I was accepted at Carnegie Mellon’s College of Fine Arts and NYU’s Tandon School of Engineering. I am very interested in the digital arts and merging art with computer science — I plan to pursue a career in something like game design, virtual reality applications, or computer graphics. At CMU, I would do the ETB track at the CFA and double major/minor in computer science (I tried applying for the BCSA but didn’t get into SCS), and I am also interested in the IDeATe program. At Tandon, I would be in the Honors program majoring in Integrated Digital Media, and I would double major/minor in computer science there as well. I really love both of these schools and I have no idea which to choose. Can people help me out?
Some notes:
-I like how at NYU I would kind of have the best of both worlds with the small campus at Tandon and then the big WSP campus. This leads me to question, however, how separate are the people/social lives at Tandon than those at the WSP campus? Will I ever get to be on the WSP campus? I want to meet and make friends w people from the whole school, not just Tandon.
-However in my original college searches (and I still would rather have this) I wanted a school that has an actual CAMPUS and is near a good/popular city. CMU fits this description almost exactly, whereas NYU doesn’t realllly have a “campus,” it’s just right in the city. I am worried that the city will give me too much anxiety bc there are so many people there. How good of a city is Pittsburgh compared to NYC? I’m guessing there are more resources in NYC than Pittsburgh, though?
-I know I would definitely have a more fun college experience at NYU, and the experience/social life at college is pretty important to me and is a big factor in my decision. Would I have any fun at CMU?
-Is it true that CMU CFA is so cliquey and excluded from the rest of the school? Does it have the same problem as Tandon? Also, do CFA students work less rigorously than the rest of CMU (which is what it’s notorious for)?
-How much will the Carnegie Mellon name (vs Tandon, which I’ve heard is just a “fine” engineering school) give me a leg up in my post-college career? I am most likely going to go to grad school and then I want to be in the entertainment/tech industry.
-^note that at Tandon I have the possibility of doing an accelerated BS/MS program where I could get both degrees in five years (I have to apply for this, and I will do it if I’m accepted).
-Are there better internship opportunities at one or the other?
-Although money isn’t a problem for me NYU is sliggghhtly less expensive (both schools are still really expensive).
Basically, my impression of these schools is that at NYU I would have a lot of fun and a pretty good education which would lead to good jobs, vs at CMU I would have a great education that would lead to great jobs, but with a mediocre amount of fun. Please tell me if my impressions are wrong! Thank you!