For previous coverage of NYUAD, go here.

Imagine starting a brand new university. Even if you have good name recognition and a solid reputation like NYU, it’s not exactly easy to attract a large crop of students to an untested, unknown campus. And add to that the condition that this new university is in the Middle East in a country most people have never visited (or even know anything about). If I were an admissions director, I would be daunted.

But there is one way to attract talent – and Abu Dhabi is already well-versed in it. Just buy it up.

The recruitment process for NYUAD is pretty incredible; if the university is successful, it could pave the way for a very bright future for the new campus. Here’s what they’re going to do: contact approximately 500 of the top high schools in the world (with an early emphasis on the US, UK, and Canada) and ask each of those schools to submit the names of 2 or 3 1 or 2 of their very best graduating students. (It should be noted that NYUAD, according to NYU Professor Zvi Kedem, is not a school to train Emeratis, but rather outstanding students from the international community. The focus will eventually be on students from Morocco to India.) Those students will then be asked to submit an application. That will give NYU a pool of 1000-1500 500-1000 students to select from.

The admissions committee will narrow the pool down to approximately 200 students. Those select few will be invited to attend, as Student Senator Steven Jean told me, Camp Abu Dhabi.

They will be flown for free to Abu Dhabi (in business class, I hear. They will fly in economy class, but almost everyone else who flies to and from NYUAD flies business class. A round-trip business class ticket to the US costs between $6,000-7,000.). There, the prospective students will take part in what amounts to an extended interview over the course of a few days. Further details about Camp Abu Dhabi are murky at best.

After this round of vetting, NYUAD will offer admission to 100 students (with a waitlist, I imagine). If all goes right, these students will be some of the best in the world.

Kedem brought up two concerns he had about the plan. One, parents might be able bribe headmasters into nominating their children for NYUAD. He didn’t have an answer for how NYU could stop that.

And, two, the students offered admission might not want to attend NYUAD, particularly since, given their credentials, they will likely have offers from many top universities. But Kedem did have an answer for this problem.

Next: financial aid.

UPDATE 4/24: Recruiters will be traveling to many of the high schools contacted in the student search to boost awareness of and a desire to attend NYUAD.

CLARIFICATION 4/24: The Student Senators did not fly business class to Abu Dhabi; they traveled in economy. Also, Steven Jean believes that students will be flown economy class as well. Professor Kedem thinks (as I do) that the students flown to Camp Abu Dhabi will be flown business class. Kedem also noted that professors will most likely travel business class.

UPDATE/CORRECTION 4/25: Josh Taylor, NYUAD’s US Senior Director for International Communications (AKA PR Director), sent me an email with some updates to this story:

Students will not be flying business class to Camp Abu Dhabi — not sure where you got that from, because I don’t think anyone has ever even suggested that. Furthermore, we expect that they’re likely to share hotel rooms when they’re over in Abu Dhabi.

Minor, but schools are able to nominate one to two students, not two to three.

And the Morocco to India focus is not correct — we will continue to recruit the top students from around the globe.

The piece has been changed to reflect this. However, Kedem specifically emphasized that the campus would have a focus on students from Morocco to India. Of course, students will come from around the world (including many from the US).

Photo courtesy of Steven Jean.