Advising at NYU: What Your Academic Adviser Can Do for You

The Role and Responsibilities of Academic Advisers

Advisers are full-time staff members whose entire job is to support student needs. As an incoming student, you are assigned an adviser in your home school, and you’ll gain additional advisers as you add minors, second majors, or preprofessional tracks. This means your academic adviser will know all the requirements for your specific program!

Advisers can address a wide range of issues, including (but certainly not limited to):

• Course registration
• Fulfilling NYU’s core curriculum
• Academic planning
• Adding a minor or second major
• Career development
• Study away
• Accessing other NYU resources (programs, awards, research opportunities, internships, etc.)

My Experience with Advising

Academic advisers have helped me so much during my time here, especially as I navigate a double major and a minor.

Here are some of the biggest ways my advisers have supported me during my first year:

• Navigating Liberal Studies Classes: I am currently in the Liberal Studies Core. My primary academic adviser, Stephanie Santiago, is based in the same school. She reached out to me in May, before I even set foot on campus. She knew exactly what I needed to take during my first semester and helped me register for those classes!
• Finding Education Studies: I came into the Liberal Studies Core with only a vague idea of what I wanted to transition to after. I knew I wanted to work in education policy, but I was not sure which major would be the best fit. Education Studies is a smaller program that I did not know much about. After Stephanie suggested it, I realized that it perfectly aligned with my interests! Stephanie helped me get in touch with Omar Gómez, the Education Studies adviser, who helped me build a four-year plan with all the required courses.
• Creating a Four-Year Plan: With guidance from both Stephanie and Omar, I built a four-year plan that includes all the courses I am going to take during my time at NYU. Now, I know exactly what I need to take and when I am going to take it. I can also see exactly how the courses will fulfill requirements for my Education Studies major, Politics major, and French minor. I know I am not going to take any useless courses. Additionally, I do not have to worry about missing requirements or not graduating on time.
• Planning for Study Away: My advisers also helped me fit a semester of studying away into my four-year plan! I will be spending spring 2027 studying at NYU Paris, and I am very excited.
• Course Registration: Since I am technically not an Education Studies student yet, I was not eligible to enroll in certain major-specific classes on my own. Luckily, Omar was able to help me get into these classes!
• …And So Much More: My advisers have also helped me find research positions, award opportunities, and courses I may be interested in. They have given me career guidance and connected me with other on-campus resources, such as our Wasserman Center for Career Development and the Undergraduate Research Office.

Advice for Incoming Students

Stephanie shared these three tips for incoming students:

Reach Out to Your Adviser: “It might feel intimidating to reach out, but as your academic adviser, I want to hear from you! You should feel free to connect with your adviser to discuss your academic goals, course planning, and interests. We are here year-round (minus a few weeks when we may be out of the office) and not just during busy registration periods. So, get to know your adviser—and not just during the week prior to registration.”

Create a List of Questions: “Before your first advising appointment, it may be helpful to make a list of questions you intend to ask. Do you have APs, IB, transfer, or other advanced standing credits? Let your adviser know. Are you trying to decide between a few different paths, majors, or minors? Thinking about study abroad? All that is useful information for your adviser to have when helping you create your academic plan.”

Don’t Rely on Friends for Academic Guidance: “We want you to make lots of friends at NYU! But please don’t rely on your friends for academic advising. Because what is true for your friend in one NYU school, or your roommate in another, or your cousin who graduated five years ago MIGHT not be true for you! Advising is very school specific at NYU. Always consult with your adviser for any advising-related questions. That is what we are here for!”