Transferring to NYU

“Going to those transfer student meetings made me feel at ease because I could hear other people’s stories. It opened my eyes to the fact that this is a normal process that a lot of students go through.” —Daniella Rodriguez

Drama major Daniella always knew NYU was her dream school. But when she didn’t get in the first time around, she completed her first year at a university on the West Coast. She knew almost immediately that it wasn’t her forever school. “I didn’t want to take a gap year,” she explains. “So I decided to make the most of it and pursue acting and drama and everything I love. I had a lot of great experiences there, but I ultimately felt like I wasn’t artistically fulfilled. NYU was always the goal.”

The second time around, Daniella found the application process a lot less daunting since she could build upon her original application materials. She did, however, still need to audition. “My audition was on Zoom during the height of COVID-19,” she recalls. “That was a little scary because it’s always easier to read the room in person. But I was surprised at how smoothly it went. I connected with the person I auditioned for, and it felt like everything fell into place.”

During NYU Welcome, Daniella attended several meet and greets. These sessions were specifically for transfer students and helped ease her anxiety during the transition. “When I was transferring to NYU, I felt like a black sheep,” admits Daniella. “I felt like the normal thing for most high school students was to apply to a college, commit to that college, and then stay there for four years. Going to those transfer student meetings made me feel at ease because I could hear other people’s stories. It opened my eyes to the fact that this is a normal process that a lot of students go through.”

As a student at NYU Tisch, Daniella feels like her future is in good hands. With 10 professional training studios, an abundance of networking opportunities, and endless internship possibilities, she has had a vast array of resources at her disposal. “At my old school, I couldn’t see the possibilities,” she says. “I didn’t see myself going anywhere, and that scared me. At NYU, there are so many opportunities. That’s something I really appreciate because I want to dabble in everything.”

Before transferring to NYU in 2019, Sustainable Urban Environments major Rebecca spent her first year of college at a different university on the East Coast. From day one, she knew it wasn’t the right fit. “I felt disconnected,” she explains. “I spent the year taking classes, but I knew the whole time that I didn’t love it.” As she explored new opportunities, Rebecca searched for three things: a campus within a vibrant community, an environment where she could meet new people, and a major that resonated with her goals. She found all three at NYU.

“I chose NYU because of the Sustainable Urban Environments (SUE) major at the Tandon School of Engineering,” says Rebecca. “At my old school, I was double-majoring in Economics and Environmental Science, but neither of them aligned with what I wanted to do. When I researched the SUE major, every class appealed to me. At my old school, I dreaded almost every class I had to take.”

During orientation, Rebecca spent most of her time in the Tandon transfer student pods, fostering connections with her new peers. Once classes began, these connections made NYU feel more personal. “I would bump into people from my transfer pod all the time. It was very comforting, even if they weren’t my best friends,” explains Rebecca. “It was nice to just know people. At my old school, I felt like I didn’t know anyone because it was so massive.”

At NYU Tandon, Rebecca has taken courses on topics ranging from energy to civil engineering. She’s served as the faculty and alumni commissioner for the Tandon Undergraduate Student Council and worked as a geographic information systems consultant at NYU Data Services. Now she works as an enrollment management assistant at Tandon. After graduation, Rebecca will take a three-month trip to Asia as she awaits responses to her fellowship applications.

“I didn’t get in the first time I applied to NYU, but it was a dream I held onto. Don’t sell yourself short. If you know your dream and you know you want it, you can get there.” —Jake Gainey

The first time Jake applied to NYU, he wasn’t admitted. While the dream remained, he went to a small liberal arts college closer to his home in California instead. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jake spent his first year living at home and taking courses online. When campus reopened in 2021, he immersed himself in college and campus life as much as possible. “I spent the first semester of sophomore year on campus in Los Angeles,” he says. “But it wasn’t NYU. I still wanted to make that change. So I applied to NYU that semester and began classes in January 2022.”

Before starting his journey at the Gallatin School of Individualized Study, Jake worked with his transfer adviser to make sure his credits transferred from his previous school. “They were my biggest resource,” he shares. “When I was first admitted, there were eight courses on my transcript that weren’t going to transfer. But after reviewing each course with my adviser and finding connections between my old school and Gallatin, we were able to narrow down that list to only one course. That saved me a lot of time and money.”

With interests in architecture and real estate, Jake developed a Gallatin concentration that merges his passions: sustainable architecture and real estate development. Instead of pursuing a more traditional course of study, Jake (with encouragement from his advisers) explored his interests further by taking environmental courses at Gallatin and real estate courses at the NYU School of Professional Studies.

Beyond the classroom, Jake serves as a Gallatin ambassador and leadership committee member for the 1831 Fund. In addition, he’s a member of the Gallatin Business Society and the Urban Design and Architecture Society.

Reflecting on his experience transferring to NYU, Jake is glad that he persisted. “I didn’t get in the first time I applied to NYU,” he says. “But it was a dream I held onto. Don’t sell yourself short. If you know your dream and you know you want it, you can get there.”

“I just kept thinking, ‘If I don’t at least try, then I’ll never know my answer.’” —Matthew Reyes Lee