As NYU Shanghai (NYUSH) prepares to begin its fourth academic year, a major area of focus is the transition in student body population as both the class of 2017 and the class of 2018 have the option to study abroad. While most students study abroad in their junior year, seniors also have the opportunity to apply as all NYUSH students are allowed to study abroad for up to three semesters. In recent weeks, however, there has been a backlash from students after a significant portion of applicants from the class of 2017 were rejected. On Century Avenue had the opportunity to talk to NYUSH Senator Kylee Borger as well as the Office of Global Programs to find out more about the decision-making process and students’ reactions. While official statistics have not been released, it seems most of the rejections received by the Class of 2017 were by those who applied to study abroad at NYU New York (NYUNY) for Fall 2016. Several rumors regarding these rejections have been circulating amongst the student body, suggesting New York simply does not have the space to accommodate Shanghai’s seniors due to the juniors studying abroad, in addition to a record number of incoming freshmen. These rumors have not been confirmed by NYU or its admissions department. When NYUSH senator Kylee Borger asked Global Programs how study away decisions are made they stated that decisions are made on an individual, case-by-case basis, taking into consideration several factors per application such as:

What is best for the student as a whole (regarding degree progress)?

How many/what classes are offered in NYC will allow students to work towards completing their degrees?

How much space is available in these classes?

What space constraints are faced by NYC residence halls?

What will be best for the individual student’s senior year?

What is best for the larger circulation of students throughout the global network?

According to Global Programs, the application review process for semester study away at NYU is holistic in nature, meaning each piece of the application from academic transcripts to personal statements are considered in the review before a decision is made. The Office of Global Programs also utilizes a multiple reader process, which means applications are considered by more than one person before a decision is made. In short, the review process looks at each applicant’s materials very thoroughly.It is important to note like Shanghai, students from NYU Abu Dhabi and NYUNY are all applying to study abroad, and admission to the various sites is extremely competitive, hence not every student can get into his/her first preference. Students from all three NYU degree-granting campuses are reviewed against the same criteria.For the Fall 2016 semester, NYU Berlin, NYU Prague, and NYUNY received the most number of applications, and Global Programs was able to offer admission to all applicants who met the admission criteria to all locations other than NYUNY and NYU Prague. The application process for NYU Berlin had to be closed shortly after the Phase I deadline as all available spaces had been filled. Students who had not been offered their first preference but whose application had been approved to study abroad were either offered their second preferred location or contacted via email to select a location should they still choose to study abroad. No students were offered a location they did not select themselves, either in the application process or through the email. For NYUSH students who applied to study abroad in New York, priority was given to those who had previously not spent any semester there, to allow as many students as possible to experience NYUNY’s campus at least for a semester. This prioritization was determined in concert with the NYUSH leadership and NYUSH Global Affairs and sheds light on why so many NYUSH juniors who had applied to study away in New York for Fall 2016 were rejected. Decisions were also based on applicants’ course needs compared to classes available in Shanghai, New York, and other sites in the Global Network, which was also done in consultation with NYUSH and its administration. Borger added, “Global Programs stresses the importance of senior year and how great it will be to return to Shanghai after studying away. As the first class of seniors, we have the opportunity to determine what it means to be a senior at NYUSH and all the traditions that come along with it. Also, Global Programs NYC stresses the fact that returning to Shanghai will not limit opportunities for students to apply for fellowships and jobs as the Career Development Center in Shanghai is working closely with the Wasserman Center in NYC and other CDC's across the global sites.There has definitely been a backlash (from students), and I understand why many are upset. When you make plans for something to happen, and it doesn’t go your way, it is at minimum frustrating. I would urge students to talk to their advisors about how they can make new plans with regards to degree progress, and if there is anything I can do to help, please reach out.” This article was written by Lathika Chandra Mouli. Please send an email to [email protected] to get in touch.