Admission

Admission

The Admissions Committee offers only to a select group of freshman applicants the opportunity to enroll in Liberal Studies at our New York City campus or at our site in Florence, London, or Paris. Applicants are referred to LS from the pool of freshman applicants to NYU’s eight undergraduate schools and colleges. Transfer applicants are not eligible for admission to LS.

The Admissions Committee carefully considers each candidate’s application and gives weight to a number of factors: academic record, standardized test scores, recommendations from counselors and teachers, and the personal essay. The committee also seeks a class that is diverse in all respects and carefully considers the applicant’s special talents, alumni affiliation, socioeconomic background, geographic location, and race and ethnicity. The committee is also interested in applicants who have an active and sustained level of involvement in school and/or community activities and who have taken on the responsibility of leadership.

The Admission Process

Admission to Liberal Studies is based on the quality of the applicant’s secondary school record. Students selected for admission have taken the following as part of their high school curriculum:

Four years of English with heavy emphasis on writing
Three to four years of mathematics
Three to four years of laboratory sciences
Three or four years of social studies
Two or three years of foreign language

The remainder of their course work may have included further work in the above subjects or elective work in other areas, including music and art. Many applicants have taken mathematics and language courses in their senior year. Particular attention is paid to the number of honors, AP, and IB courses the applicant completed in high school.

The Admissions Committee also considers scores from either the SAT Reasoning Test or the ACT (with Writing Test). Applicants admitted to the program have also submitted scores from two SAT Subject Tests unless they applied to a program in the Tisch School of the Arts or a music or art program in the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development where these scores are not required for admission.

International applicants whose secondary education culminated in a maturity certificate examination are required to submit an official copy of the grades received in each subject of their examination. All documents submitted for review must be official; that is, they must be either originals or copies certified by authorized persons. A “certified” photocopy or other copy is one that bears either an original signature of the registrar or other designated school official or an original impression of the institution’s seal. Uncertified photocopies are not acceptable. If these official documents are in a foreign language, they must be accompanied by an official English translation.

In addition, every international applicant whose native language is not English must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Information may be obtained by writing directly to TOEFL/ETS, P.O. Box 6151, Princeton, NJ 08541, U.S.A., or by visiting the Web site at www.toefl.org. Each student must request that his or her score on this examination be sent to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, code 2562.

International applicants residing in the New York area may elect to take the English proficiency test of the University’s American Language Institute in lieu of the TOEFL. The American Language Institute is located at 48 Cooper Square, Room 200, New York, NY 10003-7154, U.S.A. An appointment to take the test may be made by calling 212-998-7040.

In lieu of the TOEFL or the English proficiency test of NYU’s American Language Institute, acceptable results on the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) examination administered by the British Council will be considered. For information on this test, visit the Web site at www.ielts.org.

Financial Aid Application

For many students, financial aid is an important consideration in deciding where to go to college. Financial aid packages at NYU are awarded when students are offered admission, and they take into account both financial need and academic merit. NYU also offers a wide range of financing alternative plans to assist students with the cost of attendance. In order to maximize their opportunities for financial assistance, students must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). NYU recommends that students apply electronically via the NYU Web site at www.nyu.edu/financial.aid. A paper FAFSA form may be obtained from the student’s high school or by calling 800-4-FED-AID or by visiting the FAFSA Web site at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Freshman applicants should submit the FAFSA between January 1 and February 15. When filing the FAFSA, students must request that their information be sent to New York University by entering the FAFSA code 002785. Students will not be charged a fee when filing this form.

The FAFSA is the only application students must complete to be considered for all federal financial aid, including Federal Pell Grants, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, Federal Subsidized Stafford Student Loans, Federal Unsubsidized Stafford Student Loans, Federal Perkins Loans, Federal Work-Study, and other federal financial aid programs.

Please note that NYU uses only the FAFSA form. Students who have completed the College Scholarship Service application or any other financial aid application should not list NYU as a recipient of the information.

New York State residents will also be required to complete a separate application for the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) (mailed to the student automatically), and students from other states may have to complete separate applications for their state programs if their state grants can be used at New York University.

Early decision candidates who submitted the NYU Early Decision Financial Aid Application by November 1 will be able to receive a financial aid estimate by the early decision notification date. Early decision applicants must also file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by February 15.

After the admission decision is made and the appropriate financial aid applications are submitted, a request for financial aid is considered. (See also the Tuition, Fees, and Financial Aid section, pages 40-45.)

Campus Visits

All prospective students and their parents are invited to visit the New York University campus at Washington Square. Opportunities to tour the University, to meet students and faculty, and to attend classes are available to interested students.

Although interviews are not available, a visit to the campus is strongly recommended. Tours of the campus and admissions information sessions are conducted several times daily, Monday through Friday, except during University holidays.

To make an appointment for a tour, an information session, or a class visitation, visit the Office of Undergraduate Admissions Processing Center Web site at admissions.nyu.edu or call 212-998-4524. It is suggested that arrangements be made several weeks prior to visiting the campus. Further information is available on the NYU Web site at admissions.nyu.edu.

In addition, applicants who have received an Admissions Committee referral letter to Liberal Studies may also attend a LS information session (with the program’s dean, faculty, and students and members of the Admissions Committee) in order to learn more about the LS academic program, or they may contact LS to speak to an academic adviser, current student, or faculty member. Referred applicants should consult their Admissions Referral materials for information on how to make a reservation to attend a LS information session or to speak to a current student, an academic adviser, or a faculty member. Applicants may also visit the LS Web site at http://LS.nyu.edu for more information about the academic program.

Students admitted to the LS abroad sites in Florence, London, and Paris will be invited to visit these campuses in mid-April, prior to the May 1 tuition deposit deadline.

NYU Guest Accommodations at Washington Square

Prospective students and their families visiting NYU are invited to stay in Club Quarters, a private hotel convenient to the University. Located in a renovated turn-of-the-19th-century building in New York’s historic Financial District, the hotel offers concierge services, a health club, and room service, among other amenities. If space is available, weekend University guests may also stay at the midtown Club Quarters, located in a landmark building that is close to shopping, Broadway theatres, and Rockefeller Center. For information and reservations, call 212-575-0006.

Required Testing

Freshman applicants must take the SAT Reasoning Test or the ACT (with Writing Test) and have official scores sent directly from the testing service to the University. Freshman applicants must also submit scores from two SAT Subject Tests except for applicants to the Tisch School of the Arts and the music and art programs in the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. The test booklets provide a space in which applicants who want their scores sent to New York University may enter the appropriate code number. For the SAT, the University’s code number is 2562. For the ACT, the code number is 2838.

Arrangements to take these examinations should be made during senior year in high school and one month prior to the examination date. It is recommended that applicants seeking September admission should take the SAT Reasoning Test (and two SAT Subject Tests) or ACT (with Writing Test) during the preceding October, November, or December.

Detailed information on the SATs may be obtained from the College Board, 45 Columbus Avenue, New York, NY 10023-6917; telephone: 212-713-8000; www.collegeboard.com. Detailed information on the ACT may be obtained from ACT, 500 ACT Drive, P.O. Box 168, Iowa City, IA 52243-0168; telephone: 319-337-1270; www.act.org.

In addition, every international applicant whose native language is not English must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Information concerning this examination may be obtained by writing directly to TOEFL/ETS, P.O. Box 6151, Princeton, NJ 08541, U.S.A., or by visiting the Web site at www.toefl.org. Each student must request that his or her score on this examination be sent to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, code 2562.

International applicants residing in the New York area may elect to take, in lieu of the TOEFL, the English proficiency test of the University’s American Language Institute, located at 48 Cooper Square, Room 200, New York, NY 10003-7154, U.S.A. An appointment to take the test may be made by calling 212-998-7040.

Student Visas and Orientation

Matters pertaining to student visas and orientation programs at the LS sites in New York City, Florence, London, and Paris will be provided to admitted students upon receipt of the tuition deposit.

Readmission of Former Students

Any former student who has been out of attendance for more than two consecutive terms and who wishes to return to LS must apply for readmission at the LS Advising Center, 726 Broadway, 6th Floor.

Students who have attended another college or university since their last attendance at New York University must complete the regular application for undergraduate admission, submit an official transcript, and pay the $65.00 application fee. A LS student who has enrolled in another college or university cannot be readmitted to LS but may apply to NYU as a transfer student to one of NYU’s eight undergraduate baccalaureate schools or colleges.

Advanced Standing Credits

NYU participates in the Advanced Placement Program (AP) of the College Entrance Examination Board. In accordance with New York University policy, if test results are 5 or 4, depending on the subject examination, the student may receive college credit toward the degree.

LS accepts a maximum of 32 credits of advanced standing. Advanced standing credits are college-level credits earned before entering NYU. Advanced standing credits are evaluated by the NYU Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Students are notified after being accepted to NYU about the number of advanced standing credits that will be granted, which are then posted to their NYU transcripts.

Examples of advanced standing credits are credits earned at other colleges and universities before admission to NYU in which the grades earned were B or better and for which scores of 4 or 5 were obtained on the Advanced Placement examinations. Inter-national Baccalaureate, French Baccalaureate, A-levels, and Abitur credits may also result in advanced standing credit. Some courses taken at other colleges may not be honored by NYU.

In order to receive evaluation of advanced standing credits, students should request that official AP results, college transcripts, and other documentation be sent to the Undergraduate Admissions Proces-sing Center, New York University, 22 Washington Square North, New York, NY 10011-9191.

While LS accepts advanced standing credits, the work reflected by these credits will not substitute for any of the LS core classes. The only LS requirements for which advanced standing credits may substitute are mathematics and science. Students should also note that several undergraduate schools and colleges of NYU have different policies on whether AP or other advanced standing credit will be accepted in fulfillment of major and other requirements. Students should consult with the LS Advising Center about advanced standing credits and how they will be counted toward the baccalaureate degree.

Credit by Examination

The Advanced Placement Program (AP) (College Entrance Examina-tion Board), the International Baccalaureate Program (IB), and the results of some foreign maturity certificate examinations enable undergraduate students to receive credit toward the bachelor’s degree on the basis of performance in college-level examinations or proficiency examinations related to the college’s degree requirements, subject to the approval of the NYU school or college.

The maximum number of credits allowed toward the degree requirements that are a result of any possible combination of nonresident special examination programs shall not exceed a total of 32.

International Baccalaureate (IB). NYU recognizes for advanced standing credit higher level examinations passed with grades of 5, 6, or 7. No credit is granted for standard level examinations. Official reports must be submitted to the Undergraduate Admissions Processing Center for review.

Maturity Certificate Examinations. NYU will consider the results of certain foreign maturity certificate examinations for advanced standing credit, i.e., British “A” levels, French Baccalauréat, German Abitur, Italian Maturità, or the Federal Swiss Maturity Certificate. Official reports must be submitted to the Undergraduate Admissions Processing Center.

For information regarding the possibility of advanced standing credit for other maturity certificates, please contact the Undergraduate Admissions Processing Center at http://admissions.nyu.edu or 212-998-4500.

The Enrollment Process

To be enrolled, an admitted candidate must do the following:

Accept the University’s offer of admission and pay the required nonrefundable tuition deposit.
If applicable, pay the required nonrefundable housing deposit.
Have his or her high school and college (if applicable) forward a final transcript to the Undergraduate Admissions Processing Center.
File a medical report.
Contact the individual school or college for registration and academic advisement.
Pay balance of tuition and/or housing fees by the stipulated deadlines.
Register for classes when notified.

International applicants (non-U.S. citizens and non-U.S. permanent residents) admitted to LS will follow the guidelines listed above and upon payment of the tuition deposit will be provided with all the pertinent information for securing a student visa to enroll at New York University. Please note that upon acceptance, non-U.S. citizens and non-U.S. permanent residents must submit appropriate evidence of financial ability.