Many people dream of having a New York City college experience. Here's why I will be making it my reality come fall.
1. Cultural areas to explore.
During one weekend alone this summer I got to experience Flushing, Queens and the Fordham Road area of the Bronx. I can't wait to see which other areas of the city I get to explore further this upcoming year.
2. Access to many events at different colleges throughout the city.
This past spring I got to perform three of my original poems at a poetry slam held by the Asian American Student union at Hunter, despite not being a student there because of its open-door policy. A bunch of other people who weren't students there got to recite poetry too, and I got to meet two amazing people who I really connected with as friends who performed and gave me the lowdown on what it was like to be a student at Hunter.
3. The cultural club component.
Now I don't know about you, but for me, joining a cultural club was really important to me when going to college because I enjoy connecting with other Asians/Filipinos and learning more about/celebrating my culture. District 3, which NYC schools are a part of, it seemed to me put on cultural events more often and throughout the year, and I was excited to take part in Battle of the Barrios (a skit and dance competition) and MS. PI (a pageant). And since taking part in those was what I really wanted as a part of my college experience, that helped weigh things in New York City's favor.
4. My intended fields are the strongest in New York.
It's also important to me that I gain hands on experience in my intended fields through internships while at college. Anyone can tell you that there are countless more opportunities in the fashion industry in New York. I mean, we're talking about the place where everyone is advised to move to if they want to get into fashion. Interning in the city, I'll be able to make connections and establish myself there.
5. My events of interest are in the city.
My favorite authors are constantly having events at Strand Bookstore or Books of Wonder, both in Greenwich Village. And you can't forget about New York Fashion Week, held every year in the Lincoln Center area.
6. Commuting there will save me money.
It didn't really hit me until this past month but college, particularly private colleges, are super expensive. I will be commuting to college for the next two years, because frankly it's the only way I could afford to go and still save up money for grad school. I'm super lucky I got to have the traditional dorming experience my first two years of college at the school I was at. However, now that I'm an upperclassman, I feel like most people my age live off-campus anyway. Besides, both of the schools I'm considering either have half or most of their students commuting.
7. It's always been my dream.
As a sophomore in high school, the first colleges I toured were Fashion Institute of Technology and New York University. At the time, I thought I wanted to major in fashion, and I considered NYU my dream school. But even then, I knew I wanted an NYC school.
8. The diversity.
So my first school I'm considering is very diverse due to its commuter population and international students. The other school I'm considering is mainly commuters from the NYC metro area, from different age ranges, nationalities, income levels, and religions. The college I attended for my first two years was known as a pretty diverse school, accepting people of all races and gender identities, so it's pretty safe to say that diversity is a very important factor to me when choosing a place in which I'm going to study.