It comes as no surprise that an abundance of our students would like to study at NYU. Its trendy location and worldwide notoriety as a top research institution with quirky, original; Manhattan flare has attracted students from around the globe, which only increases its diversity and success. While it is obvious this school is on many students’ application lists, this article will discuss why it should or shouldn’t be.
I had the opportunity to sit down with Beau Benson, who is in charge of undergraduate admissions for Australasia. He gave me some insight into the application process for Australian students, as well as some helpful hints to aid in acceptance to undergraduate school at NYU. Beau visits Australian high schools each spring to recruit Australian students. This year he made it to Kambrook, Melbourne Grammar and Geelong. NYU actively seeks Australian students to bulk up their already burgeoning diversity.
So what does NYU look for in Australian students?
They look for students who enroll in courses courses that are deemed demanding according to their education system. While Australians cannot take APs, this is what is looked at instead. According to one’s proposed major, NYU staff looks for relevant experience and coursework in these areas. As for testing, applicants have the option of taking the SAT or instead can opt to take three SAT2s.
Furthermore, after the SAT is redesigned, NYU will still require the writing section to gain acceptance. While IB is considered helpful for all applicants, Beau says, “Academics are not the sole or final reason we admit someone”. Of course NYU will look at your background, what you have been offered and what you have taken advantage of and will judge accordingly. While rich students may have had the world handed to them on a silver platter, having this is not enough, applicants need to display a passion that burns from within them, because that is what will help them to get ahead at NYU. Therefore, there is so much more to a person than their IB score. What’s their personal story? NYU is more concerned with learning about how individuals get involved outside of the classroom. Therefore, extracurriculars are more of a main concern in terms of acceptance to NYU.
While some other schools suggest students taking local college courses to bulk up their academic resume over the summer or during a gap year, NYU prefers the types of students who go backpacking, make an independent film, do a few internships, write a novel or start a new hobby. The application essay is also a majorly important part of the application package at NYU. Since NYU is such a large, diverse and creative school, it is very advisable not to write about the three D’s (Depression, Death and Divorce) for your application essay. In addition, writing an essay about how you failed and overcame is not unique at all, says Beau. Living in the outback is required of all Australian students, therefore, these stories don’t make you sound different in your application, but more like a cliché. Therefore, Beau cautions against using your heritage to sound unique in your essay and urges,
“We are ALL interesting! NYU is not looking for those types of people who don’t find value in themselves. Whether they have been exposed to everything or exposed to nothing, everyone is interesting!”
NYU received almost 61,000 applicants this year, therefore it is necessary to be competitive to gain acceptance. You can apply Early Decision, however, acceptance rate does not necessarily increase through applying early, and it is still binding.
What does NYU have to offer me?
While those are a few things required of you to attend NYU, here is what NYU has to offer you. Because of it’s highly sought after location, NYU offers amazing internship opportunities, throughout ten undergraduate departments. Also, NYU realizes that it may be intimidating to move to a new city, let alone, one of the biggest ones in the world. Because of this, NYU has developed a highly interactive first year residential experience program, which really integrates students into living in Manhattan. You’ll notice, NYU has no gates. It is in and of the city. This may strike some as intimidating, but once integrated this will provide unprecedented freedom to roam and become woven into Manhattan’s diverse cultural fabric.
As mentioned, NYU provides a global experience. Not only do they have three campuses around the world but have the largest international student population percentage out of any school in the U.S. Not to mention, 30% of the student population originates from Asian countries. Additionally, NYU sends more students abroad than any other school in the U.S. While UCLA serves as the largest public research university in the U.S., NYU is the largest independent research university in the U.S. However, it still maintains relatively small class sizes, with the student to faculty ratio sitting at 10:1.
Location
We all know that NYC is the center of the universe, right? NYU sits across from, and nestles around Washington Square Park. And is smack in the middle of downtown Manhattan. It is on 5th avenue, which basically divides the east and west. NYC loves NYU. On the eve of their graduation at Yankee stadium, the lights atop the empire state building turn purple to represent NYU pride.
Student Housing
A central concern of many students wishing to venture off into a big new city is ‘Will it be safe?’, ‘Will I feel confident there?’ ‘Will I be guaranteed housing?’ The answer to all these questions at NYU is an astounding ‘Yes!’. While student housing is guaranteed for all four years, 50% of students choose to continue to live on campus after their first year. Dorm rooms at NYU are quite luxurious. Each room, shared by two people, has its own shower, meaning you will not have to share a shower with an entire floor of coeds. This is a rare thing, especially in such an overcrowded city. Security and such other student-oriented luxuries cost about 16-17k a year, which is relatively high compared to less safe parts of Manhattan, but the best part is you have the luxury to stay on campus or off.
Student Life
While NYC offers a plethora of activities, NYU offers 400+ student associations and organisations including the power napping club, the chicken and rice club (funded by NYU), as well as 21 varsity sports. In addition, NYU students are offered 22,000 internships that are offered solely to NYU students. In fact, 92% of students have at least one job or internship whilst being a student. Therefore, students who attend here are all very hands on and active. Their activity doesn’t stop there, 95% of NYU grads have procured a job or gotten into grad school within six months of graduating from NYU.
When accepted each student is appointed an advisor, who will work with them individually on developing a course structure to put their goals into action. When I asked my tour guide, Priya to define NYU in three words said, ‘Unique, Diverse and Fun.’ This seems to be an ongoing theme at NYU. A connected, yet set apart community, where one can grow, change and feel comfortable enough all at the same time. No wonder so many students choose to apply.
If you have any more questions about NYU from an American/Australian perspective, please feel free to e-mail [email protected].
