The New School Reviews

"The Graduate Urban Policy Analysis program at the New School is a fascinating opportunity to investigate the socioeconomic interactions of urban systems and people. With a much more in-depth approach to urban issues, the degree program has, so far, been more informative and engaging than typical Public Admin programs. The New School Urban program focuses on the detailed analytical macro/micro relationships of resource and capital flows in urban settings instead of just a higher-level bureaucratic concepts that sometimes plague MPA programs. This program is ideal for candidates interested in doing Analysis work and long-term research and investigations into the dynamic mechanisms of urban systems."

"The pros of the program are that the professors are really good and the content is interesting. The cons are the classes are expensive and the computers on campus need to be updated."

"This is a new program so there are sometimes issues with registration and unclear syllabuses, but overall it has been a great experience. The student body is diverse and the faculty is knowledgeable and professional. Highly recommended."

"Pros: The New School is located in the heart of downtown NYC which offers a great deal of diversity and explorations however, this can also be seen as con simply because graduate school is different than undergraduate and I find that the social life for meeting other grad student is very limited."

"To attend The New School I had to take out the full amount of loans and it still didn't cover me because I live in the dorms. So there fore I need money from an outside source to cover my tuition."

"The school offers admissions to those who are eager to learn and have an interest in the field.This however also leads to students of different major joining in programs different from their background of study. While this is all part of the interactive field of study, and which helps nurture students with ideas from other fields, this is also a bit of limiting to other students who have studied in the same background. Joining in for an architecture program of 3 years, with students from fields such as Finance, Architectural History and Biology. While these students barely know to draw the technical drawings that architecture students have learned during undergraduate study, they are seated at par with architecture students.The architecture students are not offered advanced placement easily and the process involved in course waivers are intensive."

"The Nonprofit Management program at The New School is one of the most competitive, recognized and comprehensive in the country. It allows you to design the program the way you want it and gives several options for concentration. It is dynamic and features a lot of faculty support. It is ideal for working adults and allows you to work at your own pace. For many, the only downside is that the Economics requirement is a burden to most students because it is not taught in a way that allows individuals that are not math oriented to be successful. Most students in the program are there because they are analytical, progressive thinkers and the Econ program is not tailored for students such as that. But, overall it is a great program that I am very happy with and is worth the effort."

"It is a great program but sometimes it is hard to ge in touch with a professor"

"The school has dedicated and knowledgeable professors who are willing to really sit down and have a conversation with you and help connect you to the professional world. I work in my field of study and have already gotten so much from this program after only a semester and a half."

"Excellent faculty and great classes. Insufficient financial support."

"The New School has plenty of opportunity if you choose to seek it. This isn't a program where they hold your hand. You do your research on professors you'd like to work with and view the work they're doing. The program itself has great outlets to showcase your work and opportunity to teach you how to get to where you want to go. You first have to make the step to go out and find it yourself. If you're goal is to get out of here in 2 years then I suggest contacting professors after you get your acceptance letter. Start developing a network with other students on message boards and be sure to check out the department's website/blog for opportunities."

"The New School's Media Studies program offers an ideal mix of theory and practice. I am only a week into my first semester of classes, so my ratings are based more on the promise than the fulfillment of the program, but what I have experienced so far IS promising and a good fit for me."

"Pros: Connections at The New School are invaluable. Diverse student body and staff. Cons: Expensive, without financial aid. Scattered campus."

"The Parsons program is very intense and arduous but it definitely made my class better at everything we were making."

"I will be attending my first semester at Parsons this fall in the Master Architecture Program. However, I have just finished my Summer incoming Architecture graduate student program there and it was definitely intense. The workload was massive causing students to stay up to late hours in the night working away. Many students did not make it through the program due to the demanding schedule. Even though it was a heavy workload, the quality and quantity of work that each student produced was impressive. When I was deciding between Pratt or Parsons for architecture, I chose Parsons because I was told that they "m.a.k.e" things. It is definitely true that the experience at Parsons still concentrates on hand model making along with hand drafting. Many other schools such as Pratt are much more parametric, they usually study a lot more coding to create complex forms in modeling programs. I believe both styles have benefits but I am happy with my choice to attend Parsons."

"Pros 1.The Program is practically engaging and is a true learning experience. 2.The Program offers academically experienced and well versed professors . Cons 1.The Program is quite costly in terms of living expenses and tuition costs."

"Great Interaction with Staff and Other students as I begin the program. Tuition is VERY high and more scholarship/grant options would be well placed."

"Overall the program is good and you will learn a lot. The main concern should not be that the program fits with students work schedules but should be focused more on creating students that can stand out in their field. It lacks a bit in guiding students to successful careers after school is over."

"great program, considering myself lucky for being a part of this university"

"It's an ok school for a degree that isn't worth very much."