New York University – The Short List

Nancy and Tim

Turkey

Multiple Classmates

Tufts, NYU

Clients: Nancy and Tim

Nancy’s family works for the State Department and has hosted several international community presentations for The Short List. We met Tim at the presentation they organized for us in Istanbul, Turkey. It was clear from our first meeting that Nancy and Tim were good friends. They had just returned from a school trip to Nepal and were eager to share their experiences with us. They also shared their stories.

Nancy’s family moved from Bangkok, Thailand, to Istanbul at the start of her junior year. She found that the quickest way to make friends after each move was to become involved and that was how she discovered theatre. Arriving in Turkey was no different, and she found herself quickly cast in a school production. She also began to take up guitar and singing, and soon began considering a life in the performing arts. She began looking for schools with strong acting programs.

Nancy and her mother traveled back to the United States in the spring of her senior year for several interviews and auditions. She rehearsed her songs and monologues while we helped her prepare her resumé and prep for her interviews. She returned a week later and waited for the results.

When Tim came to The Short List he was very clear on a few things: he wanted to have an urban college experience at a school with a strong international student population. Having lived in Paris, Madrid, and Istanbul, Tim was accustomed to a diverse and cosmopolitan community. He had always enjoyed math and science in school and had a real passion for technology. So as he started thinking about a college major, he realized it had to be something that would incorporate math, science, and technology, and focused on schools with computer engineering.

Tim was also able to make a trip to the US, so we worked with him to maximize his campus visits and prepare him for his interviews at a number of schools that met his criteria. Later, as Tim worked through his college essays, we pushed him to reveal the interests and passions he had as a student and individual. He was able to express himself in beautiful essays that were infused with his wry humor. The only question that remained was whether his colleges would recognize his unique qualities.

When April finally arrived, both Nancy and Tim received news that they had been accepted to top universities. Nancy is now a freshman in NYU Tisch School’s nationally ranked acting program, and Tim is just hours away in Boston at Tufts University where he is enrolled in their highly acclaimed engineering program.

Cameron

Washington DC

The Music Producer

New York University

Client: Cameron

Cameron was certain about two things when he contacted The Short List in the fall of his senior year: he wanted to pursue his passion for music production and he wanted to attend an urban university. Having grown up in Hong Kong, with family in France and Spain, Cameron felt it was important to study on a multicultural campus with access to a bustling city. As an accomplished musician, Cameron also wanted a university with a vibrant music scene both on and off campus. Music technology is such a unique program that Cameron was having trouble finding schools that met all his criteria.

The Short List knew Cameron had to be strategic in his approach. He had a full schedule between his International Baccalaureate curriculum and extracurricular activities, including his DJ work and performing. Cameron was finding it difficult to devote the necessary time to preparing for the SAT or ACT, so we connected him with The Short List Test Prep Division, which introduced him to strategic tools for taking the test.

The Short List knew Cameron had to be strategic in his approach.

Cameron was unable to travel from Hong Kong to the US to visit college campuses, so he began to doubt whether he would be accepted. The Short List looked for other ways he could make connections that would demonstrate his interest. We coached Cameron on how to reach out to admissions staff and relevant academic departments. We also helped him identify admissions receptions being held locally, and prepped him to speak with each area representative. One college very quickly stood out: New York University. Cameron was certain NYU was his school. The Short List helped Cameron prepare and submit his Early Decision application and required materials to NYU while also preparing applications for other schools on his list. He was overjoyed when he received an Early Decision acceptance to NYU’s prestigious music technology program; he emailed The Short List to say, “I can’t wait to attend NYU! I just want to say thank you for the whole process and the time you spent with me. I was stressed out, and I ‘over-thought’ a lot. Thank you for calming me down every single time. I wouldn’t be accepted to NYU without you!”