Everything You Need to Know About NYU Tandon's Machine Learning Summer Program
If you’re an ambitious high school student who’s looking to get into some of the top universities, chances are that you’re looking at applying to summer programs. Summer programs are one of the best ways for high school students to enhance their knowledge about a subject they are interested in and want to specialize in the future.
Participating in a summer program in the field of machine learning is a great way to build a foundation in this subject, which you can later apply for your own projects or in internships! Moreover, these programs showcase your commitment to studying machine learning outside of your classroom environment.
In this blog, we cover one such machine learning program, NYU Tandon’s Machine Learning Summer Program - a 2 week immersive summer camp that will build your knowledge in the field of machine learning!
What is NYU Tandon’s Machine Learning Summer Program?
The New York University’s (NYU) Tandon School of Engineering offers the NYU Tandon's Machine Learning Summer Program, which is a two-week summer program that builds a foundation for high school students in computer science, data analyses, mathematical techniques, and logic essential to the fields of machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI).
The program runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily and is broadly divided into classes alongside daily assignments and weekly projects. Lessons will cover how video and image recognition technologies work; how interactive voice controls like Alexa for homes learn; the technology behind autonomous vehicles; real-time monitoring and traffic control; cutting-edge diagnostic medical technologies, and more.
The courses are taught by Ludovic Righetti, Elza Erkip, Siddharth Garg, and Chinmay Hegde, professors at the Tandon School of Engineering working in advanced AI & ML research. Current engineering and computer science students are assigned as mentors, and every class will have at least one graduate student instructor. The class size will be limited to 24 students to maintain a healthy faculty-to-student ratio. You will also take part in organized field trips to NYC attractions, like Broadway, Yankee Stadium, and museums. You will also have the weekend to interact with other NYU’s summer high school students during various on-campus activities.
Is NYU Tandon’s Machine Learning Summer Program prestigious?
Looking at the acceptance rate can be a good metric to measure the competitiveness and prestige of a program. Well, the acceptance rate for this program has not been revealed by NYU, but since three sessions of this program are conducted every year, the intake is expected to be on the higher side. Nonetheless, the class size is limited to 24 students, so you get sufficient attention from the course instructors.
You are required to have a minimum 3.0 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) and the application process requires four essay submissions, so there is some level of competitiveness to the program. The coursework is designed in such a way that you will be completely immersed in the curriculum and, with classes scheduled between 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day, a high commitment level is required from your end.
The classes are designed by NYU faculty who conduct classes at the college level and the daily assignments and weekly projects will keep you on your toes. Through this program, you will also learn engineering problem-solving principles. That is to say that attending this program will not only be an enriching experience but also provide a huge boost to your profile. The final project, which needs to be presented using machine learning algorithms, if executed properly, will help convey to the admissions officers your practical skills. Students from the previous cohorts have worked on projects like object detection using supervised and unsupervised learning. Students were tasked to build a car classification model using the CIFAR-10 dataset.
What is the structure of NYU Tandon’s Machine Learning Summer Program?
This is a two-week summer program, with lectures scheduled every day between 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will also be daily assignments based on the subjects taught that day and a mini-group project at the end of the first week, which students are expected to submit on the second Monday of the program. There will also be an orientation session, lasting for about 90 minutes, three days before every session, which students will attend via Zoom.
Assignments and projects can be completed individually or in collaboration with other students and you will have scheduled time each day to work on them. NYU service fees and events fee is included in your tuition and give you access to NYU resources. You can also take advantage of organized field trips to NYC attractions, like Broadway, Yankee Stadium, and museums.
What is the timeline and application process for NYU Tandon’s Machine Learning Summer Program?
Applications usually open in January and close by the last week of April. The applications for the 2024 program opened on January 15 and the deadline was April 22. The program is open to high school students who are at least 14 years old the day their session begins. Students can opt for the residential option (only open to students who are at least 15 years old) or choose to commute daily. Applicants must have a 3.0 GPA (or equivalent) or better to be considered for this program.
There is a $2750 tuition fee, which includes - a $2500 course fee, a $50 University programs fee, a $100 NYU service fee, and a $100 ($50 per week) NYU events fee. There’s an additional $100 materials fee and $308 fee per week for housing if you opt for the residential option and a $192 fee per 10 meal packages plus $30 dining bucks.
The application process is pretty straightforward and, to apply, you need to submit the completed application online. You will need to answer questions related to your personal and academic information, submit all of your high school transcripts, and submit four short essay responses. International applicants must also submit proof of English language proficiency.
30% of the fee is to be submitted as a deposit within a week of acceptance to hold your spot and the remaining amount is to be paid one week before your session start date. The 30% deposit is non-refundable.
If you make it through all this, congratulations, you’re in! If it seems a little bit confusing, we urge you to thoroughly read through the how to apply page and the FAQs in it.
What are the pros and cons of this program?
Pros
1. You will gain foundational knowledge in Machine Learning:
The courses are designed to give students theoretical as well as practical knowledge of machine learning algorithms. The lectures start from the very basics with the first lecture defining machine learning and you are also provided with a simple Python code to run and see one of the algorithms in action. As the sessions progress, you also get to learn about linear regression, logistic regression, neural networks, and generative models. All these topics are widely used in some of the products we come across online and will help build a strong base for your coding journey.
2. You will gain hands-on experience in running machine learning algorithms:
During high school, most of the knowledge students gain is limited to theory and there’s very little exposure to practical experiences. Well, one good thing about this program is that at the end of the day, you will not only be shown a demo of some machine learning projects, mostly using Python, but also be provided with the resources necessary (datasets, Python libraries) to build the project yourself.
3. The course will help you develop a strong multidisciplinary interest:
While the program is focused on machine learning, lectures will help you study mathematics, computer and data science, and even some concepts of electrical engineering at the college level. You will be in direct touch with faculty and graduate students conducting advanced research in data science and AI, who will be available to answer all your questions.
4. You can boost your chances of getting into NYU (or a similar caliber university):
We’ve explored the internet and gone through Reddit threads, and students who have gotten into NYU and attended summer programs do mention that it definitely gives the profile a boost. The program concludes with the final project presentations and if you have completed a unique project showcasing your machine learning caliber, it can help you out a lot when applying for a data science program.
5. Interacting with other like-minded students will help you gain new insights:
NYU conducts multiple summer programs for high school students spanning STEM, business, arts, and media. Students participating in the residential program stay on the same campus and have the opportunity to interact with each other. This not only provides participants with college-like experience but these interactions might help you pick up some tips about your college application process and SAT preparations.
Cons
1. This is a paid program with no provisions for financial aid:
The program has a tuition of $2750, which is quite steep for a two-week program. There are no scholarships and financial aid available at the moment, so if you are looking for a free program with some provisions for financial aid, NYU Tandon’s Machine Learning is not for you.
2. This is an on-site program and students will need to make their own provisions for travel and stay:
The program does not offer a remote option and all three sessions take place at NYU’s Washington Square Park campus in New York’s West Village. If you are not based out of the New York area, you will have to arrange for accommodation yourself or you can opt for the residential option, which comes at an additional cost of $308 per week and a mandatory meal plan of $192 a week on top of the tuition.
3. This is a non-credit program:
As a non-credit program, completing this will not give you any academic credit towards your college/university. Alternatively, it might be better to opt for another program if you’re looking for programs that do give you credit for university.
4. This program requires a full-time commitment:
While not necessarily a con, with a daily schedule of activities between 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., you will not have sufficient time to pursue other interests.
Our review
NYU Tandon’s Machine Learning Summer Program is a great opportunity for students looking to enhance their theoretical and practical knowledge of machine learning. It combines academic lessons with hands-on projects where you get to learn about data science from the prestigious NYU Tandon School of Engineering’s faculty. Machine learning is one of the most promising areas in STEM and attending this program would be a great springboard for you if you want to pursue a career in that field.
On the other hand, if you’re an ambitious student looking to graduate from one of the U.S.’ top universities, then you should apply for more competitive programs. This program’s prestige is limited, and it isn’t a selective program. There’s no financial aid available and you have to pay extra for accommodation, which can be expensive. You also do not receive a college credit, even if you complete the final project and assignments.
If you’re looking to build unique projects in the field of AI/ML, consider applying to Veritas AI!
Veritas AI was founded by Harvard graduate students, and through the programs, you get a chance to learn the fundamentals of AI and computer science while collaborating on real-world projects. You can also work 1-1 with mentors from universities like Harvard, Stanford, MIT, and more to create unique, personalized projects. In the past year, we had over 1000 students learn data science and AI with us. You can apply here!
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