For Mark Hochberg NYU was the start of his glittering career in medicine and it is a place which he holds very dear memories of. This is a university which is widely considered to be the best in terms of research and teaching, and it is clear that they also know how to turn young, ambitious students into successes and celebrities. Indeed the ex-alumni of this great institution reads like a who’s who of successful people, and these are just some of the incredible ex-students which have passed through these halls.
Lady Gaga
A young Stefani Germanotta studied performing arts at NYU and as we all know has since gone on to reach incredible levels of success. Grammy awards, multiple platinum albums, sold out stadiums lengthy residences in Las Vegas and of course a Super Bowl half time show performance for the ages, now that is quite a CV. Lady Gaga has pushed boundaries with her music and her performances, and that seed was planted at this university.
Rick Rubin
Rick Rubin is the founder of Def Jam and a man who has produced some of the most amazing albums of all time. From Johnny Cash to the Beastie Boys, Jay-Z to Metallica, it appears that everything which Rick Rubin touches turns to gold. Rubin actually founded Def Jam whilst he was still at NYU, living on campus and launching a generation defining record label is something which you certainly don’t see everyday.
Spike Lee
Film director Spike Lee is known for his hit movies such as BlackKklansman, He Got Game, Malcolm X and Jungle Fever, forging himself to be a key figure in the film industry and in black culture. Spike Lee studied performing arts at NYU and he has often stated in interviews that it was his time and his education at NYU which helped him to find the inspiration and motivation which he was looking for in order to launch himself as a director.
Alec Baldwin
Alec Baldwin is one of the world’s most famous actors who has enjoyed a ridiculously successful career. From Pearl Harbor to The Hunt For Red October, not to mention his Emmy award winning appearances in 30 Rock, Baldwin has done just about everything that there is to do in the entertainment industry. Baldwin actually started studying in NYU in 1979 but didn’t complete the course, he returned in 1993 to finally graduate from the university, which is staggering considering that his career by that point was so successful that additional schooling somehow didn’t seem to be necessary. Baldwin has returned to the university to give speeches to graduating students, a real inspiration and yet another example of the high caliber of the students who graduate from this university.
The list goes on for notable ex students from Angelina Jolie to ambassadors of the United States, judges, doctors, attorneys and more, all of whom studied here and all of whom found great success.