By Bayla Rothschild, Staff Writer
There are many reasons why students decide to attend their choice of college, and investigating them can shed light on the main goals of these students as they begin their collegiate journey. In order to take a look at these overall trends, the YU Observer conducted a survey analyzing why first time on campus (FTOC) students decided to enroll in Yeshiva University.
According to the Yeshiva University fall 2024 fact book from the Institutional Research & Assessment, there are 203 FTOCs enrolled in Stern College for Women (SCW), 143 FTOCs enrolled in Yeshiva College (YC), 55 FTOCs enrolled in the Sy Syms School of Business (SSSB) on the Beren campus, 173 FTOCs enrolled in SSSB on the Wilf campus, and 28 FTOCs pursuing Associate degrees, totaling 602 FTOC students at YU.
The YU Observer surveyed 126 FTOC students, 20.9% of the total number of FTOC students at YU. Of the students who responded, 50 (39.7%) are enrolled in SCW, 41 (32.5%) YC, 23 (18.3%) are enrolled in SSSB on the Wilf campus and 12 (9.5%) are enrolled in SSSB on the Beren campus.
Students also indicated which learning program they are a part of in YU. 57 (45.2%) are in the Rebecca Ivry Department of Judaic studies on the Beren campus and 3 (2.4%) are in the Mechina Pathways Program on the Beren campus. On the Wilf campus, 46 (36.5%) are a part of Mazer Yeshiva Programing (MYP), 8 (6.3%) are a part of Isaac Breuer College (IBC), 9 (7.1%) are a part of Beit Midrash Program (BMP) and 3 (2.4%) are a part of James Strier School (JSS).
When asked where they were last year, 107 (84.9%) responded that they were in yeshiva or seminary, 14 (11.1%) responded that they were in high school, 2 (1.6%) responded that they were in another college, 2 (1.6%) were on a gap year and 1 (.8%) was working.
Top reasons why students chose to attend YU
Students were then provided with multiple reasons as to why they may have chosen to come to YU, for which they were allowed to select multiple answers. 108 students (85.7%) responded that they came to YU for the Jewish life and learning; 60 students (47.6%) because of their family; 49 students (38.9%) because of the location; 46 students (36.5%) because of their friends; 41 students (32.5%) because of their career plans; 36 students (28.6%) because of antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiments on other college campuses; 28 students (22.2%) because of encouragement from their seminary or yeshiva; 26 students (20.6%) because of encouragement from their high school.
Students also had the option to write in other reasons as to why they came to YU. Some answers included financial reasons, wanting to be in the U.S. for college, not knowing where else to go, and because YU takes credits from students’ seminaries/yeshivas. Additionally, while the majority of students seem happy with their decision to attend YU, one expressed regret with their decision.
Of the students who attended yeshiva or seminary, 86 (78.9%) were committed to YU before their year in Israel, 15 (13.8%) were originally committed to another college and chose to come to YU during their year in Israel, 6 (5.5%) were not committed anywhere before their year in Israel, and 2 (1.8%) were originally committed to another college but always wanted to come to YU. [Students who responded included one who was in another college last year and one who took a gap year last year, but both went to seminary/yeshiva in years prior, totaling 109 students.]
When given the option to elaborate on why they chose to switch to YU during their year in Israel, students gave multiple answers, including not knowing about YU beforehand; having more friends in YU; the Jewish life; wanting to be around people that would be a good influence and help them thrive religiously; and because other colleges would not accept their credits from Israel.
“This is somewhere I would like to be:” Students’ Perspectives
Aleen Jaradeh (SCW ‘28), was in high school last year and thought about attending YU because she has a niece who goes to the university. “I came on the tour and I really liked the environment and I just thought, ‘this is somewhere I would like to be,’” she told the YU Observer.
Jaradeh said that she felt YU would be an environment that would help her “prosper” and set her up for a successful future. “I enjoy the people. I really love the teachers and the classes that they have to offer,” she continued. “They all form connections with you, and I feel like in another school that has bigger classes and stuff like that, you don’t really get that connection.”
Beth Levin (SCW ‘27) was in seminary last year and was committed to another college before going to Israel but decided to come to YU in the past year because of the Judaic studies learning opportunities.“My initial reason for choosing a different college was just price financially,” she told the YU Observer. “During my sem year in Israel, I realized the value of having a strong Jewish community” and “I wanted to make Stern a priority.”
In conclusion, the decision-making process for first-year and transfer students at YU is shaped by a variety of personal, academic, and religious factors. The survey conducted by the YU Observer reveals that Jewish life and learning are central motivations for many students, with family influence, location, and career plans also playing significant roles. These responses highlight how students are seeking a college campus where their Jewish identity can be nurtured and protected.
Editor’s Note: Emily Goldberg, Editor-in-Chief, contributed to this article.
Photo Caption: Students at fall 2024 orientation
Photo Credit: Yeshiva University