High school: New York University Abu Dhabi

My husband and I came to the Indonesian International Education Foundation at Menara Imperium (Kuningan - Jakarta) and enjoyed a comprehensive presentation on New York University Abu Dhabi last  week.

It was the first day of the fasting month. We came with lots of curiosity and got back home with all the answers we needed.

Here are some important notes about NYU Abu Dhabi which may be helpful for high school seniors who will graduate soon and are looking around for college information :

• in November 2009, John Sexton (the fifteenth President of New York University) was named as one of  10 Best College Presidents  by Time magazine.
• NYUAD is the first comprehensive liberal arts and science campus in the Middle East to be operated abroad by a major American research university
• NYUAD awards the Bachelor of Arts and the Bachelor of Science degrees.
• English is the language of instruction 
• NYUAD curriculum offers 19 majors in Arts, Humanities, Social Science, Science and Engineering, five multidisciplinary concentrations, core curriculum and capstone projects. A minimum of 36 courses in total is required to graduate.

• Students  must complete courses in their major field.
• Students can choose one among five multidisciplinary concentrations (i.e Interactive Media and Technology, The Ancient World, The Arab Crossroad, The Environment, Urbanization) no later than the fifth semester and are required to take 4 courses. Multidisciplinary concentrations are one of the ways the curriculum supports work across disciplines and engages students to think about complex subjects from multiple perspectives.
• Students are also required to take 8 courses in the core curriculum which is divided in four areas: Pathways of World Literature; Structures of Thought and Society; Art, Technology and Invention; and Ideas and Methods of Science. The Core Curriculum includes one Writing Intensive Core course and will provide in-depth focus on oral and written expressions.
• Students are also required to take 2 courses in Physical Education and can choose from a variety of individual or team sports at the intramural or externally competitive levels (depending on skill level), lifetime sport instruction (such as golf or tennis), or fitness classes (such as aerobics or Pilates). The Physical Education graduation requirement includes the completion of two 7-week sessions of participative athletic activity. Students will complete this requirement within their first two years.
• During the fourth year, students will produce a Capstone Project, which may be either an individual or team project. The capstone project is a demanding, year-long endeavor aiming at a significant piece of research or creative work-a historical narrative, musical composition, performance, invention, documented experiment, scholarly thesis, or other form appropriate to the student's goals. The capstone project maybe completed in either the multidisciplinary concentration or the major. At the end of the school year, the students will present their capstone work at a university-wide celebration of their creative achievements, as they prepare to graduate from NYUAD.
• Students are also free to choose general electives across the curriculum, including up to 3 courses in seven pre-professional tracks (i.e Business and Organizational Studies, Education, Journalism, Law, Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship, Museum Studies, Premedical and Health Studies) and elective courses outside the NYUAD majors.  These courses provide students significant opportunities to take courses outside their majors and are often taught by scholars from NYU New York who specialize in areas not offered as majors at NYUAD, such as anthropology, linguistics, and religion.

• NYUAD drew more than 9,000 applicants and accepted fewer than 200 for its new 2010 class 
• Admission to NYUAD is highly selective. Students will be admitted based on the overall strength of their application, including academic excellence, extra-curricular activities, recommendations, and a demonstrated interest in global citizenship, service, and leadership.
• The NYUAD admissions process is "need-blind.", which means that admissions decisions will be made without knowledge of a student’s level of financial need.