<p>Hi All, </p>
<pre><code> I realize Global Liberal Studies is a fairly new program and many of you may want to know more about it. I realize I a little bit late in the whole application process, but to those who made it to GLS, congratulations! If you have any questions, ask me away! I'll try my best to answer you as informative and quick as I can! (:
</code></pre>
<p>Little bit about me:
SAT: 2330
gpa: 3.75
accepted: Northwestern, Harvard, UChicago, Emory, Columbia</p>
<p>Yeah! You are just who we have been looking for! So, how do you like the program? It is interesting? How many students are in the program? What’s the breakdown of men/women? How would you describe the students–lots of internationals, offbeat, just regular arts and sciences types, or what? What about the professors, have they been good? Tell us, please!</p>
<p>What kinds of experiences in GLS differ from the other colleges? What are the negatives about the classes? The positives? And yes, like lenny2, I want to learn more about which professors are awesome to work with! </p>
<p>Other than the “Global” scale and the bachelor degree, what differs GLS from LSP? </p>
<p>How does this major look for the professional field? Is it for someone who wants to pursue law (or whatever)? Any special internship opportunities? </p>
<p>And the biggest question: What made YOU choose GLS? :D</p>
<p>Ahhh, another kid who took NYU over Ivies. Interesting to see how this plays out.</p>
<p>Haha, I think when we’re young, we’re conditioned to strive for the ivies mainly because of the name brand and the network. But ultimately, it’s what you get out of the education and what you want to pursue. </p>
<p>On a international level, I also made it to Cambridge University and other ivies or top schools. I picked GLS because the major drew me in. Global Liberal Studies is one of the few programs that really teaches us the things that many universities don’t even consider: the 7 arts: the art of expression (writing, reading, speaking), music, astronomy, geometry, and arithmetic. I’m planning to go to Law School after I graduate so to me, having a strong writing & speaking skills is a must. I originally wanted to double major in journalism with philosophy and minor in econ or politics. But at the end of the day, GLS focuses more than just a specific major like philosophy. GLS emphasizes great works like Plato’s Republic and combines ideas from other cultures over the ages. We touch many fields like: literature, history, philosophy, political science, physical/biological science, math, foreign language (which is a must), music and art.</p>
<p>To an outsider, our program can seem daunting. Remember, GLS is more selective than Stern. But that doesn’t certainly mean that one is better than the other. We’re at the opposite ends of the spectrum, Stern and GLS are very different. GLS is smaller and has even smaller pool to select from thus, we’re more selective when it come to numbers/%. </p>
<p>As first year students, we read more than any other school. I remember last semester I read about 20-30 books, excluding the extra packets of reading. The program really lets you to grow as a reader and to critically analyze each texts. If you plan to go any field, whether it be a science major or even to law field, one needs to deliver one’s thoughts precisely and effectively. GLS helps you get there and achieve your greatest potential. </p>
<p>GLS and LSP is different in that LSP is only a 2 year field. You get the basics down: Social Foundation, Writing class, and Cultural Foundation. Respectively, they touch on 7 arts I stated above. As a GLS student, you take sophomore seminars that reinforce the global perspective you learned from your first year. Ultimately, within the program, you decide on what you’re going to concentrate on: Arts and Literatures, Contemporary Culture and Creative Production, Histories, Philosophies, and Worldviews, Identities and Representations, Politics, Rights, and Development, & Science and Society. I’m only a first year so I haven’t experienced that yet…haha
And as third year, we spend our year abroad for a whole year in either: Africa, Asia, Europe or Latin America. Finally as senior, we come back to NYU campus and create a research project that integrates the 4 years of study we have done. </p>
<p>We’re sort of like Gallatin in that we do things in our way/pace but it’s set. We don’t specifically learn a certain route and there is no yes/no answer. The class size is pretty small, at most you’ll have 30 students. One of my smallest class is about 16 kids. I have to say though, the ratio to boys/girls is pretty evident but at global we do have lot of guys. (but you have to understand, when you come to NYU, there’s more girls…haha) As for students? Well you have your one or two offbeat students but generally, they’re all intellectuals. We have a lot of international kids, not just from Asia, but more so from Europe. We have lots of UK & European kids. Most of all GLS students are really smart. They know their voice and most of them have a future in mind. We’re highly motivated students and we all have a set goal that all of us want to achieve. </p>
<p>Are we competitive? Yes we are. But does that mean we’re mean and nasty towards each other? On the contrary, we’re the opposite. All of us are highly supportive and are there to help each other. All you need to do is speak up. </p>
<p>The professors are wonderful. Usually ratemyprofessors.com is pretty accurate. The Social Foundation professors are geared towards less on grading and more on learning aspect. All the teachers emphasize the joy of learning for the sake of learning and gaining knowledge rather than that A you could have gotten. I’d say the gradings are very fair. </p>
<p>One special thing about GLS that I especially like is the GLS extra curriculum. We get a email to go on a free museum tour or other cool stuff. Like this weekend, i’m going over to Museum of American Finance and get to see the Hamilton room! All i need to pay is the metrocard which is only 2.25. Good right? :D</p>
<p>Thanks so much for all that information. It is really helpful. We really appreciate you taking the time to help us out.</p>
<p>This was very helpful! I’m excited about GLS, IF I go to NYU (I’ve still yet to make a decision). Thank you!</p>
<p>I have two questions regarding GLS.</p>
<p>First, I am really interested in transferring to NYU as a GLS major and here are my stats</p>
<p>I just completed my junior year and I will be going abroad for a year to work with orphans and improve my arabic.</p>
<p>Top20 Public State University
Partial Scholarship
Major:Individual studies (students who dont have their major offered at the university)
G.P.A: 3.88
4.0 for the last four semesters
1 Federal Government Internships
1 Social Enterprise Internship
2 NGO internships</p>
<p>EC
Orphanage work and independent research (2-4 weeks each) in Tanzania, Uganda, Senegal, Morocco, and Jordan
Social Entrepreneurship-After returning from a volunteer trip to Africa, I worked with a NGO in there to create a cheap volunteer program that sent 2 fellow students to a 2 week volunteer trip for less than $800 each, Raised over $5,000 independently for orphanges and NGOs in developing countries
Taking a year off to volunteer and to study Arabic in Morocco
President of campus group that works on advocacy and funding for refugees in Darfur
and Coordinator for DC nonprofit that works for Darfuri Refugees</p>
<p>Two on campus jobs and extensive social entrepreneurial work and non profit sector work</p>
<p>Other Factors-
I have been to 15 countries (worked and volunteered in 5 developing countries)
I can speak Arabic, French, Swahili, Hindi, Urdu.
I am of Afghani/Pakistani descent</p>
<p>My goal is to work on social entrepreneurship and global understanding with a focus on Muslim majority countries.</p>
<p>What do you think my chances are for transferring </p>
<p>AND</p>
<p>How difficult is the course work for GLS.</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>The GLS program is a 4 year set curriculum so I’m pretty sure you couldn’t transfer as you would be lacking all the classes that a GLS major your level would have taken. </p>
<p>Also, what grade are you? You said you just completed your junior year and are still going abroad. Soooo that leaves one year left? It’d be a waste of time to transfer and a waste of the application fee.</p>
<p>Is it possible to Double Major in this program? and what kind of jobs do people of this major get?</p>
<p>I would be transferring and doing 2 years at NYU if I got in. undergrad in 5 years basically due to a change in majors…guess I cant do it at NYU…any suggestions? i really wanna get outa UMD and into a place where I can take good international based courses in the social sciences…</p>
<p>terps,</p>
<p>you could still transfer to be an IR major? It’s a two year honors major that you’d probably need to take a couple of classes or see if some from UMD transfer to get into but that’s a good bet with your credentials. The GLS program is kind of out though.</p>
<p>Woeishe,</p>
<p>We were told on admit day that there isn’t double majoring, yet. You can minor through other schools. As for your job question there currently isn’t a GLS alumni class. but for internships and summer jobs that GLS students have had let me direct you to this website [NYU</a> > A & S > Get To Know GLS Students](<a href=“http://gls.nyu.edu/page/gls.student]NYU”>http://gls.nyu.edu/page/gls.student) which has some info about GLS students. At admit day we learned of a kid who was going to intern at the National Economic Council. I’m a rising freshman so I’m not that in the know, but before selecting GLS I researched it heavily since it’s a relatively new program.</p>
<p>I’m a sophomore transferring out of GLS. No one seems to know what courses will be offered in the junior year abroad. The first two years are basically identical to the Liberal Studies program. My boyfriend transferred out last year because he thought the GLS program would be like an IR degree. It isn’t. Most of the classes are humanities-type classes. Many of us are worried that graduate schools will not accept us for not completing a major. The academic counselors say that GLS is our major, but really it’s a major of no major. One administrator who always wears polyester mini-skirts (OMG! eek) told me that junior year students will have to take a “tele-conference seminar” with a teacher back home in New York. Like we’ll want to be up at 4 in the morning? She also made fun of the teachers, calling them stupid for not using her blog. I was shocked to hear this. I think almost all of my teachers have been awesome, but there is just a feeling that the administration is making up the upper-division courses as they go along. It’s very frustrating, and many of us worry that graduate schools will not want to accept us unless we complete remedial coursework for a major. The students who are happy like the idea of having an easy junior year of traveling, without having to work that hard on any one thing. </p>
<p>Global Leisure Studies</p>
<p>Save your $$$$ for graduate school</p>
<p>I disagree with LucyTechtalk for numerous reasons,</p>
<p>1.) You can double major (I’m double majoring in GLS + East Asian Studies w/ a minor in Public Policy and Management) all you have to do is understand what is going on in the world? Read the website, talk to the advisers with a cohesive plan?</p>
<p>2.) The Junior year abroad courses are outlined on gls.nyu.edu and the respective abroad location’s page (ie: NYU Shanghai) and the classes offered there even have syllabi! Whoa!</p>
<p>3.) I know who LucyTechtalk is talking about, just ignore the one administrator that seems odd, the rest are awesome people especially the advisers who are really helpful.</p>
<p>4.) Most graduate schools are going to look at your GRE scores, your application essays, what you’ve done with your major, etc. It’s not like someone goes “THIS PERSON DID GLS THROW THEIR APPLICATION AWAY!!” If anything, the relative novelty of it would create a space for potential re-read or being added to the “good” stack of applications lol.</p>
<p>5.) LucyTechtalk said the professors are awesome, which the are.</p>
<p>6.) “The students who are happy like the idea of having an easy junior year of traveling, without having to work that hard on any one thing.” <—Gross generalization especially when you look into what you can do in addition to the major. </p>
<p>7.) “My boyfriend transferred out last year because he thought the GLS program would be like an IR degree. It isn’t. Most of the classes are humanities-type classes.” <---- He could have minored in politics or a specific study of a region. IR has become the new “business” degree so I don’t know if you’d want it anyways. Especially since it somehow adds quantitative elements to decision making. Like game theory is interesting in a vacuum, but does it really account for the multitude of actors involved in international politics? I digress…</p>
<p>8.) Small classes anyone? Does anyone think that is valuable in and of itself? My friends at BU, Harvard, MIT, NYU CAS/Stern, all have huge classes of 50+. My biggest class maybe has 20ish kids in it? That’s the exception since the others have 15-17.</p>
<p>9.) You can do a 5 year BA/MA program through NYU with the GLS program. Meaning, you can get into NYU GSAS for a masters in Global affairs. Boom, problem solved.</p>
<p>Regardless of what you are looking for in a school, you should always do your own research and really think hard about what you want to do. That is common sense really (no offense to those who didn’t expect what GLS is, better luck next time?)</p>
<p>When I went to one of NYU’s events, I was told that GLS admits less than 8% of applicants due to their special selection criteria</p>
<p>Oscar2049 - Who are you and who have you been taking classes with?! Lol.</p>
<p>I have a couple problems with your post:</p>
<p>1) There is no junior year site in Africa at the moment. They were debating about opening one in Accra, but it’s definitely not going to be available to the class of 2015.
2) There are substantially more girls than guys in GLS. Not sure if I misunderstood what you were saying, but it sounded like you were describing the situation as being the other way around.
3) What admission event were you at that said GLS only admitted 8% of applicants?! I’ve been searching for that information for literally months, and I gotta admit, I don’t really believe that statistic. Also, saying that GLS is more competitive to get into than Stern seems ridiculous to me when only like a 1/3 of the kids in the program got over 700 on the Writing SAT (if you want to know how I came up with that PM me).
4) I’m struggling with how to word this because a lot of the information you’ve presented is accurate and I don’t want to needlessly disparage my fellow students, but honestly, I don’t think describing them as “intellectual” is at all fair across the board. Honestly, potential GLS’ers, Oscar2049 is right in saying that (most) of the professors are fantastic, but expect them to be the ones that challenge you, not your peers. I will just leave it at that.</p>
<p>EDIT: Also, expect a ridiculous amount of stigma from being associated with Liberal Studies. You will explain you major to everyone and they will look at you like you’re trying to pull the wool over your eyes and it will never, ever go away. I’m okay with it because I love the program, but I wish someone had warned me about it beforehand.</p>