Ivy League HYP: Princeton & Yale vs. NYU Abu Dhabi

Colleges & Universities Princeton University
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<p>Hi, im sorry, i should have been more clear about what i meant. The bridge program would help accomplish my life goals of seeing the world in global terms. What i meant was, the bridge program doesn’t accomplish some of my academics goals like studying abroad would (get both the experience and course credits towards my degrees). And thanks for clarifying the 4/5-year graduation question.</p>

<p>haha, i will definitely keep those suggestions in mind when i go to princeton preview. And i guess i will have to find out whether or not princeton will financially support the bridge program. From what you know about the bridge program and the glimpses into who i am, do you think it would be a good fit for me, or would you recommend me going straight to college? Did you study computer engineering, or engineering in general?</p>

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<p>I told you earlier that the president is very committed to encouraging students to gain an international experience. My understanding is that Princeton will pay for your living expenses and there is no tuition for the Bridge year. The student is responsible for travel expenses but travel and incidental expenses may be covered by a university grant if there is a financial need. </p>

<p>I do not know you well enough to recommend that the Bridge program would be a meaningful experience for you. The Bridge program is a service program where you work on community projects; it is not sight seeing and entertainment. If you want to learn a foreign language and total immersion in a foreign culture then the Bridge program may be good for you. It seems that Princeton chooses the locations and projects to ensure student safety and cultural immersion.</p>

<p>Read the blog on the activities of current Bridge year students:
[Bridge</a> Year Program - Updates from the Field](<a href=“http://www.princeton.edu/bridgeyear/updates/]Bridge”>Reflections and Connections | Office of International Programs) </p>

<p>Only you can decide if this meets your educational objectives.</p>

<p>I was an electrical engineer; Princeton did not have computer science department when I attended. BTW, the CS department is first rate.</p>

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<p>I’m in pretty much the same situation as you; I’m debating between NYU Abu Dhabi and Harvard! I’m leaning towards NYU Abu Dhabi at the moment, but only after having suffered one of the most mentally exhausting weeks of my life - all because of this one stupid life-changing decision. :P</p>

<p>Obviously every person is different, and the factors that go into choosing a college are not the same from individual to individual. But I thought I’d offer up some of what convinced me to take the plunge, at least for the moment:</p>

<p>Travel. I don’t think there is any other university in the world that will be able to offer the sort of opportunity for travel that NYU Abu Dhabi is going to be able to provide. Those amazing two or three semesters abroad are one thing, but you also have January terms and mid-semester regional study trips (I’ve been perusing the calendar much too closely, haha), and even just a passing glance at the course listings reveals trips to locales like Berlin, India, and Shanghai as part of the courses themselves. I’ve wanted to travel the world for a long time, and I fear that if I went to Cambridge, I would a) never be able to drag myself away from it and b) be competing with thousands of other students for study abroad opportunities and grants. NYU Abu Dhabi flat-out wants you to leave as often as you can to see the world, and it’s ALL going to be paid for.</p>

<p>Attention from professors. I’ve read wild generalizations about professors at HYP and how they only focus on grad students; while I’m suspicious of such accusations, I do believe that deep and meaningful relationships with professors at NYUAD will be far easier to achieve than in a sprawling Ivy school like Harvard or Princeton. For one thing, the student-to-faculty ratio is going to be something like 3:1. And for another, everyone will be living together at Sama Tower. People actually gasp when I tell them how many students to every teacher there are at NYU Abu Dhabi, and for good reason. And how effortlessly wonderful would it be to get internships, recommendations, lab positions, anything from the professor you just went dune crashing in the desert with? (Okay, now I’m just daydreaming, but you get my drift.)</p>

<p>Pioneering. Many people are wary of NYUAD because it’s been established for approximately 0 years, but that’s no reason to shy away from it, especially if you want to be a pioneer and start new projects and build new things. Here, you can experiment with different clubs and ideas, without having to be tied down by “tradition”. The classes already sound amazing, but if you want something changed, all you’d have to do is ask. And personally, I want to start an orchestra in NYUAD instead of crying over not getting into the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra. ;D</p>

<p>ABU DHABI. The place is absolutely fascinating, and contrary to what posters before has said, it certainly does have a culture. Quite aside from the new Guggenheim and Louvre, and apart from the amazing international superstars it seems to have attracted in sports and music and everything else (Roger Federer! Rihanna! the Vienna Philharmonic!), it’s also a place with a very distinct history. And I don’t know, I’m the sort of person who loves being thrown into something completely new - I remember during Candidate Weekend, I keep being struck with the idea that I wanted to figure the place out. It’s a fledgling metropolis, there’s a wonderful mix of the old and the new - it’s endlessly interesting. I can’t get over it.</p>

<p>And some more superficial reasons …</p>

<p>The weather. I actually can adapt to all sorts of climates, but warm weather is REALLY nice and being right next to the beach is even better. Who else do you know will get to hang out on the sandy shores of the Persian Gulf?</p>

<p>The dorms. You’ve seen them … they’re basically little palaces, haha.</p>

<p>The malls. The city’s rich. Rich people like nice things! The malls are among the most spectacular I have ever seen.</p>

<p>For what it’s worth, I don’t see NYU Abu Dhabi failing - especially in the time that we’ll be there, haha. People have been very quick to draw connections between Dubai’s bankruptcy/general failure and the future of Abu Dhabi, but the truth is that they are two very different emirates within the same country. The government of Abu Dhabi is spending wisely, trying out sustainability, moving forward; the focus on new universities like NYU Abu Dhabi reflects their interest not only in diversity but also innovation. And, on a more personal level, you know that there will always be a support system in Abu Dhabi for you - you know, those other 150 kids who decided to take the plunge, ditch the Ivies, and contribute to a new paradigm in education thousands of miles away in the Middle East. :)</p>

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<p>Wow, nota. Great minds do think alike :smiley: My one fear is that there won’t be enough of us who will take this leap of faith. That, essentially, most of the brightest ones faced with this decision will choose the traditional path. Of course, everyone admitted no average joe, but im afraid that the student body won’t be of as high caliber as we anticipated. I know i sound very contradictory right now, first speaking of taking a leap of faith, then talking about my fears. It’s only because i honestly don’t know what to do. Both you and Pton bring up very valid arguments.</p>

<p>If we go to Harvard/Princeton, we would essentially be set for life. Okay, I exaggerated a little bit, but you know what i mean. Grad-school opportunities will open up that probably won’t if we attend NYUAD. In addition, the global name-recognition will really give us a boost for both careers and other intangibles. It seems like we would have a leg-up on people who graduate from NYUAD, if we choose HYP. After all, the goal of NYU AD is to become one of the top 20 (or is it 10?) universities in the world by 2020. Even if that were to happen, it would not surpass HYP, at least not academically or whatever measure they use to rank universities. HYP are already like #1 in the world. Just trying to look at it from both sides. </p>

<p>:D, lol, and i know what you mean about the taxing week. I’ve spent hours and hours researching as much as i can about both schools. Plus, i have argued with my parents and relatives, who, being traditional, are advocating for princeton. and although i’ve never been one to listen to my parents, or anyone else for that matter :stuck_out_tongue: , i would like to have my parents on board. I even had vivica from nyuad talk to my mom (not convinced :frowning: ). </p>

<p>Hey, are you going to any of the nyu ad road receptions? I’m going to the one in nyc on the 17th. I’m gonna bring my dad with me, and Linda and Carol are getting an interpreter for my dad. Something i guess just won’t happen at other schools. Hopefully, he won’t be able to resist some john sexton persuasion ;)</p>

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<p>Well, though I really haven’t met too many other students outside of the ones I met at my own candidate weekend, I know of one girl who’s turning down MIT for NYUAD and another who’s very, very likely to choose NYUAD over Brown! I’m not really worried about the caliber of students who will attend NYU Abu Dhabi, mostly, I think, because so many people I’ve met who have the school at the top of their list have already shown themselves (through Facebook conversations, no less) to be incredibly brilliant.</p>

<p>Of course I’m heavily swayed by Harvard - its name, its prestige, its opportunities. But, though its a mantra you generally won’t hear repeated once you walk through the gates of the Ivy League, where you go to college will ultimately be overshadowed about what you accomplish while you’re there. And I know very little about grad school admissions, but I can’t imagine that NYUAD (with its amazing opportunities for research) would be a handicap when applying, especially after schools and/or potential employers see just how much you accomplished as a social and academic pioneer - should, of course, you choose to take advantage of everything that Abu Dhabi offers. </p>

<p>(What a run-on sentence! I’m really sorry. I get rambly on the internet.)</p>

<p>Again, though, it’s also a very personal decision. I think I’d be more overwhelmed by Cambridge, Massachussetts than Abu Dhabi, and I think I’d be better off trying to find myself and trying to grow as a person on the other side of the world. It will be sad, not being able to wear sweatshirts that say HARVARD everywhere … … but I think … that’s a small price to pay. :P</p>

<p>Also, I’m going to the road reception in Atlanta, GA! :slight_smile: Though so far I haven’t heard of anybody else in Georgia who got in, so it may be an awkward experience with me and a bunch of faculty? We’ll see though … my parents are on board with either Harvard or NYU Abu Dhabi, mostly because they won’t have to pay a cent for my education if I choose the latter, hahaha.</p>

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<p>In response to #23, Princeton doesn’t have many grad schools, so the professors there are all 100% undergrad focused.</p>

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<p>haha, yeah, nota, i know the people you are talking about :wink: Man, i know my parents were against this, but i never realized to what degree until today. After telling them of the possibility of attending nyuad, my mom haven’t been able to sleep for the last 4 days, and now she’s in the hospital. You are lucky your parents are so cool about this. Honestly, my dad bluntly told me that if i decided to go to nyuad, then it means i don’t care about my family. the implications of such a statement are obvious. I seriously believe my mom might be sick, literally, for months, if not years. I don’t know if i can live with myself. man, why is life so hard</p>

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<p>Chenkai37 I am sorry to hear about your mother’s health. I wrote the section below before I read your statement… I was fortunate that my parents supported my decision where I wanted to go to college. Parents generally come around and support their children. Many a child has selected a spouse that their parents do not support; yet the parents end up making the situation work. A gap year might be good for you.</p>

<p>It is very difficult to compare what might be with what is. NYU Abu Dhabi may became a utopia. Princeton’s more modest goal is to provide the best undergraduate education in the world.</p>

<p>Notamushroom fantasizes about being Lawrence of Arabia dunes crashing with a professor. You will not be able to do that at Princeton, just eat a meal or share coffee with a faculty member that lives in your college. </p>

<p>Professors at HYP and how they only focus on grad students. Princeton has an undergraduate focus so you need to learn more about Princeton. I will let H & Y alumni comment.</p>

<p>I do believe that deep and meaningful relationships with professors at NYUAD will be far easier to achieve than in a sprawling Ivy school like Harvard or Princeton. Sprawling? Have you ever been to the Princeton campus? You can walk from central campus to the edge of campus in about 10 minutes. It is difficult to do independent research & not have a deep & meaningful relationship with your faculty advisor.</p>

<p>Everyone will be living together at Sama Tower. Faculty Masters live in the colleges at Princeton.</p>

<p>Without having to be tied down by “tradition”. Princeton’s principle tradition is providing a good undergraduate education. I sincerely hope that NYU Abu Dhabi can develop that tradition.</p>

<p>For what it’s worth, I don’t see NYU Abu Dhabi failing. I have not heard anyone being concerned about Princeton failing either!</p>

<p>The NYU Abu Dhabi Institute as a major research center. Maybe, or it might take awhile. The major research universities have taken a long time to attract the faculty worthy of a major research center.</p>

<p>NYU’s formal affiliation with the Polytechnic Institute of NYU (formerly Polytechnic University) in summer 2008 as well as extant programs in NYU schools will be instrumental in building the engineering programs at NYU Abu Dhabi. Before you count on immediate excellence you might compare the academic ranking of NYU, Polytechnic, and Princeton.</p>

<p>Because NYU Abu Dhabi will begin classes in fall 2010 – prior to the completion of the permanent campus. The downtown campus will include two buildings totaling 65,000 square feet. For the sake of comparison, the new chemistry building at Princeton is 263,000 square feet. The new building to study the environment is 110,000 square feet. Remember, it takes time to build a world class university. Harvard was founded in 1636, Yale in 1701, and Princeton in 1746.</p>

<p>I hear your projections about what you want NYUAD to be. I read the plans NYU has for the campus. But I am from Missouri, the “Show Me State”. I suggest that you compare not what you believe NYUAD might be to your university alternatives but compare factual data. For example, compare
1 )Campus square feet.
2) Faculty committed to teaching at NYUAD
3) Student committed to NYUAD to students you meet at preview weekends.
4) NYU Abu Dhabi Institute compared to the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory</p>

<p>I will not make further comments on NYUAD because I hope that the new campus is a success and I do not want to come across as being negative… I do not recommend that anyone attend a particular university or choose a particular major. My goal is to provide factual information on Princeton so that readers of this forum can make an informed decision.</p>

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<p>I have never seen this statement made about professors at Princeton, who are known for their undergraduate focus. I would not be so quick to lump Harvard and Princeton together. I have nothing but the highest respect for Harvard, but Princeton and Harvard do have differences and among them is that Princeton is smaller, does not have graduate schools and is centered around the undergraduate experience. It is incredibly easy to make connections with professors and Princeton is not a sprawling city campus–most of it can be walked through in approximately 15 minutes.</p>

<p>I don’t know much about NYUAD, but, like PtonAlumnus, I do have my doubts. The first few years of a new school can result in significant growing pains and it might not be as wonderful in practice as it appears in theory.</p>

<p>Sorry for some of the repetition–I cross posted with PtonAlumnus</p>

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<p>My apologies for lumping Princeton with Harvard! I didn’t apply to the former, so I shouldn’t have been so quick to make assumptions about the school and campus.</p>

<p>For what it’s worth, I don’t think anybody affiliated with NYUAD sees it becoming a widely recognized major research center at least for another decade. And it is in fact very difficult to compare the school with Princeton because they are so vastly different - Princeton is, of course, ranked first in undergraduate education in America (and the world), while NYU Abu Dhabi is for all intensive purposes not even on the radar. But NYUAD has a lot to offer as a fledgling university, and it will in many ways be an institution shaped by its first students. The education that the school can provide, taking into consideration the extremely individualized attention and opportunities as well as the vast wealth that the crown prince is ready to pour into the institution, is one that will not likely be looked upon favorably by something like the U.S. News and World Report. But, for those of us who have had the opportunity to learn a little bit more then NYUAD, it may be just as valuable as the education that Princeton offers.</p>

<p>I’ve said this before elsewhere on CC, but I think it takes a very specific type of person not only to want to come to NYUAD but also to thrive in such an environment. Reading what chenkai has posted, I thought that NYUAD might - and I know this is quite audacious - be a better fit than Princeton.</p>

<p>But @chenkai, I’m really, really sorry to hear about your mother. :frowning: It’s one thing if parents disapprove - you’re supposed to be living your own life, after all! - but I think being faced with a reaction like that would rip me apart as well. Just rest assured that they’re both absolutely amazing options, and I think whichever one you choose, you’ll be pretty happy! Like Harvard said on their admitted students website, deciding between good schools is a rather cheerful task.</p>

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<p>My thanks to Nota and Chenkai for educating me about NYUAD. Previously I was not aware of NYU’s Global Network University.</p>

<p>As an alumni interviewer I have found that too many students have not sufficiently researched the schools that they are applying to. The common application has made it too easy for students to apply to another 5 or 6 schools and decide after admissions if they will spend the time to learn about the characteristics of each university. I never say anything negative about another university; however I like to point out differences between universities. Liberal arts or research, urban or country, small or large, graduate school dominance or undergraduate focus, size, the weather, etc. I now know more about NYUAD and can better contrast NYUAD and Princeton.</p>

<p>I will now follow the progress of NYUAD. The first class is definitely for the adventuresome. I am skeptical of NYU’s claim that NYUAD will educate future Nobel Prize winners and world leaders before NYUAD has built a campus or recruited the faculty. But perhaps I should have more faith. Will the labs be ready to teach biology, physics, chemistry, neuroscience, and engineering. I hope so. What does NYUAD mean by engineering? MIT teaches eight separate engineering disciplines. A note to Nota: you are expecting a 3:1 faculty ratio; the NYU brochure states 8:1. Princeton is 5:1.</p>

<p>The ability to study in multiple countries is certainly intriguing. Most schools have a student learn a language and culture and study in the native language of your country of interest. Will NYU teach in English in their eleven centers around the world?</p>

<p>After reading the NYUAD literature I am left scratching my head. NYU’s brochures remind me of the glossy TV ads football schools run on ESPN proclaiming that Football U is the leading school for producing scientists and world leaders. At Princeton I found that it was special to walk through Nassau Hall where George Washington walked, sit in a lecture hall where Albert Einstein, Wolfgang Pauli, John von Neumann, Richard Feynman, John Bardeen and other genius also sat. But I am old and conservative.</p>

<p>Good Luck to Nota, Chenkai, and NYUAD.</p>

<p>Chenkai, I have sent you a PM so please check.</p>

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<p>man, this is such a hard decision. this will truly be life-changing.
thank you pton and nota especially for your inputs.
I guess i will see if i get that “home” feeling at pton.
If i don’t, the decision will be obvious, but i do, then, i really dont know.</p>

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<p>I will attend NYUAD this fall. In my humble opinion, Princeton and NYUAD are both amazing schools. Princeton is probably the best school; NYUAD, the most unique.</p>

<p>NYUAD has the lowest acceptance rate, the highest percentage of international students, the best study-abroad programs and the most generous financial aid. You can also expect small class size and easy interact with the professors because there will be only 150 students in the first class. (By the way, the student-to-faculty ratio will be 3:1 this year. As the school takes in more students in the future, the ratio will be gradually approaching 8:1.)</p>

<p>Most importantly, it is the first class. I feel as if I am starting a business with a group of talented, ambitious and adventurous people. We can create clubs, develop traditions, contribute to the local community and pave the road for the future classes. No prestige. We have to be down to earth. We will be getting better ourselves every day and striving for a better future of others. This kind of experience is not only interesting and exciting but also meaningful and rewarding.</p>

<p>That is why I choose NYUAD. Notamushroom, and hopefully Chenkai, see you this fall!</p>

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<p>Wait, Kai? I have an impression that we met on the March Candidate Weekend! </p>

<p>As a Chinese myself, I totally understand how much Chinese parents want a foreseeable future.
However, I think you are an NYUAD-type student. </p>

<p>If you come to NYUAD, that will be great! You will be a valuable presence at NYUAD. If you go to Princeton, you are sure to have a very bright future. I genuinely believe you will thrive in any environment.</p>

<p>You are one of the best. Good luck.</p>

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<p>Yeah…haha, not very creative with my chatname. chances are i have met you, as i was the laughing stock of the weekend :wink: what’s your name erialc?</p>

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<p>If you study as a real student at a highly ranked foreign university for a semester or year, not just an abroad program with a bunch of other American kids, you do get a fantastic education that’s quite different from anything at Princeton, and certainly is academically rigorous. Take it from me; I studied engineering at Oxford my junior year. I implore more Princeton engineers to take up the same opportunity. </p>

<p>GO ABROAD. It’s worth it. Princeton is great . . . but it stays the same. Every year. It will not even notice that you left. I still consider my semester abroad as by far and away the best decision I made at Princeton. You can absolutely make it fit with your coursework, have a great time, and give yourself a break from the workaholic life that is Princeton (news flash: most other countries don’t judge you by how many all nighters you can pull). I went to Australia, which is typically considered as a “party” study abroad location, and managed to pull off four (hard!) departmentals, try a whole bunch of new things, and figure out a lot about myself as a person. And to those who claim that studying abroad detracts from “preparations for rigorous careers”, and are for “people who simply don’t wish to exert themselves academically”? I’m graduating in just under two months and going on for a PhD in engineering, fully funded, to a top-ranked institution in my field. I’m also turning down a ton of other schools, nearly all of whom mentioned my international experience as a very positive factor in my candidacy. Something to think about, maybe.</p>

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<p>PtonAlumnus,
I truly appreciate your insight and wisdom! I thoroughly enjoyed reading your contribution in this thread.</p>

<p>chenkai and notamushroom, i wish you two the best of luck. You represent a smart, adventurous generation. I concur with PtonAlumnus, you need a dose of wisdom. Travel and living abroad experiences are as important as you say. However, there’re are other means to achieve this without compromising your education. I say this and I don’t use the word compromise often.</p>

<p>I have lived in the UAE for several years in the past, it’s a wonderful country with so much going for it. However, international universities are built the same way malls are built and with the same mentality- alot of it is about show and the ability to ‘buy’ anything. Including students. NYU AD is nothing but another school to arrive to this country. It was preceded by the Sorbonne, George Mason, MSU, to mention a few. I have to say that George Mason closed leaving students, faculty and staff high and dry. In the UAE, universities may go beyond ‘struggle’, they may simply shut down, go out of business. I am not saying that NYU AD will face the same, and I don’t necessarily want to scare you, I just want to give you some insight into the situation.</p>

<p>Most importantly, most of the international institutions in the UAE do not offer educational opportunties are are as rigorous as they do in their home countries. Standards are lower, not to mention dealing with a different higher ed system. As PtonAlumnus stated, it takes a long time to build world class institutions.</p>

<p>Again, good luck to you- I feel energized by your enthusiasm. You belong in an intellectually stimulating environment, not a glitzy one.</p>

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<p>“NYU AD is nothing but another school to arrive to this country”
A question for you ottimista, what do you know about NYUAD? not much apparently.</p>

<p>Well, you compared NYUAD to GMU, MSU, and Sorbonne, let’s look at things objectively:
GMU closed its campus in the UAE not because of the conditions in the UAE, but because the university didn’t seriously study how and why to create such a campus. First it created it in Ras Al Khaima, which is not really an emirate that’s strong enough (financially and culturally) to support such a project. First mistake. NYUAD is funded by the the wealthiest, strongest and most culturally diverse emirate in the UAE, Abu Dhabi. First difference.
GMU hired unqualified people for its recruiting process, as a result, they ended up with 60 students after an estimate of 200. Second mistake. NYUAD did an amazing job recruiting students, after a first estimate of 100 students, they decided to accept 150 seeing the number of applicants (10000 applicants competing for 150 spots, this makes NYUAD the most selective school in the world with an acceptance rate of about 1%, standards at NYUAD are much higher than the ones in NYUNY, a stark contrast to the institutions you mentionned). In NYUAD’s class of 2014 FB group, we’re already 100, from the US, UK, Australia, India, Hungaria, Canada, the UAE, Brazil, S.Korea, Taiwan… and many more, and there are 50 more expected to join. GMU focused on recruiting local students, NYUAD recruits the most talented from around the world. NYUAD has been extremely generous with its financial aid, which was not the case with GMU, MSU, and the other UAE based institutions.
Academically, GMU, MSU… focused on the most popular, and useful fields of study in the UAE, such as engineering and business. NYUAD is a comprehensive liberal arts college, with 18 majors, concentrations and pre-professional tracks.
NYUAD is very very different from the other schools you mentionned.
I will be attending NYUAD next year, and honestly, I don’t know how to thank NYU for offering me such an amazing and exceptional opportunity! I’m sure my decision to attend NYUAD will be the most rewarding in my life, and I’m also sure it definitely won’t, as ottimista said, compromise my education (compromise is indeed a word that doesn’t fit anywhere, especially in this context, where it is completely irrelevant and reflects the obvious lack of information of its user) I hope to see you both in the fall, Chenkai and nota, and hope you’ll make the wise choice. Can’t wait to be a part of the proud 150 students who would be able to say “I was among the first who contributed to the creation of the most ambitious project in higher education!”</p>

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<p>why is NYUAD considered so ambitious? it’s not the first time that a brand name school has opened a satellite campus abroad.</p>

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<p>For the same reasons I previosly stated!</p>