The Taylor Swift Album to Listen to While Applying to Each NYU School

A classic country album, Taylor Swift released her debut in 2006. Much like this album is at the core of Swift’s discography, providing a foundation for her other works, the College of Arts and Science is NYU’s oldest and largest college. It has a unique liberal arts curriculum which allows students to explore their academic passions through the Core Curriculum and beyond. Consider singing along to “Our Song” or “Picture to Burn” as you finish up your CAS application!

This album was Swift’s true big break. Therefore, it’s no surprise that it was the first album she chose to re-record in 2021, as she built back her ownership of her own albums. Plus, these tunes established the foundation that Swift would build upon to establish herself in the music industry. Were those enough engineering puns? The Tandon School of Engineering is ​​the second-oldest private engineering and technology school in the US and deserves a timeless album like Fearless.

Speak Now is the only album written entirely by Taylor Swift herself. It explores life’s many transitions. Also, it represents Swift coming into her own as an artist. Students in Rory Meyers show that same initiative in the nursing profession, using hands-on clinical experiences to practice making the world a better place. Additionally, Meyers students are out here “shining like fireworks,”  to quote a lyric from “Dear John.”

If “All Too Well (Ten Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version)” belongs to any one NYU school, it would be NYU Gallatin. Red (Taylor’s Version) represents not only a bridging of genres from country to pop, but also a reclamation of Taylor’s work. Gallatin represents a unique and interdisciplinary blending of academic genres.

Fully leaving behind country stylings, 1989 highlights Taylor’s musical talent in the pop genre. Here, she flourishes with colorful hits such as “Shake It Off”–an anthem for SPS students if ever there was one. Students in the School of Professional Studies know something about going after exactly what they want. With unique programs in Sports Management, Tourism and Hospitality, and Real Estate, students in SPS get real-world experience as a part of their coursework from Day 1.

“Are you ready for it?” The NYU Stern School of Business certainly has a “big reputation.” Its students are known for their ambition, passion, and drive! Reputation is experimental and bold. The album is Swift making a statement about her resiliency. Stern students take initiative and know how to make a statement, much like how Swift broke her hiatus with this bold album.

Lover fits its title: sweet, vibrant, and exciting. It shows off Swift’s artistic freedom and the many directions her work could go– much like how the Liberal Studies Core allows NYU students to build a strong foundation before transitioning into another school. Students in the Liberal Studies Core  or Global Liberal Studies major have the unique opportunity to spend an entire year at a Study Away site, reflecting the free-spirited tone of Lover.

Written during the pandemic, Folklore is Swift’s  first album exploring fictional characters and stories. The Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development similarly explores the many ways humans connect. This album’s themes of reaching out to others goes hand-in-hand with studying the Humanities. Whether you’re a future educator, counselor, performer, or artist, let the stories in Folklore inspire you as you work on your application to Steinhardt!

Folklore’s sister album, Evermore also calls upon vibrant storytelling to create a beautifully natural work! The Silver School of Social Work may be one of the smallest schools at NYU, but its impact upon the larger community through the selflesswork of its students is immeasurable! Through hands-on experiences and innovative research, Silver students make the world a better place. Remember, “Never be so kind you forget to be clever. Never be so clever you forget to be kind.”

If Swift was anything for the release of her tenth studio album, it was theatrical. Students in Tisch School of the Arts certainly know a thing or two about “mak[ing] the whole place shimmer.” Similarly to the album’s chart-topping debut, Tisch artists and scholars continue to break records and find ways to redefine their respective crafts.