Admissions Counselors

Meet the Admissions Team

See, we are real people, and we’re so glad you’re considering to spend the next four years of your life at NYU. We think it’s a pretty special place. But see for yourself by reviewing our website and by paying NYU a visit. If you need additional information, then please contact us at 212-998-4500 or admissions@nyu.edu and one of our admissions counselors (those are our smiling faces below) will be happy to help. Of course, you can also meet us in person at one of our events on campus or in a city near you.

If you're interested primarily in our campuses in Abu Dhabi or Shanghai, we have dedicated admissions counselors that specialize in those locations. Meet their teams:

We can’t wait to see you at NYU!

Shawn Abbott

Assistant Vice President and Dean of Admissions

Iran, Iraq, Israel (including Palestinian territories), Syria, Yemen

Luis Almonte

Senior Assistant Director of Diversity Initiatives

California (Davis, East Bay, Lake Tahoe, North Bay, San Francisco, Sacramento, and northern California)

Denisse Ballinas

Assistant Director of Admissions

Florida (Central and Northern Florida including Jacksonville, Orlando, and Tampa areas), Georgia, New York (The Bronx)

Melissa Benski

Associate Director of Admissions

California (Central Coast, Central Valley, San Jose, Santa Clara, Silicon Valley), Connecticut (Litchfield, Hartford, Tolland and Windham counties)

Colin Brown

Senior Assistant Director of Admissions

Canada (Labrador, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Quebec), Southeast Asia (Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore)

Joal Chen

Admissions Officer

Maryland, New Jersey (Burlington, Camden, Cumberland, Gloucester, and Salem counties)

Liam Dean-Johnson

Admissions Officer

Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, New York (Queens), North Dakota, Oceania (Australia, New Zealand, South Pacific Islands) South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming

Chelsea Duncan

Senior Assistant Director of Admissions

Delaware, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia

Michael Durant

Assistant Director of Admissions

Africa, Florida (South Florida, Miami/Ft. Lauderdale), New York (East Brooklyn including Bergen Beach, Brighton Beach, Brownsville, Canarsie, Crown Heights, East Flatbush, East New York, Flatbush, Flatlands, Lefferts Gardens, Manhattan Beach, Marine Park, Midwood, Mill Basin, Prospect Park South and Sheepshead Bay), South Carolina

Trish Fairweather

Senior Associate Director of Admissions

California (Orange County), New Jersey (Middlesex, Morris, Somerset, and Union counties)

Bobbe Fernando

Senior Assistant Dean and Director of Global Admissions

Middle East (excluding Iran, Iraq, Israel, Syria, and Yemen), New York (Staten Island), Turkey

Ted Jacobi

Senior Assistant Director of Admissions

Arkansas, Canada (Alberta, British Columbia, Northwest Territories, and Yukon), Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, New York (West Brooklyn including Bath Beach, Bay Ridge, Bensonhurst, Boerum Hill, Borough Park, Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, Coney Island, Dyker Heights, Fort Hamilton, Gowanus, Gravesend, Kensington and Parkville, Park Slope, Prospect Heights, Red Hook, Sea Gate, Sunset Park, Windsor Terrace)

Andrew Johnson

Admissions Officer

Massachusetts (Central and Eastern), New York (Adirondacks, Albany, Catskills, Dutchess, and Ulster counties), Rhode Island

Alexandra Kaplan

Senior Assistant Director of Admissions

New York (Downtown, Midtown, and Upper West Side Manhattan, North Brooklyn including Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn Heights, Bushwick, Clinton Hill, Downtown Brooklyn, Dumbo, Fort Green, Greenpoint, Navy Yard, and Williamsburg, Rockland and Westchester Counties)

Phoebe Kingsak

Assistant Director of Admissions

Oklahoma, Texas

Maggie Lucas

Senior Associate Director of Admissions

California (Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties), Guam, Hawaii, Nevada, Northern Mariana Islands

Kristy Materasso

Assistant Dean and Director of Recruitment and University Relations

California (Coachella Valley, Imperial, Riverside, and San Diego), New Jersey (Atlantic, Cape May, Mercer, Monmouth, and Ocean counties)

Denisse Melgar

Admissions Officer

Connecticut (Fairfield, Middlesex, New Haven & New London counties), New Jersey (Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Passaic, Sussex, & Warren counties), New York (Buffalo, Ithaca, Rochester, & Syracuse)