Can I put Stern for ED1, and if deferred, change to CAS for ED2?

This discussion was created from comments split from: My goal is Stern. Would applying to CAS and transferring internally (if I get in) make sense?.

Can I put Stern for ED1, and if deferred, change to CAS for ED2?
It seems if get rejected in ED1 , then you cannot apply for any ED2 or Regular applications?
Thanks.

@charlienc , correct, if rejected in ED1 you cannot reapply for the same year. NYU itself may defer you to ED2 or RD from ED1, however. It may defer you in Stern or it may make you an offer of a second choice school in any of those early rounds too. If you are deferred it will be on the basis of your initial application so no you can’t just change your school if deferred.

And yes, they actively discourage people trying to use CAS as a backdoor into Stern. You can transfer, but it’s not easy.

@SJ2727 , Thanks for your information. Does that mean that in the ED1 applications, I can put Stern as first choice, and CAS as 2nd choice? If I cannot get into Stern, NYU will consider my 2nd option to get me into CAS?
Another question: if NYU put me into CAS, is it still bonded, and I have to go to CAS?

It seems that I can choose 2nd choice for campus like Shanghai, but cannot put 2nd choice as another school like CAS?
I really appreciate your help.

@happy1: Thanks for your reply. Stern is my first choice, and CAS is my 2nd choice. I really want to go to NYU. Can I put my 2nd choice (CAS) in the application, so if I cannot get into Stern, NUY will consider my 2nd choice (CAS) automatically?
Thanks.

You need to read the details of that particular application. If unclear, call admissions to clarify.

My daughter did not apply to Stern so I cannot be sure, but from what I have understood they do not allow you to put CAS as second choice if you are applying to Stern. You can likely put any of the other schools. I think they don’t want CAS full of rejected Stern applicants trying to transfer out.
Don’t put down another campus unless you are actually happy to go there.

As for second choice schools:

  • NYU decides if an alternative offer is made or not. So, if you are denied at Stern, they may either reject you outright or give you an offer at your second choice (or defer to a later round). I think whether or not the second choice is offered will very much depend on the individual application. I don’t know, but I suspect, that part of this will depend on your “why NYU” essay.
  • if you are made an offer of your second choice in an ED round it is not binding, but you still have to accept or turn down the offer by the ED1 deadline for accepting offers (so for example, by early January you will need to have decided if you were made an offer for your second choice during the ED1 round).

@SJ2727 : Thanks. That is helpful. But how does NYU know my preferred 2nd choice if I do not put there? So the only way to let NYU know my 2nd choice is in my “why NYU essay”? There is no place for that in application?
This is very important to me because I really want to go to NYU.

@charlienc I don’t know what you are seeing or not seeing, but there is definitely a place to put a second choice (I know this because my daughter listed a second choice school, but she applied to CAS as first choice). As I already said, if you don’t see it for Stern it could be because they restrict second choice options for certain applications. If you are still having problems, call or email NYU admissions to ask them details. My daughter found them to be responsive and helpful when she had questions.

What I meant by using your essay: let’s say your first choice is Tandon and you put Tisch as second choice (I don’t know that you can do this, this is just an example). Your essay is maybe all about the great engineering or comp sci options Tandon offers, and it would make no sense therefore for NYU to place you in Tisch if Tandon turns you down because it offers nothing aligned with your interests. On the other hand if your second choice is CAS, where you can do comp sci and similar types of courses to what you may have expressed interest in for Tandon, then it may make sense for them to offer you second choice.

@SJ2727 : Thank you so much for your suggestions. I will contact NYU about this question to make sure. Truly appreciate your help.

@charlienc , one other things occurs to me. You may want to check /read through the class of 2023 applicants thread - I seem to recall (but please check) that most of the Stern applicants to ED1 who did not get an outright offer /rejection were waitlisted to RD for Stern rather than made a second choice offer. I think I recall a second choice offer being mentioned for SPS though, possibly RD, but again not sure I’m recalling it all properly. That said the thread will probably be interesting to you anyway as you’ll see the kind of stats /ECs posters have too.