nyu undergraduate admission essay

NYU Supplemental Essays 2023-24 Prompt and Advice

August 17, 2023

In the 2022-23 admissions cycle, NYU received over 120,000 applications. That was a record-breaking figure for the university (13% more than the previous year!), as was the all-time low acceptance rate of 8%. To put these numbers in proper context, consider for a moment that in 1991, NYU had an acceptance rate of 65%. At the start of the Obama presidency, NYU still only received 37,000 total applications. These numbers lead us into the topic of this blog, the NYU supplemental essay.

(Want to learn more about How to Get Into NYU? Visit our blog entitled:  How to Get Into NYU  for all of the most recent admissions data as well as tips for gaining acceptance.)

Clearly, standing out as an applicant to NYU was a heck of a lot easier a generation or even a mere decade ago. For the Class of 2027, the median SAT score for an admitted applicant was 1540 , meaning that even a standardized test score in the 99th percentile won’t do much to separate you from the hordes of equally credentialed applicants.

Although it only has one prompt, NYU’s essay still affords applicants an opportunity to illustrate what makes them uniquely qualified for admission. Below is NYU’s supplemental essay for the 2023-24 admissions cycle. We then follow with College Transitions’ advice on how to craft a winning composition.

2023-2024 NYU Supplement Essays

This is a new prompt for the 2023-24 admissions cycle. It’s optional, but we highly encourage anyone who would like to be a serious contender (which, if you’re taking the time to apply, hopefully you are) to answer it.

We are looking for peacemakers, changemakers, global citizens, boundary breakers, creatives and innovators – Choose one quote from the following and let us know why it inspires you; or share a short quote and person not on our list who inspires you, and include why. (250 words)

• “We’re used to people telling us there are no solutions, and then creating our own. So we did what we do best. We reached out to each other, and to our allies, and we mobilized across communities to make change, to benefit and include everyone in society.” Judith Heuman, 2022 NYU Commencement Address
• “I encourage your discomfort, that you must contribute, that you must make your voice heard. That is the essence of good citizenship.” Sherilynn Ifill, 2015 NYU Commencement Address
• “If you know how to fly but you never knew how to walk, wouldn’t that be sad?” Lang Lang, 2015 NYU Honorary Degree Recipient
• “You have the right to want things and to want things to change.” Sanna Marin, Former Prime Minister of Finland, 2023 NYU Commencement Address
• “It’s hard to fight when the fight ain’t fair.” Taylor Swift, Change, Released 2008, 2022 NYU Commencement Speaker
• Share a short quote and person not on this list, and why the quote inspires you.

NYU Supplemental Essay (Continued)

This prompt—and its options—are incredibly open-ended, offering you the power to decide why a particular quote inspires you (note that there are no guiding questions or proposed directions for any quote). As such, read through the quotes provided and note which one you continue returning to. When you read that quote, what do you want to do ? What type of change do you want to affect? Does it encourage to create or innovate? How so? Moreover, does it remind you of an experience you’ve had, a challenge you’ve overcome, or a belief you hold? Perhaps it calls to mind an aspect of your background or perspective. Or, it could speak to a particular social or political cause that is important to you. Alternatively, you can even choose your own quote if none of the above resonates with you.

The strongest responses will look to the future while also incorporating past personal experiences or influences. For example, perhaps the second prompt inspires you to continue seeking out experiences that challenge you. “Why is that?” NYU will want to know. Perhaps, earlier this year, you went out of your comfort zone to speak up at a school board meeting about your school district’s book ban policy, ultimately meeting & agreeing to continue working with a group of fellow students who also opposed the policy.

Finally, given that this is NYU’s only supplemental essay, you can also incorporate how you plan to seek out specific experiences or resources at NYU.

How important is the NYU supplemental essay?

NYU deems four elements as “very important” in evaluating a candidate. These are: the rigor of your secondary school record, class rank, GPA, standardized test scores, and talent/ability. The NYU supplemental essay is considered to be “important” alongside letters of recommendation, extracurricular activities, and character/personal qualities.

Want personalized assistance?

In conclusion, if you are interested in working with one of College Transitions’ experienced and knowledgeable essay coaches as you craft your NYU essay, we encourage you to  get a quote  today.

• College Essay

Dave Bergman

Dave has over a decade of professional experience that includes work as a teacher, high school administrator, college professor, and independent educational consultant. He is a co-author of the books The Enlightened College Applicant (Rowman & Littlefield, 2016) and Colleges Worth Your Money (Rowman & Littlefield, 2020).

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December 12, 2021

Tips for Answering the NYU Supplemental Essay Prompt [2021 – 2022]

Located in the middle of bustling lower Manhattan, New York, NYU’s campus is intertwined with the city. It is not a campus in a traditional sense – its buildings and lifestyle are organized around Washington Square Park, enabling students and faculty alike to take advantage of everything offered by this energetic area.

NYU grants degrees from its NYC campus along with campuses in Abu Dhabi and Shanghai. In addition, it has satellite campuses in London, Accra, Berlin, Buenos Aires, Tel Aviv, Sydney and more; access to these locations around the world provide opportunities for a truly global undergraduate educational experience. Many students are particularly attracted to the ease with which they can study abroad and remain under the larger intellectual umbrella of the University.

Get a free consultation: Click here to schedule a call to find out how our admissions expert can help YOU get accepted to NYU!

NYU offers several admissions options including binding Early Decision I (November 1st deadline) and Early Decision II (January 1st deadline), as well as Regular Decision (January 5th deadline). In addition to the main Common Application essay, NYU requires only one additional essay response.

The admissions committee is already aware of your grades, test scores, letters of recommendation, honors/awards, activities and whatever you wrote about in your main Common Application essay. Now is your chance to share your passion for NYU! Be careful not to repeat information you shared in your main essay. Use your NYU response to convince the admissions committee that NYU is the best place for you and to show how you might contribute to the diverse community at NYU.

NYU’s supplemental essay question

We would like to know more about your interest in NYU. What motivated you to apply to NYU? Why have you applied or expressed interest in a particular campus, school, college, program, and/or area of study? If you have applied to more than one, please also tell us why you are interested in these additional areas of study or campuses. We want to understand – Why NYU? (400 word maximum)

The sole purpose of this prompt is to provide an opportunity for you to demonstrate your fit with NYU. You will want to do this in 3 ways (and all 3!): prove an intimate knowledge of NYU and its offerings, of NYC and all it has to offer, and of what makes you stand out as a diverse contributor to the NYU community. 

You only have 400 words to communicate what draws you to NYU specifically- to the campus, school, college, program and/or specific area of study. Think about your personal connection to the school and the city. Don’t just list interesting things about the city—you are not a tour guide. Instead, explain why those things are so important to you and your potential growth. 

Consider your values and how the unique qualities/opportunities at NYU appeal to you. In short, make a personal connection. How might the approach to education at NYU support your learning? This might include: studying abroad, potential experience with internships, relationships with people from around the world, specific academic requirements or programs, career-related opportunities, or anything else you feel is important to your success. Ultimately, you want to prove, not only your own qualifications, but your informed knowledge of NYU and the research you’ve done to be certain NYU would be the perfect fit for you.

In addition to demonstrating an intimate knowledge of NYU as a university, this essay also offers you a chance to think about what living and learning in a fast paced city like New York might be like: how is it similar to what you are accustomed to, or perhaps different? What are the particular reasons you find this setting appealing? Once you’ve explained the appeal of the city, you must also demonstrate your independence because you will need to be independent in order to navigate the NYU world. How will you survive, contribute to and thrive in this atmosphere. How will you embrace this environment? How can you benefit from this experience? Why is studying at NYU your true calling?

Keep in mind that NYU is assembling a first-year class that represents regional, global, and cultural diversity. NYU values difference and supports students of all identities and backgrounds. Don’t underestimate yourself and your story. Each applicant has something to offer that can enrich this distinct cohort. How might you utilize this opportunity to grow as a person, as a global citizen, as a future leader?

Final thoughts on applying to NYU

To offer some context for where you might stand: NYU’s Fall 2020 acceptance rate was 21%. Although NYU offers one of the most flexible standardized testing policies (see NYU admission website for details), the average SAT scores are 738 for Math and 701 for Evidence-Based Reading and Writing. The average ACT score is 32. This is a competitive applicant pool.

Although it is wise to keep these statistics in mind, take a moment to relax and plan. Make sure you meet all deadlines and allow yourself adequate time to write and revise your essays. Consider the best way to reflect your personal experiences, convey your interests, express your enthusiasm for learning, and demonstrate how and why NYU is the best place for you!

If you’re applying to NYU, you already know you’re up against tight competition. Don’t be overwhelmed. Get the guidance of an experienced admissions specialist who will help you stand out from a highly competitive applicant pool so you can apply with confidence, and get accepted! Click here to get started!

***Disclaimer: Information is subject to change. Please check with individual programs to verify the essay questions, instructions and deadlines.***

Related Resources:

• School-Specific Supplemental Essay Tips
• The Essay Whisperer: How to Write a College Application Essay
• Focus on Fit , a podcast episode

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4 Great “Why NYU?” Essay Examples

New York University is a selective university in the heart of NYC. Its top academic programs and location make it a highly-desirable college, and only a select few of over 85,000 applicants were accepted last year.

It’s clear that writing a strong essay is vital to standing out and demonstrating your interest in NYU. In this post, we’ll go over NYU’s main supplemental essay prompt from previous years, and what admissions officers are looking for. Then, we’ll share essays from real applicants, analyzing what they did well, and what they could’ve improved. Note that the supplemental prompt has changed for the 2022-2023 cycle.

Please note: Looking at examples of real essays students have submitted to colleges can be very beneficial to get inspiration for your essays. You should never copy or plagiarize from these examples when writing your own essays. Colleges can tell when an essay isn’t genuine and will not view students favorably if they plagiarized. 

Read our NYU essay breakdown to get a comprehensive overview of this year’s supplemental prompts. 

“Why NYU?” Supplemental Essay Prompt

We would like to know more about your interest in nyu. what motivated you to apply to nyu why have you applied or expressed interest in a particular campus, school, college, program, and or area of study if you have applied to more than one, please also tell us why you are interested in these additional areas of study or campuses. we want to understand – why nyu (400 words).

This prompt is a classic example of the “ Why this College? ” supplemental essay. This essay aims to better gauge your interest in the school, and how you might fit with the campus community. You’ll need to research NYU’s opportunities and point out how they support your goals and interests.

A common mistake students make is to cite general aspects of the college that apply to many other schools. You may want to go to NYU because of NYC, but why do you want to be in NYC? Is it because of the fashion industry opportunities? Is there a special internship that NYU offers with companies in Manhattan?

You should aim to get granular and cite resources unique to NYU. This shows that you’ve reflected on your potential role in the NYU community, and are certain that it’s a fitting place to pursue your education.

Essay Example #1

My mother never takes off her Cartier necklace that my father gave her 10 years ago on their anniversary. As a child, I didn’t fully understand this attachment. However, on my 15th birthday, my aunt gifted me a ring, which was uniquely designed and made up of three rings linked together. Wearing it every day and making sure I would never lose it, I didn’t treat it like my easily replaceable childhood necklaces; it was my piece of luxury. This sparked my deep curiosity for the luxury world. The niche strives to provide the finest and most memorable experiences, as equally as my Japanese attention to detail and my French appreciation towards aesthetic beauty. In a constantly shifting environment, I learned that luxury chases timeless excellence.

NYU Stern’s BS in business and a co-concentration in management and marketing will fully immerse me in the business side of luxury fashion that I aim to pursue a future career in. The luxury marketing track, offered only by NYU, will enable me to assemble the most suited classes to reflect my interests. Specifically, NYU Stern’s exciting electives such as The Dynamics of the Fashion Industry seminar and Brand Strategy & Planning will encourage me to develop the skills that I was introduced to and grew keen on when running a virtual sustainable fashion auction.

As someone who has moved around from Paris to Tokyo, to Chicago and now Athens, I thrive in meeting and collaborating with others from diverse backgrounds. The school’s strong global outlook, demonstrated through Stern’s International Business Exchange Program, further sets NYU apart for me, as it is crucial to building essential soft skills. This opportunity allows me to experience new cultural approaches to luxury business which I can bring back with me to New York, and therefore push me to become a well-rounded business student. Similarly, I am excited to take part in the array of student clubs offered, such as the Luxury and Retail Association (LARA), which I learned about after connecting with and talking to current students. Seeing past talks from employers of companies like Conde Nast, I am eager to learn outside of the classroom from future speakers. 

Finding myself in new situations constantly, I always seek new challenges and explorations – to me, it is clear that NYU Stern will push me to create the finest and most unique learning experiences of timeless excellence.

What the Essay Did Well

This essay has an amazing introduction paragraph. It doesn’t mention anything about NYU or what this student is planning on studying, which is what makes it so intriguing. The reader doesn’t know where this student is headed after making such a seemingly unrelated statement about jewelry, but we want to find out. 

Not only does this essay immediately capture the reader’s attention, it maintains a succinct and direct tone that helps the reader effortlessly flow from one paragraph to the next. The student chose to include three opportunities at NYU that excite them and fully elaborate on them. This serves as an excellent example of more is less. 

We aren’t bombarded with a laundry list of classes, professors, and clubs the student wants to take. Instead, the student took a focused approach and described why they were excited by each offering they highlighted. Going deeper into a smaller number of opportunities at the college still shows this student did their research, but it allows for their backstory and goals to be discussed in far greater detail.

What Could Be Improved

While this student does a good job of elaborating, they also mention a few key aspects of their personality as throw-away lines, when it would have been great to elaborate further on them. For example, they mention running a virtual sustainable fashion auction (cool!), but don’t provide us with any details on what that actually entails, how they got involved with it, what they enjoyed about it, etc. They also mention moving around a lot in the context of developing a diverse perspective, but they don’t include any emotional insight into what that was like.

Although there are only 400 words available, and you don’t want to spend too much time discussing the past, it would be nice to see just a sentence or two that delves into the details of this student’s background. The fashion auction and moving around clearly had an impact on the student, so we want to know what that was. If they are choosing to include these details, they must be important in the student’s decision to pursue business at NYU, so they shouldn’t be afraid to divulge the emotional significance to the reader.

Essay Example #2

“A futuristic way of looking at academics,” the student panelist said during a New York University virtual information session. I reflected on a conversation I had with my grandma; she couldn’t understand how her vegetarian granddaughter could build a career in the food industry. However much I tried convincing her that vegetarianism was the future, as it offers substantial benefits to the environment and can offer health benefits to a growing population with the same environmental resources, she insisted that tofu would never provide the same satiation as meat. She was raised in a community where meat consumption was embedded in the culture, and its production is a large part of the country’s economy. In contrast, I had the privilege of living a few steps from San Francisco, with many restaurants and grocery stores dedicated to plant-based meat alternatives. Trying innovative recipes and products eventually allowed me to develop my own recipes. Upon my move to Nicaragua, where my grandmother is from, I found my food options to be limited, expensive and hard to find. So I developed my own small-scale solutions that did not break the bank and satiated grandma.

An institution that implements forward-thinking is what I need to reach my goals of changing the future of plant-based diets and people’s views on vegetarianism. NYU’s Nutrition and Food Studies program offers multiple disciplines of food studies that I will apply to my aspirations as a vegetarian. I plan to study under Adjunct Faculty Kayleen St. John, whose success in the plant-based industry and her teaching of the ‘Foundations of Plant-Based Nutrition’ in The Vegetarian Times excites me. The variety of classes like Introduction to Food History, Food Photography, and Food Systems: Food & Agriculture will give me an overview of what is available in the food industry to be prepared for all fields. Not to be cliche, but NYU’s proximity to the city is essential for the rapidly changing vegetarian industry. The multiculturalism available in NYC and NYU will allow me to understand the food system and diets of various cultures, religions, and areas. I can explore the extremes of the food industry, from fancy restaurants to public school cafeterias. These juxtapositions, much like the one I experienced after my move to Nicaragua, will allow me to broaden my reach and demonstrate that the vegetarian diet is not something reserved for select groups but a diet attainable to all. 

A core strength of this essay is the fact it takes its time to provide the reader with ample background on why this student is interested in nutrition and food studies and how they have grappled with difficult questions and surrounding this topic in the past. It’s okay to not mention anything about NYU for a whole paragraph if you are using that space to bring depth to your interests and tell the reader the crucial backstory behind pursuing your intended degree.

Another positive aspect is the inclusion of New York City for a purposeful reason. NYU admissions officers read thousands of essays that just talk about living in NYC for the sake of NYC—this is not what they want to hear. In contrast, this essay focuses on the vast and lively food scene in New York that the student considers to be an invaluable asset to her NYU education. This is a time where including New York actually plays to the appeal of NYU, rather than making it seem like the student is simply applying for the city.

Finally, this student clearly demonstrates that they are someone who wants to change the world for the better, but through their personal niche. NYU is looking for people who express this desire to be a changemaker, but oftentimes sweeping statements like “I want to change the world” come across as vague and disingenuous. The essay does mention changing diets and looking to the future, but it is focused within the student’s specific area of interest, making the claim to change the world more determined and authentic. 

This essay could be made stronger if there was a bit more personal reflection included. The first paragraph provides a lot of details on the student’s vegetarianism and how it conflicts with her grandmother and her heritage. What it doesn’t include very much of is how the student thinks and feels about her diet being at odds with that of her family. 

Does this student feel they are betraying their heritage by being vegetarian? What emotions do they feel when people criticize vegetarianism? Why did they go vegetarian in the first place? Probing questions like these that get to the emotional core behind the story in the first paragraph would really help to build out this student’s backstory. We want to understand what their emotional responses and reasoning processes look like, so finding ways to include those into an already expositive paragraph would further bolster this essay.

Essay Example #3

Hacking represents my ideal college experience.

Hackathons give me a special way of expressing myself and exploring my intellectual curiosity. Conceptualizing a potent societal problem, investigating a technically complex solution, building an application, and presenting to industry experts all within a day gives me the thrill of exploring a new form of education I thrive in. 

I’d apply this approach to a larger scale with research at NYU CS, taking advantage of their strong research partnerships with cutting-edge technology firms in New York. At NYU’s CS Colloqium, I’d learn from internationally renowned researchers around the world and apply these groundbreaking machine learning discoveries to the CILVR Lab and the Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, both of whom focus on computationally predicting the causation of deadly diseases. Expensive healthcare has led to a history of undetected chronic illnesses for my extended family, so, at NYU, I want to tackle AI-Based preventive care to stop these problems at their roots. 

NYU’s undergraduate thesis will let me carry out my novel visions, with support from faculty, through the scientific process and eventually publish my findings. I’m a “doer”, so I define success my own way and want my college research to produce findings that contribute to tangible, positive changes in the world. This time I’ll have 4 years at NYU with endless opportunities to do so, instead of the 24 hours I get at hackathons.

I’d also want to take my talents overseas to study abroad with NYU while exploring foreign cultures. Whether it be the food, language, traditions, or values in a country, I always love to immerse myself in new environments. Doing so while benefitting from small class sizes, hands-on learning, and local major-specific academic events, such as the NYUAD International Hackathon for Social Good, is a dream.

Equally important as satisfying my academic curiosity is finding my community. At hackathons, I compete with my friends and other participants, who have helped form a bond of inclusivity seldom found at other competitive events. My teammates became a second family with whom I play park basketball, watch movies, and Bollywood dance. 

At NYU, I’d replicate this with an extremely diverse population with different backgrounds and interests who come together to venture through New York with the discounted student passes, plan school-wide events with the Program Board, and form a sense of camaraderie with Residential Colleges. 

This essay has a nice flow that comes from multiple short paragraphs. So often in college essays, students fall into the trap of including long chunks of text on the page, but those essays are always harder for admissions officers to read through. Breaking up the essay into focused sections makes it much more manageable for the reader.

In terms of the content, the student’s ability to tie everything back to the central theme of a hackathon is a clever way to demonstrate their passion for hacking and bring together a bunch of unrelated aspects of NYU. We get insight into how this student handles challenges and thinks through problems based on the way they fawn over the structure of a hackathon. Using one of their primary passions in high school as a metaphor for college life creates this natural progression and makes it very easy for the admissions committee to imagine how this student would fit in and engage with the NYU community.

One of the largest drawbacks of this essay was how it heavily relied on telling the reader what occurred and what this student enjoys, rather than showing us. 

The essay tells us their family has a history of chronic illness, but it doesn’t describe how they cried all night about saying goodbye to a loved one after hearing of another diagnosis. The essay tells us they are a “doer”, but it doesn’t explain the project they took upon themselves because of their motivation to change the world. The essay tells us their teammates were a second family, but it doesn’t include the laughs and inside jokes they share during a game of basketball to show the comfort the student feels with their friends.

Simply telling the reader what has happened without elaborating, or what type of person you consider yourself to be without showing your character in practice makes for both a bland essay and a less convincing one. Not showing what happens through descriptions and colorful imagery, makes it harder for the reader to envision what the student is trying to share. 

If this essay showed what occurred and how the student reacts and thinks, we would truly get to see the importance hackathons have on their life and feel far more connected to this student.

Essay Example #4

The United States is a “tossed salad” of cultural diversity in which New York City is the epicenter of innovational food exploration. An opportunity to major in food studies at New York University would allow me to work with a global community to explore different experiences and opinions with the hopes of developing a sustainable food source in the future that can adapt to population growth. Steinhardt School’s emphasis on developmental social change in particular, is an atmosphere that will encourage me to pursue new ideas both in and out of the classroom.

I am looking forward to taking the next step toward my future with entering university while continuing to cultivate my own identity in NYU’s academically diverse campus. Through the NYU food lab, I would be able to discuss current nutrition and sustainability issues through a hands-on approach in a commercial setting—access to the kitchen would also allow me to continue my love for baking and cooking with the opportunity to share my creations with peers. Not only will I satisfy my hunger for our food systems with classes like Essentials of Cuisine: International and Food Production Management, I will be able to participate in discussions that challenge my understanding of our food system in a creative setting.

Whether sampling smoked fish in Makola Market or hosting cooking demos with Club EAT, NYU’s educational possibilities are endless. With study-abroad programs ranging from a few weeks to a semester in locations far and wide, I am able to learn about cultural food systems through hands-on experience; with the world as my classroom, there is no limit to the knowledge that I can achieve. When I am not examining America’s organic agricultural policies in Washington D.C, I would participate in the diverse extracurriculars that NYU has to offer. From the Baedeker blog and Peer Health Exchange to the NYU Art Diversity Festival—appealing to my adventurous and artistic nature—regardless of the extracurricular I choose to pursue, I am confident that I will find success in any direction I take. 

A NYU student, I would be proud to extend the social mission of advancing innovation through culture as I cannot imagine a campus that would better nurture my development as both a scholar and an individual. As an aspiring foodie, I look forward to walking into the Urban Farm Lab in the Greenwich Village, as if I have returned home. 

A large positive of this essay is how it remains true to the student. This student’s passion for food shines through in every paragraph. They do a good job of weaving their interest into academics, extracurriculars, and the surrounding community, which helps the reader get a feel for the type of person this student would be on campus.

Another aspect of this essay to note is the author’s voice ㅡ they retain an academic and professional tone without being overly serious. Their inclusion of more colloquial terms like “foodie” helps counter more advanced vocabulary, crafting their unique voice without being overly formal or casual. When writing your essay, it is important to focus on your word choice to strike this balance. 

One thing lacking from this essay is elaboration on why this student cares about food and sustainability. While the essay mentions a plateful (excuse the pun) of food-related opportunities at NYU, the reader doesn’t understand what drives this student’s passion. 

They tell us they want to develop a sustainable food source to address the growing population in the introduction, but this essay would be much stronger with more elaboration. Did this student have a jarring and eye-opening experience surrounding food insecurity? Did they grow up cooking with their family? Was there a particular moment or news story that sparked their interest in sustainability? Although this prompt wants you to look to the future, it’s just as important to delve into your past to help the reader understand your motivations.

This essay could also benefit from a more organized structure. There is an attempt to discuss academics in the second paragraph and extracurriculars in the third, but when they should be discussing academics they started talking about baking with peers for fun, and when they should have addressed extracurriculars they were discussing studying off-campus. This back and forth makes it harder for the reader to take away clear summaries of each paragraph. It would have been simpler to follow if the student dedicated each paragraph solely to one aspect of NYU, whether that be academics, extracurriculars, the community, or study abroad.

Where to Get Your NYU Essays Edited

Do you want feedback on your NYU essays? After rereading your essays countless times, it can be difficult to evaluate your writing objectively. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays. 

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools. Find the right advisor for you to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

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New York University | NYU’s 2023-24 Essay Prompts

Select-a-prompt short response.

We are looking for peacemakers, changemakers, global citizens, boundary breakers, creatives and innovators - Choose one quote from the following and let us know why it inspires you; or share a short quote and person not on our list who inspires you, and include why.

“We’re used to people telling us there are no solutions, and then creating our own. So we did what we do best. We reached out to each other, and to our allies, and we mobilized across communities to make change, to benefit and include everyone in society.” Judith Heuman, 2022 NYU Commencement Address

“I encourage your discomfort, that you must contribute, that you must make your voice heard. That is the essence of good citizenship." Sherilynn Ifill, 2015 NYU Commencement Address

“If you know how to fly but you never knew how to walk, wouldn’t that be sad?” Lang Lang, 2015 NYU Honorary Degree Recipient

"You have the right to want things and to want things to change." Sanna Marin, Former Prime Minister of Finland, 2023 NYU Commencement Address

"It‘s hard to fight when the fight ain‘t fair.” Taylor Swift, Change, Released 2008, 2022 NYU Commencement Speaker

Share a short quote and person not on this list, and why the quote inspires you.

Common App Personal Essay

The essay demonstrates your ability to write clearly and concisely on a selected topic and helps you distinguish yourself in your own voice. What do you want the readers of your application to know about you apart from courses, grades, and test scores? Choose the option that best helps you answer that question and write an essay of no more than 650 words, using the prompt to inspire and structure your response. Remember: 650 words is your limit, not your goal. Use the full range if you need it, but don‘t feel obligated to do so.

Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?

Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you‘ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

What will first-time readers think of your college essay?

Published November 06, 2023

Your Guide to Applying to NYU

Yasmin Hung

Class of 2024

I know from experience that frankly, the college application process can feel scary and overwhelming. And sometimes getting started is the hardest step. Hopefully this guide helps you tackle the Common Application as you apply to NYU.

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of applying to NYU, check out this comprehensive article on what to keep in mind if you’re applying during the 2023-2024 admissions cycle.

And once you know that NYU is the school for you, you’ll need to decide a few things before applying. Not to worry, I’ll walk you through it!

When you’ll apply

NYU has three application deadlines: Early Decision I, Early Decision II, and Regular Decision. (Not sure which decision window is right for you? Check out this article from a former student ambassador to learn more. )

Early Decision application deadlines, as its name suggests, are earlier than other deadlines. The only difference between ED I and ED II are the application deadlines and decision dates. However, if you apply Early Decision and are offered admission to NYU, the University expects you to honor your commitment and withdraw your applications to other schools. There are exceptions to this, but you should be 100% sure NYU is the school for you if you apply Early Decision.

Personally, I needed the freedom and time to decide which school was the best fit for me. I didn’t know if I wanted to go to school in the UK or the US as a British citizen living in Taiwan. So, I’m happy that I decided to do Regular Decision when I was applying to NYU.

Where you’ll apply

While the choice of when you’ll apply to your school(s) of interest is common among other American universities, choosing a campus location is very specific to applying to NYU. Each campus features unique clubs, opportunities, majors, and programs!

You will be asked to rank your preferences of NYU Abu Dhabi , New York City , and NYU Shanghai . You can rank them or if you’re set on a specific campus, you can just select the one you want. New York City made sense to me because it was the biggest campus and I wanted the flexibility of different colleges and majors.

I was tempted to apply to NYU Shanghai, but there were more challenges applying there because of my Taiwanese nationality. An important thing to remember: Don’t select a campus if you’re not passionate about going there. Only rank the campuses you’re genuinely interested in!

What you’ll study

When do I decide my major? Can I apply undecided? Does that impact whether or not I get accepted? These are questions we are often asked during prospective student tours.

Firstly, this depends on which location you’re applying to—each campus has majors unique to its location.

For example, NYU Abu Dhabi has a major specific to its location called Business, Organizations and Society. Conversely, NYU Shanghai has majors like Interactive Media and Business as well as Global China Studies. You should keep in mind the majors available at whichever campus(es) as you decide to apply to.

For NYU Abu Dhabi and NYU Shanghai, you don’t have to declare a major when you apply. If you have an area you’re interested in, you can note that on the Common App.

New York City is slightly different since there are multiple colleges spanning a range of fields. When you apply you will select a specific school. Depending on the school you select, you will have to declare your major on the Common App. However, with some schools you can matriculate as an undeclared student. So don’t fret! If you feel undecided , there are options for you in New York City!

If you need more time to decide, consider applying to the College of Arts and Science or School of Liberal Studies . You won’t be expected to choose a major until your second year. Additionally, if you know you’re interested in a field within engineering, the Tandon School of Engineering allows first-year students to matriculate without declaring a major. Choosing a major can be a really daunting task, luckily we have an article on how to narrow your options .

Breaking Down the Common App

For the Common App essay, I thought I needed some life-changing event to write about, which is a huge misconception. After looking back and talking to a lot of my friends who also were admitted into NYU, this is just not true. Little things we’ve come into contact with in our life end up becoming such an identifying factor of who we are as a person. Harness this and write about it! One of my closest friends wrote about persimmons (yes, the fruit!).

TL;DR: There really isn’t a certain topic you should write about . But make sure when you’re done writing to get feedback from your teacher, parents, friends, siblings . There’s nothing worse than submitting an amazing essay with a spelling mistake in the first sentence. If you want to talk about the impact of a natural disaster or COVID-19 on your studies, there’s a special (optional!) section for that as well.

NYU’s supplemental essay:

NYU’s changed its supplemental essay prompts over the past few years, but this essay is still completely optional. Whether you write the essay is completely up to you and your circumstances, but just know that NYU won’t punish you for not submitting one. This article will give you a full rundown of this year’s prompt and how you can tackle it.

Activities:

The biggest misconception for me was that I thought I needed award-winning activities to get into NYU. If you have attended a bunch of competitions, that’s great and you should include these accomplishments in your application. But maybe you spent a lot of time making YouTube videos in high school–and that’s fine to put down in this section too. I feel like schools genuinely want to know who  you are outside of classes. Remember, it’s okay to not fill up all ten spots!

Once you’ve decided on the activities, how you write about them also matters. Personally, I participated in Model United Nations all four years of high school. However, if you know anything about Model UN, it is that no one “wins.” I initially had a hard time quantifying my achievements, so I spent time finding the best descriptors that captured my participation.

Test scores:

NYU is test optional for this application cycle. What does that mean ? I remember when I was applying, NYU was test flexible. I felt that it was too good to be true!

If you have the same feelings I had check out this article to clear up your misconceptions.

Letters of recommendation:

At least for me, I dreaded asking for letters of recommendation. I was confused who I should ask for a letter. Also, I wasn’t sure how far in advance I should ask my recommenders. There are many things you can do to ensure these letters work to your advantage and that the process is as seamless as possible (like asking early!).

For this application cycle, NYU only requires one letter of recommendation from anyone who is an a position of authority (it could be a teacher, an athletics coach, your music teacher, etc), but you are welcome to submit up to three recommendations to support your application. Read an NYU admissions counselor’s advice on getting the most out of your recommendation here. 

Additional information:

Nestled in the writing section is the “Additional Information Section.” This isn’t a place for you to cram whatever you couldn’t fit in your application. But this is definitely a space that should be utilized in certain situations . While I didn’t use it, I had friends in the international baccalaureate program who detailed their extended essay topic (a core component of the program). So, it really can be utilized skillfully to add any leftover pieces you feel are integral to your academic identity.

Things to keep in mind if...

You’re applying to a creative major.

I didn’t apply for a creative major, but for those looking into NYU’s drama , film , or music programs, don’t forget about the creative component of the application .

You’re an international student

As an international student myself, I know how it is to apply to NYU if neither of my parents went to college in the United States. The American college application process was a big mystery for my family. Bear in mind that there may be a couple of extra steps when applying, especially if English is not your first language. So make sure you confirm whether you need to submit an English proficiency test .

The best advice I can give international applicants is to embrace your identity when completing the application, whether that’s through your essay or your activities section. Personally, growing up in Taiwan and speaking Chinese has been such a huge part of my identity. So my application was actually based on a Chinese phrase! I feel like I definitely found a way to make my international identity an advantage, and you can too.

You’re submitting financial aid materials

Another part of your application will be figuring out how to finance your education. It can be confusing process, so make sure you and your parents confirm you’ve submitted all the necessary materials to be considered for financial aid at NYU. Don’t forget there are always options for external scholarships, so think about those too! If you have any further questions about financial aid, the people who are truly experts are in NYU’s Office fo Financial Aid .

Hopefully, your application goes smoothly, but sometimes you might find problems with your application. Don’t worry I got you covered here too. You can always read about updating your application after submission , lagging checklists , sending in documents , and submitting prerequisites.

And once you hit submit? Celebrate !

After I submitted my application, I felt a huge weight off my shoulders. Go out with your friends, eat a nice dinner with your family, or take a nap with your cat (my pick). If NYU happens to visit your high school, take this opportunity to get to know us more! You can ask our admissions rep any lingering questions.

Yasmin Hung (she/her/hers) is a rising senior pursuing Psychology in CAS with a minor in public health. She is interested in research regarding inclusive healthcare, particularly in women’s and reproductive health. As an international student, originally from Taiwan, she moved many times growing up. NYU’s diverse student body and global campus experiences are what drew her to this university. When she isn’t working as an admissions ambassador or studying for her next psychology exam, she enjoys cooking for her friends, meticulously organizing niche Spotify playlists, and trying out new Chinese food restaurants around NYC.

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The undergraduate admission process, film and television, photography and imaging, cinema studies, dramatic writing, recorded music, performance studies, nyu game design, collaborative arts, interactive media arts—ima, admission application filing deadlines, financial aid application, regular admission, early decision plan for high school seniors, transfer applicants, transfer applicants within the university, change of major within the tisch school of the arts, the english language institute, readmission of former undergraduate students, the spring semester at tisch program, advanced standing, placement examinations, the enrollment process, international baccalaureate (ib), maturity certificate examinations, advanced placement credit.

• Advanced Placement Equivalencies1
• International Baccalaureate Equivalencies1,2
• Advanced Level ("A Level") Equivalencies (with PRE-U)1,2,3

Undergraduate: BFA, BA

Undergraduate Admissions Processing Center New York University 383 Lafayette Street New York, NY 10012-2339 212-998-4500 Undergraduate Admissions

Admission to the Tisch School of the Arts is highly selective. Admission is based on a careful evaluation of secondary school records; scores on standardized tests; personal essay; recommendations from guidance counselors, teachers, and others; and a creative review in the form of an audition or a portfolio. Evidence of character and maturity are regarded as essential in potential students who hope to benefit fully from the unique offerings of the University and its urban environment. Participation in meaningful school and community activities is also an important factor. A student applying to the Tisch School of the Arts must indicate the particular department that they wish to enter and may only apply to one program. Prospective students wanting more information about undergraduate admission should see Undergraduate Admissions . Students wanting specific information on the Tisch School of the Arts may email [email protected] .

The high school students most competitive for admission will take mathematics and foreign language in their senior year and exceed the following requirements:

• Four years of English with heavy emphasis on writing
• Three to four years of mathematics
• Three to four years of laboratory sciences
• Three to four years of social studies
• Two to three years of foreign language

The Admissions Committee pays particular attention to the number of honors, advanced placement, and/or international baccalaureate courses completed through the junior year. The list of advanced-level courses in progress during the senior year will also be included in the application review, especially for early decision applicants.

The remainder of your program may include further work in the above subjects or elective work in other areas, including music and art.

Please refer to the departmental sections of this bulletin for information about specific departmental admission requirements.

All candidates for undergraduate admission to the university should apply online via the Common App and follow the step by step instructions:

• The Common Application including the NYU Supplement. The Common Application will not be processed without the Supplement.
• Personal Statement/Essay.
• Nonrefundable application fee ($80.00).
• Official high school and/or college records for courses for which academic credit has been earned (and General Educational Development test scores, if applicable).
• High School Report/Counselor Recommendation Form/Teacher Recommendation Form.
• Applicants to programs requiring an audition or portfolio are not required to submit standardized testing for consideration and doing so is entirely optional.
• All undergraduate departments at the Tisch School of the Arts except IMA require an audition or the submission of a creative portfolio or writing sample. Creative material should only be submitted directly to the specific department at the Tisch School of the Arts. Departmental details are below.

Candidates are urged to complete and file their applications by the stated deadline. No admission decision will be made without complete information. The Office of Undergraduate Admissions reserves the right to substitute or waive particular admissions requirements at the discretion of the Admissions Committee.

721 Broadway, 3rd Floor New York, NY 10003-6807 212-998-1850 Drama

An artistic review is required. It is the student’s responsibility to make an appointment for the required artistic review via the department’s Website.

Artistic reviews are held in New York and several other cities. Complete instructions and location information will be included in your appointment confirmation. You may participate in only one of the following artistic reviews:

Acting: two contrasting, contemporary monologues, each under 90 seconds

Music Theatre: two contrasting, contemporary monologues, each under 90 seconds, and 32 bars each of two songs, one song must be from the musical theatre canon and one may be from a published contemporary piece or from the musical theatre canon, all musical theatre candidates must participate in a dance evaluation.

Directing: one 90 second monologue and a portfolio of directing work from a production you would like to direct.

Production and Design: a written statement of purpose and portfolio of work (designs, drawings, photographs, or stage manager’s prompt book)

All monologues and songs must be from published plays and musicals. Each applicant must provide a résumé and photograph. Please do not bring or send supplementary materials such as CDs, DVDs, programs, or plays to the department. Additional material will not be reviewed or considered in the admissions process. For comprehensive information regarding the artistic review process, see Drama .

Deadlines for both the artistic review and NYU application are strictly enforced. For deadlines and more details about NYU’s admission requirements, see Undergraduate Admissions.

Departmental Address: New York University Tisch School of the Arts Department of Drama, Undergraduate 721 Broadway, 3rd Floor New York, NY 10003-6807

The artistic review telephone number is 212-998-1870. See Drama for more information.

111 Second Avenue, 3rd Floor New York, NY 10003-8382 212-998-1980 Dan ce

An audition is required. Auditions will be held in New York City in December, January and February, and in Chicago, Miami, and Los Angeles in January.

Applications must be received by January 1 . If you would like to audition in Chicago, Miami, or Los Angeles, we strongly suggest your application be submitted by December 15 . Transfer applicants are encouraged to apply by February 15 .

The Department of Dance will contact you with information about reserving an audition time after the Undergraduate Admissions Processing Center has processed your application. The audition consists of a 90-minute combination ballet and modern dance technique class. Those who pass this first part of the audition will be asked to perform a short (two- to three-minute) solo dance in any style. You may choreograph the solo or have someone else choreograph it for you. A personal interview will follow the solo performance.

• 8”x 10” color dance photo in any position with your name on the back.
• dance resume
• ballet shoes and form fitting dancewear
• pointe shoes if you plan to do your solo on pointe
• music for your solo (ie: iPod, iPhone, MP3 player with CD as a backup). Please remove the passcode from your phone before the audition.

A detailed résumé listing your prior dance experience, including types of training, names of teachers and schools, years studied, and the number of lessons per week.

Digital Auditions. Please note that, with the exception of international students, digital auditions will not be accepted. Digital audition requirements will be sent to applicants after their application has been processed by the Office of Admissions.

721 Broadway, 11th Floor New York, NY 10003-6807 Attn.: Undergraduate Portfolio 212-998-1702 Kanbar Institute of Film and Television

Part 1. Creative Resume

• Format: 1 page
• Highlight your creative works, activities in and out of school, and/or relevant employment. We also welcome information about any community service you've done or part time jobs you've held. Your list of activities do not have to be strictly creative if they illustrate an engagement with your community and/or a significant time commitment from you.
• Your full name
• home address
• date of birth
• the name of your high school (or college for transfer students)
• Save as a pdf and name the file LastName_FirstName_Resume before uploading it to SlideRoom.

Part 2. Tell Us a Story

• Format: Up to 4 typed, double-spaced 8.5” x 11" pages, written in prose format.
• We are looking for the next generation of storytellers. Select one of the following opening lines and finish the short story: Can I sit here? I love opening nights. Is this our new house, daddy? Let’s keep looking.
• Save as a pdf and name the file LastName_FirstName_Story before uploading it to SlideRoom.

Part 3. Tell Us About Your Selfie

• Format: Upload a 1-2 minute video where you show and tell us about yourself.
• We encourage you to share information that we cannot get from other aspects of your portfolio submission. Your video should be in your own voice, in your own format, and not a reiteration of why you want to be admitted to NYU's film program. Be creative and have fun; what you choose to say and how you say it is up to you.
• If you do not have the ability to submit a film, email [email protected] for alternative instructions.

Part 4. What’s in Your Backpack?

• Format: 1 page, double spaced
• Pick five items, including 1 book, 1 DVD, and 3 (non-essential) items of your choosing to take with you to a deserted island. What would they be and why are they important to you? You do not need to worry about food and water. Leave your laptops and cell phones at home.
• Your essay should be no longer than 1 page in length. You can list your items and provide thoughtful descriptions for each or write your essay in prose format.
• Save as a pdf and name the file LastName_FirstName_Backpack before uploading it to SlideRoom.

Part 5. Creative Submission

• A creative submission that showcases visual storytelling and imaginative expression of thought.
• The applicant must be the principle creative force of the creative work submitted.
• Film or video
• Artistic Portfolio
• Film or video (up to five minutes total running time): Your submission should be a complete work which represents your best effort and one which engages your audience. Video footage of staged plays or theatre performances is not acceptable. You must be the principle creative force of the piece (i.e. the director, writer, editor, or cinematographer). We strongly discourage you from submitting co-directed or co-written projects, however if you choose to submit a co-created work, you must clearly state your specific contributions to the project. Be sure to test your video prior to submission. We would like to see your best single work as opposed to a compilation of shorter films. If you are submitting a link, please be sure no downloads or passwords are required.
• Artistic Portfolio (10-15 images): A portfolio of photographs, drawings, paintings, sculpture or set design work; please do not include films if you are submitting an artistic portfolio. Your submission should reflect clearly developed ideas and themes and convey a clear and imaginative visual sense. You may upload up to fifteen photographic or scanned images of your work. (Still images and scans should be a minimum of 72 dpi).
• Writing: Up to six pages of creative writing consisting of either a complete short story, film script or stage play. Do not submit excerpts. Format: Double spaced, prose or screenplay format where applicable. (Save as a PDF.)
• The applicant must be the principle creative force of the creative work submitted. Exact credits must be specified. Please send the requested items only; no substitutions, variations, or extraneous materials. Failure to comply with these guidelines will be grounds for automatic disqualification.
• Please send the requested items only. Failure to do so will be grounds for automatic disqualification.
• Please, no substitutions, variations, or extraneous materials.

Exact credits must be specified; the applicant must be the principal creative force of the creative work submitted. Please make sure your name and date of birth or University ID number are on all pieces of portfolio materials you upload.

721 Broadway, 8th Floor New York, NY 10003-6807 212-998-1930 Photography and Imaging

Successful candidates to the Department of Photography and Imaging are passionate and committed to the study and production of images, curious about the world, and have a desire to push personal and social boundaries.

All applicants must complete the Common Application and provide the required academic documentation and supporting credentials. The application may be obtained from the NYU undergraduate admissions Website.

All applicants must submit a creative portfolio according to the undergraduate application deadlines: November 1 for early decision I applicants; January 1 for regular decision and early decision II applicants; March 1 for internal (NYU) transfer applicants; and April 1 for non-NYU transfer applicants.

Creative Portfolio

• Submit 15-20 images via tischphoto.slideroom.com
• 10 images should be on a single, cohesive theme.
• You may include all examples of work in digital form – photographs, videos, animations, gifs, websites, etc.
• You may include up to 5 non-photo based images (fine art, drawing, etc.)

Tips for Developing a Portfolio

• Avoid compiling a disjointed group of images better considered individually. Include images that expand on the same theme (or a series of themes and ideas) rather than images that are thematically unrelated.
• Sequence your work so that the images flow and relate to one another in a thematic and visual way.

Consider what the work tells the viewer about you. Your portfolio is an opportunity to share your opinions, passion for ideas, and personal vision of the world with your viewer.

For more details and deadlines on the admission and artistic review requirements, see Undergraduate Admissions.

721 Broadway, 6th Floor, Room 603 New York, NY 10003-6807 212-998-1600 Martin Scorsese Institute of Global Cinematic Arts

You must prepare a two-part portfolio and submit via the Department online application system, Slideroom . Please note that, upon submitting your portfolio, Slideroom does charge a $12.00 fee for applicants to use this service (you may pay this fee with credit or debit card). Your portfolio must be uploaded via Slideroom on or before the application deadline. Part 1 is a 5- to 10-page essay on a film, a director, or any film-related topic. Part 2 is a one-page statement that addresses the following questions:

• Have you had any previous cinema-related course work,
• What areas of cinema studies are you most interested in exploring (e.g., film genres, directors, theoretical issues, etc.), and
• What are some of your career aspirations (e.g., film journalist/critic, film museum or archive worker, film industry professional, screenwriter, filmmaker)?

721 Broadway, 7th Floor New York, NY 10003-6807 212-998-1940 Rita & Burton Goldberg Department of Dramatic Writing

In addition to the NYU Undergraduate Application, all applicants for the Goldberg Department of Dramatic Writing must submit a portfolio submission packet via the Department online application system, Slideroom. Please note that, upon submitting your creative portfolio, Slideroom does charge a $5.00 fee for applicants to use this service (you may pay this fee with credit or debit card). Your creative portfolio must be uploaded via Slideroom on or before the application deadline.

This packet must include the following 3 items:

• Cover Sheet Name (Last, First, MI) Date of Birth Deadline (EDI or EDII or Transfer 1 ) Program (undergraduate) Type of Writing Samples (script for television, play script, screenplay, short story, etc.) Mailing Address Contact Telephone/Email
• Statement of Purpose Identify a work of film, television, or theater you’ve read or seen in the past year, which has had an impact on your identity as a dramatic writer. Tell us why. (500 words)
• Writing Portfolio Portfolio Requirements: Submit 3-4 separate writing samples that together total at least 15 pages and that do not exceed 25 pages. At least one of these samples must be a sample of dramatic writing (Screenplay, Stage Play, or Script for Television). The other 2-3 samples may be, but are not limited to, additional dramatic writing samples, memoirs, short stories, fictional material, and adaptation based on fact. Choose material that is dramatic and self-contained, with an inherent conflict, a strong protagonist, and a beginning, middle, and end. Unacceptable Submissions: Do not submit: Co-written material (the work must be yours and yours alone), Poetry, Elevator Pieces (i.e. two people, total opposites, get stuck in an elevator), Journalism, or “writing prompts” from other colleges or universities. Do not submit DVDs or CDs of any kind. Please label all pages of the Statement of Purpose and Writing Portfolio with: Last Name, First Name of the applicant (i.e., Smith, Susan).

If transfer, please include the name of your current college or university, or the name of your college or department at NYU or Tisch.

730 Jay Street, 6th Floor Brooklyn, NY 11201 212-992-8400 Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music

You must prepare a creative portfolio and submit via the institute’s online application system, Slideroom. Please note that, upon submitting your final creative portfolio, Slideroom does charge a $12 fee for applicants to use this service (you may pay this fee with credit or debit card).

In preparing your creative portfolio, please note that you do not necessarily need to have experience in the music industry, nor do you necessarily need to have access to resources to demonstrate your vision, creativity and passion and your potential for success in the music industry. Be creative!

Your creative portfolio must include the following 7 clearly labeled components (#1 through #6 to be uploaded by you, #7 to be uploaded by your recommender):

• Statement of Intent At the Clive Davis Institute, we're looking for self-starters aiming to launch unique creative enterprises. Review our holistic curriculum and our areas of entrepreneurship. Based on your experiences so far, what kinds of skills do you possess—or do you hope to develop—that will allow you to succeed in the music industry when you graduate? We would also like you to identify why the Clive Davis Institute is the right fit for you: how does our holistic curriculum help you develop toward your educational and career goals? What do you, in turn, expect to contribute to the culture of the Clive Davis Institute and NYU as a whole? 2 pages, double-spaced, .pdf format
• Creative Sample All applicants are required to submit a creative sample that demonstrates evidence of the skills you possess—or evidence of your potential to develop the skills—that will allow you to achieve your career goals as the entrepreneur type outlined in your Statement of Intent. Your submission may be one sample or multiple samples that together total five minutes of review. You may submit audio, video, a sample of articles you’ve written or published, a business plan you’d like to implement, designs for a home studio, flyers or promotional materials you’ve designed, evidence of live event production, evidence of experience with new media or online entrepreneurship, films you’ve scored, etc. The sample(s) you submit for your Creative Portfolio should be specific to the kind of entrepreneur you are interested in pursuing while at The Clive Davis Institute. If you’re applying as a performer entrepreneur, you must submit a sample that showcases your raw talent to the committee. In other words, if your songs/voice are heavily produced, we'd like to hear you without those production elements. This may be as simple as you sitting in front of your computer camera and performing 60-90 seconds of your favorite song or rap. You’re also highly encouraged to submit a video that highlights your stage presence and live performance. Use this as a means to demonstrate your personality and level of experience as a performer. This should be included as part of the five minutes for your Creative Sample. In all cases, the material submitted must show evidence of your original work and you must be the primary contributor to or creator of the work. Work that involves sampling or previously copyrighted material may be submitted only if your creativity is displayed through the use of the sampled material.
• Written: How you made the work - identify the full extent of your creative involvement, and, if necessary, all credits due to other contributors. You must provide, as applicable, the name of the composition, composer, producer, engineer, mixer, arranger, programmer, location of recording, date of recording, full list of performers, and software used. (1 page or less, .pdf format)
• Video: Why you made the work—identify your creative process, your artistic influences, your inspiration. Using a webcam or mobile camera to record yourself, describe your behind-the-scenes process in putting together your creative sample. What inspired you to create the sample or submit the specific samples that you selected? Quality is not important, as long as we can see and hear you clearly. Just keep it simple, and talk to us about you and your sample—show us your personality. (2 minutes)
• Artistic Resume Please list your previous creative and entrepreneurial experience. Experience may include promotional activities, internships, volunteer work experience, musical skills, church choir, school chorus, band involvement, and amateur or professional performances. It may also include formal training on an instrument, voice training, technology (such as MIDI), or technical skills in music performance and recording, such as arranging and composition, DJ-ing, and producing. Please include instructors, courses taken, and the duration of study or engagement. 1-2 pages, .pdf format
• Current Personal Photograph Please include one photo that best represents your aesthetic as your selected type of entrepreneur, or best represents who you are. .jpg format
• Critical Essay You have been selected by NASA to join a one-way mission to Mars aboard Galaxy One. There is only room for ten songs per colonist on the onboard computer. What ten songs are you bringing? Organize those songs into a customized, accessible playlist via any suitable streaming service (i.e. Spotify, Tidal, YouTube, etc.) of your choosing. Paste the playlist link and then write about any one of those songs or artists. Explain why you've chosen that song or artist and specifically address aspects of the recording that strike you in terms of production, artistry/performance, marketing, or promotion. 2 pages, double-spaced, .pdf format
• One Letter of Recommendation This letter must be from someone who knows you well and can speak of not only your creativity and innate talent, but also your potential to succeed as a leader in the music industry. Your recommender should speak to the following qualities—entrepreneurial ambition, leadership, confidence, maturity, self-initiative, drive/hustle, innovativeness, ability to collaborate, star quality/charisma, and passion. It is advisable for recommenders to provide specific examples and anecdotes that speak to the aforementioned qualities.

** Please note that Slideroom will allow you to upload a minimum of 6 components as outlined above, and a maximum of 25 components should you feel that it is necessary to include supplemental information with your creative portfolio. Please just make sure that all supplemental information is labeled as such.

Once you have registered to start a creative portfolio via Slideroom , you may step away and come back at any time, until the final deadline. Please make sure that you save your progress after each visit, and do not click to submit until you are sure that you have properly uploaded the required components outlined above. Once you click submit, you may no longer edit your creative portfolio.

721 Broadway, 6th Floor New York, NY 10003 212-998-1620 Performance Studies

Successful BA candidates are curious students with strong writing and critical thinking skills, who are interested in performance as an object of study. This includes students who enjoy thinking and writing about performance. We are not a performing arts department—we don't train students to do performance—but we welcome students who are excited about analyzing and understanding it in a disciplinary context that includes anthropology, ethnic and gender studies, religious studies, philosophy, etc.

Admission is based on previous academic achievement and evidence of strong skills in writing and cultural analysis.

For the Portfolio, please submit a 750-1000 word statement that addresses your interest in performance studies, why you think you are a good fit for this department, and what you hope to gain from the experience of studying with us. What do you hope to study and write about in the field of Performance Studies? Why are you applying to this program and not a more traditional program such as anthropology, dance, or theatre?

379 Jay Street, 6th Floor Brooklyn, NY 11201 646-997-0708 Game Design

In addition to the common application, the NYU Game Center requires a creative portfolio. All portfolios are submitted digitally via nyugamecenter.slideroom.com . There is a $10 submission fee through Slideroom. Late portfolios will not be accepted. The two components of the creative portfolio are:

• Why do you want to come to the Game Center? What excites you most about game design?
• We want you to write about a game that is not a computer or video game (a board game, a sport, etc) that you like to play. What do you like about it? What about the game makes it enjoyable to play?
• Videogame designers usually work in teams. What is it about you that makes you a good team member?
• Tell us about a game you know well. What is something that an average player might not know or understand about it?
• What are your hopes for the future of games?
• If a project is a digital game or software application: Detailed instructions for installation and interaction, including platform requirements, must be included. You will not be able to upload any game files, so please provide a link to your online game or downloadable game files, and include the link in your design statement.
• If a project is a board game, performance, game event, or other physical project: Include detailed documentation of the project, such as photographs, a short video, script, rules of play, etc.
• If a project is a visual artwork or series: Include detailed visual documentation of the project (3-5 images and/or up to 5 minutes of video).
• If a project is a video: You may upload the video directly to Slideroom or as well as a link to the video itself. Be sure that the link does not require a special login.
• If a project is a written paper or essay: Please upload the paper itself in PDF format. Include at the start an abstract or summary of the essay.
• If a project is a website or other online-accessible project: A link to the online project is sufficient.
• If your project does not fit into any of these categories and you do not know how best to submit or document the project, contact the Game Center at [email protected] directly for advice.

665 Broadway, 6th Floor New York, NY 10012-2331

The Collaborative Arts program is ideal for students with a rich diversity of talents who crave a wide variety of experiences. We’re looking for independent minded students, who are motivated to challenge themselves and work with other artists to generate interdisciplinary projects. Our students are curious, willing to take risks, and interested in exploring the wonderful possibilities of working between disciplines.

You must prepare a three-part creative portfolio and submit via the Artistic Review portal ( Note: a couple of days after you submit the Common App, you will receive an email from NYU with a personalized link to the Artistic Review portal).

Part 1—Resume

Please submit a one-page resume that includes:

• creative and academic work
• special skills
• activities and hobbies

Part 2—Essay Part A and B

• Our program is unique in that it has interdisciplinary, co-authored arts practice at its core. Students will share authorship and develop artistic work as a group in collaborative arts workshops that include writing, movement, acting, film, visual arts, and emerging media. In the core collaborative workshops there is no traditional sole director, writer, performer, etc. Why you would like to be a part of this collaborative program?
• Our students receive foundational training in five different areas of artistic practice. Because of this broad-based approach, our students—unlike in other BFAs—do not focus on one specific discipline. We are training versatile, multi-faceted artists of tomorrow. Why you would like to be a part of this multi-disciplinary program?
• Using a phone or laptop, record a headshot video telling us about yourself. Your video can be no longer than one minute.

Part 3—Artistic Submission

Please submit two samples of work from any of the following categories that you think best express your strengths as an artist:

• Performance: Submit a video monologue drawn from a contemporary play or movie (i.e., 20th century - present). The monologue must be under two minutes in length. Please introduce the monologue with title and author.
• Movement: Submit a video consisting of one movement piece. You should either be a featured dancer or the piece should be choreographed by you. Please provide a brief statement about the piece explaining your goals and participation in the work.
• One short film, or excerpts from a longer piece, up to five minutes in length. The sample can be live action, animation, fictional, experimental, or documentary.
• A portfolio of images of your original work from other visual arts disciplines, such as photography, drawing, painting, sculpture, set design, or mixed-media art. The minimum number of images is 5 and the maximum 10. Include a brief statement explaining the work and documenting your process.
• Writing: a 5-8 page sample of a stage play, screenplay or script for television. Ideally, this excerpt will demonstrate an ability to propel traditional narrative storytelling through characters in conflict.
• Emerging Media: write a brief statement explaining and documenting your process in the creation of an application, game, website design, or other digital media. Include a url for the actual work.

370 Jay Street, 4th Floor Brooklyn, NY 11201

The Interactive Media Arts (IMA) program, an interdisciplinary undergraduate Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree in Interactive Media Arts (IMA), starts from the proposition that computation—the ability to code, learn new software, manipulate data, and create physical + digital interactions—is an essential creative capability, and that students who master those capabilities will be well-placed to invent the future.

All undergraduate applicants need to fill out the NYU Common application. Applicants are encouraged to submit optional creative materials via https://itp.nyu.edu/ima/apply/ to supplement the Common application. Feel free to submit anything that shows your skills, creativity, curiosity, or generosity. If you have questions or are unable to send your materials via the online form, please email it to [email protected] . If you want to submit anything in hardcopy (CD, DVD, portfolio book etc), please mail it to:

370 Jay Street, 4th Floor

Brooklyn, NY 11201

Note: Please do not send originals as we will not be able to return any items.

Campus Visits

NYU Admissions offers a variety of virtual experiences to visit the university. See Virtual Experiences and sign up for one of our sessions. If you are interested in joining our mailing list to find out when in-person tours begin, see Experience NYU In-Person .

For current information regarding special tours at the Tisch School of the Arts, see below:

• Dance Department Tours
• Undergraduate Department of Film and Television Tours
• ITP Virtual Open Houses

We urge you to complete and file your application by November 1 for Early Decision I admission and by January 1 for Early Decision II or regular decision. You will be informed if any of the required credentials are missing from your file. It is, however, your responsibility to make certain that we receive all of the supporting information required to complete your application file.

If NYU is your first-choice college, we encourage you to apply for admission as an early decision candidate. If admitted, you will be asked to withdraw your applications to other colleges and enroll in NYU. Early decision candidates will be notified of the admission decision starting in the middle of December for Early Decision I or after the middle of February for Early Decision II. Regular decision candidates will receive notification on or around April 1 .

All students applying for financial aid must file the College Scholarship Service/Financial Aid profile (CSS Profile) and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). We recommend that students apply electronically; see our NYU Website at www.nyu.edu/financial.aid . Students must include the NYU federal school code number 002785 in the school section of the FAFSA to ensure that their submitted information is transmitted by the processor to New York University.

New York State residents should also complete the separate application for the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP); for information visit www.nyu.edu/financial.aid/tap.html . Students from other states may be required to complete separate applications for their state programs if their state grants can be used at New York University.

Types of Admission

The Tisch School of the Arts admits students to full-time degree programs of study. Most undergraduate students enter the University after completion of the traditional four years of high school study. There are, however, a number of special undergraduate programs of admission, as described below.

Under the Early Decision Plan, students should submit their application, supporting credentials, and standardized test scores no later than November 1 for Early Decision I and January 1 for Early Decision II. Applicants will also be required to submit creative materials or to audition for the performance areas.

In addition, each applicant must complete on the application a signed statement agreeing that they will withdraw any applications submitted to other colleges if accepted by New York University. Another form must be signed by the student, parent, and counselor agreeing to the early decision commitment to enroll if admitted to NYU. Action on these applications will be taken by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions beginning in mid-December.

Early decision candidates who are also applicants for financial aid must submit the NYU Early Decision Financial Aid Application by November 1 for Early Decision I and by January 1 for Early Decision II, so that the University will be able to provide a financial aid estimate by the early decision notification date. Information about this application can be found online at http://www.nyu.edu/admissions.html . Early decision applicants must also file the College Scholarship and Service profile (CSS) and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as early as October 1 and no later than February 15 .

A student may transfer from another college in September, with the exception of Film and Television applicants. Transfer students admitted to Film and Television must begin their studies during one of the two summer sessions. Credit will be granted for most collegiate work completed with a grade of C or better within the past 10 years that satisfies degree requirements and that falls within the residency requirement, with the exception of certain courses of a vocational nature or courses not consistent with the educational objectives of the Tisch School of the Arts. Within these provisions, applicants from regionally accredited colleges are eligible for admission.

Except where specifically noted, the general procedures described for entering freshmen also apply to all applicants seeking to transfer from other regionally accredited two-year and four-year institutions. Transfer applicants must submit official credentials from all institutions attended, including secondary school transcripts. Transfer applicants who took the SAT or ACT examinations while in high school should submit their test results as part of their application. Transfer applicants who did not take these examinations while in high school and have been in college less than one year must follow the testing requirements, listed on the admissions Website at admissions.nyu.edu . An audition, interview, or creative portfolio is required for all programs.

Specific entrance requirements for each department, such as auditions, interviews, and creative portfolios, are described in the Undergraduate Admission Process section (page 253).

Students who wish to transfer from one school to another within the University must file an Internal Transfer Application online at admissions.nyu.edu prior to the application deadline (March 1 for the summer and fall terms). Students must be enrolled in the school or college to which they were originally admitted for one full year before they may transfer.

Tisch students who wish to change their major within the Tisch School of the Arts must file a Change of Major Application with the Tisch Office of Student Affairs, 726 Broadway, 2nd Floor. Students applying for a change of major must meet the admission requirements of the new department. This will involve an audition or submission of a portfolio. Students must be enrolled in the department to which they were originally admitted for one full year before they can change their major to another department. The change of major application can be found at: http://tisch.nyu.edu/student-affairs/forms

Applicants With International Credentials

Applicants to New York University who are neither U.S. citizens nor permanent residents of the United States must complete the application for admission to undergraduate study for international students available online at admissions.nyu.edu . Please indicate on the application for admission your country of citizenship and, if currently residing in the United States, your current visa status.

Freshman applicants (those who are currently attending or who previously completed secondary school) seeking to begin studies in the fall (September) semester must submit an application and all required credentials on or before January 1 . The Early Decision I deadline is November 1 and the Early Decision II deadline is January 1 . Transfer applicants (those currently or previously attending a university or tertiary school) must submit an application and all required credentials on or before April 1 for the fall term. Applications will not be processed until the Undergraduate Admissions Processing Center receives all supporting credentials.

All freshman applicants are required to submit official test results. Please visit the admissions Website at admissions.nyu.edu to learn about the admissions requirements.

If the applicant’s secondary education culminates in a maturity certificate examination, they are required to submit an official copy of the grades received in each subject of his or her examinations. All documents submitted for review must be official; that is, they must be either originals or copies certified by authorized persons. A “certified” photocopy or other copy is one that bears either an original signature of the registrar or other designated school official or an original impression of the institution’s seal. Uncertified photocopies are not acceptable. If these official documents are in a foreign language, they must be accompanied by an official English translation.

In addition, every applicant whose native language is not English must take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language). Information concerning this examination may be obtained by writing directly to TOEFL/ETS:

TOEFL/ETS P.O. Box 6151 Princeton, NJ 08541 U.S.A.

or by visiting The TOEFL Tests . Each student must request that their official score on this examination be sent to the Undergraduate Admissions Processing Center code 2562.

Applicants residing in the New York area may take, in lieu of the TOEFL, the English proficiency test of the University’s English Language Institute:

English Language Institute 48 Cooper Square, Room 200 New York, NY 10003-7154 U.S.A.

An appointment to take the test may be made by telephoning 212-998-7040.

In lieu of the TOEFL, acceptable results on the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) examination administered by the British Council will also be considered. For information about this test, see IELTS .

Financial documentation is not required when filing an application. If the applicant is accepted, instructions for completing the Application for Certificate of Eligibility (AFCOE) online will be included in the acceptance packet. Appropriate evidence of financial ability must be submitted with the AFCOE to the Office for Global Service in order for the appropriate visa document to be issued. If the applicant’s studies are being financed by means of his or her own savings, parental support, outside private or government scholarships, or any combination of these, they must arrange to send official letters or similar certifications as proof of such support. New students may wish to view the multimedia tutorial for new international students at www.nyu.edu/oiss/documents/tutorialHome/index.htm .

The English Language Institute of the School of Professional Studies at New York University offers The Comprehensive English Program. It is designed for NYU and non-NYU students at all levels of English Proficiency. Please visit the website for more information at https://www.sps.nyu.edu/homepage/academics/divisions-and-departments/english-language-institute.html

Any former Tisch student wishing to return to the school who has been out of attendance between one term to 5 years without an approved leave of absence, and who has not attended another university in the interim must apply for readmission through Admission at www.nyu.edu/admissions/undergraduateadmissions.html/

Requests for readmission should be received by the following dates: July 1 for the fall term, November 1 for the spring term, and April 1 for the summer term.

A student who has attended another institution since enrolling at New York University must apply as a transfer student and submit transcripts from all other institution(s) attended and may be required to audition or submit a creative portfolio for admission to a specific department. Transfer application are available online only at admissions.nyu.edu .

Undergraduate students at other institutions may study at Tisch for the spring semester through specialized tracks of study. Students enroll full time and take 12-18 credits from one of five core areas, including cinema studies, drama, dramatic writing, film production, as well as photography and imaging. Dormitory housing is available.

For complete information and an application for the Spring at Tisch Program, please visit our Website at www.tisch.nyu.edu or contact the Office of Special Programs:

Office of Special Programs Tisch School of the Arts New York University 721 Broadway, 12th Floor New York, NY 10003-6807 212-998-1500 e-mail: [email protected]

Credit may be awarded for satisfactory work completed at another regionally accredited university to the extent that the curriculum and requirements of each department of the school allow. Students should refer to the departmental sections of this bulletin for details.

When a transfer applicant is admitted to the school, the applicant’s records are examined carefully to determine how much, if any, advanced standing will be granted. Each individual course completed elsewhere is evaluated. In granting advanced standing, the suitability of courses taken elsewhere for the program of study chosen here and the student’s grades are considered. Transfer students must fulfill course and residency requirements for their departments. A tentative statement of advanced standing is provided to each transfer student on notification of admission to the school. A final statement of advanced standing is provided during the student’s first semester of matriculation. Requests for reevaluation of transfer credit must be made within the semester during which the final statement of advanced standing is received.

For undergraduate students admitted as freshmen, credit for courses taken at other Universities prior to matriculation at Tisch is awarded using a different set of standards. No credit is granted for college writing or expository writing courses taken while in high school, nor for courses taken on a pass/fail basis. Additionally, credit is not granted for college courses that satisfied high school graduation requirements.

Foreign Language: a student who wishes to continue in a language previously studied in high school or in college must take a language placement test or submit the scores from a College Entrance Examination Board SAT Subject Test or receive a recommendation for placement from the appropriate language department. A schedule of placement exams can be found online at www.nyu.edu/cas/placementexam .

To be enrolled, an admitted undergraduate candidate must do the following:

• Accept the University’s offer of admission and pay the required nonrefundable tuition and housing (if applicable) deposit.
• Submit all final high school and college transcripts to the New York University Undergraduate Admissions Processing Center.
• Register for classes (as per Department’s guidelines)
• Complete all mandatory health requirements, tasks, and deadlines
• Pay balance of tuition and/or housing fees by the stipulated deadline.

Credit by Examination (Including International Maturity Exams)

The Advanced Placement (AP) Program (College Entrance Examination Board), the International Baccalaureate (IB) Program, and the results of some foreign maturity certificate examinations enable undergraduate students to receive credit toward the bachelor's degree on the basis of performance in college-level examinations or proficiency examinations related to the Tisch School of the Arts degree.

The maximum number of credits that can be counted toward the degree from college courses taken while in high school, Advanced Placement subject tests, and International Baccalaureate higher level examinations is 32. A maximum of 8 test credits may be applied toward the general education requirement; the remainder may only be applied to the elective requirement. The exception is the dance program, where credit is not granted by examination. Once a student has enrolled, all credits toward the degree must be taken as course work. The Advanced Placement (AP) Program (College Entrance Examination Board), the International Baccalaureate (IB) Program, and the results of some foreign maturity certificate examinations enable undergraduate students to receive credit toward the bachelor's degree on the basis of performance in college-level examinations or proficiency examinations related to the Tisch School of the Arts degree.

Tisch School of the Arts recognizes, for advanced standing credit, higher-level examinations passed with grades of 6 or 7. No credit is granted for standard-level examinations. Official reports must be submitted to the Undergraduate Admissions Processing Center for review. See the chart below concerning those IB test scores for which credit is given.

Tisch School of the Arts will consider the results of certain foreign maturity certificate examinations for advanced standing credit. They are:

• A Levels and Cambridge Pre-U
• Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE)
• French Baccalauréat
• German Abitur
• Italian Maturità
• Federal Swiss Maturity Certificate

Tisch does not award credit for any other maturity certificate examinations. Official reports must be submitted to the Undergraduate Admissions Processing Center. These documents will be added to the student record, but advanced standing credit for all examinations other than AP and IB will be awarded by the Tisch Office of Student Affairs, Director of Academic Services, 726 Broadway, 2nd Floor; 212-998-1900.

See the chart below for details on those A Level and Cambridge Pre-U test scores for which credit is given. For the other maturity examinations, please note that not every subject is awarded credit by the Tisch School of the Arts. Credit worthy results earn 8 points each.

Minimum scores for receiving credit are:

• A Levels: B
• Cambridge Pre-U: M2
• CAPE: II (out of VII)
• French Baccalauréat: 12 (out of 20) with coefficient of 5 or better
• German Abitur: 10 (out of 15). Credit is only awarded for written exams (schr.), not for oral (mdl.)
• Italian Maturità: 90 (out of 100) 1
• Swiss Matura: 4.5 (out of 6)

Policy on the Italian Maturità: Students must earn a 90 or higher on the final Maturità exam to be considered for advanced standing credit. Credit is awarded on the basis of scores on part one (a test of written Italian) and part two (one subject tested in depth, which rotates from year to year). Each of these two sections can yield 4 points, with a minimum score requirement of 13 (out of a possible 15). Neither part three of the written test nor the oral portion of the exam yields any points.

Advanced Placement Program

Tisch School of the Arts participates in the Advanced Placement (AP) Program of the College Entrance Examination Board. In accordance with New York University policy, students may receive college credit toward their degree for test results of 5 or 4, depending on the subject examination. Tisch awards AP credit in liberal arts subjects that correspond to the disciplines taught in the College of Arts and Science (CAS). Some AP exams are deemed the equivalent of specific CAS courses and are approved to count toward the College’s majors and minors. Other exams do not have a specific course equivalent and cannot count toward a major or minor, but award elective credit that students can count toward the 128 points required for the baccalaureate degree. Students receiving AP credit toward their degree may not take the corresponding college-level course for credit. If they do, they will lose the AP credit. See the chart below concerning those AP test scores for which credit is given. The chart also lists those tests for which College Core Curriculum equivalencies and exemptions are granted, which pertains to certain Tisch School of the Arts undergraduate majors.

Note: a 4 or 5 on any foreign language AP satisfies the Core language requirement. Note: the College accepts a score of 5 (not 4) on the Russian Language and Culture Prototype AP examination for exemption from the foreign language requirement, but no credit is awarded and the score cannot be used for placement; scores of 4 or lower award no credit and have no bearing on exemption or placement.

Advanced Placement Equivalencies 1

Students cannot earn credit for the same subject matter in any combination of AP, IB, A Level, and/or other international exams. No credit is awarded for the AP Seminar and Research courses in the AP Capstone program.

Does not count towards the major or minor in art history or exempt students from either ARTH-UA 1 History of Western Art I or ARTH-UA 2 History of Western Art II .

Students who major in art history are exempt from both ARTH-UA 1 History of Western Art I and ARTH-UA 2 History of Western Art II , and the AP credit counts as one course for the major. AP credit never counts toward the minor.

Prehealth students cannot use AP credits to place out of BIOL-UA 11 Principles of Biology I , BIOL-UA 12 . Students who are not prehealth can apply these credits towards majors and minors in the Department of Biology.

Economics majors cannot use AP credit in calculus for any or all of the Mathematics for Economics I, II, III sequence ( MATH-UA 211 , MATH-UA 212 , MATH-UA 213 ).

Does not count toward any majors or minors in the Departments of Biology and Chemistry, and cannot serve as a co- or prerequisite to any course in either department. Prehealth students cannot use AP credits to place out of CHEM-UA 125 General Chemistry I & Laboratory , CHEM-UA 126 General Chemistry II & Laboratory / CHEM-UA 127 , CHEM-UA 128 .

AP credits in Chinese and Japanese satisfy the Core requirement in foreign language but cannot be used for placement in the correct level of study. Students who plan to register for Chinese or Japanese at NYU must take the CAS placement exam. Credits cannot be applied to the East Asian studies major or minor.

Does not count toward any major or minor in Computer Science.

Credit does not count toward the major or minor in environmental studies.

Credit can count as an elective toward the history major but not toward the history minor. No more than 4 AP credits can be applied toward the major.

Credit does not reduce the number of courses required for the German major.

Students wishing to continue Latin must consult the classics department for proper placement. AP credit will not reduce the number of courses required for the major or minor.

AP credit in economics satisfies the ECON-UA 1 Introduction to Macroeconomics and ECON-UA 2 Introduction to Microeconomics requirements of: the major and minor in economics; the major in international relations (but only for students who enter CAS in and after fall 2016); and the minor in business studies.

Counts as elective credit toward the baccalaureate degree, but the credits do not count toward the music major or minor.

Students cannot receive credit for both Physics B and Physics C, or for either or both of Physics 1, 2 and Physics C. Prehealth students cannot use AP credits to place out of PHYS-UA 11 General Physics I , PHYS-UA 12 General Physics II . Physics B and Physics 1 and/or 2 do not count toward any majors or minors in the Department of Physics. Potential physics majors may discuss their Physics C credits with that department for possible placement out of PHYS-UA 91 Physics I and PHYS-UA 93 Physics II (but not out of the associated labs PHYS-UA 71 Introductory Experimental Physics I and PHYS-UA 72 Introductory Experimental Physics II ). Physics majors granted this exemption are required to take one or more additional advanced PHYS-UA electives. Students who are not prehealth may apply Physics C credits toward one or both semesters of the Department of Chemistry's General Physics I and II requirement.

Students may count eight AP points (the equivalent of two courses) towards the politics major and four AP points (the equivalent of one course) towards the minor. None of these credits can substitute for any specific departmental course or requirement (such as one of the core requirements); they simply count as generic POL-UA credit.

Students who intend to enroll in Spanish must register for SPAN-UA 100 and on the first day of classes take an in-class exam to finalize proper course placement. This may result in dropping to a lower level and losing the AP credit. AP scores over 18 months old cannot be used for placement.

Students who intend to enroll in Spanish must take an advanced language placement exam at the Spanish department (not the online placement) and consult with the director of the Spanish language program. AP scores over 18 months old cannot be used for placement.

Students may only receive credit for SPAN-UA 200 with approval of the director of the Spanish language program. Students who intend to enroll in Spanish must take an advanced language placement exam at the Spanish department (not the online placement) and consult with the director. AP scores over 18 months old cannot be used for placement.

Satisfies the first semester of the psychology major's statistics requirement and counts toward the major.

Credit counts toward the major in sociology, but does not count toward the majors in economics and international relations or toward the minor in business studies.

International Baccalaureate Equivalencies 1,2

Credit is only awarded for High Level (HL) exams, never for Standard Level (SL). Students cannot earn credit for the same subject matter in any combination of AP, IB, A Level, and/or other international exams.

IB HL 6, 7 in any foreign language satisfies certain language proficiency requirement. Please consult with your major advisor.

Students who intend to register for this language at NYU must take the CAS placement examination; the IB credits cannot be used for placement.

Satisfies Physical Science and Life Science in the Core. Prehealth students cannot use IB credits to place out of BIOL-UA 11 Principles of Biology I , BIOL-UA 12 . Students who are not prehealth should consult the Department of Biology about possibly counting these credits towards majors and minors in that department.

Satisfies Physical Science and Life Science in the Core. IB credit in chemistry will not count toward any majors or minors in the Departments of Biology and Chemistry, and cannot serve as a co- or prerequisite to any course in either department. Prehealth students cannot use IB Chemistry to place out of CHEM-UA 125 General Chemistry I & Laboratory , CHEM-UA 126 General Chemistry II & Laboratory / CHEM-UA 127 , CHEM-UA 128 .

Students who intend to register for Chinese, Japanese, or Korean at NYU must take the CAS placement examination; the IB credits cannot be used for placement. IB credits cannot be applied to the East Asian studies major or minor.

Students who intend to register for ancient Greek or Latin at NYU must consult the classics department for proper placement. IB credit will not reduce the number of courses required for a classics major or minor.

Students planning a major or minor in computer science must consult with the department about proper placement and possible counting of IB credits towards departmental requirements.

IB credit in economics satisfies the ECON-UA 1 Introduction to Macroeconomics and ECON-UA 2 Introduction to Microeconomics requirements of: the major and minor in economics; the major in international relations (but only for students who enter CAS in and after fall 2016); and the minor in business studies.

No credit is awarded for any English B exam.

Students may count eight IB points (the equivalent of two courses) towards the politics major and four IB points (the equivalent of one course) towards the minor. None of these credits can substitute for any specific departmental course or requirement (such as one of the core requirements); they simply count as generic POL-UA credit.

Credit can count as an elective toward the history major but not toward the history minor. No more than 4 of the 8 IB credits can be applied toward the major.

Satisfies the Core Quantitative Reasoning requirement. Students majoring in economics cannot use credits for any or all of the Mathematics for Economics I, II, III sequence ( MATH-UA 212 , MATH-UA 213 ). For Further Mathematics, students must consult with the Department of Mathematics for exact course equivalencies. Students who present creditable results in more than one IB mathematics exam cannot receive the full 8 credits for each exam.

Satisfies Physical Science and Life Science in the Core. Cannot count toward any major or minor in the Department of Physics or the Department of Chemistry.

Majors and minors in psychology can use four of the points to exempt from PSYCH-UA 1 Intro to Psychology and to count as one of the ten courses required for the major or as one of the four courses required for the minor. The other four points cannot be applied towards the major or minor.

Spanish IB scores over 18 months old cannot be used for placement.

Advanced Level ("A Level") Equivalencies (with PRE-U) 1,2,3

Students cannot earn credit for the same subject matter in any combination of AP, IB, A Level, and/or other international exams. No credit is awarded for Advanced Subsidiary (AS) Level examinations or for the Seminar and Research courses in the AP/Cambridge Capstone program. In Singapore, only A Level examinations designated as H2 or H3 can receive credit. H3 credit is subject to review and is generally awarded only if student does not have H2 credit in same subject. No student may earn credit for H2 and H3 results in the same subject.

Tisch awards 8 credits for many of the Cambridge Pre-U examinations in liberal arts and science subjects that parallel the A Level offerings. The range of acceptable scores (lowest to highest) is: M2, M1, D3, D2, D1.

An A Level score of B or higher, or a Pre-U score of M2 or higher, in any foreign language satisfies the College Core Curriculum requirement.

Students who intend to register for this language at NYU must take the CAS placement examination; the A Level/Pre-U credits cannot be used for placement.

A score of B on History of Art does not count towards the major or minor in art history or exempt students from either ARTH-UA 1 History of Western Art I or ARTH-UA 2 History of Western Art II . A score of A exempts art history majors from ARTH-UA 1 History of Western Art I and ARTH-UA 2 History of Western Art II , and 4 of the 8 credits count as one course toward the major. A level credits never count toward the minor.

Satisfies Physical Science and Life Science in the Core. Prehealth students cannot use A Level/Pre-U credits to place out of BIOL-UA 11 Principles of Biology I , BIOL-UA 12 . Students who are not prehealth should consult the Department of Biology about possibly counting these credits towards majors and minors in that department.

Satisfies Physical Science and Life Science in the Core. A Level/Pre-U credit in chemistry will not count toward any majors or minors in the Departments of Biology and Chemistry and cannot serve as a co- or prerequisite to any course in either department. Prehealth students cannot use A Level/Pre-U Chemistry to place out of CHEM-UA 125 General Chemistry I & Laboratory , CHEM-UA 126 General Chemistry II & Laboratory / CHEM-UA 127 , CHEM-UA 128 .

No credit is awarded for China Studies, as part of the final assessment/grade is an independent study/research paper.

Students who intend to register for Chinese at NYU must take the CAS placement examination; the A Level/Pre-U credits cannot be used for placement. Credits cannot be applied to the East Asian Studies major or minor.

Students who intend to register for ancient Greek or Latin at NYU must consult the classics department for proper placement. Credits cannot count toward a classics major or minor.

Not a course in classical languages. Students should consult with the director of undergraduate studies in the Department of Classics about possible counting of credits toward the major/minor.

Students planning a major or minor in computer science must consult with that department about proper placement and possible counting of A Level/Pre-U credits towards departmental requirements.

A Level credit in economics satisfies the ECON-UA 1 Introduction to Macroeconomics and ECON-UA 2 Introduction to Microeconomics requirements of: the major and minor in economics; the major in international relations (but only for students who enter CAS in and after fall 2016); and the minor in business studies.

No credit is awarded for English Language.

Students may count eight A Level points (the equivalent of two courses) towards the politics major and four A Level points (the equivalent of one course) towards the minor. None of these credits can substitute for any specific departmental course or requirement (such as one of the core requirements); they simply count as generic POL-UA credit.

Credit can count as an elective toward the history major but not toward the history minor. No more than 4 of the 8 A Level credits can be applied toward the major.

Satisfies Quantitative Reasoning in the Core. Students majoring in economics cannot use credits for all or part of the Mathematics for Economics I, II, III sequence ( MATH-UA 211 , MATH-UA 212 , MATH-UA 213 ). For Further or Pure Mathematics, consult the Department of Mathematics for course equivalencies. Students who present creditable results in more than one mathematics exam (including statistics) cannot receive the full 8 credits for each exam.

Majors and minors in psychology can use four of the credits to exempt from PSYCH-UA 1 Intro to Psychology and to count toward the major or minor. The other four points cannot be applied to major or minor requirements.

A Level/Pre-U credits cannot be counted towards the religious studies major or minor.

Sociology majors need departmental approval to count four of the eight credits toward the major as an elective. The credits never exempt students from any of the introductory courses in Sociology ( SOC-UA 1 Intro to Sociology , SOC-UA 2 , SOC-UA 3 ).

A Level Spanish scores over 18 months old cannot be used for placement.

Satisfies Quantitative Reasoning in the Core. A Level credit in statistics does not count toward the majors in economics and international relations or toward the minor in business studies. Students may consult with the Departments of Mathematics and Psychology for possible course equivalency. Students who present results in more than one A Level mathematics exam (including statistics) cannot receive the full 8 credits for each exam.

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Master of Business Administration (MBA) Programs - Admissions | Essays

Our Stern essay questions give you the opportunity to more fully present yourself to the Admissions Committee and to provide insight into your experiences, goals, and thought processes.

Your essays must be written entirely by you. An offer of admission will be rescinded if you did not write your essays.  

• Short Answer: Professional Aspirations
• Essay 1: Change: _____ it
• Essay 2: Personal Expression (a.k.a. "Pick Six")
• Essay 3: Additional Information (optional)

Short Answer: Professional Aspirations (150 word maximum, double-spaced, 12-point font)

• What are your short-term career goals?

Essay 1: Change: _________ it (350 word maximum, double-spaced, 12-point font) In today’s global business environment, the only constant is change. Using NYU Stern’s brand call to action, we want to know how you view change. Change: _____ it. Fill in the blank with a word of your choice. Why does this word resonate with you? How will you embrace your own personal tagline while at Stern? Examples:

• Change: Dare it.
• Change: Dream it.
• Change: Drive it.
• Change: Empower it.
• Change: Manifest it.
• Change: [Any word of your choice] it.

Essay 2: Personal Expression (a.k.a. "Pick Six") Introduce yourself to the Admissions Committee and to your future classmates using six images and corresponding captions. The Pick Six is a way to share more about the qualities you will bring to the Stern community, beyond your professional and academic achievements.   Your uploaded PDF should contain all of the following elements:

• A brief introduction or overview of your "Pick Six" (no more than 3 sentences).
• Six images that help illustrate your interests, values, motivations, perspective and/or personality.
• A one-sentence caption for each of the six images that helps explain why they were selected and are significant to you.

Note: Your visuals may include photos, infographics, drawings, or any other images. Your document must be uploaded as a single PDF. The essay cannot be sent in physical form or be linked to a website. Essay 3: Additional Information (optional) (500 word maximum, double-spaced, 12-point font) Please provide any additional information that you would like to bring to the attention of the Admissions Committee and/or give context to your application. This may include important aspects of yourself not otherwise apparent in your application, including but not limited to: hardships you have encountered, current or past gaps in employment, further explanation of your undergraduate record or self-reported academic transcript(s), plans to retake the GMAT, GRE, Executive Assessment, IELTS or TOEFL, or any other relevant information.  

Admissions Blog Insights

Conquering the Pick 6

Nedjee Corriolan, Admissions Coordinator at NYU Stern, shares her tips for the Pick 6 essay on our full-time MBA blog.

Transfer Applicants

Your guide to applying.

On this page you’ll find step-by-step application instructions on applying as a transfer student to NYU via the Common Application.

Admission for transfer students is highly competitive. NYU’s evaluation will focus primarily on your college/university grades and your high school/secondary school performance. Our most competitive applicants have completed at least one full-time year of coursework by the time they enroll at NYU.

If the following applies to you, follow the instructions below to apply as a transfer student:

• You have completed the equivalent of a United States secondary school education (approximately 12 years of formal education starting at age six), and have either an appropriate diploma or leaving certificates.

AND any of the following apply to you:

• You are currently or have been enrolled as a degree-seeking student at a college or university that is regionally accredited in the U.S.; 
• You are currently or have been enrolled as a degree-seeking student at a college or university outside the U.S. that is nationally recognized by the country's primary accrediting council/agency; 
• You are currently or have been enrolled in a non-degree seeking program in the U.S. and will have completed 24 semester credits or more by the time you plan to enroll at NYU.

If any of the below apply, you should submit a first-year application :

• You are participating in a dual-enrollment program, even if you are earning enough credits for an associate’s degree. (Dual-enrollment means that you are in high school and also in a college-level program.); or
• You are currently enrolled in a college or university program in the United States that is not regionally accredited ; or
• You are currently enrolled in a non-degree seeking program in the United States after high school completion and you will have fewer than 24 credits complete by the time you plan to enroll at NYU; or
• You withdrew from all your college level classes and have not received any grades for college coursework.

*If you’re unsure of your degree-seeking status or accreditation of your most recent school, we recommend you contact your school’s registrar’s office.

Explore your future as a New York University transfer student during a virtual information sesssion. Once of our Admissions Counselors will walk you through the transfer application process, your academic options, and the NYU student experience inside and outside the classroom. REGISTER HERE .

How do I apply?

The Common Application is required for students applying as transfers to our New York campus. Please ensure that you complete the Common Application for Transfer Students rather than First-Years. Currently NYU Abu Dhabi and NYU Shanghai do not accept transfer students.

You’ll need:

• Secondary/high school transcript (or General Education Diploma) with graduation date, regardless of when you graduated.
• College/university transcripts from all institutions you have attended. See below for guidelines on sending official documents .
• Contact information for one person (or, optionally, up to three maximum) who will complete a letter of recommendation. NYU requires one letter of recommendation from a teacher, counselor, coach, supervisor, or anyone else in a position of authority. If your recommender is unable to submit their letter through the Common Application, they can email it directly to  [email protected] . Please have them include either your date of birth or Common App ID.
• Many of our programs have additional requirements, which may include an audition, portfolio, or prerequisite courses. Please carefully review the additional program requirements for your school, college, or program.
• Nonrefundable $80.00 application fee .

Other Considerations:

• Standardized testing is optional for the upcoming application term.
• An audition or portfolio  is required for art and music programs at the Steinhardt School and Tisch School of the Arts.
• English Language Testing must be submitted If you have not completed at least three years of study where English is the sole language of instruction or English is not your first language.
• Some students will be required to submit a Self-Reported Academic Record or SRAR. Following application submission, you may be asked to complete a SRAR for any college or university coursework completed in the U.S.
• NYU reserves the right to request a midterm report from any transfer student, even though it is not required.

Are you ready? Start the application now .

Please note: NYU will only allow one application to a program per term. If you apply to more than one program per term, your additional applications will be withdrawn automatically and you will not receive an application refund.

Financial Aid for Transfer Applicants

Transfer applicants may be eligible for certain types of financial aid to finance their education at NYU. Unfortunately, we are unable to award NYU scholarships to transfer applicants. To learn more, please visit the Financial Aid for Transfer Applicants webpage .

When should I apply?

Follow the key dates and deadlines below.

If you’re applying to a program that requires an artistic review , we recommend submitting your Common Application one month earlier to give you time to prepare your portfolio or an audition by the deadline.

*Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. EST.

Sending Documents

NYU accepts the submission of original/certified copies or unofficial copies. A certified copy has an original signature of the registrar or other designated school official, or the institution's seal. Include an official English translation if the document isn't in English. A school official or a translation agency accredited in the country of the educational institution can issue the translation. Unofficial documents can be used for application review. If a student is offered admission and chooses to enroll, official documents must be sent.

Official sources only include a school official employed by the school, nationally or internationally recognized testing agency, or other community organizations as permitted by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Any other sources will need approval by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

You can send documents you don’t submit through the Common Application:

New York University Office of Undergraduate Admissions 400 Lafayette Street New York, NY 10003 USA

[email protected]

Remember to ...

Use your name exactly as it appears on your passport or birth certificate on your application and supporting documents.

Is housing available?

Housing for transfer students is limited and not guaranteed. You’ll need to respond to your admissions offer to see if housing will be available for you.

New York University (NYU) Admissions Essay Examples

Year after year we are inundated with the same question: can we see some college essay examples? Although we do not share our clients’ work in order protect their privacy, we are happy to share some of the successful college essay examples provided by admissions committees across the country. So, without further ado, please find four successful personal statements submitted to NYU below:

Essay 1: Santería

Writer anonymous.

In her cramped kitchen, Titi Nana cracked the egg in the center of the pan, the cheeriness of the bright yellow yolk contrasting the harshness of the caldero. In a flourish, she jerked the bottle of alcohol in her hand, flames erupting from the griddle. She instructed me: “Wipe it all off,” gesturing to dust off my shoulders and arms into the inferno. I laughed nervously as I removed the maldad [evil] from my body, one brush at a time.

I left Titi’s apartment that day confused about how our family’s practice of Santería [witchcraft] fit in with my outward embrace of my heritage. I felt as if the parts of my Latina identity I claimed openly — dancing salsa to Celia Cruz or enjoying lechón y arroz con habichuelas en Navidad — were contradicted by my skepticism towards Titi’s rituals. My experience with Santería wasn’t new, as proven by my mother’s kitchen altar lit dimly by prayer candles and adorned with evil eyes, statues of San Miguel, and offerings to Elegua; however, I’d never before witnessed such a tangible demonstration of my family’s ritualistic beliefs. Although it surrounded me, I refused to believe in the effects of Santería… so I shunned it entirely.

Moving to a predominantly white boarding school and away from the rituals my family had passed down, I avoided addressing the distance I had wedged between myself and my background. I pushed away all things Latina as my fear of failing to honor my Puerto Rican heritage intensified. This distance only grew as my classmates jokingly commented on my inability to speak Spanish and my white- passing complexion, further tearing away bits of my Latinidad with each snide remark.

In an effort to build myself back up, I began to practice the small bits of Santería that I comprehended: lighting candles for good luck, placing a chalice of water by my bedside to absorb all maldad, and saying my prayers to San Miguel and my guardian angels each day. To my disbelief, the comments that attacked my Latinidad, or lack thereof, faded along with the aching feeling that I had failed to represent my heritage. As I embraced the rituals that I initially renounced, I finally realized the power in Titi’s practices. In all of her cleansing and prayer rituals, she was protecting me and our family, opening the doors for us to achieve our goals and overcome the negativity that once held us back. In realizing the potential of Santería, I shifted my practices to actively protecting myself and others against adversity and employed Santería as a solution for the injustice I witnessed in my community.

Santería once served as my scapegoat; I blamed the discomfort I felt towards black magic for the imposter syndrome festering inside me. Until I embraced Santería, it only served as a reminder that I wasn’t Latina enough in the eyes of my peers. Now, I understand that while intangible, ethereal, even, the magic of Santería is real; it’s the strength of my belief in myself, in my culture, and in my commitment to protect others.

Essay 2: Suburban vs Urban Schools

They talked about the past, but never the present. In my suburban schools, they talked about Martin Luther King Jr., and Harriet Tubman, and Rosa Parks, but for some reason, not Malik el-Shabazz. I use his chosen name because that’s probably what he would’ve wanted and because Malcolm X was mentioned in passing. My ancestors had their own struggles with white people, but no generational impact that holds a light to American slavery. My parents come from a land I only know by name and the stories they tell, and whatever I can gather from Google Maps. While I am African, I mentally distanced myself from true African-Americans; I did not deserve pity for the unspeakable horrors, nor praise for their strength and hope in face of them. In my school, there were barely ever any black kids in my class, and no true African-Americans, so I was the sole focus during lessons on Blackness, where they’d look at me, or avoid eye contact. It wasn’t until I transferred to an inner-city high school that I saw the truth. It wasn’t until I went from the blue and glass monsters that rose out of the ground like mountains in my suburban high school, to the small brick building with gated windows in Boston, that I realized there were schools 20 miles away with mostly kids of color. They were not that different from kids in the suburbs, except for their choices.

I moved in with my dad in Boston, transferring to a small school in the city. In three months at my suburban high school, through a rotating schedule in a labyrinth of opportunities, I needed my schedule every day. On my 3rd day at my Boston school, I knew exactly where to go. For the first time, my schedule was given, not created. The gated windows intimidated me on my first day, and I thought the kids would be crazy or “hood”. What I really discovered was a lot more of them looked like me. There were over 200 students at this school, almost entirely students of color, and a majority white staff. There were no real electives and only one language available at the school. I had to go back a year in math because the system wasn’t designed for students ahead in other districts. We didn’t even have a full-time nurse. Students take public transportation, and kids from three different schools had to fit on buses that fit 38 people. Some bus drivers did not care enough to get every student on board. The ones that did broke federal guidelines. For lunch, every student in Boston is qualified for free meals, a fact frequently thrown around like an accomplishment, but in truth, the lunch is worse than prison food. I’ve seen kids search for seconds of this stuff, while students in the suburbs complain about “limited” choices.

So, what’s the difference between inner-city schools and suburban ones? Well, it’s a series of simple decisions, compounded into disastrous circumstances. I’m afraid the real question is, what’s the difference between inner-city kids and suburban ones? The only difference I’ve seen is that most suburban kids look like the founding fathers we learn about in class, and most of the inner-city kids look like the slaves they bought and bruised. My experience at three vastly different high schools has shown me these problems in educational disparity are closer to home than we think, a crucial misstep in correcting the wrongs of this country. These experiences have given me a unique perspective, and a responsibility to act. I’m planning a protest when schools open back up, which isundefined. There are solutions to these problems, but inaction perpetuates. As King once said, “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.” Almost 70 years after Brown v. Board of Education, equality hasn’t been achieved, so we’ll fight to achieve it.

Essay 3: Friday Night Concerts

During my sophomore year, my dad and I established a Friday after-school ritual. My 90-minute commutes home from school are normally devoted to studying, but Fridays are reserved for listening to music with him. We alternate picking songs: a shared favorite or something new. These long car rides sparked my curiosity in music.

I began reading books about our favorite artists and roaming Spotify for hours, listening to a variety of new songs. My playlist ranged from The Beatles and Queen to Ella Fitzgerald, Debussy, and even Montserrat Caball. Most nights I lie in bed with headphones. Music is not background noise, but an immersive experience. I love to let the melody overtake me, to have the volume so high that I can hear every lyric, every crack and nuance in the singer’s voice.

One night I was listening to Bohemian Rhapsody, completely captivated. I loved how the melody made me feel–thrilled yet distressed. I craved more. I wanted to participate, to obtain what felt like magic. So I hurried downstairs to our home piano — an ancient Costco keyboard missing half the keys. I’d never played before, but was determined to learn the song. I first relied on Youtube videos, and soon progressed to other songs using just my ear. My parents, with enough convincing, agreed to buy me a used piano.

So my dad and I were back in the car. One bleak winter night, we pulled into a gravel driveway, the parking lot of an aging, shack-like store. My dad glanced over at me, raising his eyebrows. “I’ll go in first.”

The door creaked open, revealing a glossy black piano. It stood directly in the center of the room, twinkling,bathing in the blinding ceiling lights. I rushed to the piano, running my hands along the ivories, feeling their weight push against mine–oh the magic of a full set of keys!

It wasn’t long before I released the full potential of my weight, striking the first chord to Bohemian Rhapsody. Rich, smooth notes poured out from the piano, swirling through the air in bursts of color. They rushed through me, lit up my eyes, tugged at my heart, until I was completely consumed in their bright, pulsing waves.

I used to think grades were an estimation of my self-worth; I thought fixating on them would fulfill me, when, really, I was unhappy. Music brings me balance and joy. I love escaping through songs and fully absorbing theartists’ pain or excitement. Playing the piano makes these emotions tangible, and it’s empowering and liberating. It gives me something else to challenge and identify myself with. It gives me another source of fulfillment, one that’s even more rewarding, because I pursue it independently.

I practice for hours every day, perhaps to the annoyance of my family. But I know they’re proud, especially my dad. He’s never one to shower me with compliments, nor belt along behind me at the piano. But I feel his pride when he blurts, “You should learn this song” in the car, or when he prompts me to play at holiday parties, his beaming reflection in the piano’s lacquer.

I’m proud of myself, too. I don’t know exactly what I want to do with my love for music or piano. I don’t fancy myself as a concert pianist, nor do I strive to become one. I play for the feeling. I’ll never tire of completing a song,when my heart sings and my eyes start to swim, because every note, every beautiful wash of color, I earned myself.

Essay 4: Three-Headed Monster in ELA Class

I was sitting at my desk in freshman ELA class, as confident as America’s Top Model walking down the runway. It was the end of class and I was excited to see how well I did on the first quiz of the year. My eyes were stalking my teacher as he walked through the aisles, passing back the quizzes. As was the case growing up, I couldn’t wait for my teacher to put my quiz on my desk so I could flip it over for the world to see my A. Finally, the moment arrived. I flipped over the paper, expecting fireworks and confetti to come down when I locked my eyes on my grade. The only problem was that there was no A in sight.

All my life, I’ve felt pressure to achieve the highest grades to honor my mom’s sacrifice. She walked away from everything she knew in the Dominican Republic so that we could immigrate to the United States when I was nine. Her goal was for me to receive a better education and have more opportunities. Getting below an A meant that I wasn’t trying hard enough and that my mom sacrificed in vain. The pressure from my mom was so consuming that my perception of a successful education was entirely defined by grades. My most efficient strategy for earning A’s was memorizing what my teachers taught me and spitting it back out on tests. Since this strategy was so effective, there was no need worrying whether I learned the material or not. I was getting great grades and my mom was pleased, so I was content.

I stared at the C at the top of the quiz like a three-headed monster. My world was crashing down. My first thought, which I quickly dismissed, was that I needed to transfer. However, I’m not the type of person to run from a challenge. I started to rethink how I could engage the course material, rather than simply memorize it. It was clear that my old ways had gone extinct. Instead of cramming, I began studying a week before an exam. Instead of expecting to master a skill when the assessment came, I sought feedback on my progress weeks before the assessment in order to improve. After implementing these new strategies, I not only earned A’s again, but I was able to gain life-long learning skills.

I now have the knowledge and mastery of skills to succeed in college. Now that I recognize the true learning process, I have the power to continue to strive for success. When I took Biology in high school, I was fascinated by being able to develop an in-depth understanding of our bodies and the world around us. Biology allowed me to think critically and to see beyond the surface. Specifically, I enjoyed having the opportunity to apply my knowledge in labs by generating hypotheses and testing them. I’m looking forward to taking advantage of your resources to participate in research and prepare for a career as an anesthesiologist.

I aspire to be an anesthesiologist because I hope to help people ease their fears and pain when going into surgery. I recognize that becoming an anesthesiologist is a difficult task, but thanks to lessons I’ve learned, I’m excited to overcome challenges thrown my way the same way I overcame my struggles in ELA class. Facing that challenge, and discovering the power of learning, helped me grow immensely. Truthfully, there will always be fireworks and confetti in my head at the sight of an A, but I now recognize that the learning is far more lasting than an A.

We hope you’ve found these personal statement examples to be helpful!

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NYU Essay Examples (And Why They Worked)

The following essay examples were written by authors who were admitted to New York University and are intended to provide examples of successful NYU application essays. All names have been redacted for anonymity. Please note that other CollegeAdvisor.com has shared these essays with admissions officers at NYU in order to deter potential plagiarism.

For more help with your NYU supplemental essays, check out our 2020-2021 New York University Essay Guide ! For more guidance on personal essays and the college application process in general, sign up for a monthly plan to work with an admissions coach 1-on-1.

We would like to know more about your interest in NYU. What motivated you to apply to NYU? Why have you applied or expressed interest in a particular campus, school, college, program, and or area of study? If you have applied to more than one, please also tell us why you are interested in these additional areas of study or campuses. We want to understand – Why NYU? (400 word maximum)

I always had a keen interest in numbers, probability, and finance. Early on, I could run numbers quickly: calculating sales tax, analyzing probabilities, and visualizing complex mathematical models in my head. After taking AP classes in economics and statistics, I became intrigued with the mathematical representations of economic markets and statistical models, sparking my desire to pursue a career in that field. I set my sights on becoming an actuary since risk management intrigues me and allows me to use my talents in quantitative analysis. However, few schools offer a comprehensive study in that field, which makes Stern the perfect fit for me as the curriculum combines my interests and career goals.

At Stern, I will have the privilege of studying actuarial science, while also obtaining a business degree. The ability to tailor my education with the actuarial science concentration allows me to develop skills in statistical analysis. Through the intense rigor of the concentration requirements STAT-UB 21 “Introduction to Stochastic Processes” and STAT-UB 15 “Statistical Inference and Regression Analysis,” I will be given a stepping stone into quantifying social situations while stimulating my mathematical intrigue through advanced fields like stochastic calculus. I am eager to pursue this course of study to enhance my career development.

The Bachelor of Science in Business Program excites me, as it entails a well rounded yet intensive study in core business disciplines. However, what draws me to Stern is the emphasis on gaining a global perspective, which is crucial in today’s rapidly changing world economy. Through the International Business Exchange Program, I will be able to gain a first-hand cultural experience that will mold me into a global citizen and business leader. Not only will I be taking courses in the most prestigious business schools across the globe, but I will also have new doors opened for me to network with alumni.

Why this NYU essay worked: From an ex-admissions officer

This is an extremely compelling essay. It is clear that the student’s declared interests are, in fact, in line with both the student’s background and experiences, as well as in line with what the college has to offer. These essays work best when the reader can feel the student’s conviction and enthusiasm. Admissions officers appreciate when the reader can easily see the impact the student will have on the school community. By going into detail about their passion for business, the student helps the reader clearly visualize how this passion will manifest in the classroom.

Before I began interning for the International Rescue Committee’s refugee youth acclimation program–right in the heart of the Lower East Side–I underwent weeks of training in providing trauma-informed support, reminded repeatedly that these kids have gone through more than I could possibly imagine.

When the kids did show up, however, I could barely relate the image painted for us in training to the bright, bubbly children who I was to mentor. Mahdi and I especially took to each other. He was just like any other nine-year-old kid–a fan of Roblox, pizza, basketball, funny accents, and an acute hatred for anything math-related.

Only, he wasn’t like any other kid–at least not in the eyes of the 49% of Americans who believe he has no place in this country, for no reason other than the color of his skin, his god, the status of his residency here.

There are people here who would hear his name and call him a terrorist. Kids on the playground would mock his accent rather than be amazed at how quickly he picked up basketball–a sport he’d had zero exposure to 6 months back. Adults, on both ends of the ideological spectrum, would see him as a political mascot rather than a kid, allow him to be one–he’d be forced to grow up too soon, as a result of the hatred, having his existence politicized.

To get to my internship every day, I transferred at West 4th, from the A to the M train. Once in a while, I’d take the chance to climb up and walk around Washington Square Park.

Clad in lavender shirts, NYU students were camped out in the center of the park, asking people to write out on little post-its what social justice meant to them. Fire burning in the pit of my stomach, I wrote, “Allowing Mahdi to just be a kid.”

And NYU can help me make that happen–there is groundbreaking research happening on campus regarding racial bias and inequality at CASSR that I can’t wait to contribute to. Pursuing a major of public health policy, I can take fascinating, relevant classes such as Social Policy in Modern Societies and Race and Ethnicity. What’s more, I can join student organizations–like the one handing out the post-its that day in Washington Square–and work with my peers, with NYU, with New York City as a whole, towards social justice from a health perspective, towards allowing Mahdi to just be a kid.

This essay begins with a student who is searching for answers. She has trained to help her community, applied her training to her environment, and then expands on her findings. In her volunteering endeavors, she finds her purpose. She continues with a personal story with Mahdi, and successfully brings us into her world. We are engaged. She is now frustrated because she can’t help enough, and with a bit of karma, she is approached by an NYU student, and at this moment NYU becomes her answer. She then cites why NYU is her solution, which major she will pursue, which classes she will take, and which student organizations will help to accent her goals. This essay succeeds because we see this student as community oriented and ambitious. As readers, we know that she will be a great and focused addition to the campus. This is a student with purpose, and she makes it clear that NYU will propel her to reach her goals.

These essay examples were compiled by the advising team at CollegeAdvisor.com . If you want to get help writing your NYU application essays from CollegeAdvisor.com Admissions Experts , register with CollegeAdvisor.com today.

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