NYU alum discussing school/admissions

Colleges and Universities A-Z New York University
41

<p>NYer,</p>

<p>Writing a business related essay could certainly be beneficial in Stern admissions if you lack other business related actitivities and courses or if you are somewhat weak in the quantitative area. A business related essay could also show you have a strong interest in the types of fields that are studied at Stern, and might be a solid way to go. However, your prime consideration should be writing a great essay, notwithstanding the topic, and if a non-business topic helps you better achieve this goal..then go that route. So its a dillemma, the issue is what will produce the best essay for you.</p>

42

<p>Mattistotle,</p>

<p>Econ is a major in both CAS and Stern, and its taken in the same department, with the same classes, and same professors, etc. There is only one undergrad econ at NYU; its an option available to both CAS and Stern students. The different econ. depts come into play at the grad level...an MA/PhD student from arts & sciences would take different econ classes than Stern MBA students because the emphasis there is different. But with undergrad, its really all the same...in CAS, I took a few econ. classes, and it was basically a mix of CAS/Stern with a few others from NYU's various schools thrown in.</p>

43

<p>Dramahawk,</p>

<p>Your extracurriculars seem very relevant and would probably be looked favorably by Tisch. However, being well rounded is also important, so if its leadership you are looking to get, student government, leading roles on sports teams, etc. would always help for Tisch drama admissions since your whole extracurricular record is a factor, and the decision will not solely be based on your participation in productions (though thats important). Applying to Tisch does not mean you should be one dimensional, and leadership can come in many forms.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

44

<p>Hi! I'm so glad you started this thread, NYU is one of my top choices and I have some questions. First, can you give me an analysis for my admission chances to Stern? Thanks!</p>

<p>17 year old Jewish white female from Albany, NY. Great-grandfather attended NYU undergrad, father attended NYU Law.
SAT: 1520 (730 V, 790 M)
SAT II: 790 Writing, 720 US History, 720 Math IC (hoping they don't look at my two Math IIC scores of 630 and 640)
GPA: 3.8 at extremely competitive public high school</p>

<p>Classes taken: AP Calc, AP US History, AP World History, Advanced Chemistry, Advanced Spanish, Biology, Earth Science, Pre-Calc, 1st chair alto saxophone in Band, Choir</p>

<p>Senior classes: AP Statistics, AP Physics (although thinking of switching to Regents Physics because my teacher is terrible and my grades suck), Economics, Participation in Government, etc.</p>

<p>Extracurriculars:
12 years piano lessons
5 years alto saxophone lessons
3 years voice lessons
Started internet business in early 2003, current revenue exceeds $10,000
Some summer acting programs
Community service at local library</p>

<p>National Merit Commended Scholar (1370 PSAT)
Johns Hopkins Talent Search State Award Winner
Selected for All-Area Choir</p>

<p>Probably some other stuff I can't think of....</p>

<p>So what do you think? Also, I am interested in a career on Wall Street like the other poster earlier, and I think NYU would be a great springboard for that. Unfortunately the money situation is tight as my brother is also attending a private university, and I know NYU is stingy with scholarship money. Do you know anything about that?</p>

<p>Also, I've heard that some of NYUs freshman dorms are great, and some are horrendous. Any experience with that?</p>

<p>Thanks so much for all your help, sorry this is so long!</p>

<p>Kiki</p>

45

<p>kiki, you look good. On NYU's website, they say that only 9% of freshmen there have SATs over 1500...</p>

<p>i have a question as well....how much does NYU weight SAT II grades? how much would they count against you if you did poorly?</p>

46

<p>Kiki,</p>

<p>You're a very competitive applicant. Your great stats combined with your family history at NYU (though I'm not sure if you have actual legacy status since your father didn't go to the undergrad..but I'm sure you can call and check with the school about this) give you a great shot at getting in....start buying some NYU garb! Also, a word about the 9% of NYU students having over 1500, this stat is for all of NYU schools (CAS and Stern tend to have higher SAT scores), and would include minority groups, legacies, people from Montana, Tisch kids with low SAT scores but lots of talent, etc.</p>

<p>I'm not sure if you are applying early or regular decision, but applying early increases your chances and increases your financial aid. Generally NYU is pretty good with scholarship money, and you can always negotiate for more with the school, though of course there is no guarantee it will be of sucess.</p>

<p>The dorms tend to be very varied in the types, but usually have a very social and supportive atmosphere. I lived in Hayden my freshman year..and it was great. Hayden is quite nice and spacious, and has very social people who go out quite often (most of my best friends in college were made freshman year). I encourage you to visit the school if you have not already done so.</p>

<p>Best of luck.</p>

47

<p>HManx,</p>

<p>SAT II's are technically not required at NYU, but just about everybody takes them....NYU recommends 3, usually writing, math, and something else. Thus, SAT IIs, while not as important as the SAT, are still very much a part of the application process, good scores are looked upon favorably, while bad ones aren't.</p>

<p>Best of luck.</p>

48

<p>dramahawk, I can answer your question about e/c's as they relate to Tisch admissions. I have a D who is a sophomore at Tisch. What she has found is that most of the kids in Tisch are much like she was in h/s, i.e., very involved in drama productions, in the band, many years of private voice, dance and acting classes, often summer theatre programs but also, they were often, as she was, involved in h/s and club sports, student council, community service groups such as habitat for humanity, etc. </p>

<p>When you apply, you will be asked to complete the typical list of e/c's that every NYU applicant has to complete. However, on your audition day you will have to provide a drama resume detailing your drama experience and all of the roles you've played, the tech work you've done, etc. You also have to write an additional essay for Tisch. Are you involved in any other activities other than drama? </p>

<p>jwblue, your statement about Tisch kids with low SAT scores was not accurate. The year my D applied, Tisch SAT scores were second only to Stern. The idea that Tischies are talented but not good students is a myth. Trust me.</p>

49

<p>Alwaysamom,</p>

<p>I'm sorry if gave you the wrong idea....I never meant to imply Tisch kids were bad students, they are some of the most talented people on the planet, I was just comparing a particular attribute of theirs to the others at NYU. That being said, the notion that Tisch SAT scores are what you say is not true it seems to me. I'm an NYU grad. who has worked in the admissions office....and I can tell you the SAT pecking order at NYU has ALWAYS been like this:</p>

<ol>
<li>CAS/Stern</li>
<li>Gallatin</li>
<li>Tisch</li>
<li>School of ED</li>
<li>GSP, etc</li>
</ol>

<p>I graduated in 2000, so I'm open the idea that things might have changed, but I've kept in touch with NYU since leaving and still very involved with the school, and change on this issue doesn't seem to be the case. Of course if you have something official from NYU that supports what you are saying, I'd love to see it, like I said I been out of NYU for 4 years, and I'm open minded. </p>

<p>I personally know people who went to Tisch, are very talented (in areas such as film, drama, etc.) but just had lower SAT scores...please understand, I'm not putting the school down (people with 1500 on the SAT have been turned down from Tisch due to their portfolio not being good enough), but it seems to me, sometimes Tisch sometimes looks for talent in a different way.</p>

<p>Best regards.</p>

50

<p>jwblue, thank for your kind words. A poster on the regular "will I get in?" board attacked my lack of non-art related EC's, but in all seriousness I am not athletic and I feel I have done a lot with my music related activities for them to be viable. I am unfortunately having to apply regular decision because the amount of scholarship money I receive from each school I am admitted to will determine if I am able to attend or not, or else I would have applied early decision to NYU. I am very happy that you think I have a good chance though, I have visited NYU and really loved everything about it.</p>

<p>Kiki81ny (hopefully Stern class of 2009!)</p>

51

<p>jwblue, my D auditioned in November 2002 and is now a sophomore. The applicants that year may have been a particularly strong group academically, I don't know, but we were told by both someone in the admissions department, as well as an assistant dean at Tisch whose initials are E.D. (funnily enough) and I don't want to identify him by name in a public forum, that that year's accepted students had SAT scores second only to Stern accepted students. This didn't surprise me at all because my D had attended an arts h/s which was very challenging academically as well. Kids from that school go on to Ivys and top tier colleges every year, and it's very well known that most kids who excel artistically are also very bright students academically. I think the fact that so many Tisch kids double major in CAS speaks to the issue of their being very motivated and intelligent.</p>

<p>During one of our many visits to NYU before my D decided to apply, we discussed the different opportunities available to her at various NYU colleges. I'm not going to detail all of her academic awards here but since we're discussing SAT scores, I will say that she had 1530 on her SAT I and 780,780,790 on SAT IIs. We were told that with her academic record she would have been chosen to be a CAS presidential scholar, which as you know are the largest scholarships that NYU awards. Alas, she only wanted Tisch. In any case, since she's been there, she has said that she is surrounded in Tisch by kids who are academically strong as well as artistically. In fact, when she first arrived she was nicely surprised by meeting up with three kids she had met years ago at a summer program for academically gifted kids. My point is that, although there may be SOME kids who are admitted to Tisch who do not have as high SAT scores as some in other colleges, most are just as academically qualified as any at any NYU college.</p>

<p>I have three family members who are, or have been, professors at NYU so I, too, am very familiar with the school.</p>

52

<p>alwaysamom, since you seem to have a lot of connections to the school, do you have any thoughts on my chances? NYU has been my dream school for many years now and while I am fairly confident about my chances at some other schools (Boston U and George Washington to be exact) I am less confident about NYU as it is such a selective school. I look forward to any input you can give, thanks in advance!</p>

<p>Kiki</p>

53

<p>Dear jwblue,</p>

<p>How hard is it to change a major in Stern? I am thinking about Economics. But, I might easily switch to Finance.
Thanks</p>

54

<p>Hey, I would really love to know my chances, I'm applying early decision next fall (2005). I'm a 17 yr. old white female from Idaho :) (will this help that I'm from the middle of nowhere?)</p>

<p>Freshman Year:
Acc. Algebra
Acc. History
Acc. English
science
Art
Speech/tech reading (req'd)
Yearbook- editor
GPA, 1st sem: 3.7 2nd Sem: 3.8 </p>

<p>Sophmore year:
Acc. Geometry
Acc. english
Acc. Chemistry
German
Drawing
Western Civ
1st sem: 4.0 2nd Sem: 3.8 </p>

<p>Junior year:
AP US History
AP English
AP Biology
Yearbook- copy editor
German 2
Pre-calulus </p>

<p>Senior year: This is what I'm taking next year
AP Physics
AP Stats
AP English
AP Euro
German 3
Yearbook- hopefully editor in-chief
Zero hour: AP Econ </p>

<p>EC's
-Piano- 13 years
-Soccer- 13 years
-Cello- 6 years
-Bagpipe :-)- 3 years
-Aviation- 2 years
-F/X make-up- 2 years
-Girl scouts- 10 years
-Boise youth radio- 2 years
-Treasure valley TV- 2 years
- Member of the youth board
- Small pond film- 2 years
-I'm also working with an independent film company filming behind-the scenes documentarys.
- I'm taking extensive final cut pro classes, and I've gone to various film and writing workshops</p>

<p>Volunteer:
-Idaho VA- 2 1/2 years
I might be receiving an award for my volunteering done soon.
-MK nature center- 2 years
-Knock em' dead dinner theatre- 2 years
-Stagecoach theatre- 2 years
-Idaho food bank- 1 year
-Shakespeare festival- during summers
-Race for the cure- annually for five years </p>

<p>Honors and Awards:
-Bronze congressional awards (2004)
-Will finish my silver congressional award next summer
- Artist choice by freshman class
- Most accomplished artist- highest honor by art teacher.
- High school honor roll (9,10, probably 11,12)
- Yearbook editor (9,11)
probably a couple more.... </p>

<p>School clubs/activites
- Film club-(11,12) co-founder, president
- Philanthrophy (9)
- Teen outreach (9) co-founder
- Art club (9)
- Key club (10,11,12)
- Honor society (9.12)
- German club (10,11,12) president, class representative
- History club (10,11,12)
- Drama club (11,12) backstage volunteer
- Braves television club (11,12) create morning announcement videos. </p>

<p>Any comments would be great, please be honest! Also, for my admissions I'm sending in a documentary about Charlie Chaplin's modern times, do you think this would be a good choice? I'm also applying for the summer film program at NYU this summer. Thank you again!
also, I haven't taken my SAT's b/c I have to take the new one and I'm taking the ACT in December. Sorry it's so long!</p>

55

<p>what are my chances if I apply early?</p>

<p>I got to a really competitive highschool we're always in the top 20 in the nation </p>

<p>Right now I'm a junior and I should be getting about a 2000 on SAT
verbal: 630
writing: 630
math: 740</p>

<p>GPA: 3.65 (my gpa is low because 8th math counted, sinc ei was in 9H (c+) and spanish counted (b)</p>

<p>9th grade:
English 9: A
Intermediate II orchestra: A
Earth science: B+
Computer science I: A
Computer science II: A-
World History: A
Math 10R: B+
Spanish III: B+</p>

<p>10th grade
English 10: A-
Symphonic orchestra: A
Biology: B+
Health: A
Business/advertising: A
World History: A
Math 11R: B-
Spanish IV: A-</p>

<p>Classes (junior year): Symphonic orch, chem, AP US history, English honors, humanities, gym, AP spanish, Pre-calc, Latin X </p>

<p>classes that I'll probably take as a senior: Symphonic orchestra, ap bio, ap economics, ap govt, SUPA (college english class), creative writing, gym, ap spanish, AB calc, AP stats</p>

<p>EC's:
- Cummunity Action Committee(8,9,10,11) (treasuer- 11th, secretary- 9th)
- Interculural Unity Club(9,10,11) (committee head 9th-11th)
- Writing club(10,11)
- Tri-M (music honor society) (11)
- honor society (11)
- Vasity Club (11)
- Peer tutor (9,10,11)
- Spanish Club (9,10,11)
- Newspaper (10,11)
- JV field hockey (9,10,11) (captain 1oth & 11th)
- Varsity winter track (10)
- Varsity Lacrosse (9,10,11)
- horseback riding (5 years)
- viola (8 years)
- co-organized a large event for my scool to help needy children in India where we brought he whole school together and all the clubs and had a varsity soccer game play off (boys vs. girls) and fair and made thousands of dollars</p>

<p>Awards:
- spanish honor society
- Field hockey spirit award
- Editor choice award poetry.com
- published in top poets and poems of 2004
- Who's who among highschool students
- international soceity of who's who of poetry
- 2nd place Gold Haven Equestrian competition
- 2nd place Wheatley Invitational
- latin honor society</p>

<p>thanks for your help!!!!!!!!!!</p>

56

<p>Alwaysamom,</p>

<p>I'm just speaking from experience....when I worked in admissions, I used to see spreadsheets of the breakdown of scores from separate schools. Though I haven't seen any info from NYU indicating change, and I can't be certain what the case is anymore, but I saw what I saw. Tisch tended to have more % of people in the lower SAT ranges than other some NYU schools (ie CAS and Stern)....people who got in due to talent...which is a good thing, a school with nothing but bookworms all with 1600's on their SATs would be boring. </p>

<p>In any case, I agree with you that Tisch is an amazing school, with some amazing students...I knew many who doubled in CAS (being well rounded is a virtue). Your daughter's stats are indeed steller and I'm sure there are many like her in Tisch. You're also correct that most Tisch kids are very qualified academically, but I was putting things in a relative perspective when comparing Tisch to other NYU schools. Heck, even most people in NYU's GSP are pretty qualified academically. That being said, a talented artist with a less than perfect academic records has the best chance at Tisch (amongst NYU schools) if he can put togather an impressive portfolio or somehow show true talent within his field....that was my only point.</p>

<p>Best regards.</p>

57

<p>NYer,</p>

<p>I would imagine its not very difficult to double major or switch majors. Unlike some other NYU schools, when you apply to CAS or Stern, you don't apply to a specific major (though you do indicate preferences on the app). Switching a major if you dont like something after an introductory class should not be a difficult process at all.</p>

58

<p>Littlebeach3,</p>

<p>Your GPA if unweighted is pretty impressive. However, it would be very hard to guage your chances without SAT scores as this is a very important part of the process.</p>

<p>The fact that you are from Idaho would work in your favor. Be sure to get good grades your junior year, they are extremely important, likely the most important year grade wise. </p>

<p>Good luck. </p>

<p>-NYU class of '00</p>

59

<p>Pepgirl,</p>

<p>You've got competitive stats. Right now, I'm not sure what 2000 on the new SAT translates to on the old one, but you seem to be within NYU's range if you get that score.</p>

<p>You also have great activities, and may want to continue one of them in college...that has the potential to help you in admissions.</p>

<p>Keep the jr. year grades up and you should be fine!</p>

60

<p>jwblue,
Do you think if I keep my GPA at a 3.7 unweighted minimum and continue my outside activities I should be alright? I'm pretty sure I'll do fine on the SAT's and ACT's. Are my ec's O.K. I've heard NYU has a bagpipe program, would this help that I play in terms of admission? It's also hard for me to find film opportunities in Idaho but I've been working with about three independent film companies, volunteer at local theatres, and am working on my own films. I'm basically just wondering if everything I do besides my academics is up to par? Thanks again!</p>