NYU and International Applicants

NYU has quite a few international students on its campus. More than any other college in fact. Even more than USC.

For years, the University of Southern California has claimed the title of enrolling the most international students. The streak lasted thirteen years. But that streak is over. This past academic year, New York University enrolled more international students than the University of Southern California. 10,900 international students were enrolled at USC this past academic year — even an increase from the previous academic year — as compared to 11,100 foreign-born students at NYU. NYU has indeed toppled Goliath.

According to an article on NYU and international applicants in “The LA Times,” “‘Both institutions remain hugely attractive to international students, with some preferring the West Coast and the strengths of USC, and others finding NYC and NYU more appealing,’ said Peggy Blumenthal, the senior counselor to the president for the group…The number of international students in U.S. colleges and universities increased about 8% last year to nearly 886,000. China sent the largest group, with about 274,000 students, more than double the number of students from India, the second biggest group. Foreign students make up about 4% of all higher-education undergraduates and graduates in the U.S., according to the survey. More colleges and universities nationwide have come to depend on Chinese students, who generally pay full tuition, as a way to help boost their budgets during tough economic times.”

That’s precisely right. If you’re applying to an institution such as USC or NYU — or any highly selective college as an international applicant — it is imperative that you be able to pay the full cost of tuition. That, after all, is the great benefit of international applicants to these colleges…they are full-pays. They offset so many of the students who need financial aid to cover the cost of college tuition. It’s further evidence that highly selective colleges, as we’ve said for years, are by no means need-blind. Need-blind admissions is a farce. A total and complete farce.