Waitlist Myth?

<p>I have a question about the wait list process/results of NYU. Is it true that since NYU is very expensive and so much more financially demanding than other schools, more admitted students will say "no" in their reply form? If this this true, than a greater amount of wait listed students will be admitted? And since NYU is so expensive, less people will reply to the wait list reply form because it is "not worth it."</p>

<p>Is my logic totally flawed? Or does it have some sense of actuality?</p>

<p>Financial reasons are usually always the number one reason as to why people turn down NYU. I think your chances of getting off the waitlist will be a lot better due to their stingy financial aid. I read on another post that last year’s waitlist took 50% (kind of optimistic if you ask me) but those numbers are pretty high…</p>

<p>The latest Common Data Set <a href=“Research with Human Subjects”>Research with Human Subjects; shows that 21% of those accepting a place on the waitlist were admitted.</p>

<p>This is all very interesting/helpful information. I still believe though that the percentage of people getting accepted off the wait list will increase this year due to the amount of people who say “no” on their reply form and people who don’t bother to accept a place on the waitlist (mainly because “it’s too expensive” or they think the other colleges they gotten into are better). This is just my theory. </p>

<p>Looking at vonlost’s post, 1/5 people accepted off the waitlist who accepted a place kind of scares me, because that’s a very low percentage. However, I still believe due to the stingy financial aid and high tuition, less people will bother with NYU. So hopefully, the yield will be different than 2 years ago…</p>

<p>Anyone else?</p>

<p>The economy if anything is on a re-bound. I think you may have had some people panic and not accept admissions offers in 2008/2009 more than now. Then it was more of a shock when people saw the stock market dive taking college savings with it.</p>

<p>NYU has always been expensive and has never met need. I’m sure NYU has a fairly good idea of what percentage of offers won’t be accepted due to finances. Most schools are able to predict their yields fairly well in a year that offers them no particular surprises. I don’t see anything happening in the world that would effect their yield in any significant way. Sorry :(</p>

<p>USKOOLFISH- what you miss in your analysis possibly and what GreenGecko may be on to something is that a significant part of NYU’s endowment must be invested in safer fixed income as opposed to stocks. Since 2008-2009 at least 1/3 of that allocation has seen interest rates fall from 5% on average to 1.5%. A dramatic loss in endowment income. Possibly this income was used for merit scholarships along with alumni donations specifically earmarked for merit scholarship or aid directly from NYU. So while the prospective students are feeling better about paying NYU’s high tuition or borrowing it NYU like many non- profits are in a low cash flow position from the endowments versus 12 years ago. Also they have been aggressively hitting up alumni like I have never seen before. I suspect they need more students that can pay the bill or borrow the tuition bill. Just my guess.</p>

<p>Sorry, songman, I know you want to believe that the waitlist will open up this year at a much higher rate than in the past, but I don’t see that.</p>

<p>Greengecko was referring to individuals and whether they can pay because of current economic conditions. And as I said, the economy is probably doing better now than October through December of last year when everyone applied.</p>

<p>The powers that be at NYU have a pretty clear understanding of what their yield is, and since there was not a catastrophic occurrence prior to May 1, I’m sure they are not surprised by this year’s yield.</p>

<p>As for how NYU invests their endowment, I would imagine a good part of it is in NYC real estate, which never saw a particularly horrible downturn in 2008 and is now climbing again.</p>

<p>But good luck to all hoping to get in!</p>

<p>USKOOLFISH- My point is that the list may open up to students able to pay rather than free riders in this environment? Not that it will open up at a much higher rate than previous years. (The market value of NYU’s total endowment at August 31, 2011 was approximately $2.7 billion; </p>

<p>[Operating</a> Budget Detail](<a href=“http://www.nyu.edu/about/news-publications/budget/operating-budget-detail.html]Operating”>http://www.nyu.edu/about/news-publications/budget/operating-budget-detail.html)</p>

<p>Income from commercial real estate represents 3% of the revenue budget. and it appears that Real estate might make up 10% of the actual endowment. Probably less as real asets can also be artwork, gold,patent income, assets other than real estate.</p>

<p>Endowment per Student in a national study of 518 private institutions’ endowments at June 30, 2011, NYU’s total endowment (including the School of Medicine) was the 18th largest in total size, but 163rd in endowment per student (or $75,003 per student). </p>

<p><a href=“http://www.nyu.edu/content/dam/nyu/investmentOffice/documents/NYU-INVOFC-SUMMARY-DEC2011.pdf[/url]”>http://www.nyu.edu/content/dam/nyu/investmentOffice/documents/NYU-INVOFC-SUMMARY-DEC2011.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>And that roughly 45% of the endowment is in fixed income and fixed income like investments- credits etc. So either NYU is a lender or they bought loans from others that yield higher than the low rates on treasuries, etc . As I referred to in my previous post.</p>

<p>We will never know, but my guess is that the amount of money offered to applicants will be lower than they thought. Some will decline admission opening up the waitlist. Maybe same rate as you pointed out.Thus if one did not look at the finances of NYU ahead of time they may be shocked at their offer letters? Although many on the CC boards claim NYU is notoriously “cheap”. I do not know this for a fact. All I know is what I see in the endowment figures and revenues and expenses. So the ones that have the ability to pay or borrow their tuition improve their chance of getting off the waitlist ?</p>

<p>@songman</p>

<p>Last year, NYU sent an email around the second week of May saying that roughly 250 people of the waitlist have been accepted. This year, a similar email was sent saying that only 75 people have been accepted of the waitlist. </p>

<p>If those numbers are to be believed, NYU is accepting less wait-listees than last year.</p>

<p>I wanna believe you’re right, as I have been wait-listed myself, but the numbers don’t look too good.</p>

<p>songman–since you bring up interesting ideas, I am going to give you my thoughts back…you are right…none of us will ever really know exactly what goes on for real.</p>

<p>My understanding is that the amount of money set aside for scholarships by NYU is part of their fiscal budget, determined annually, and is not a fluid number that changes based on interest earned or any one particular investment during the year. </p>

<p>NYU has not changed its financial aid drastically in the last few years. The only shift has been away from non-need based merit aid. But this money has been allocated towards giving more money towards those with need.</p>

<p>Hey I have been waitlisted @nyu for ms-information systems.
Would any of you know the % of people getting admitted off the waitlist.
Also what should i do to improve my chances of gettin in ?</p>

<p>GIANTMIDGET- how can they send out a letter already when people were just notified last week about being placed on the waitlist?..Don;t they have to wait until the acceptances decline? what am I missing here? By the way I am inquiring about transfers only ,not incoming freshmen waitlist stats.</p>

<p>@songman</p>

<p>I’m talking about freshman applicants and using it as an indicator as to what will happen with transfer students.</p>