYU's strong points. While NYU is diverse, however, most NYU students do hail from the tri-state area. That is the only generalization that can be made however because everyone else comes from so many different places, it's almost impossible to make any generalizations about it. Every financial background exists. There aren't any that are more prevalent than others. It's pretty equal. Most students are politically active/aware. They are predominantly left or center, but there is an NYU Republicans club, just like there's an NYU Democrats club. Students don't exactly talk about how much they'll earn. They more talk about how in debt they will be. Students in the business school might talk about how much they'll earn, but I don't know because I'm not in the business school.

Adrienne

I think there are options for everyone.

Amy

Every type of student attends NYU. Someone would feel out of place if they were looking for a super friendly campus. I feel like NYU attracts quasi introverts/more independent people. This is evidenced in the number of students who are members of greek life-it is very small.

Andy

Admittedly coming from a lower middle class working family, having never traveled outside the country or even been to a museum until I was old enough to go on my own, I felt out of place at NYU at first. Having a full time job while going to school did not allow for too many extracurricular activities. I found that I related closely to small amount of people who also happened to be transfers or just happened to be more from my socio-economic class. I did have many interesting conversations with a diverse group of people. I learned a lot by talking about personal experiences with those who has experienced more of the world than me. Most people I came to know were politically aware. In the art program most are liberal or center.

Kaitlin

NYU is so diverse! I have heard languages and seen people from all corners of the world. Some people have alot of money, some are barely scraping by on scholarships. Sternies often talk about how much money they are going to make on day. Stern is a school for people who love money and want to make a lot of it through Wall Street activities. NYU is also very good with clubs. If you have an idea for a club and go to the Student Life Office, they will give you a decent budget to get it started.

Ash

Everyone can find a place at NYU. Literally. Unless you're wearing sweatpants (and havent just come from the gym). Our dining halls were quite good, but I rarely went. When you're in a city where the food is so good, why would you go to a dining hall?! Sometimes I did feel as though many NYU students were from affluent backgrounds, but money was rarely discussed.

Caitlin

I've met gay, straight, undecided, transgender, bisexual, black, white, Hispanic, Muslim, Hindu, Atheist, filthy rich, and dirt poor kids during my first semester at NYU. I don't think anyone would feel out of place here. Some kids wear pajama pants to class, others wear Prada boots; it's impossible to throw a blanket statement over everyone. I've met so many NYU kids from New Jersey and most people that I know come from a lower/middle class family. Students are definitely politically active, and I'd say lean towards the left; I'd guess that most people support Barack Obama as the Democratic candidate for president.

Lauren

Many racial, religious, LGBT organizations. It has broadened my horizons from my predominantely hispanic hometown. People here are extremely politically correct so don't expect to say "that's so gay" and get away with it. I am the type of student who feels out of place because I want a place where students sit under trees to hang out, and have dorm parties, go to basketball games, and have school pride. This school is NOT for the school spirited. Dining hall: Table #1: all asian; table #2: all LGBT; table #3): jersey girls; table #4): more asians. students typically stick with their backgrounds for example, jersey girls with other girls like themselves, asians with asians. Financial backgrounds most prevalent, wealthy or not wealthy at all. Very politically aware/active. Leftists. People here are obsessed with their future careers (besides the Peace Corps people)

Michelle

NYU is extremely diverse in terms of race, religion, and sexual orientation. It is not uncommon to see these students interact and be in the same group of friends. Usually, there are a lot more girls than boys in each group, but that is not necessarily by choice, but because there are simply more girls. However, socioeconomically, NYU mostly represents only the upper middle class. This might even be necessary to attend NYU, considering its high tuition and terrible financial aid. More importantly is the spending money required to come here. The temptation that arises from passing many clothing and food stores just on the way to class is hard to overcome. Not only that, entertainment is expensive. On most other college campuses, frat or house parties are free, but at NYU, Greek life is practically nonexistent. NYU students have to find their own fun in bars, clubs, concerts, and the theater, the price of which escalates quickly. Students here are overwhelmingly liberal. During the primaries this year everyone was excited and eager to hear the results after each voting. When Barack Obama spoke in Washington Square Park in September, it was the talk of the school for the next week. People get really passionate about their political beliefs, and it is interesting to hear everybody's views.

Jerry

It's hard to be completely out of place at NYU just because there seems to be a place for everything. There are clubs for every different religious group. I would say though that if you are a Republican at NYU, you are going to be a minority. However the Republicans club at NYU seemed to have banded together and gotten a kick out of this. The controversy they stirred with their "Find the illegal immigrant game" last year was unbelievable. I feel that dress varies from year to year and from different schools. Of course you can recognize the business school Sternies with their suits. On-campus freshman year students are the ones that dress most lax probably because dorms are a block away. However once you're an upperclassman that changes and at least for me so did my apparel. There seems to be a big population of NYU students from New York, New Jersey, Long Island and also California. I think no matter where you're from there are different financial backgrounds, but everyone talks about how much money they will earn. The Stern students are basking in how much money business will make them, while liberal arts students tend to wonder more about how they are going to repay those student loans.

Alex

Everyone's accepting, unless you're conservative. Even then people are accepting.