New York can be an intimidating (though exciting) city. If your prospective student is interested in attending college in the Big Apple, it is highly recommended that you take a trip to New York City so he or she can get a feel of what it will be like to live in of the world’s most infamous cities—chances are that it’ll be quite an adjustment!
People gather outside the steps of Low Memorial Library at Columbia University. Photo: David Berkowitz
Day One: NYU, New School
Greenwich Village is one of the hippest parts of town for college students. New York University radiates out into the Village from the famous arch in Washington Square Park. On campus, be sure to check out NYU’s Grey Art Gallery, home to several world-class art exhibitions.
North of NYU is The New School, founded in 1919 by such luminaries as philosopher John Dewey and economist Thorstein Veblen as a place where ideas could be presented and discussed without fear of censorship. The university’s home, on West 12th Street, houses colleges of urban planning, music and drama, as well as Parsons—the design school of Project Runway fame.
Day Two: Columbia University, Fordham University
Morningside Heights
Take the 1 train up to Morningside Heights in Manhattan for a trip to Columbia University, a member of the Ivy League and, at 254 years old, the oldest institution of higher learning in New York City. Three colleges have their home under the Columbia umbrella: Columbia College, Teachers College and Barnard, a college for women. The main campus at West 116th Street between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue is an academic oasis from the rest of the city dominated by the domed Low Memorial Library building. The wide steps in front of it serve as an “urban beach” where students hang out.
The Bronx
Up in Rose Hill, in the Bronx, there’s Fordham University. Getting there is no problem: both the D train subway line and the Metro-North commuter train stop there. It’s one of the more scenic areas in the city. Be sure to visit the New York Botanical Garden and the Bronx Zoo.
The Pratt is a private college in New York City specializing in art. Photo: diluvi
Day Three: St. John’s, Art Schools
Your final day destinations depends on what type of student you have: traditional or one who plans to follow his or her creative soul.
St. John’s University in Queens is home to the city’s major college basketball team. Transportation is a bit tricky—if you don’t have a car, you’ll have to take a subway and transfer to a bus to get out to the Jamaica campus.
Art Colleges
Brooklyn is home to one of the top art schools in the city— Pratt Institute in Clinton Hill. Take the downtown A or C trains from the city to the Hoyt-Schermerhorn station and transfer to the G train.
Back in Manhattan, as noted above, Parson’s The New School for Design is part of the New School. From there, it’s a short jaunt up to East 23rd Street to take in the School of Visual Arts, one of the premiere art schools in the city. There are three galleries that showcase a mix of student and professional artists, located at 21st, 23rd and 26th streets.
As a final stop, head west to the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), located in the midst of the Fashion District on Seventh Avenue between 27th and 29th streets. The Museum at FIT mounts critically acclaimed fashion-related exhibits. Admission is free.
Plan your New York City college visit on TravelMuse.
Post adapted from “New York City: College Visit Guide” by Laurie Bain Wilson and Donna M. Airoldi.
