NYU Shanghai Is NYU's "Bad School" Right?

miller1123
Sun, 05 Apr 2015 01:09:55 +0000

Hi Musktard!
I am currently a freshman at NYU Shanghai and was seriously thinking about transferring last semester. It’s important to understand that as a university that is only two years old, there are lots of challenges and new experiences to take on. This can be overwhelming - our university’s culture requires that you are present 100% of the time, going to school events, going to class, creating clubs. I know that when I came to Shanghai, it was my first time on this half of the globe. Surrounded by new peers, half from China and half from the rest of the world, it shook me up a little bit. I went to boarding school for high school, but was a bit thrown off by this new jump, so I thought about transferring.
Only 4 students out of 300 transferred last year and that is a pretty negligible percentage. But more than that, students transfer from other schools all the time. It’s important to remember that our school is brand-new. It is more than understandable that some students are not quite up to the challenge that it asks from you, but also that there are many, many reasons for transferring. Some students have left for health reasons, some for family reasons; these have nothing to do with our school.
As for the opportunities here, they are unlike anything else. We are literally building this school. If you want a school with tons of resources, a reputation ready for you, a ready-made class schedule for you to fit into, then go to Stern. It seems to me like a lot of these problems you’re seeing in NYU Shanghai are problems that arise from us being a two-year-old school. A lot of our school is constantly being formed and re-formed, which can be stressful at times. Yet, it makes for an incredible environment to grow and learn, to adapt to change, and to learn so much.
I personally was offered the opportunity to have office hours with Elizabeth Chen this semester - our Senior Executive in Residence, who recently retired as a managing partner at Goldman Sachs. Now I am by no means an accomplished business or economics student, but was offered this opportunity because we take advantage of everything here. There are so many internship available from a ton of firms here. I know first-hand from applying for internships this summer, companies do take our school seriously. CEOs from accomplished business firms have been at our school - if you’re looking for information about NYU Shanghai do not discount information you get when it comes from current students.
Because above all, I am a current student. I don’t want a member of the incoming freshman class, who I am going to have to attend school with for two years, to not be wishing they had chosen Stern the whole time. Everyone in my school loves it here. We adore Shanghai, we adore NYU, and sure there are challenges. We literally have been a school for two years. Transferring comes, but it comes anywhere. I am sure that people transfer from Stern as well. Next year, we’ll have tons to offer you and I know that my freshman class is so excited to welcome the next class. We cannot wait to meet you all at Admitted Students Weekend - come, see these “intolerable conditions” for yourself.