Where Would You Go? (NYU vs USC - Masters in Higher Education)

[unixotic]

Hi everyone! 

This is my first post on this site so I'm hoping a few of you could offer some insight onto my challenge: choosing NYU or USC. 

I've been "accepted" into both (Recruitment Day Interviews for NYU and official acceptance for USC), and I'm over the moon! Both schools are really good and I feel incredibly lucky to think I got in even after taking a gap year during covid. 

I'm from Southern California (if that helps) and I'm having trouble picking one. While my family prefers if I stay in the Los Angeles area and go to USC, I can't help but romanticize the idea of being in New York. NYU ranks 10th for my program, while USC is right behind at 11th, so I'm not too worried about program quality since they're so close together. For overall rankings, USC is put at 24th and NYU is 30th, so again, not too concerned with the quality of education! Both seem to be amazing, and while my gut is leaning a little more towards USC (mainly because they've been in constant communication with me vs. NYU plus being a Southern California native), quite a few people around me seem to be cheering for NYU.

If anyone has any insight as to what the cultures are like at these universities, please let me know! I'm not too nervous about moving elsewhere since during my gap year (before covid) I was able to travel to another country and live alone for months, so that's no issue! 

Of course, I'm being very optimistic about NYU since it's not an official acceptance. I would just like to think of my options just in case! 

Best of luck to everyone as they're receiving their letters! 

P.S. If this is in the wrong topic and I should move it somewhere else, please let me know! I'm really new to this site so I haven't gotten the hang of it quite yet! 

Edited February 16, 2021 by unixotic
Clarification on NYU acceptance

[EyelandPychePhD]

There are many Pros and Cons to living in NYC right now. I just moved away from NYC after living there for around 5 years. I LOVED it there, but it tends to be a love hate relationship. You might hate it while you're there (crowds, trash, cost, smells, loud) but then miss it so much when you leave (it's a knockout of a city and there is always something new to see). Just the nature of the beast. 

Due to the pandemic, NYC ic cheaper to live right now than it has been in years (however, still incredibly expensive). There is a chance that if you lock in an apartment now, for cheaper, the pandemic will start to subside and prices will rise again as things open up, so you could experience a win-win situation— scoring an apartment for cheap in the city that never sleeps. That said, a lot of the fun things to do in new York (concerts, clubbing, nightlife, anything involving large crowds) are currently closed ? until further notice. You can't just go for a hike or go to the beach like you could elsewhere (although you can take the subway to Rockaway Beach which is a sweet little spot, and you can take the train out of the city hiking— it's just kindof a schlepp)... more likely, you'd be going to one of the City parks where there's a million other people there because other things to do are closed. There are still tons of stores open and some things to do if you get creative. It's just not the "quintessential new york city experience" right at this exact moment. Pre-pandemic, there was always something going on at night, no matter if your preference is art, music, shows, anything... Now, with the pandemic, that's not necessarily the case... Hopefully those things will be open again soon, but no one knows. So, given the decreased rent but the fact that it's semi-closed-  it's either the best time to move to New York City or the worst time to move there, depending on how you look at it. That said, if this is your only shot to move to NYC and you think you've always wanted to experience it (I'm so glad I moved there for my 20s), then go for it. An MA degree is the perfect amount of time to get a taste of NYC and then leave before you get sick of it. Also, I'll add, it can be strangely lonely in NYC, which is paradoxical in a way since there's so many people.... But if you're not great at introducing yourself to people and making friends, people aren't going to go out of the way to take you under their wing like they might in other places. If you're very shy, it might be easier to make friends elsewhere... Although that might be a moot point since you may be able to make friends with your fellow students even at NYU. 

There will definitely be a noticeable difference in how the admissions team and the school in general treats you. NYC's fast-paced nature and "you're just another fish in the sea" attitude is quite the opposite of southern hospitality where people take their time to say hello. I personally loved NYC while I was there- I climbed the ladder professionally and accomplished a ton in a few short years, and finally got to wear all my most chic clothes that I will probably never wear again because where other than NYC can I wear them...... It honestly just really helped me get my shit together and be more of a go-getter. It's easy to be productive there. But, I'm also happy to have left, because the lack of nature and never being able to save money gets old after a while, and approaching 30, going out didn't have the same appeal as it did a few years earlier... 

Edited February 18, 2021 by EyelandPychePhD

[unixotic]

On 2/17/2021 at 6:20 PM, EyelandPychePhD said:

There are many Pros and Cons to living in NYC right now. I just moved away from NYC after living there for around 5 years. I LOVED it there, but it tends to be a love hate relationship. You might hate it while you're there (crowds, trash, cost, smells, loud) but then miss it so much when you leave (it's a knockout of a city and there is always something new to see). Just the nature of the beast. 

Due to the pandemic, NYC ic cheaper to live right now than it has been in years (however, still incredibly expensive). There is a chance that if you lock in an apartment now, for cheaper, the pandemic will start to subside and prices will rise again as things open up, so you could experience a win-win situation— scoring an apartment for cheap in the city that never sleeps. That said, a lot of the fun things to do in new York (concerts, clubbing, nightlife, anything involving large crowds) are currently closed ? until further notice. You can't just go for a hike or go to the beach like you could elsewhere (although you can take the subway to Rockaway Beach which is a sweet little spot, and you can take the train out of the city hiking— it's just kindof a schlepp)... more likely, you'd be going to one of the City parks where there's a million other people there because other things to do are closed. There are still tons of stores open and some things to do if you get creative. It's just not the "quintessential new york city experience" right at this exact moment. Pre-pandemic, there was always something going on at night, no matter if your preference is art, music, shows, anything... Now, with the pandemic, that's not necessarily the case... Hopefully those things will be open again soon, but no one knows. So, given the decreased rent but the fact that it's semi-closed-  it's either the best time to move to New York City or the worst time to move there, depending on how you look at it. That said, if this is your only shot to move to NYC and you think you've always wanted to experience it (I'm so glad I moved there for my 20s), then go for it. An MA degree is the perfect amount of time to get a taste of NYC and then leave before you get sick of it. Also, I'll add, it can be strangely lonely in NYC, which is paradoxical in a way since there's so many people.... But if you're not great at introducing yourself to people and making friends, people aren't going to go out of the way to take you under their wing like they might in other places. If you're very shy, it might be easier to make friends elsewhere... Although that might be a moot point since you may be able to make friends with your fellow students even at NYU. 

There will definitely be a noticeable difference in how the admissions team and the school in general treats you. NYC's fast-paced nature and "you're just another fish in the sea" attitude is quite the opposite of southern hospitality where people take their time to say hello. I personally loved NYC while I was there- I climbed the ladder professionally and accomplished a ton in a few short years, and finally got to wear all my most chic clothes that I will probably never wear again because where other than NYC can I wear them...... It honestly just really helped me get my shit together and be more of a go-getter. It's easy to be productive there. But, I'm also happy to have left, because the lack of nature and never being able to save money gets old after a while, and approaching 30, going out didn't have the same appeal as it did a few years earlier... 

Woah, sorry for the late response! I never got a notification for your reply, so I thought this was just an empty thread I made. 

Thanks for your insight! I have some family who live on the East Coast (though none are in New York anymore), and they stress that NYC is great in its own ways, much like how you listed! I know my family in LA are showing preferential treatment to USC again due to the campus locality. But for both schools, if I can get the grad assistantship I'm looking for, I won't have to worry about renting! But then again, I'll have to look for other options just in case. I will definitely miss the hiking trails, beaches, and mountains that are all around me when at home, but maybe a change of scenery (even if still inside an apartment due to pandemic things) might be good for me! 

Socializing though... it might be a bit difficult for me since I am a bit on the shyer side, but I think it might be a good boost for me to build on my confidence and get out there! Maybe it'll really cement the idea of "everyone is busy doing their own thing so they're not worried about you"! Fingers crossed! 

Thanks again for responding! I have my interviews all next month (all within one to two weeks of each other) so hopefully I can make a decision by then!