Selective programme sets stage for future

ABU DHABI // New York University Abu Dhabi's growth had its beginnings in October 2007, when the project was first announced. The university's current campus is a modest 6,000 square metre city centre facility that was opened in December by Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces. And more growth is planned. The opening sparked a fiercely competitive recruitment campaign to lure some of the world's top students.

Hundreds of elite secondary schools were sent promotional materials, and the university made clear that no gifted student would be denied a place because of financial hardship. Scholarships have been provided to a number of students, helping them to pay for the $40,000 (Dh146,800) a year tuition fees, the same amount paid by students attending the university's home campus in New York City. When fees and room and board are added to the mix, students pay about $62,000 a year to attend NYU.

Students applying to NYU in New York could indicate that they would also like to be considered for admission to NYU Abu Dhabi, while others applied directly. Students were invited to a candidate weekend in Abu Dhabi, before places were offered. Of 274 who attended, 189 places were offered. Just 2.1 per cent of applicants were offered places at Abu Dhabi; by comparison, around 30 per cent of applicants are accepted at the US campus.

The downtown Abu Dhabi campus will serve as both the students' home and study base until 2014, when the institution's Saadiyat Island campus is scheduled to be completed. [e-mail]