twoolspun

If we're talking Columbia my friend went through their student housing (he moved from Tampa). Said it was straight-forward and affordable for what it is. It was in Morningside Heights/Manhattanvillea area. Don't know about NYU or other schools. What schools and genre are you looking at?

First time poster, long-time lurker! Thought I could interject here. I had a good friend go to NYU and another go to Columbia, and at the end of the day both are good programs but I think NYU takes the bait. From what I heard, the faculty at Columbia had clear favorites since the student groups are so big, but it is apparently better for making friends since there are so many people you can connect with. My friend said he wasn't the favorite so sometimes it was difficult to get as extensive feedback, but still said he liked it because of his community. But even though NYU has a smaller group, the mentorship seems better at NYU. My friend's thesis professor was Ocean Vuong which was crazy. But also that's a lucky year, with big poets coming in. You also (I think) get more opportunities to share work on a bigger stage (like scheduled readings and stuff). So basically, Columbia is great for writing at your own speed and forming your own connections. NYU is great for closer shaping from the faculty and has more opportunities to learn from really stellar people. You've probably heard this a million times, but at this point, I would pick where the funding is.