NYU Abu Dhabi

Plotinus · February 14, 2012, 2:36pm

First I would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to provide additional information. This has been very helpful.

Next, I still have some questions.

To nrousep:
You wrote:
“NYUAD therefore probably uses the SAT only for American students and is reporting the SAT %tiles & profiles of just these US students.” Do you mean that the 75th percentile SAT scores of Math 800 and CR 750 refer only to the 19% of the class of 2015 who are from the U.S.? Are you sure about this? 19% of 160 is about 30 students, and the 75th percentile of 30 students is about 7 students. So are you saying that the SAT Math 800 and CR 750 published by NYUAD refer to 7? And the median of 1460 also refers only to these 30 U.S. students? So there are a total of 15 US students at or above 1460 SAT composite CR and M, and no SAT stats relating to the other 15 US students and 130 international students?

I completely agree with all who think that SAT scores do not tell everything about a student. But I think NYUAD could be a little more upfront about its selection criteria if SAT scores play little or no role for the majority of its students.

By the way, my son is a native New Yorker and so already has had quite a bit of contact, both in school and out, with people from all different countries – even more countries than you have mentioned!

To GrnMtnMom:
Can you tell me something about what courses your daughter is taking, what she plans to major in, how the major is structured? From what I read on the website, it looks to me that the resident faculty are almost all very young and with little or no previous faculty experience, and there are only one or two resident professors per department. Is this true?

My son is not sure but is thinking of majoring in philosophy, or maybe political science. I checked through the NYUAD faculty list and found only one resident philosophy professor,
Matthew Silverstein. It looks as though he was a visiting professor at Amherst but never had a permanent faculty position before NYUAD. I wondered how a philosophy major would work. What are the area distribution requirements (usually 6 or 8 courses in different areas, I think), who would teach the different specializations, who would advise the capstone project, etc. Or is the curriculum not structured in the typical way at NYUAD?

Thanks again to all of you for any information. I really appreciate it!

GrnMtnMom · February 14, 2012, 4:16pm

Plotinus, you asked me this:
“Can you tell me something about what courses your daughter is taking, what she plans to major in, how the major is structured? From what I read on the website, it looks to me that the resident faculty are almost all very young and with little or no previous faculty experience, and there are only one or two resident professors per department. Is this true?”

My daughter is a freshman, and she is undecided. She is taking a variety of courses, mostly in the humanities and the sciences. She honestly loves all of the classes she is taking or took first semester. As far as I know, she doesn’t have to commit to a major until the end of her sophomore year. There is more info on the NYUAD website here:
[NYU</a> Abu Dhabi Academics > Undergraduate Programs](<a href=“Undergraduate - NYU Abu Dhabi”>Undergraduate - NYU Abu Dhabi)

Given that we live halfway across the world from NYUAD, and having attended only a parent welcome session in NYC, the only professors of hers that I have met are John Sexton, who is the president of NYU, and Cyrus Patell, who is the Associate Dean of Humanities at NYUAD. She speaks highly of all of her professors. They are engaging, of course knowledgeable, expert even, in their respective subjects, and highly accessible. Some of them are probably very young but also very passionate. I guess I don’t see that as a bad thing. She doesn’t have any classes where she is taught by a graduate student. And then, of course, there are guest lectures. I can recall a few from her first 3 months there - Gordon Brown, Jane Goodall, Christo.

Also, it goes without saying that the staff at NYUAD are uniformly excellent. I would not have chosen to send my child halfway around the world without knowing that she would be in good hands.

I have been so hesitant to post here, because it’s her life, not mine. And really, NYUAD doesn’t need to recruit or convince anyone, what with their unbelievably low acceptance rate. But I wanted you to know, parent to parent, that I am truly happy for her for this opportunity she’s been given. It’s definitely different from the one I had when I was a college freshman.

nrousep · February 14, 2012, 10:45pm

Frankly i have no idea about NYUAD’s methodology on reporting on SAT scores. Like i said they “probably” uses the SAT scores of American students alone since they insist on SAT from them alone. You should call them directly at NYUAD (rather than NYU-NY) as they clearly understand that people will have a LOT of questions before they send their kids to NYUAD & do respond accordingly. I remember Ms Carol Brandt was prompt & very helpful replying to all my anxious queries. (+971) 2 628 5511 and ask for anyone from this list [NYU</a> Abu Dhabi Leadership Team](<a href=“http://nyuad.nyu.edu/about/leadership.team.html]NYU”>http://nyuad.nyu.edu/about/leadership.team.html)

or email Patell - [patell</a> dot org | New Friends in the Desert](<a href=“http://patell.org/2010/01/new-friends-in-the-desert/]patell”>http://patell.org/2010/01/new-friends-in-the-desert/)

NYUAD is upfront about its selection criteria - Candidate weekend decides. Period. They clearly do not follow ( & cannot ) standard US methodologies /criteria for admitting students but still have to present themselves using the accepted parameters people use to evaluate Univs. " Candidate Weekend participation is required in order to be admitted…"

Is this a great school ? I would like to think so. If its political science then NYUAD is a great place for international politics i shud presume - they had Gordon Brown over for talks at the Institute & with its proximity & safe association with all the hot spots (Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, etc.) it will be far more exciting to learn international politics here than anywhere in the US. To get an idea of what it is to learn Inter. politics here take a look at the "Doha Debates’ this happens in neighboring country of Qatar under a similar university setting - Qatar Foundation. [The</a> Doha Debates - Iran’s nuclear program - YouTube](<a href=“The Doha Debates - Iran's nuclear program - YouTube”>The Doha Debates - Iran's nuclear program - YouTube)

Its a tough decision and if one gets mired in statistics it gets even tougher ! I wish you all the best in your decision making & your son the best of futures !

Plotinus · February 15, 2012, 2:27am

To all who have replied to my questions, again many, many thanks.

I really had not realized how different the admissions process is at NYUAD compared to that of typical U.S. universities, where admissions criteria are very quantitative, based on student’s statistics, SAT I and II scores, GPA, class rank, etc., and extra-curricular activities and other personal qualities usually play a secondary role. Are you saying that at NYUAD admissions are based upon a first-person qualitative evaluation of the student by the admissions staff during Candidates Weekend? And the criteria for selection for a Candidates Weekend? Do extra-curricular activities count more than statistics for this too?

About whether NYUAD is upfront about its use of SAT scores, I would just like to say that my son read the following on the NYUAD press release about the class of 2015:

“Once again, the selectivity of the class was exemplified by its academic credentials. At the class’ 75th percentile, the SAT math score was 800 (the highest possible score); the 75th-percentile score for critical reading was 750. The median SAT score (on the 1,600 scale) was 1,460.”

When my son read this, he did not know that these SAT 75th percentile and median scores referred only to a subset (possibly a very small subset) of the class of 2015. He assumed that all the admitted students had taken the SAT, and that these scores referred to the entire student population. He also did not notice that the 25th percentile scores had not been included. He therefore thought that NYUAD students have all taken the SAT and achieved the same or better SAT scores than those of students at Harvard. I think the way the press release is written encourages this interpretation, and not the interpretation that SAT scores are relatively unimportant statistics, secondary to qualitative evaluations, extra-curricular activities, and the first-person judgment of admissions officers. At the least, I think NYUAD should accompany this kind of publicity about SAT percentiles with the percentage of students who actually presented SAT scores (a number which all universities listed in the U.S. News and World Reports Rankings provide) and should also provide the 25th percentile scores. Otherwise it is inviting misinterpretation to publish its SAT scores at all. Since NYUAD, as a global and cosmopolitan university, accepts other exams in lieu of the SAT reasoning test (a policy that is completely understandable), it would facilitate comparison between the student population of NYUAD and that of other universities around the globe if NYUAD would publish the percentiles and/or mean scores of their students on these other exams. For example, what are the median or the 75th and 25th percentile A-level, I.B., national school-leaving grades of students at NYUAD who presented A-levels, IB, and national school-leaving exams, etc. Lacking these statistics, NYUAD is basically asking a parent just to trust the judgment of its admissions officers.

Plotinus · February 15, 2012, 4:05am

To all,

Since i have been suspected of having ulterior motives for my questions and observations, I would like to say this in way of explanation.

NYUAD has been very actively publicizing its program and soliciting applications from high school students in my area (through guidance counselors, private college counselors, etc.). My son knew something about this and in this way became very interested and indeed enthusiastic about NYUAD. Because I am an educator myself, and because I knew absolutely nothing about NYUAD, I started to do some research. And this is how I ended up on this forum. I am looking for the type of information that would help me as a parent and educator to compare NYUAD to the other university options I expect my son will have. This includes (among other things) information about the qualifications and experience of the faculty, the content and structure of the curriculum and the majors, and the (quantifiable) level of academic achievement of the student body. I am very grateful to all for your help.

joeclef · February 15, 2012, 4:50pm

Hi guys,
congrats to those who received their invitation. Has anybody been contacted by Omeir travel yet?? I’m just excited and can’t wait!! Hope to meet you there!!

Cardgames · February 16, 2012, 10:35am

@Plotinus
You’re absolutely right; NYUAD is very indirect with its statistics. It likes to brag a lot about its high standards and whatnot, and to be honest, it is good marketing. NYUAD isn’t as good as it seems on paper (it’s still a very good school).

@ nrousep
NYUAD has a diversity rating of 60%? So? That means absolutely nothing (percentages are seldom meaningful). NYUAD has a very small class, so reaching such a number is pretty easy. What really matters is the number of different countries represented, right? If there are more countries, then there are more diverse opinions and backgrounds. Well, in that case, NYU isn’t as good as it says it is. Most Ivy league schools (and top schools) have more students from more countries (google it if you doubt me. Yale has a 100 and something countries). Moreover, if you want to network during college, you’re better off at a larger school with more chances to meet more people. The “diversity” at NYUAD is extremely overblown (diversity in general is overrated, but that’s beside the point).

Forgive me, but I just find NYUAD pathetic. Yes, I’m a hater. Yes, NYUAD did cause me problems (not related to college admissions) in the past. I loathe everything about NYUAD, from its extremely arrogant administration to its naive students. And I will continue on hating.

amk933 · February 16, 2012, 12:36pm

@Cardgames…

The argument about NYUAD’s overblown diversity is the worst reasoning I have seen in a long time…

First, awesome for the Ivy League schools. If they have people from a 150 countries that normally refers to the college in general and not to the entering class. Then, at a school where 2000 classes are offered per year, you often might get none of these internationals in a room/class of 10 people, i.e. you and some other unlucky Joe are stuck with…8 more Americans.

Second, it is not so much the countries that give you the different perspectives - it is the regions. A person from Eastern Europe, like myself, would be able to give you not only the opinion of his state, but also the one of the surrounding ones, if not of the whole region. If you look at the map on the website of NYUAD you could easily see that ALL (!) major world regions are represented. When you add that to the extreme diversity on campus (relative to campus size and in general) and the small class sizes, you may get a Politics of Russia class with 10 people from 10 different countries, representing 10 different regions and offering 10 different views. Get that at an Ivy…

So the campus diversity is a very real asset…
Find yourself some adequate reasoning against NYUAD to express your hatred. If you are a student at NYU (which is my suspicion), then you are just ruining the image of your own institution in my eyes at the very least.

Cardgames · February 16, 2012, 1:29pm

@ amk933
I will concede that my hate for NYUAD is unnatural, but I’m not an NYU student:p. Yeah, my reasoning is bad (I’m not good at arguing), but so is yours. I’m comparing NYUAD to Ivy league schools because it’s as selective as one. I’m naturally assuming that most people here apply to that caliber of schools. That’s not that unreasonable, is it?

I don’t really like your argument about who’s just who’s in the classroom. University is way more than that. What matters is the university as a whole. If you’re just thinking about the classroom, then you’re doing it wrong. I’m not exactly looking for diversity in my universities, but If I were, I’d make an effort to meet people from various places by starting clubs and actually actively trying to learn more about other people. Isn’t that possible at any reasonably diverse university? Going to some specialized global hub does help, but isn’t necessary.

All regions are represented in other schools too. Yes, you will get a more eclectic classroom for your Russian politics class. However, you’re still talking about just the classroom. You can start a politics club that would be just as diverse as the class you’re talking about.

I’m a believer that diversity means way more than just having a guy from every country in the world. Diversity of thought is more about upbringing than anything else. You can meet two guys from the US with completely different opinions. At the same time, you can meet a guy from Russia who thinks just like a guy from Egypt. Yes, having people from various parts of the world helps, but there’s so much more to it.

You shouldn’t really hate me for posting against NYUAD; this gives you a chance to explain to everyone why NYUAD is good. Actually, I’d like to know why you believe diversity is important. It helps in classroom discussions, I guess. It’s always good to know cultural differences. Why else do you think it matters?

Hey, leave my institution out of this. This is just me and my extreme opinions. You shouldn’t generalize like that; it never leads to any good. You should leave that to trolls, like me.

amk933 · February 16, 2012, 4:57pm

To make a long story short:

The Russian Politics class was just an example. You can substitute that with whatever class you want. Even math.
In a university which has an entering class of 2000 people and an 8-10% international population it is not so easy to fish out the internationals.
I do believe that internationalism is EXTREMELY important to education because I myself have spent the last 4 years of my education in a small international school. My graduating class has 14 people coming from New Zealand, France, Belgium, Finland, Slovakia, the USA, Hungary, Australia, Bulgaria, China, South Africa, Palestine, i.e. from all over the world and I have realized for myself that although two people from the same nation may think differently, you will never get as many perspectives on any issue as you would get with such a diverse group as my class.

Hence - NYUAD. For its size, it has a remarkable diversity, which is a huge asset.

Plotinus · February 16, 2012, 5:56pm

A representative from NYUAD gave a presentation at the local high school recently, and I received a report about it from a junior. The girl said the NYUAD addressed the entire student population, and said that NYUAD is more selective and has higher standards than Harvard. According to the girl, the students were very enthusiastic about the presentation, and many plan to apply to NYUAD.

The girl had no idea from the rep’s presentation that there are only 160 students per class at NYUAD, only 30 students are from the U.S., SAT scores are not required for admission, and that all those students (however many they may be) who are at NYUAD without submitting SAT scores could not even get their applications processed by, much less be admitted to, an Ivy League university, or even a just average U.S. university.

So NYUAD is very aggressively head-hunting not only faculty but also American high school students. My question is…why?

It is common knowledge in university admissions circles that some universities make the SAT optional in order to inflate their SAT percentiles, and so to climb the U.S: News and World Reports rankings. Here is a quote from the letter of a student to the New York Times:

"At one point I asked an admission staffer why SATs were no longer required at his school. I appreciated his candid aside: ‘Now that theyre optional, only the kids with high SATs send them in. Our averages have gone through the roof.’ "

<a href=“http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/08/op...rssnyt&emc=rss[/url]”>http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/08/op...rssnyt&emc=rss</a>

NYU has also made the SAT Reasoning Test optional, allowing it to be replaced by 3 subject test scores. We should not compare the SAT percentiles of SAT-mandatory universities to SAT-optional ones, since the latter have conveniently eliminated the lower scores. NYUAD has gone one step further by not publicizing its 25th percentile scores.

I agree that the SAT has many limits and flaws. But many, many tens of thousands of non-US students who want to attend US universities submit SAT scores every year. The SAT is an aptitude or reasoning test, is not tied to a particular curriculum, and does not require special knowledge taught only in American schools. (Of course, you have to know English.) Preparation materials are available everywhere and to everyone via the internet. Even Georgetown University in Qatar requires SAT or ACT scores.

To Card-games: Can you explain in what way you think NYUAD is “a very good school.” I cannot understand how a U.S. university could function without at least 10-20 faculty members per department, 1 or 2 in each sub-specialization of the field. It looks to me as though NYUAD has only 1 or 2 professors per entire department. Also, Ivy League universities are research universities, the professors are actively engaged in important research, and have substantial publication records. Students go to Ivy League schools not for diversity, or to hear the points of view of students from different countries, but to study with faculty who are leading researchers in their fields.

Cardgames · February 16, 2012, 5:58pm

1) Yes, I do know that you were using your Russian politics class as an example. I was also using the club as an example. It doesn’t make a difference.

2) I agree that it’s easier to find the international students at a smaller university. However, finding them isn’t that difficult, even at a huge university. My point was that the diversity at NYUAD is oversold. It is nice, but I don’t believe it offers a unique experience that you can’t find at, let’s say, Yale. It’s possible to receive an international exposure at so many other schools, as long as one actually puts some effort.

3) Fair enough.

I want to ask you another question, if you don’t mind. What do you think NYUAD is sacrificing because of its small size? My main gripe with NYUAD is that it lacks the sheer amount of activity that other universities have. It’s just hard to sacrifice such an amazing campus life for a little extra diversity. I prefer to have more diversity in activities, rather than an extra opinion. Are you fine with that trade-off?

Cardgames · February 16, 2012, 6:31pm

@Plotinus

Yes, Ivy schools are more about what you mentioned. However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t find diversity there. My gripe is that students aren’t exactly sure why they are applying to NYUAD. Diversity isn’t exclusive to NYUAD, and I think it comes at a high price at NYUAD. The small nature of the school isn’t conducive to what I think is more essential to a university, which is a huge number of activities. Being in the city of Abu Dhabi isn’t helpful either (it’s really boring over here, but it’s not too far from more interesting places). You shouldn’t be asking me about faculty; I’m not the right guy. I really don’t care about who’s teaching me or how, as long as the education is decent. I believe more into what happens after class, such as activities. I believe NYUAD is good at providing a solid classroom environment (good professors, diverse students, etc.), which is definitely important.

amk933 · February 16, 2012, 7:44pm

Nope. I am not fine with a major compromise on the activities part.

HOWEVER.
As I said before, I myself come from a very small, selective international school. The whole high school is 60 people, the entire school from pre-K to 12th grade is 350 students. And this is the most active school I have ever been to. I previously attended a school of 2,000 people - did not know what a club is. When I came to my current school, there was a huge variety of clubs and activities: anything from MUN to Rotary, from varsity sports teams to robotics teams, from math and chess to debate. Literally - everything.

Where am I getting? Okay - NYUAD is small. It will not have 60 fraternities, it will have 1. It will not have 5 debate clubs, it will have 2. It will not have 7 different sports, but 5. And so on…that’s fine with me. I don’t need 50 organizations doing the same thing when I will be a member of just 1, so that does not worry me too much. And as I said through the comparison of my last two schools: size is not always fully indicative. Yes, in general NYUAD will have a smaller array of clubs and activities, but that does not mean that it will be deficient on what I need, so it’s fine.

I am also a big fan of the theory that college is not just about academics and social life, but also about the location…I mean I could never thrive in the dark, gloomy and utterly depressing England whereas the Middle Eastern sun inspires me so much. I feel full of energy to do stuff and this is also an asset of the region (to me).

Plotinus · February 16, 2012, 7:56pm

To Cardgames:

Are you a student at NYUAD? What do you mean when you say the professors are “good”? Do you mean that they are nice people? Or that they teach undergraduate courses well? Do you have a major?

I don’t know why other students apply to NYUAD, but I can tell you why the students I know have applied or want to apply there.

NYUAD is not even on their radar, they plan to go to college in the U.S., and then they are very aggressively recruited. NYUAD asks the guidance counselor to nominate the top student in the school (an “honor”). They hear presentations from a NYUAD rep saying that NYUAD is producing the world’s next leaders, it is more difficult to get into than Harvard, it will prepare them for the global economy, it is an “Honors” college and many students have rejected Harvard, Princeton, and Yale to go there, it is completely free and you even get a stipend, and the SAT scores of the students are 800 math 750 critical reading.

The students I know are not that interested in diversity. They already live with and know about diversity. They want to go to a place that is prestigious.

I know nothing whatsoever about NYUAD or the quality of its program other than what I could learn from the NYUAD website. I don’t see it how it could be what these students are being told it is: a small Harvard in the Middle East. So if it is not that, what is it? And why should an American student who has had plenty of experience with diversity, and has a reasonable pick of US universities to attend (and who can also afford them) prefer NYUAD to these others?

NYUAD makes a big deal about its lowest in the world acceptance rate. As you point out Cardgames, it is not that hard to have a low acceptance rate if you are accepting only 200 students (Harvard accepts 2400, so that is 12x as many, and the NYUAD rate is not 1/12 of Harvard’s). Maybe they get more applications because a student applying to NYU just has to tick off a box on his NYU application to apply also to NYUAD. No application fee, no extra essay, no nothing. Perhaps a lot of NYU applicants just tick off the NYUAD box on their NYU applications without even knowing what NYUAD is, or because there is no effort involved and they have nothing to lose by it. In any case, if NYUAD is so swamped with applications from attractive American candidates, why are its reps around here every year trying to convince high school students to apply?

Cardgames · February 17, 2012, 5:56am

@plotinus

I’m a resident of Abu Dhabi who plans to study in the US. I interned at a place that basically runs Abu Dhabi. I have knowledge about education in Abu Dhabi, but I’m no expert. When I said “nice”, I meant that they teach well, are accessible, and are experts in their fields. What I heard is based off what information AD’s government has on NYUAD.

I can offer you a theory based off my knowledge of colleges in Abu Dhabi. Keep in mind that what I’m saying is from my experience in the educational field in Abu Dhabi; it isn’t anything more than that.

NYUAD is completely reliant on the funding AD gives it. Without it, NYUAD is simply too expensive, and it would lose most of its appeal to students if financial aid were cut and students had to pay the full price. Therefore, NYUAD has to constantly prove itself to its funders. The problem is that Abu Dhabi’s young population (college-age, in this case) hit a plateau and is gradually going to decrease over the next years (you can look at the relevant birthrates for the 1990’s). Because Abu Dhabi has become oversaturated with colleges and universities (we have like 18 colleges/unis, which is simply too many), it is trying to cut back on the number of colleges. Moreover, a lot of colleges in AD are way too similar. For example, KUSTAR, the Petroleum Institute and Masdar- three engineering colleges in AD- offer the exact same education and degrees. There’s simply no need for duplicity at this time. Each college needs to fill a specific niche if it wants continued support from the government. I believe that NYUAD is, in the eyes the locals, in direct competition with Sorbonne and Zayed university. To us Abu Dhabi residents, they all offer degrees in the liberal arts, which isn’t valued that highly over here. NYUAD has to prove how it’s different from those universities and why it deserves the money we give it. I believe that NYUAD is making itself stand out by promoting globalism and exclusivity. It needs that mix of elite students from all over the world if it wants to differentiate itself from Sorbonne and Zayed University.

Also, in a weird way, NYUAD promotes Abu Dhabi to people all over the world. I wouldn’t be surprised if the funders have some contract with NYUAD in regards to advertising Abu Dhabi (probably has a quota for the minimum number of Emirati students, too). Dubai -our neighborly rival- overshadows AD too often, despite AD’s being richer and more influential. The higher-ups want to put Abu Dhabi on the map, and NYUAD is one of the many methods. The aggressiveness of recruitment is both about garnering an eclectic group of elite students and about advertising AD.

Honestly, NYUAD has some interesting selling points, but I wouldn’t attend it over an elite school in America. NYUAD is basically a small college with an eclectic mix of students. It offers a great education, but every other elite school does too. It has diversity, but that is definitely oversold. In terms of prestige, I doubt NYUAD will rival Harvard or Yale anytime soon. It takes a long time to build prestige, and NYUAD doesn’t have a certain future. A lot of people forget how often these branches fail in the Persian/Arabian Gulf. Have you heard of Dubai Academic City? What happened to that? I wouldn’t risk my education that easily. Also, America has more opportunities than the UAE, in terms of internships, research and things to do. I’m not too sure how NYUAD handles internships, but I can tell you that it’s difficult to find them over here. Even if you do get lucky and get an internship at, let’s say, Mubadala, you won’t be doing any real work. Research is non-existent over here at all universities. Abu Dhabi is a boring city with few activities. For those who do go to AD, I suggest kayaking behind the mangroves on the Corniche beside Moroor. It’s an interesting side of AD that people rarely see.

@amk933
I like your confidence. I hope you get accepted, since you actually did your research and know what you want. I still believe that you’re compromising activities by attending NYUAD, but you seem content. Good luck.

By the way, I think you don’t know what you’re talking when describing the Middle Eastern sun (the only thing it inspires is perspire), but you’re lucky that you can avoid our summers. Summer here kills any possibility of outdoor activity. However, our winters are beautiful (it’s very windy right now), and I think you’ll like them.

amk933 · February 17, 2012, 6:29am

I have been to the Middle East (Qatar and the UAE) 5 times overall during different seasons, so I have some idea how it works…
I do love the Middle Eastern sun - 45oC is the temperature I thrive at. Strange huh? :)

In what light do you know NYUAD though? I know it’s negative, but could you elaborate a bit more on what caused that impression? :)

Plotinus · February 17, 2012, 8:05am

To Cardgames:

Thank you for your very informative response. What kind of experience do you have in the educational field? Where do you plan to study in the US, and what?

You say that the professors at NYUAD are “experts” in their fields. They may be experts in the sense that most hold doctorates in their fields, but I checked quite a few cv’s and they do not look to me like the cv’s of people whose academic credentials are at a level close to the level of the cv’s of the faculty at NYU in New York. In any case, New York University is a research university, not a liberal arts college, and its faculty are involved in research, publishing, supervision of doctoral dissertations, etc., not just teaching a small classes of undergraduates.

I am not surprised to hear that there is a quota for students from the UAE. After all, the institution is completed funded by the AD government, and so really belongs to your country, and should be attended by its citizens. Do you know how many UAE citizens there are per class? I imagine the admissions criteria might be different for them. Do they take the SAT? I saw that NYUAD is advertising for teachers to teach SAT preparation courses for the local AD high school students. If NYUAD does not consider the SAT to be important or a valid measure of academic achievement for non-American students, why is NYUAD running SAT preparation courses for the locals?

Thanks again for taking the time to share your experience and insights.

gloriousambition · February 17, 2012, 9:16am

Anyone been contacted by Omeir travel yet? I haven’t. I feel like I need to know fairly soon since I’ll be traveling for a basketball tournament right before my trip to abu dhabi.

Also, I think the dress code is smart casual?
how do I dress for that? I’m a girl btw.

gloriousambition · February 17, 2012, 9:35am

I just read the portal again, and it seems like it’s casual dress code and bring some smart casual stuff?

NYU Abu Dhabi

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