@realhummus "The way they word the program sounds great at first but then it looks like the equivalent of going to community college and then transferring into NYU"
I dont think that it is equivalent of going to community college. Accepted into LSP means that you ARE ACCEPTED into NYU's Program. You don't just go to whatever university in Paris, London, Florence, or Shanghai. You go to NYU IN Paris, London, Florence, or Shanghai.
Again, it is still a myth why students are accepted into this program. But see it this way: you managed to beat the 70% of the total number of applicants. In my opinion, that is quite an accomplishment!
cricket123: "From what I have read, LS seems to be for applicants with high SAT scores but GPAs that are slightly below NYU's average for admittance.
Like Jackyt, my writing relfected a gerat interest in studying abroad and getting a global education and being interested in liberal arts."
Well, my SAT scores were good, and my GPA is good too. I have a 4.6 GPA and I'm 16/325 students. I think it was more that I talked about wanting a Liberal Arts curriculum in my application. I actually used those exact words. Having the option to study in Paris for a year is incredible, especially since I want to major in art history and the romance languages. I've been regretting taking Spanish instead of French for the last 3 years, and now I have the opportunity to learn French while experiencing the culture at the same time. I think this program is starting to change from what it used to be. It seems like it is aimed more toward students who they think will thrive more with a Liberal Arts curriculum. I talked to one of my friends who goes to NYU now, and she says that being in the Core Program gives you more time to decide what you want to major in, too. I don't think the Core Program is a bad thing at all.
My biggest concern is how the program is perceived by other NYU students.
Do they think of the students in the Core program as sub-par? I mean, when it comes down to it, those of us who were admitted into this program got rejected from our first choice. Not to mention that we're not technically in a college at NYU.
I really think it is just students that would thrive more in a LAC-style setting. That way, the students get the best of both worlds, and NYU loses fewer people to those colleges. I stressed my interest in the liberal arts in my application, and actually applied directly to the Core.
I got a 2240 on my SAT (800R, 770W, 670M), am number 2/220 in my class with an unweighted GPA of somewhere around 3.8, president of four clubs, and active in my community. I received a likely letter from Dartmouth, and both an early-write and a STRIDE scholarship from Smith. I'm really not trying to brag, I'm just putting all that out there because statistically it's either at the high end of the pool or slightly above it (just based off numbers, which obviously are not the entire picture).
And as far as what other people at the college perceive it as? Who cares, it's a fantastic program with great opportunities. If they can't see that, their loss. It's like when people say that Barnard's just a back-door into Columbia.
Hey, I just got into the Core Program and I have to make a decision about where I want to spend my freshmen year. I've taken 3 years of French and am seriously considering Paris. I was wondering how your experience went. What was the cost? How difficult was the transition? Would you do it again or would you have picked a different city? How easy was travel to other places? Did you make many friends?
Thanks, bangara02. Very interesting, but more inflamed doubts than settled them. I appreciate that NYU rejects 2/3s or so altogether. However, this program does seem like a consolation prize where you're on a lower tier, but you get to do it in Paris or wherever. On the other hand, if you do well, you can graduate from CAS and it will all come out the same in the end. It's odd; other good schools do not do anything like this. Smacks a bit of a proprietary college. I'd like to hear from other parents about the program. Is it really intended for people who did not apply for financial aid or what?
Wow, theamazingemz. Maybe I shouldn't be so cynical. NYU's lack of transparency about the process makes me suspicious, though. Good luck! You have some great choices so far.
Hey crazy7ray: They sent out emails Monday afternoon and said they needed to know which campus you wanted to be on by 3/28. Picking a campus does not mean that you are committing to going to NYU, they just wanted an answer for planning purposes. So either they are not giving you a choice about a campus or . . .
Jeffs4ever: I applied for financial aid and I was accepted into the program without directly applying there, so it isn't a program for people that did not apply for financial aid.
