From Tampa to New York in a matter of months, a former Plant High School student, Morgan Austrich, shares about her experience in one of the most competitive schools in the state-NYU. She is currently double majoring in art history and architecture.  

But the innovative New York Dream began in Tampa, where Morgan studied at Plant for four academic and creative years and took an AP class that changed her career path.  

“I did take AP Art History with Mr. Renninger and that’s what first got me into art history! I absolutely loved that class,” Austrich said. 

Additionally, Austrich had many extracurriculars to add on her resume: “At Plant I was on the swim team, orchestra, Why Define Us, BETA, NHS, and pretty much any subject specific honor society I could get in,” Austrich said.  

And at the end of her extracurricular and project list, Morgan has an artwork page where she shares her talents. There, one can find her drawings, paintings, and even order customized products- custom Converse, jeans, tote bags, etc. Under the domain @made.bymorgan, and #craftsfightingcancer, creativity emerges. 

“I was inspired to start my art page just because I loved painting things and wanted a platform to sell and share my art on,” Austrich said.  

But what caused her to stand out among the 105,000 applicants for First-Year Admission in a school with an acceptance rate of ~21%? Her dedication. 

“I feel like my leadership positions in high school and my Why NYU essay made me stand out because I clearly expressed why NYU was the school for me,” Austrich said.  

Austrich choose NYU not only because of the “City that Never Sleeps” but because of the art that surrounds it. 

“I chose NYU because I wanted to study art history and architecture and they have the best art history program in the country. Also, being in NYC provides so much access to art museums and internships. I have never seen myself living in a college town and prefer the city atmosphere,” Austrich said.  

Keeping in mind her extracurricular activities and passion for the study, Austrich knew that NYU was a place to be, so she applied early decision and received a “Congratulations” letter.  

“I applied early decision to NYU, so while it was stressful to finish my application so early it was really nice to be accepted in December of my senior year, while most people were still completing college apps,” Austrich said. 

But a shift from a city like Tampa to New York is a big step, Austrich loves the city.  

“I love the feeling of living in NYC and how there’s always something interesting to do. I love how my classes incorporate the city, for example I took art of the early Middle Ages this semester and we had class at the MET one day,” Austrich said.  

To conclude, this freshman year of college has been an adventure for Austrich, but along it comes real life lessons. 

“I’d say my favorite part is how living in NYC forces you to be an adult. I had to learn very quickly how to get myself around the city safely while juggling the normal stresses of a college student. This was challenging but I feel so much more prepared to live on my own because of it,” Austrich said.  

 

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