New York University — Attraction in New York

ATTACKS ON DIVERSITY & INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS AT THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF ARTS & SCIENCE (SPOILER: NOBODY INVESTIGATES RIGHT NOW)

I have been a student at the Graduate School of Arts & Science since September 2024, and after attending four different universities before (bachelor + research exchanges), I have never witnessed anything like this program. All those TikTok videos… marketing at its best. I have been withheld reference letters from the last director, who lasted only a very short time, and everything in the program was chaotic. Probably this will bring me more retaliation as a student, but at this point, I cannot do anything else but speak loudly.

The program at GSAS is chaotic: messy administration, courses advertised but not offered, and internships that never materialized. The program failed to send the internship and project emails with deadlines to the entire cohort. When I first raised this, they called me CRAZY, but I later discovered my ENTIRE COHORT had never received the communications. I was the one who UNCOVERED this systemic failure, and the administration’s only response was SILENCE. Also, for those folks aspiring to a PhD, do not expect research opportunities here: they simply do not exist. What you will find instead is a culture of neglect and retaliation that crushes any academic dream.

On May 5th, in a core class, a professor told me in front of everyone that as an international student I had no future in the United States and that I should “go back to my country.” When I replied that I wanted to do a PhD here, he mocked me repeatedly and finally said, in front of the whole class: “I will be dead by then.” This was not a joke. It was humiliation, and I was singled out even though I had not raised my hand. I immediately reported the incident with a full list of witnesses, but the university refused to investigate. That silence speaks louder than anything: here, even death comments in the classroom go unanswered. As it is observed, these positions against diversity programs are very aligned to certain views: professors do not have to hide anymore and they are so open at GSAS.

This is not an isolated case. There are professors who openly mock inclusion policies and make derogatory comments about students from working-class or low-income backgrounds. Some even ask about your parents’ professions in class, as if that determined your worth. I still remember a professor who said that low-income students “Only lower the level of the class” and the “laziness of their parents” and the lack of success they could ever have. SPOILER: I got the best grades, despite being one of those students, and the same professor sent me an email saying “how impressive it was”. I just want to laugh or cry. However, these are not slip-ups; they are SYSTEMATIC and NORMALIZED attitudes. When complaints are made, the administration looks the other way, even if you provide witnesses.

As a student representative in my previous university, I can say that problems can happen everywhere, even in top universities; but the INDIFFERENCE and INACTION of administrators is what shocks me the most. I sent endless emails to the program and to the new director, with witnesses and evidence, yet nothing has been solved. They simply side with the program, dismiss complaints, and treat students as if their voices do not matter. What a terrible choice I made when I submitted my application and accepted this program over others. Too late, I guess.

PS: Even though the attitudes of the program and administrators are shameful, I have to recognize that there are also good professors in my program and they are mindful about the students. I also did some electives in Stern, and everything was very correct and very professional. However, this program at the Graduate School of Arts and Science is just a mess and it is definitely not a place where you’re welcomed or can develop...

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I did some post-graduate work @ NYU after my undergraduate and graduate studies were concluded up at a small, alternative, somewhat selective, private liberal arts college (in Massachusetts) followed by a prestigious private university; both of which were up in New England. I ❤️'d both my undergraduate and graduate school experiences, mainly because they occured AWAY from the city (in different kinds of academic environments), which is EXACTLY what I'd wanted.

NYU & I have had a strange history -- I applied as an undergrad (to Tisch; and got wait listed -- meh, oh well 🤣) but literally, my ENTIRE class from the high school I went to in Brooklyn, went to NYU, so I wasn't really THAT interested in attending college with ALL the people whom I went to high school with. I'm slightly exaggerating (of course), BUT that's what it seemed and felt like at the time.

When I was initially applying to colleges and universities as an undergrad, I wanted a COMPLETELY different experience for college, and I was MUCH more interested in small liberal arts colleges with "real" campuses that were outside of the city. At that time, NYU was therefore the EXACT opposite of ALL that I wanted in terms of my undergraduate collegiate experience.

By the time grad school came around, I was more open to returning to the city and attending a larger university, so I applied to NYU a second time. I wanted to attend another university MUCH more than I wanted NYU (yet again) so it wasn't one of my top grad school choices. I was accepted to NYU this time, BUT I chose elsewhere (Connecticut) to attend grad school.

In my third (& final) year of grad school, I applied to some post-graduate programs, so I could do a VERY specific post-grad Fellowship in my intended career field. LO & BEHOLD, NYU had the BEST Fellowship program, SO, I applied to NYU a third time, (& was accepted a second time) and got into a post-graduate program @ NYU/Steinhardt, and was at NYU for three years, & moved home to NYC from Connecticut.

NYU is a GREAT university, BUT, I just did NOT want to attend it as either an undergrad or as a first-year grad student; but post-grad program work @ NYU was just fine. I had PLENTY of friends and acquaintances from high school (and even a long-term college boyfriend) who'd all gone to NYU and their undergrad experience was NOT nearly as good as mine had been at a...