Not for everyone- but maybe for you

Introduction
New York University is not for everyone. You are living right in the middle of New York City with no walls to keep you safe and thousands of other students who aren't going to be as openly friendly as on other campuses. I came from small town Ohio and I loved the change of the big city. I know plenty of people who didn't and have since gone home. You aren't just another college student here. We don't have school spirit in the traditional sense and its more about academia than the social scene. However, you will have better conversations, learn lots, experience more, and change greatly if you attend NYU.

Campus Life and Social Life
Anyone who says there is no social life at NYU is kidding themselves. We're in NEW YORK CITY! At the same time, we're in New York City and that means sometimes feeling alone among millions. You do have to make the effort to find friends. Our athletics department is minimal (at best) and our student organizations are few. However, our dorms are huge, there are programs and events all over campus, and you can always find something to do. You never have to worry about not having something to do on a Friday night because you can just walk down the street of your choice and find lots of things to do. Advertisement
Academics
Certain schools you have a ridiculous amount of work. College of Arts and Sciences and Stern are notorious for that. School of Social Work, my school, is not so work heavy until you get into your internships. Tisch School of the Arts is pretty intense but I rarely hear people complaining about the workload so much as the tired they feel after completing the workload- its a fun school. All the other schools vary. TA's sometimes end up teaching the classes, but that's just like anywhere else. Professors are all active in their fields so you could end up having really amazing guest lectures from their friends or never be able to get a hold of them because they are just that busy. Once you are here its really easy to talk around and find out who the good professors are. Ususally they are the ones active or living in residence halls and the ones who are asking students for opportunities to speak to student organizations. I've yet to have a professor that I think is not very intelligent which is a plus since when I was visiting other schools I often felt like I could teach a class better. Professors are usually big on class conversations and sometimes the socratic method- so be prepared to participate.

Student Body
They're from all over- it seems like mostly the Tri-State area and California. They are into everything. You can find late night discussions happening all over campus on just about every topic. If you feel like you don't fit in its just because nobody really does. That's not what NYU is about. NYU is about standing out, which can get kind of annoying because its almost a competition to be the most unique. Just don't worry about being typical and don't expect to be typical. It's not really possible here and you'll stand out more (not positively) if all you want to is to be typical.

In Closing...
NYU is a great school. However, its got its ups and downs. It can get lonely, but its also a blast to live in New York City. Its a matter of finding a balance of living college life and living a New Yorker life.