I thought the end would never come, but it is creeping in on me faster than I can register. May of my senior year of high school is here, which brings graduation closer, two weeks of AP tests, and one final decision to make. I spent the last four years working towards one major goal, which was getting into a college of my choice. However, now that all the college decisions have been sent out and I had a month to think, there was only one more thing to do: make a decision. Some doors that I hoped would open closed, but they led me to an amazing opportunity that I never anticipated receiving. I have been accepted into New York University Shanghai, one of NYU’s three degree-granting campuses. Founded in 2012, NYUSH is an incredibly new school, which brings a lot of uncertainty and risk to my future success. However, it’s the most unique and exciting choice that I don’t think I can pass up.
When I was first accepted to the school, I initially dismissed the possibility of going to school in China. I had applied to NYUSH by indicating interest in the campus within my application to NYU in New York, but I never expected to actually be accepted to the Shanghai campus instead of the one in New York. NYUSH didn’t seem like a possibility. Shanghai is a 14-hour flight away from home, in a completely different country with a different language and culture than I am used to. I envisioned college to be on a large, sprawling campus, with thousands of other classmates and definitely within the country. NYUSH has none of these. The campus comprises of one 17 story building and a garden. Each class consists of around 350 students, half from mainland China, and half from all over the world. In addition, since the school is so new, there is only one class that has graduated, so there is little information of how well alumni have done after leaving the school. Current students seem to not be very big fans of the dorms, and lots of things are still changing within the school because it is still establishing itself. After considering these points, it seemed like choosing NYUSH would be the wrong choice.
However, after learning more about the school and comparing it to my other options, NYUSH seems like it would be the best fit for me. I prefer urban settings to suburban places since there is so much more to explore in cities, so Shanghai would be an amazing city to discover a new culture. In China, I would be able to become more in touch with my culture and exponentially improve my Chinese skills, which would be incredibly helpful when I enter the workforce. NYUSH has many business-related majors including Interactive Media and Business, which blends technology, design, and business into one major. This seems like it could be the perfect major for me to pursue business, continue my passion for arts, and gain technology skills that are necessary for success in the future. Study abroad is a requirement during junior year for at least one semester, so I would get the chance to take classes at NYU New York’s prestigious Stern School of Business or any other of NYU’s 14 study away locations around the world! In addition, internship and travel opportunities would be abundant, which would make an education at NYUSH so much more exciting.
Moving to a completely different country for college will definitely be scary and difficult, but I believe the pros outweigh the cons. NYUSH offers a college experience that I cannot get anywhere else, and I am excited to embark on this new journey!
