Below are some commonly asked questions by parents. We have arranged the questions by topic.
2019 Freshman Orientation Week is from August 26th to August 31st. Orientation Week is required for all first-year students and cannot be skipped.
Parents are invited to the Parent’s Panel on campus in the late afternoon of Move-in Day (August 25th, 2019). At the parent’s panel, parents will be able to meet the leadership from the university, learn about university resources, and get advice from other parents. There are no additional programs designed for parents after the parent’s panel.
The University Welcome to Class of 2023 will be held on August 26th, 2019. Due to spatial restraints, parents and guests are not allowed to join the University Welcome, but will be shared a recorded version of the event after the Orientation Week.
First-year students can move into their rooms at the Jinqiao Residence Hall at 9 AM on August 25th, 2019. On Move-in Day, you will receive your dorm key, NYU Card, NYU Shanghai student booklet, a pre-loaded metro card, and a Class of 2023 T-Shirt from the welcome table. There will also be on-site staff from our Student Mobility team, IT, the Bursar Office, and the Student Health Center to assist you.
We will also arrange shuttle buses for airport pick up on a fixed schedule, which will be announced in the summer newsletter. There will also be shuttle buses running between the residence hall and the campus for those who want to go to campus for cell phone registration and the Parent’s Panel.
For students in the Class of 2023, NYU Shanghai will provide a shuttle bus from Pudong International Airport (PVG) to the NYU Shanghai Jinqiao Residence Hall on Move-in Day.
These shuttle buses will depart from PVG on a set schedule (confirmed schedule will be announced in the summer newsletter). Shuttle buses are not provided from Hongqiao Airport or any of Shanghai’s train stations. Because students will be given priority seating on the shuttle bus, seats for your family are not guaranteed. Family members can either wait for an available seat on the bus or take a taxi. Our shuttle bus has enough storage capacity for approximately 2 medium to large suitcases per student, so remember to pack light!
If you arrive in the late evening, you will probably miss our airport shuttle bus. We recommend that you line up in the taxi queue at the airport, and take a taxi to the Residence Hall. This should cost around 120 RMB - 180 RMB (20 - 30 US dollars) with no traffic. If you arrive at the Residence Hall after 9 PM you can pick up your room key at the Public Safety Office located on the first floor in residence hall building #2.
There are a few hotels close to the NYU Shanghai campus, and they offer a corporate rate for students and parents. To enjoy the rate, you need to contact the sales-representative listed in the Hotel Guide. The Hotel Guide will be made available to students in one of the first newsletters they receive in the Summer.
The housing deposit is due on June 1, 2019. The admissions team will reach out to students in early May with detailed instructions on how to make the payment
Housing applications will be released to International students in early June and are due in late June. Housing applications will be released to Chinese students in the middle of July and will be due in late July. Housing assignments are sent out in early August.
Multicultural integration and understanding is a fundamental aspect of the NYU Shanghai educational mission. To further this mission, all students will live with someone of a different background, with every room having at least one international student and one Chinese national student.
Based on your answers to the lifestyle questionnaire in the housing application, we will try to pair you with someone who has similar lifestyle habits, but multicultural integration will always have top priority.
Every student will receive a bed frame, mattress, linens, a desk, a chair, and a dresser. In addition to these items, each room is also equipped with an air conditioner, an air purifier, and a wastebasket. Students in the same Residential Community will share washers, dryers, and kitchen supplies.
There are several shopping malls next to the Jinqiao Residence Hall where you can find restaurants, bakeries, clothing stores, houseware stores, and supermarkets. There is also a 24-hour convenience store called Family Mart located right outside of the Jinqiao Residence Hall. There, you can buy snacks, beverages, and hygiene products like shampoo, toothbrushes, etc. For a wider selection of products, you can also go to the Jinqiao Carrefour, which is 10 minutes away by taxi.
All kitchens come with pans, pots, a wok, a spatula, a ladle, cutting boards, knives, a drying rack, a microwave, and a rice cooker. There is no oven in the Residence Hall due to fire safety regulations.
Students will share kitchens, bathrooms, and showers with their Residential Community. In the Jinqiao Residence Hall, a Residential Community typically includes 40 students and is connected through a shared Resident Assistant (RA) and year long programming. Each Residential Community will share 1 or 2 kitchens, and approximately 10 toilets, 10 showers, and 10 sink counter areas.
For a full list of prohibited items, please consult the Furniture Policy for Residence Halls and the Fire Safety Policy for Residence Halls sections of the NYU Shanghai Student Conducts and Policies. In general, we advise students against bringing furniture until they have communicated with their roommate(s) and experienced the living space, even if the furniture meets our Furniture Policy.
Packages should be shipped directly to the Residence Hall, however, they cannot arrive before the student has checked into the Residence Hall. Packages that arrive before the student arrives will be turned away.
For shipping, please use the following address and format:
上海市浦东新区张杨路3680弄碧云中心X号楼XX室 XXX
(Name XXX, Rm. XX, Building X, Green Center, Lane 3680, Zhangyang Rd., Pudong, Shanghai)
It is important to note that according to the NYU Shanghai Residence Hall Mail & Package Policies all students must use their full legal name (no nicknames, English names, etc) on mailing addresses. For Chinese students’ names, pinyin is required in addition to Chinese characters.
NYU Shanghai does not provide Summer Storage and encourages our students to pack light when preparing for NYU Shanghai. However, if your student would like to store their belongings over summer, NYU Shanghai has negotiated with a private storage company which offers a discounted rate for our students.
To strengthen the bond of each cohort, Freshmen and Sophomores are required to live on campus. Junior and Senior students do not have to live on campus, unless they are required to do so by one of NYU’s other global sites during their study away experience.
Students are allowed to stay in their room over all breaks during the academic year, including Winter Break. Students will be asked to move out of their room before the spring move out date (please refer to the Academic Calendar).
There are three mobile phone service providers in China: China Telecom, China Unicom and China Mobile. You can find their service centers in the Jinqiao International Mall, located opposite the Residence Hall. To make it easier for new students, we will invite these service vendors to campus on move-in day to help new students sign up for a local cell phone number. Students just need to bring their passport and some cash with them to campus.
We recommend that students first make a list of all the items they would like to bring and then decide whether they can find them in China. Chances are good that you will find them! When you start packing, the most important items to bring are clothing for all seasons (Shanghai can get very hot and very cold), any preferred or special toiletry products, cosmetics, and medication.
In general, it should be noted that clothing and shoe sizes run small in China. Because of this, it may be difficult to find clothing or shoes that fit, or stores that carry plus sizes.
It can be hard to find cosmetics for diverse skin tones in China, so you might consider bringing extra from home.
Check the voltage of your home country before you come to China. China uses 220V electricity, so if your country’s voltage is lower than 220V and you plan to bring an appliance from your home country (like a hair straightener, steamer, etc), you may need a voltage converter to use your appliance. While this is one option, we generally encourage students to buy the appliance in Shanghai, if possible. Electronics like computers, cell phones, gaming devices, etc usually do not need a voltage adapter since most are designed to accept a range of voltages. To see if your device will work in China, you should check your product specs to see if will accept 220V.
The main sockets used in Mainland China are Type A and Type I. Type A plugs have two holes of the same shape and size and are commonly used outside of Mainland China in countries like the United States, Mexico, Canada, Japan, Colombia, etc. Because of the way Type A plugs are designed in Mainland China they can also accept Type C and Type I plugs, which are widely used widely in Europe and South Korea. If you come from one of these countries, you should be able to use your two-pronged charger to charge or power your electrical appliances. Type I plugs have 3 holes and are commonly used in countries outside of Mainland China like Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, and Fiji.
During Freshman Orientation Week, shuttle buses will only be provided for certain events and health check. Once the academic semester starts, NYU Shanghai Public Safety will organize regular shuttle bus service between the NYU Shanghai Residence Hall and the Campus. These buses typically operate from 7:00 AM to 11:45 PM. The regular shuttle bus schedule will be announced at the beginning of each semester by the Department of Public Safety.
Students will be given a preloaded Shanghai metro card during Orientation Week, which can be used on the metro, buses, taxies, and ferries. If you arrive in Shanghai earlier, we recommend that you buy single journey tickets until you receive your Shanghai metro card.
Billing and payment deadline information for Academic Year 2019-2020 will be available in April, 2019. You can visit the Bills, Payments and Refund webpage, or contact the Bursar Office at shanghai.studentaccounts@nyu.edu.
International and U.S. students, please contact shanghai.financial.support@nyu.edu
Chinese students, please contact shanghai.chinese.financial.support@nyu.edu
There are 4 state-owned banks in China. They are The Bank of China (BOC), the China Construction Bank (CCB), Agricultural Bank of China (ABC) and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC). They are all quite reliable banks.
However, BOC now requires a minimum stay of 1 year in China for foreigners who want to open an account. Our university recommends ICBC as it is quite international and has relatively few requirements for foreigners who want to open an account.
There is also an ICBC ATM machine located on the B1 floor in the campus building. In addition to ICBC, China Merchant Bank (CMB) is also a good option as the services are quick, and a branch is located next to the academic building. All banks provide English services at their counters.
To open a Chinese bank account, you will need to have the following items prepared: a Chinese phone number, a passport with valid Chinese Visa, your student ID card (sometimes), a Residence Permit (depends on banks and nationality), and 10-20 RMB in cash. You might also be asked for your social security number if you are from the U.S. It usually takes about 1-2 hours at the bank to finish all paperwork and open the account.
Because it might take more than a week to register a local phone number, and another 1 or 2 weeks to find time to go to a Chinese bank, we recommend that every student bring a debit card that can withdraw money from a local ATM machine to cover the first month’s living expenses in Shanghai.
Though it is not recommended to bring a large amount of cash, students may need anywhere from 2,000 to 3,000 RMB to cover the cost of their Health Check, transportation, and food in the first few weeks. It is recommended that you and your student contact your bank before departure and bring a debit/credit card that can withdraw cash from local Shanghai ATMs to cover expenses in the first month.
This depends on the policies at each bank, so use caution. Please also be aware that the NYU Shanghai Bursar Office does not accept payment via credit card or checks.
To transfer money, you will need to show your student’s account information to your bank. This information includes:
- A SWIFT code
- Bank name
- Branch name
- Bank address
- Bank account number
- Account holder’s name
A transfer error can occur if the name on the transfer does not match the name on the Chinese bank account. Please double check the name against the application receipt your student received when he/she opened the account. These names are case sensitive so make sure you write the name exactly how it is written on your student's account.
- Access your eSuite account by logging into the Albert Student Center via NYUHome. Your NYU Shanghai NetID and password are required.
- Once in the Albert Student Center, click on the View Bursar Account link, located under the Finances menu. This will take you to the secure eSuite website.
- After logging on to the eSuite website, go to the My Account tab, and then click the Authorized Users link.
- Enter the email address of the person you are authorizing.
That person will receive two email notifications with instructions on how to set up his or her individual eSuite account. After they enroll, they will be notified each time a new billing statement is available.
For more detailed instructions, you can refer to this guide.
After you are invited as an authorized user by your student via the process above, log into TouchNet with your registered email address and password.
Click the ‘View Activity’ button in the middle of the page to view your student’s financial account activities.
The immunization form and other health-related forms are due August 1st. For a complete list of health requirements, click here.
We recommend that your student gets the MMR and Meningitis vaccines before coming to Shanghai. Although the vaccines are available in Shanghai, they are not administered by the Student Health Center, so it is much more convenient to get these at home.
This depends on the availability of the medication. Please ask your student to contact the Student Health Center before they arrive in Shanghai if they take any medication and may need refills.
Shanghai East International Hospital is about 10 minutes away by car, and can serve international and Chinese students in an emergency.
We have three full-time counselors on staff. In addition to our staff counselors, we can also refer your student to expat mental health professionals in the Shanghai community. Students can schedule a same-day appointment at our Student Health Center or speak with a mental or medical health professional 24/7 by calling the Wellness Exchange (Toll-free at (021) 2059-9999).
This depends on whether or not your plan meets the requirements of NYU. Click here for more details.
While the air quality in Shanghai and throughout China has improved in recent years, your student should stay updated about air quality while they’re here, especially if they have asthma or other respiratory conditions.
To help monitor air pollution, NYU Shanghai sends students, faculty, and staff daily air quality reports via the NYU Shanghai WeChat platform.
The air in the NYU Shanghai Academic Building is filtered and regularly tested to ensure a safe and healthy learning environment for our students. Masks are a matter of personal preference and need for each student. While a majority of our students find it unnecessary to wear a mask, we provide a free supply for all students at our Student Health Center.
NYU Shanghai does not have meal plans. Instead, students may use cash or mobile payment to top up their campus card, which can be used in the cafeteria and cafe. The average cost for one meal at the NYU Shanghai cafeteria is 20-30 RMB.
In order to meet the needs of students from different countries, our cafeteria offers Chinese, Western, Halal, Vegetarian, and Vegan options.
Besides the NYU Shanghai Cafeteria, there are also 2 large malls located 8-10 minutes walking distance from campus. Though generally more expensive than the NYU Shanghai Cafeteria, these malls have a wider range of Chinese and Western options. Food delivery is also readily available in Shanghai and there are multiple apps like Ele.Me, Sherpas, and Meituan that students, staff, and faculty often use to order food.
When it comes to vegetarian options, China has plenty to offer and there are quite a few reasonably priced vegetarian restaurants in Shanghai. Since vegetables, beans, and tofu products play an important role in Chinese cuisine, it is not difficult to find at least one vegetarian option in most restaurants. When ordering, you are advised to say “sucai” (vegetarian) as opposed to “bu yao rou” (no meat), as seafood is widely not considered meat in China.
Being vegan in China is admittedly harder, but not impossible. Vegan restaurants are few and far between and tend to be expensive in China, but once you enjoy Chinese food you will find plenty of options. However, one thing you must consider is that it can be hard to tell whether the dishes you order use animal-based oils, sauces, or broths in their preparation. At the NYU Shanghai Cafeteria, all vegetarian and vegan food is clearly labeled.
If you observe a halal diet while in Shanghai, you should have no problem finding halal or “Qingzhen Cai” (清真菜). Muslim restaurants and food stalls can easily be found near the NYU Shanghai Residence Halls and the Academic Building. In addition, the NYU Shanghai Cafeteria offers Halal options daily.
Refer to the 2019-2020 Academic Calendar to check dates for school breaks. In general, students have a week-long fall break during Chinese National holidays in October, a month-long winter break between fall and spring semester, a week-long spring break in early April, and a summer break in June, July, and August.
You can refer to the 2019-2020 Academic Calendar for move out dates. Since different classes have finals on different days, some students will finish earlier than others. Please confirm the dates of your student's finals with your student before purchasing tickets.
New York University, as a nonsectarian institution, adheres to the general policy of including in its official calendar only certain legal holidays. Students who anticipate being absent because of any religious observance should notify their faculty in advance of such anticipated absence.
Faculty are asked, that whenever feasible, examinations and assignment deadlines not be scheduled on religious holidays. Any student absent from class because of religious beliefs shall not be penalized for any class, examination, or assignment deadline missed on that day or days.
If examinations or assignment deadlines are scheduled, any student who is unable to attend class because of religious beliefs shall be given the opportunity to make up that day or days. No adverse or prejudicial effects shall result to any student who avails him/herself of the above provisions.
In late June, the academic advising office will send out the Fall 2019 course registration email to all the incoming international students. This email will contain information about course registration procedures and policies. Incoming Chinese students will receive the course registration email in mid-July.
Your student will be assigned an academic advisor in August. Students may reach out to shanghai.advising@nyu.edu about any academic-related questions.
As part of New York University, NYU Shanghai abides by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. Because of this act, parent(s) should contact your student for academic performance information, since the University is unable to release these records without your student's written permission. If a student wants to grant their parent(s) access to their educational records, they must sign a Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) Waiver Form. In cases when students sign the waiver form, the student and parent must both be present at all conversations pertaining to student records.
Students also have the option to provide other individuals (or proxies) select access to their educational records in Albert. To grant guests access to their records students must go to their Albert Student Center and follow the steps below:
- Go to the “Personal Info” section
- Click the “Guest User” link
- Click “Albert Mobile Login”
- Click “Manage Guest Users”
- Click “Add a Guest User”
- Enter the name and email of the authorized guest user in the fields provided
- Select the specific components of the academic record the guest should be able to access
- Save
Once access has been granted, the authorized guest will receive an email listing the items to which they have been granted access. This email will also include login credentials and instructions. To access the information:
- Click the link provided in the email
- Select “Albert Mobile Login”
- Enter the username and password provided in the email
- Once signed-in you can see the student’s Albert Mobile Dashboard and use the left-hand navigation menu to view the student’s information.
Working on campus allows a student to take advantage of the many resources provided by university departments and helps students gain real work experience.
The Career Development Center encourages students to develop professional skills starting freshman year by applying for an on-campus job. Students can use a few hours of their time and talent each week to contribute to the university and gain work experience.
These positions will help students strengthen their resumes, develop important skills for future employment, and earn a monthly paycheck. In the past, some student workers made videos for their departments. Watch these videos to get a better sense of the student worker experience:
- Academic Resource Center
- Health and Wellness
- Human Resources
- Interactive Media Arts Lab
- Public Safety
Departments hire new student workers at the beginning of each Fall semester and the commitment for each position is usually one academic year.
All job descriptions will be posted on CareerNet. If students are interested in applying for student worker positions, please read the job descriptions in CareerNet and apply accordingly. In addition to hiring at the start of the semester, some departments also open positions throughout the semester. If students have questions about specific positions, they should contact the representative for each job posting.
Throughout the year, the Career Development Center (CDC) hosts a variety of programs, workshops, fairs, and conferences. These events provide relevant career related information, useful professional skills, and networking opportunities. Events include:
Career Fairs
Hosted twice a year, career fairs give students a convenient opportunity to meet a large number of organizations recruiting for internships and full-time positions. Representatives from various industries visit the campus, and provide information about their organization, and tell us the types of talent they are looking to recruit.
Workshops, Panels, and Conferences
Every semester, the CDC offers professional development workshops, panels, and conferences to provide career skills and knowledge to students.
Career Boot Camp is a series of workshops that help students prepare for the networking and job searching skills needed to succeed in the job market. Grad School Blast is a half day conference in the fall to prepare students for graduate school and global award applications.
I Am Limitless is a half-day conference in the spring where students gain advice on how to tackle decisions like choosing a major, where to study abroad, and how to pick a career path.
Employer Events
CDC collaborates with employers to host events throughout the year, including company information sessions, business competitions, and industry-specific conferences.
At these events, students gain insight into successfully applying to a company, extend their classroom knowledge to real-life business challenges, and expand their professional network. Students also have the chance to apply for semester and year-long career programs. Enrollment in these programs and interacting with peers, alumni, and staff will help you gain recognition as a student leader and build your career network.
No. There are an increasing number of employers who are open to hiring international students without Chinese language fluency, but advanced Chinese language skills are a plus.
In the months after graduation, the second graduating class of NYU hit the ground running. 94% of the Class of 2018 are either taking jobs in tech, finance, education, consulting, non-profit sector, or continuing their education in graduate school. 56% of graduates live outside their home countries post-graduation.
More than half (53%) of the Class of 2018 have entered the global workforce. Graduates working in China report an average annual salary of 134,575 RMB, while graduates working in the United States report an average salary of US$60,217. Of these graduates, 21% are working in the tech industry, representing a 13% increase over the Class of 2017.
Of the 41% who are in graduate schools, 10 are enrolled in PhD programs, and 90 have started working on their Master’s degrees.
Eighteen of NYU Shanghai’s 111 international graduates have chosen to remain in China. Eleven are working, while seven are pursuing further study.
Four international graduates earned prestigious global scholarships and fellowships, including two Yenching Scholarships, a Schwarzman Scholarship, and a Princeton in Asia Fellowship. You can find more information here.
Shanghai is as safe or safer than any major metropolis with more than 10 million residents. Locals are quite warm and friendly and it’s safe to walk on the streets at night. While rare, students should keep an eye on their belongings and be cautious of potential pick-pocketing on the streets, public transport, and in restaurants and bars. Please also be aware of taxi scams, where drivers target people who don’t look like locals by inflating fares or taking long rides. Students will learn more safety tips via the pre-departure online orientation in early August.
Shanghai is extremely hot and humid in the summer from late June to early September. The average temperature is around 28°C (82°F). In the past years, the hottest day reached over 40°C (104°F). Since both the campus and the residence hall are covered by air-conditioning, you may feel cold while indoors.
Shanghai is also cold in the winter from late December to early March. Though rare, it may occasionally snow in Shanghai during the winter, and average temperatures are around 5°C. While your student should pack clothes in preparation for this change in weather, they should also know that they can easily find familiar brands like GAP, H&M, and Uniqlo in Shanghai.
The Office of Student Life plans and organizes a number of events and activities throughout the academic year. Orientation week is the first chance for freshmen to meet new peers, explore the city together, and make friends.
Residential Assistants regularly organize floor events and weekend events which help residents get to know floor mates better. Other ways to get involved include sports teams, clubs, student government, and volunteer opportunities.
