Last month, NYU Abu Dhabi welcomed 263 new students, a diverse group representing 79 countries and speaking more than 65 languages. The yield — the percentage of students who attend NYUAD after being admitted — for the class was 82 percent and the most heavily represented countries of its members are the US, the UAE, China, India, Pakistan, Russia, South Korea, the UK, and Australia.

With the Class of 2018, the University's total student population of 739 students hails from 107 countries and speaks more than 100 languages, reflecting the international diversity and multicultural character of Abu Dhabi.

Like those in the classes before them, members of the new freshman class underwent a rigorous selection and interview process, through which they demonstrated impressive academic credentials. This year, at the class' 75th percentile, the SAT math score was 800 (with 25 students receiving perfect 800 scores), while at the 25th percentile, the score was 725. At the 75th percentile, the score for critical reading was 760 (with 10 students receiving perfect 800 scores). At the 25th percentile, it was 680. The median SAT score was 1,480 (out of the 1,600 scale).

For the ACT — a US-based standardized test that encompasses English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science Reasoning — the composite average was 32 out of a 36-point scale. And for those submitting International Baccalaureate (IB) results, the average predicted score was 41 (out of a scale of 45).

"In just four years, NYU Abu Dhabi has established itself as a university of truly global distinction, and the diverse and talented members of the Class of 2018 will contribute remarkably to this trajectory," said NYU President John Sexton. "With the opening of our new campus on Saadiyat Island, and the start of our fifth academic year, these are exciting days for everyone at NYUAD. We look forward to the myriad ways the newest members of the NYUAD community will leave their marks — on Abu Dhabi, and the entire NYU global network."

NYU Abu Dhabi Vice Chancellor Al Bloom added: "Once again NYU Abu Dhabi has welcomed some of the top students from across the world. They are students who are immensely bright, passionate about intellectual pursuit, and committed to building a humane and inclusive community on campus that is a microcosm of the world community they want to shape. They are students who, through partnership with NYUAD, will become wise and effective leaders of a global world."