Hello, I’m a high school sophomore and I really need advice. I am really worried for my college future. I have been stressing since the beginning of my freshman year. I don’t exactly know what I want to go into but I know I really REALLY want to go to NYU. Right now I am working towards my Associate’s degree in high school so I can save money on general classes. My main concern is getting in to NYU. I have straight A’s in my normal high school classes and most of my college classes except for a C+ and B+. If I stay on track for the rest of my high school career will I still reach the requirements of NYU? Is there any advice that might help me worry less?
Thank You
Don’t fall in love with any school. You’re in 10th grade. Desires change. No school is perfect.
Do the best you can academically. Get involved out of class. You are less than halfway through HS. You want to enjoy your time. No reason to stress. For some HS is their best time.
Where you go to college matters less in life than your drive and determination, whichwill get you farther than where you go to school.
Why stress ? You will end up where you should, NYU or otherwise.
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First of all, if your screen name reveals your identity, change it immediately.
Worrying is not what you should be doing now. Concentrate on schoolwork and on compiling a record that will help you get into the right school for you. As you move through high school, your interests may become more specified, and this will help you to identify the right school for you.
NYU may not be a financial match for you. If finances are an issue, getting that associates degree in high school will help a lot, but probably not with NYU. They’re unlikely to give you much credit, if any, for college classes taken in high school. I applaud all your hard work. Keep at it - it may come in handy because it may very well be accepted by the school that turns out to be the right match for you.
Try not to worry so much about college right now. You’re doing all the right things, by doing so well in high school. It will all come out fine in the end - you’ll wind up at the right school for you. It just may not be NYU.
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Here is the link that shows if a college credit was used to fulfill a high school requirement, it will not count as college credit at NYU.
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I hope you can relax about college and enjoy high school. There are many wonderful schools out there. Check out the website for Colleges that Change Lives, for examples.
Why are you getting an associate’s degree? And are you doing dual enrollment? If so, why? Does your high school offer what you need?
Will you qualify for financial aid?
If you can spend four years at a residential college, you may get greater benefit from college. If you are trying to save money, financial aid might be a better route versus presenting an associate’s degree. (And if you are considered a transfer, financial aid may be affected…)
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Here is how to change your user name if it’s your real name. Please change this.
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Could you get into NYU? Theres about a 25% chance (so not 0). Can you afford NYU at 83k a year is the real question.
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This makes me sad. If my daughter could go back and do high school again, she would relax, have more fun, and worry less about how every decision she made was going to impact her college application. Looking back she does not feel the stress and anxiety was worth it. She did not end up where she thought she wanted to be…BUT is instead somewhere that has turned out to be an amazing fit for her. She’s getting a great education, having wonderful experiences and having fun. She is determined not to make the same mistake in college. She’s aware that she needs to study hard, get involved, make connections, etc. BUT, she gets involved with things she likes and enjoys and not just things that will look good on a grad school application or resume. She has turned down opportunities to do some things that probably would look good but would take time away from some other things she likes. And she is also making having fun and makes having down time a priority as well. Will these decisions hurt her…maybe? It’s hard to say. But it’s hard to say if they’d help her either. But I think developing into a happy, well-rounded human is just as important as creating a long list of accomplishments that don’t make her happy. I’m not suggesting she’s slacking, I’m just saying she’s being intentional about her choices and priorities.
For those of us who have been here awhile and have seen kids go through this admission process, we have seen so much disappointment. The admission process is unpredictable. Setting yourself up to only be happy at only 1 school is potentially a recipe for disaster. We’ve all seen those kids who are heartbroken when they don’t get into their “dream” school. But we’ve also seen those same kids thriving where they ended up. And we’ve seen kids who do get into their “dream” school and hate it. No school is magic. And no school is perfect. I don’t know your reasons for focusing on NYU but I strongly encourage you to branch out, look at other schools, and think about what you want out of your college experience and beyond.
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I’ll join the others and recommend that you give up the idea of a dream school. When the time comes work to create a solid college list that includes reach, match, and safety schools that appear affordable (find out your parents’ budget and run the net price calculator for each school) and that you would be happy to attend. The people I see who get hurt by the college admission process are the ones who focus on one or two schools and then don’t get in or can’t afford to go. You need to expand your horizons and recognize that there are many wonderful schools out there where you can have a great 4 year experience and get where you want to go in life.
In the meantime try to relax and enjoy HS. HS is an experience in an of itself – a time of growth and exploration. Enjoy your classes, family, and friends and find meaningful activities.
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NYU may not accept your credits earned while in high school, so if saving money is the goal, don’t set your heart on NYU. Transfer Credits
The main issue is likely to be that college classes you have taken as a high school student might not meet their standards.
NYU is also very expensive and notoriously stingy with merit awards. Be sure you can afford it.
Your goal is to go to college, not just NYU. So ensure you are applying to a range of colleges where your stats are in line with the majority of accepted students AND the acceptance rate is reasonable or at least not in the single digits. NYU is a safety for no one. Having your heart set on a dream is likely to lead to disappointment.
I agree with the other responses. There are thousands of colleges and universities in the US. There are hundreds that are very good for a strong student. You should not be fixated on one school.
If you want to be in a big city, there are still a huge number of very good colleges and universities in the US (and more elsewhere).
When applying to graduate schools, I was rejected by my “dream” university. I went to my second choice and LOVED IT. Years later I realized that my second choice had always been a better fit for me – I just did not realize it at the time.
You might want to read the “applying sideways” blog on the MIT admissions website. As I understand it the recommendation is that you do what is right for you, and do it well. The same approach would fit for NYU or other top schools. You do you, and trust that it will work out.
Take the courses that make sense for you. Participate in the ECs that make sense for you. Try to find time to have some fun and to get some sleep. Do not worry about universities at this point. You will find a good university when the time comes.
There is a song that says: “Take the little that you know, and you do the best you can. You see the rest with the quiet faith of man”. Do the best you can, take classes that make sense for you, keep ahead in your homework, and this will work out one way or another.
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I agree with the other posters who say it would make you happier to be more flexible. My kid really wanted to be in NYC for college, and because NYU was a well-known school, he initially put it at the top of his list. But we encouraged him to look at a wide range of schools in New York and also to look into schools in other cities. He did his research and realized there were a lot of schools that would make him really happy. In the end he did get into NYU, but ended up choosing a different school in New York, and is very happy there.
Keep in mind that the financial aid at NYU is notorious for being crummy, and they don’t accept dual enrollment credits either! So it may not be the best choice for you and your family. Do some digging into schools like the famous CUNY schools (Hunter, Brooklyn, City College etc.) Also look at SUNY schools like F.I.T. (in Manhattan) and Purchase and New Paltz (fairly close to the city.) All of these will be much less expensive, and much more likely to take your associates degree credits. Also look at privates that may give some aid such as Fordham (campuses in Manhattan and the Bronx), Pace, Eugene Lang, Marymount Manhattan, etc. Really, there are a ton of good choices in and near NYC. And of course NYC is not the only city in the world. Good luck!!!
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Hearing how very anxious you feel is concerning. Have you shared your worries with your family and friends? Hopefully you have and they have been supportive and reassuring.
I would also like to reassure you a bit — it is simply too soon for this level of worry about getting into NYU. Your college admissions season will come in due time. For now, you can speak with your family to better understand whether they plan to pay for your education. Also, I hope that you spend some time developing your own interests and enjoying the positive aspects of your high school (friends, favorite classes or teachers, interesting clubs, etc).
Again, it’s too soon to have your heart set on any particular school. But, because you are so very focused on NYU, I would like to share some information that you may find helpful down the line. I suggest a web search on the DAUS program at NYU SPS (the Division of Applied Undergraduate Studies at NYU’s School of Professional Studies).
In the future, DAUS may be up your alley since you might be applying to college with an Associates degree. DAUS is alternative route at NYU designed for the non-traditional student who is applying after already starting their college degree or earning an Associates. DAUS will accept previous college credits.
DAUS is the easiest Bachelors degree program to get into at NYU, with several choices of majors and its own streamlined application process. You do not apply through NYU Admissions. DAUS even has advisors who will meet with an applicant to give them an on-the-spot decision as soon as two days after they apply.
Again, while it is too early to focus solely on NYU, I do hope that learning about this alternative option is somewhat reassuring. DAUS has its pros and cons and it may not end up being right for you. NYU itself may not even end up on your college list at all. Only time will tell.
Please take good care and good luck to you!
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In psychological terms, you are idealizing NYU. You are imagining that it is something that would make all your dreams come true. It will not. It’s just a fantasy. Maybe you can be happy there (if you get in), maybe not. But it’s not the ONLY place that could work out well for you. It’s it’s very, very unhealthy to focus on one college. Think about whether you are like that with other things. Do you ever feel like you MUST get on one particular team, or you MUST have one particular boyfriend, or you MUST get a job at one particular store? If this is a prevalent feature of your life, you have a lot to think about.
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