To open and close this bar, use alt+/

NYU Abu Dhabi Welcomes Class of 2016 Comprising 151 Students from 65 Countries

The view of Abu Dhabi along the corniche, with the UAE flag flying high.

Press Release

NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) has welcomed 151 of the world’s most talented students from 65 countries around the globe to the University’s undergraduate program as its Class of 2016. In total, 208 students were admitted from 15,520 applicants, making it one of the most selective higher education programs in the world. (An additional three students admitted to the Class of ’16 will begin their studies in the fall of 2013.)

The Class of 2016 student body saw a significant increase in enrollment of UAE Nationals, with 17 students matriculating, up from nine in the Class of 2015. All incoming Emirati students were awarded the Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed NYUAD Scholarship for Exceptional Emirati Students, a newly launched initiative for UAE Nationals who are admitted to NYUAD.

This year’s freshman class, most heavily represented by the US, the UAE, Canada, South Korea, and the UK, will join a student body that now represents 89 countries and speaks 86 languages.

NYUAD’s newest class has demonstrated impressive academic credentials, with test score results comparable to those of the world’s most prestigious universities. NYUAD, like NYU in New York, accepts a number of options that satisfy its testing requirement, in recognition of the international composition of both institutions. Their results include:

  • SAT: At the class' 75th percentile, the SAT math score was 790 (with nine students receiving perfect 800 scores), while at the 25th percentile, the score was 720. At the 75th percentile, the score for critical reading was 775 (with six students receiving perfect 800 scores), while at the 25th percentile, it was 670. The median SAT score, out of the 1,600 scale, was 1,460.
  • ACT: The ACT — a US-based standardized test encompassing English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science Reasoning — composite average was 33.11 out of a 36-point scale.
  • International Baccalaureate (IB): Those submitting IB results reported an average predicted score of 41 (out of a scale of 45).

“The impressive diversity and academic record of NYU Abu Dhabi’s third undergraduate class is a clear indication that the concept and ideals of NYU’s global network university is one that resonates strongly with today’s students,” NYU President John Sexton said. “The academic rigor of NYUAD’s liberal arts education, coupled with the intrinsic draw of NYU’s global network, continues to attract to Abu Dhabi some of the brightest young minds from around the world.”

NYU Abu Dhabi Vice Chancellor Al Bloom added: “The Class of 2016 joins an extraordinary student body, which in two short years has already begun to make its distinctive mark on the institution, and the world. Our recruitment has been remarkable, consistently attracting students who are not only among the best academically, but who share a passion for learning, a commitment for building community, and a resolve to make their own difference for humanity.”

Of the 15,520 young men and women who applied for admission to NYUAD, 2,470 applicants asked to be considered for the Abu Dhabi campus as their primary choice and 13,050 applied to the campus as their alternate choice. For the first time, this year, applicants to NYU’s New York campus and NYU’s Abu Dhabi campus had the option of selecting one campus as their “primary” choice and the other as their “alternate” choice on their application. Every year, top candidates for admission are invited to attend a Candidate Weekend in Abu Dhabi, during which they have the opportunity to learn more about the institution, the host country of the United Arab Emirates, and spend time with NYUAD faculty and students, while providing Admissions staff and faculty the opportunity to interact directly with prospective candidates.

NYUAD, created in partnership with the Abu Dhabi government, is a liberal arts and science college (including engineering), and a world center for advanced research and scholarship; over time, it will also offer distinctive graduate programs — all fully integrated with each other and connected to NYU in New York. Together, NYU New York and NYU Abu Dhabi, soon to be joined by NYU Shanghai, which will welcome its inaugural class in the fall of 2013, form the backbone of a unique global network university, with faculty and students from each campus spending semesters at one or more of the numerous study-abroad sites NYU maintains on five continents.

About NYU Abu Dhabi

NYU Abu Dhabi is the first comprehensive liberal arts and research campus in the Middle East to be operated abroad by a major American research university. NYU Abu Dhabi has integrated a highly selective undergraduate curriculum across the disciplines with a world center for advanced research and scholarship. The university enables its students in the sciences, engineering, social sciences, humanities, and arts to succeed in an increasingly interdependent world and advance cooperation and progress on humanity’s shared challenges. NYU Abu Dhabi’s high-achieving students have come from over 115 countries and speak over 115 languages. Together, NYU's campuses in New York, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai form the backbone of a unique global university, giving faculty and students opportunities to experience varied learning environments and immersion in other cultures at one or more of the numerous study-abroad sites NYU maintains on six continents.