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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?

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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New York University (NYU) Supplemental Essays Guide: 2021-2022

Not sure how to approach the “Why NYU” essay prompt? CollegeAdvisor.com’s “Why NYU” Essay Guide will show you exactly how to write an engaging “Why NYU” essay to maximize your chances of admission. This guide will also reference CollegeAdvisor’s “Why NYU” essay examples  article  from last year. The piece includes two “Why NYU” essay examples from students who were admitted to NYU. We also reference feedback from former admissions officers on why each “Why NYU” essay was successful.

If you need help crafting your answers to the NYU application essay, create your free  account  or  schedule a free consultation  by calling (844) 343-6272.

New York University ( NYU ) Essay Guide Quick Facts:

• For the class of 2025, NYU accepted  12.8% of applicants  to its New York Campus.  U.S. News  considers this school to be  most selective .
• We recommend answering the required NYU essay, and any additional prompts, comprehensively and thoughtfully.

What is NYU known for?

NYU prides itself on the fact that the city is its campus. In 1831, the university’s founders aimed to create an institution of learning that would be “in and of the city.” Thus, NYU’s main campus has no gates or walls separating it from the rest of Greenwich Village. This differs from other schools in the city, such as Columbia University that has a central quad and gates separating itself from the Morningside Heights area. Side note: Barnard College, Columbia University’s affiliated women’s college has its own quad and set of gates, albeit adjacent to Columbia’s campus.)

However, the breadth of NYU students’ learning extends far beyond the confines of Manhattan. NYU has more international students and students studying abroad than any other university in the United States. Students hail from 133 countries and nearly every state in the U.S.

What are three interesting facts about NYU?

• NYU’s main campus is located in Manhattan. However, the university also has campuses in  Shanghai ,  Abu Dhabi , and other  global academic centers .
• The origin of NYU’s color, violet, is  obscure . Many believe it’s a nod to the violets that grow in Washington Square and around the original university building. Others trace it back to Athens, Greece—a center of learning in the ancient world. The violet flower was strongly associated with the city.
• NYU has many world-renowned  alumni , including Lady Gaga, Adam Sandler, and Angelina Jolie.

How many essays do you have to write for NYU?

New York University has  one  required NYU essay prompt in the 2021-2022  Common App . Each applicant will produce a “Why NYU” essay in addition to their Common App personal statement. As you look at the  NYU admissions page , you’ll notice that there are additional requirements for Steinhardt (an  audition or portfolio  for all applicants to the Music Department with the exception of Educational Theatre, and a  portfolio  for those applying to Studio Art) and Tisch (an  audition or portfolio  for applicants to all programs). A pplying to one of these programs? Make sure you complete all of the requirements referenced on the pages linked above.  This NYU essay guide will only cover the required “Why NYU” essay. However, you can use the tips here to help craft the  Steinhardt portfolio ,  Tisch portfolio , and  Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholars Program  essays as well.

How long is the NYU essay?

When writing your “Why NYU” essay, you have a maximum of 400 words to convey your interest in attending NYU. While 400 words may seem like a lot, you will want to strategize to use them wisely. You’ll also see below in the “Why NYU” essay prompt breakdown that there are several layers to the NYU application essay. Accordingly, you’ll need to answer each portion of the NYU essay prompt in order for it to be considered complete.

Due to NYU’s relatively low acceptance rate and competitive admissions process, a strong NYU application essay is key to maximizing your admissions odds. In fact, this is your chance to show NYU your demonstrated interest (DI). Demonstrated interest is what universities use to gauge just how interested a student is in attending their particular school. Want to read more about using supplemental essays to convey DI to each school that you’re applying to? Check out this article on DI by  Forbes .

Why does the NYU essay have a word limit?

The “Why NYU” essay has a word limit because admissions officers have a limit. Last year, over  100,000  first-year undergraduate hopefuls applied to NYU. In short, the “Why NYU” essay has a word limit to help admissions officers process the large number of applications.

There’s more to the picture, however. The NYU supplemental essay prompt also enforces a strict word limit to test your (the applicant’s) ability to respond to their prompt clearly and succinctly. The NYU supplemental essay prompt is intentionally broad. Thus, each writer has ample opportunity to discuss their research on the school, passion about their potential major(s), and general excitement about NYU.

Finally, the NYU admissions committee is looking for well-edited, dynamic writing in each “Why NYU” essay. Having a 400-word limit helps admissions officers identify both strong and weak writing quickly. Most importantly, they’re looking for students who they believe will bring diversity to their community and will excel in a rigorous academic environment.

“Why NYU” Essay Prompt (Required)

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 NYU essay prompt is more than just a simple “Why NYU” essay question. In fact, there are several layers to the NYU essay. The admissions team is interested in your reasons for applying not only to NYU, but your interest in a particular campus, college, program, and area of study. Consequently, it’s best to approach this NYU supplemental essay as an NYU-specific personal statement. Similar to your Common App personal statement, you’ll want to treat this NYU essay as an introduction to the admissions committee.

How do you write the “Why NYU” essay?

Begin your “Why NYU” essay writing process with a brainstorm/free-write session. Start a list and write down every reason that contributed to your decision to apply to NYU. It can be as simple as “wanting to live in NYU;” as big as “majoring in education studies to make sweeping reforms in NYC’s school systems;” and as specific as “taking a music course with adjunct professor Questlove.”

Take no more than ten minutes to write this list. When you’ve finished, write two more lists, one titled “academic goals,” and the other titled “professional goals.” Spend ten minutes each completing these lists–these don’t have to be specifically related to NYU like the first list, but this is simply an opportunity to think about your area of study and goals for the future.

Make connections

Now that you have these three lists, take some time to draw connections between the three. For example, if your “why NYU” list includes the bonus of living in New York City while attending school, try to connect it with one of your reasons from the other lists. In other words, consider the fact that many students will list wanting to study in New York City as a reason for attending NYU.

To help your NYU essay stand out, you’ll need to create stronger connections between the school and your academic, personal, and professional goals. An example of this in a “Why NYU” essay could look like a student who is excited to study urban planning at NYU. In their NYU essay, they could link their interest in studying the history and future of New York City as the main reason for pursuing this particular program at NYU.

In fact, in the first of the “Why NYU” essay examples, the writer draws a clear connection between their interest in studying at the Stern School of Business and the opportunity to participate in the International Business Exchange Program:

Essay Example 1:

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.

In just a few short sentences, the writer is able to state their school of interest (Stern), connect it to a program (the International Business Exchange Program), and talk about how NYU can help them accomplish their professional goals.

Identify the connections in your lists of personal, professional, and academic goals related to NYU. Then, it’s time to think about how you’d like to open your NYU essay. The second of our “Why NYU” essay examples perfectly demonstrate the power of a persuasive opening anecdote or story. The first few sentences are meant to draw the reader into your story. This is true of any essay, the “Why NYU” essay included. Consequently, you’ll want to use dynamic language that sets the tone for your NYU supplemental essay. Let’s look at our “Why NYU” essay examples for inspiration:

Essay Example 2:

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.

Similar to the language in the first of our “Why NYU” essay examples, this writer is able to say a lot in a few sentences. They’ve not only identified their extracurricular/internship work with IRC but also established their level of commitment to helping refugee youths.

As you can see, both of these “Why NYU” essay examples deal with the very different subject matter. One essay deals with a refugee volunteer looking to study racial policy. The other focuses on a finance student looking to network with future NYU alumni. Both candidates, however, are clear in what they want to study at NYU and why it is important for them to pursue that particular program there. They are also able to draw connections between their passions and interests to their proposed academic programs.

Do your research

Make a strong case for why you want to pursue a particular program at NYU. Use the “Why NYU” essay examples for reference; this is the most important part of your “Why NYU” essay. If you’re unsure of what you want to study, now is the time to research  NYU’s programs . The major referenced in your NYU essay may not be what you pursue if admitted, and that’s okay. If you can, however, identify potential majors of interest in your NYU essay prompt response and connect them to your overall candidate profile. This can help you write a stronger NYU essay.

For example, if your extracurriculars deal with creative writing and your high school courses are mainly in literature, picking a STEM major, simply to impress the admissions committee will likely raise red flags. In cases like this, you may want to talk about the ways that an NYU education will help you find your academic area of focus. Your “why” may not be as clear, but you can still write a successful “Why NYU” essay that focuses on what draws you to the unique community at NYU.

In other words, authenticity is key. Don’t submit a NYU essay that simply tells the admissions officers what you think they want to hear.

“Why NYU” Essay Draft Key Questions:

• Does your “Why NYU” essay talk about your motivations for attending NYU?
• In your NYU essay prompt response, do you demonstrate that you’ve done research on the schools, programs, courses, and organizations that NYU offers?
• When applicable in your NYU essay, do you mention specific NYU campus traditions, courses, regional attractions, professors, etc.?

What should I include in my “Why NYU” essay?

The NYU supplemental essay prompt asks two deeper questions: “What motivated you to apply to NYU?” and “Why have you applied or expressed interest in a particular campus, school, college, program, and or area of study?”. Both of these questions should be answered when drafting your “Why NYU” essay.

Naturally, NYU’s desired location in New York City leads many of its applicants to apply to the school. You can speak about the unique opportunities that the big city presents. However, you want to ensure that your response is specific enough to NYU. What does NYU have to offer that Columbia and Fordham don’t? Remember in the second of the “Why NYU” essay examples, the writer was able to specifically name the major (public health policy) that they wanted to pursue at NYU, as well as where they wanted to carry out research ( CASSR ). As in the “Why NYU” essay examples, it’s best to be as specific as possible.

After all, the NYU essay prompt asks “What motivated you to apply to NYU?”, and not “What motivated you to apply to college in New York City?”. A solid strategy in approaching this NYU supplemental essay, then, is to center your essay around NYU. This might seem obvious. However, you’d be surprised how many students realize  after the fact  that their completed NYU essay revolves around the city of the school and not the school itself.

Tell a story

For this NYU supplemental essay, it’s important to reflect on the past experiences that have led you to be interested in a given area of study. Was it a specific moment in your life or a series of experiences? You have the option to choose either path in writing this NYU application essay. Take a look at both of the “Why NYU” essay examples on the CollegeAdvisor  blog . The first NYU essay example highlights multiple experiences that led the author to their interest in pursuing a finance major. The second of the “Why NYU” essay examples makes one volunteer experience the focus of their NYU essay prompt. Both are strong and a great reminder that your “Why NYU” essay should be as unique as you are!

To recap, the NYU application essay you submit should be thoroughly researched. After familiarizing yourself with NYU’s  campuses  and  programs , you should include specific details related to your program of interest in your “Why NYU” essay. If it’s relevant to your essay you may also want to write about specific NYU  clubs/organizations  and  events/traditions .

NYU Application Essay: Final Thoughts

Completing the NYU supplemental essay can seem daunting, but don’t let the NYU essay prompt discourage you from applying. At the end of the day, the NYU essay prompt is not intended to trip you up. Rather, view the NYU application essay as an opportunity to further introduce yourself to the admissions team.

Use this NYU supplemental essay guide to help you approach the NYU application essay with confidence. Before and during your NYU essay writing process, make sure to spend some time reading over our “Why NYU” essay examples. Use the feedback from former admissions officers included with each NYU essay as guiding criticism for your own draft. While your experiences are going to be different than what is outlined in the “Why NYU” essay examples, your reasons for wanting to attend NYU should be just as clear as you read in the sample essay.

After completing your NYU supplemental essay, make sure to revise your NYU application essay. You should ask a counselor, advisor, or other trusted adult to help you proofread for spelling, grammar, and clarity. Good luck!

This 2021-2022 essay guide on NYU was written by  Juliana Furigay , Columbia ‘23. For more resources on the college admissions process, click  here . If you need help crafting your answer to the NYU essay prompt, create your free  account  or  schedule a no-cost advising consultation  by calling (844) 343-6272.

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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.

Why I Chose NYU

Students from around the world choose to attend NYU for a wide variety of reasons. Here are some perspectives from recent students.

Since its inception, NYU has been a distinctly urban university, one that NYU founder, Albert Gallatin, called a university that is "in and of the city." Today, the University has evolved into a university that is "in and of the great cities of the world." NYU's global network comprises three degree-granting portal campuses: one in the heart of New York City, a second in Abu Dhabi, and a third in Shanghai.

NYU's more than 50,000 students study more than 4,000 courses in hundreds of degree and non-degree programs at locations around the world. In addition to the three portal campuses, students can study abroad at global academic centers in Accra, Berlin, Buenos Aires, Florence, Madrid, London, Paris, Prague, Tel Aviv, Sydney, and Washington, DC.

Facts & Figures

Which admissions office is right for you.

NYU’s campuses in New York, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai offer an assortment of  undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees to suit a variety of academic, professional, and personal interests. 

NYU Graduate Admissions

Nyu undergraduate admissions, nyu abu dhabi, nyu shanghai, want to take an nyu course.

Support NYU Law

• How to Apply

Required Materials

To apply, you'll submit some required materials via the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) and complete an online application by a specific deadline . 

Online Application and Electronic Attachments

Before you begin, review the Admission 2024 Application Instructions (PDF: 350 KB).

You’ll need to choose one program to which you’ll apply this cycle (September to June). 

Be sure to use the right application form for the program you’ve chosen and for the semester in which you’d like to start studies, if applicable.

You must fully and accurately complete each section of the application form, and attach the required materials. (Do not print and mail the form or attachments; they will be discarded.)

The $85 application fee is non-refundable. You will be prompted to pay it with a credit card when you submit the application form.

Contact us if you are unable to use a credit card, or if the application fee would present a financial hardship.

The fee isn’t a tuition credit, if admitted.

Tell us about all of your education and work experience in one to two pages. Please include details about any 3-month period when you weren’t in school or employed.

Other than length, there is no required format for your résumé/CV. It is fine to include extracurricular activities, publications, presentations, or other career-related information, if you have them.

This is a brief statement—make it no more than 500 words.

It is also personal. Describe aspects about yourself, your accomplishments, or your academic and professional goals. Take a moment to reflect on these, and consider including your thoughts about how they motivate you toward graduate study and/or illuminate the reason(s) you are applying for one of our programs or a particular specialization.

LLM in Legal Theory

If you are applying to this specialization, be sure to address your main field(s) of interest within legal theory and some of the potential research questions or projects you’d like to explore.

Part-time Applicants with a US JD

For candidates applying to the part-time LLM, E-LLM, or APC in Taxation programs, you are strongly encouraged, but not required, to submit a personal statement. All other part-time applicants must submit a personal statement.

We offer the addendum option so that, if there is any information you’d like to share, you can.

Not all applicants submit an addendum—in fact, not even the majority—but we wouldn’t want to put you in the position of being unable to share important and relevant information just because we didn’t ask about it.

The addendum option can also be used if you need additional space to respond to a character and fitness question.

There are some items that are not an addendum; do not attach these:

• Writing samples, articles, or research papers;
• Digital versions of academic credentials, test scores, or recommendations;
• An extended essay to augment your personal statement.

Hauser Global Scholarship Essay

If you’re applying for the Hauser Global Scholarship Program , you’ll need to attach an additional essay (500-750 words) before submitting the application.

Your essay should briefly describe a current legal dilemma, controversy, or issue facing a country, a region, or the world, and suggest a strategy to address the problem. 

Research and Writing Samples

If you’d like for your previous research and writing to be considered, please make note of it on your résumé/CV.

Do not submit samples. We do not require them for application to the LLM program and we do not review them.  

If you’re a CPA, please provide a digital image of your certificate.

We reserve the right to validate its authenticity or your standing with the governing board at any time. 

You must electronically attach these materials to the application form. 

Take your time to ensure you’ve arrived to the final versions of these materials before submitting the application. Late submission and/or revisions are not permitted.

Sample Research Paper

To fulfill this requirement, you can submit a published paper, a research paper written for seminar credit, or a paper prepared specifically for your application to the doctoral program. You must have originally written it in English.

Ideally, but not necessarily, it will address a question in the same substantive area you plan for your dissertation.

We do not set a page or word limit, but the file must be 2MB or smaller so that it can be attached.

Proposal of Study

You’ll need to submit a dissertation proposal of no more than 3,000 words. It must be written in English and contain a bibliography. 

Your proposal should have sufficient specificity to make possible an evaluation by a member of our faculty familiar with the proposed field. 

The substance of your proposal should:

• Clearly state the research questions to be addressed;
• Review the current literature in the field;
• Identify the original contribution the dissertation will make;
• State the methodological approach that the applicant plans to adopt;
• Identify any difficulties that might be encountered during research.

If your proposal includes fieldwork, address the time needed for it, your plan to integrate it into the program’s required residency period , and any impact that plan may have on your project’s design or its completion.

You are not expected to be in contact with, nor seek approval from, faculty members in advance of application. Instead, you should identify in the proposal possible dissertation advisors after reviewing the  NYU faculty biographies online . Students admitted into the program will be notified of their designated advisor.

Supporting Materials Sent to LSAC

All applicants must use the LSAC Credential Assembly Service . If you hold foreign education credentials, you must purchase the International Authentication and Evaluation Service. While not required, we strongly recommend your materials arrive at least two weeks early for processing.

Official transcripts from all institution(s) you have attended are required. These should be accompanied by translations, if the original is not in English. 

Make sure your school includes a statement of your class rank with your transcript. If your school does not issue a class rank, a statement of that policy can be included instead.

Please follow LSAC’s instructions to ensure your school(s) send the correct documentation in proper form. You may also wish to view LSAC’s helpful country-by-country guidance as you prepare to ask institutions for your credentials.

Hint #1: Get transcripts from all the school(s) you attended, even if you didn’t earn a degree (e.g. exchange studies or transfer credit).

Hint #2: If you need translations, ask for two transcripts. Have the school send one to LSAC, and use the second for translation.

Hint #3: If you haven’t completed a degree, please have your school send any updated academic results to LSAC once they become available (including after the deadline). LSAC issues report updates at no additional cost to you.

Most foreign-trained applicants must take an approved English proficiency exam. Applicants are strongly advised to register for and take one of the approved tests at a test center. The Committee on Graduate Admissions prefers score results from exams taken at test centers, and there is availability for these exams in countries around the globe.

What tests are approved?

• The internet-based Test of English as a Foreign Language ( TOEFL iBT )
• The academic version of the International English Language Testing System ( IELTS )

What are the minimum scores to be considered for admission?

Applicants should at least meet these scores; JSD applicants are expected to exceed them: TOEFL: 100/120

• Listening: 26
• Reading: 26
• Speaking: 22
• Writing: 22

IELTS: 7.0/9.0

• Listening: 7.5
• Reading: 7.5
• Speaking: 7.0
• Writing: 7.0

Who is exempt from submitting a score?

If you earned your law degree (or bachelor’s degree for MSL applicants) in English in a country where English is a primary language.

Have more questions?

Check out  our FAQs .

In your LSAC account, be sure to both register recommender(s) and assign letters . Whether requesting letters to be sent electronically or by mail, we encourage you to review the submission process with your recommender. 

Our master’s and certificate programs require one letter and the JSD program requires two. Three is the maximum.

If you’re applying to the LLM, E-LLM or APC program, submit at least one academic letter. Choose the person who knows you best as a student and who can comment with specificity about your academic skills, personal qualities, and preparedness for graduate study.

If you’re applying to the MSL, the required letter should be from someone who is able to comment on your substantive tax experience.

JSD applicants need two letters from law school professors who know your academic work and can attest to your ability to complete a doctoral dissertation that will make a significant scholarly contribution.

Should I submit more than the required number?

More is not necessarily better. If you opt to submit more than required, make sure the recommender will provide a new, relevant perspective.

For candidates applying to the part-time LLM, E-LLM, or APC in Taxation programs, you are strongly encouraged, but not required, to submit a recommendation. All other part-time applicants must submit at least one academic letter.

Reapplicants

If you’re reapplying, be sure that we receive your online application and all of the required materials in a timely manner. 

Typically, the easiest way to reapply is to use the same LSAC account because your credentials are preserved for a number of years after they are submitted to LSAC. Be sure to check if there are any incomplete transcripts or expired test scores before applying.

Provided the recommender agrees, it is fine to reuse letters that were submitted with a prior application. It is equally fine to obtain a new letter or choose new recommenders.

If you’re a current NYU Law student, check out special information about applying to the Graduate Division’s programs.

© 2024 New York University School of Law. 40 Washington Sq. South, New York, NY 10012.   Tel. (212) 998-6100

MS in Public Policy Application Checklist

Please follow these steps to complete your application. If you have any questions, contact  [email protected] . 

SUBMIT YOUR ONLINE APPLICATION

Fill out your online application.

Only offered for the Fall semester.

Application Deadline

• Online applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time on the day of the deadline. Any mailed application material must be postmarked by the deadline date.
• Applicants seeking merit-based aid are encouraged to complete the application early in the cycle as awarding becomes more competitive throughout the year.
• You may complete and submit your online application at any time before the deadline. Save your work before moving to the next page and print a copy for your own records.

NYU Wagner essays provide an opportunity to introduce yourself and to inform the admissions committee about your goals, background, and career plans as they relate to your intended academic pursuits.

• All essay responses should be written in full sentences within paragraph structure and should be no longer than the required word limit.
• We require you to certify that the essays you submit are entirely your own original work. If necessary, use of proper references and quotes is permissible. The use of artificial intelligence tools is only permissible for providing assistance with spelling and grammar. Please be aware that if it is discovered that the submitted essays do not meet this requirement, we retain the right to revoke your admission.

The MSPP program is an intensive one-year degree that requires students to be enrolled from August to August, enabling them to complete the program within a single year. Why are you interested in completing a one-year program? Share examples of how you plan to excel in this accelerated learning format (eg.; academic or professional achievements, unique qualities, strengths, etc). Additionally, share how you plan to contribute to the cohort and community at Wagner during the program. (500 words)

The field of public policy is complicated, and issues are often interconnected. Discuss a public policy issue that is important to you. Share how your past experiences may have influenced your interest in this policy area and why you are interested in exploring this topic while in this program. (500 words)

VIDEO ESSAY (OPTIONAL)

You may submit an optional video essay, no longer than one (1) minute in length, that shares your unique perspective, skill set, or life experience. Articulate how it might benefit your classmates, enhance discourse in the classroom, and/or contribute to the NYU Wagner community.

Instructions on how to submit your Video Essay:

• Please upload your video to an easily accessible website (such as YouTube).
• Enter the URL for your video when prompted in the "Essay" section of your application.
• Please note, it is the applicant's responsibility to correctly configure the security and access settings for the video. We recommend that the applicant use the strongest privacy settings available while still allowing access to NYU Wagner. For instance, if using YouTube, we suggest using the "Unlisted Video" setting so that only individuals who have the URL can view it. Alternatively, you may password-protect it and provide the password in the designated section of the application. The applicant is also responsible for adhering to the terms and conditions of the website used to share the video essay.
• For admitted applicants who attend the program, NYU Wagner will retain a short excerpt or screenshot of the video as a part of the official student record.
• We are unable to watch videos that come in any form other than a URL link. We will not accept videos sent by email or on DVD through the mail.

Please provide us with an up-to-date resume that includes your education and employment history. Your resume should include your employment and professional history in reverse chronological order and should indicate the dates of attendance and degree(s) earned. 

Work experience is highly valued and preferred, but not mandatory for applying to our programs, with the exception of the Executive Master of Public Administration (EMPA) program. 

If you do not have professional work experience, please include information on any internships and part-time employment in your resume. If your employment status changes after you apply, you must provide an updated resume.

We encourage you to include information about the following additional activities:

• Volunteer, public service, political, and/or civic work you have done;
• Academic and professional honors, honorary societies, leadership and service awards;
• Other professional activities;
• Relevant publications; and/or
• Extracurricular activities.

LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION

Two letters of recommendation are required with your application. Do not submit more than your required number of letters of recommendation and please adhere to these guidelines:

• Letters of recommendation must be submitted through the online application system. We do not accept mailed recommendations. 
• The recommendation may be academic or professional in nature. A balance of academic and professional sources is preferred, but individual circumstances vary so use your best judgment in choosing references. 
• All recommendation letters must be submitted using a professional or academic email domain on official letterhead.
• The recommendation should come from an individual who can objectively assess your performance and your potential for success in your NYU Wagner program of interest and in your future career.
• We discourage recommendations from family members, family friends, and close friends.
• Your recommender must have a valid email address.
• How long have you known the applicant and in what capacity?
• What do you consider the applicant's outstanding talents?
• In which areas could the applicant exhibit growth or improvement?
• What relevant insights can you offer regarding this candidate—particularly those that are not likely to be available from other sources?
• What observations do you have of the character and integrity of the applicant?

Instructions for Submitting Recommendations

Recommenders are required to complete the online evaluation form. Their response to the recommendation questions may be in either letter or short answer format and should not exceed two pages each. 

• You must provide the names and contact information of your recommenders when prompted in the application.
• Your recommenders will receive a secure email notification from NYU with instructions for completing the recommendation. You may send reminders to your recommenders through the application portal if needed.
• Please note you may submit your application while waiting for your recommenders to complete their letters of recommendation. However, we cannot begin the review of your application until all required documents are received.

TRANSCRIPTS

Students entering an NYU Wagner master's program are required to hold a four-year bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in the U.S. or an equivalent degree from a foreign country.

Graduating Seniors may apply for admission to NYU Wagner prior to degree completion. If an offer of admission is made and accepted, you must submit your final transcript with all grades and the date of degree conferral prior to enrollment and by the deadline established by the NYU Registrar’s Office. 

Transcripts submitted through the online application must meet the following criteria:

• Unofficial transcripts are required from all colleges or universities attended in which you earned grades and/or academic credits at the college level, including undergraduate, transfer credits, continuing education, etc.
• Unofficial transcripts are accepted for the review process.  All transcripts uploaded by the applicant are considered unofficial.
• In order for a transcript to be considered official, it must be received directly from the institution or an official third-party transcript provider such as those available through eSCRIP-SAFE, Parchment, and National Student Clearinghouse, etc. 
• Transcripts must show all courses taken, all credits earned, and all grades received.
• Transcripts must include your full legal name and the name of the college or university attended.
• Transcripts must be written in English.
• Word documents and HTML documents are not acceptable.

International Credential Evaluation Requirement

If you received an undergraduate degree from an institution located outside of the United States or Canada, we require that you use a third-party international credential evaluation service to assess U.S. bachelor’s equivalency and evaluation of your grade point average. NYU Wagner will only accept international evaluation reports from NACES-approved agencies. You can find the full list here.

• Applicants must select a course-by-course evaluation to be completed by one of the approved NACES.org evaluation service providers.
• When completing your NYU Wagner application, upload both unofficial transcripts from the degree-granting institution(s) and a copy of your international credential evaluation report from an approved evaluation service.
• All applicants who are required to submit an international credential evaluation, are eligible to receive an application fee waiver to apply to NYU Wagner. Once your NYU Wagner application is submitted and the international credential evaluation is received, your application fee waiver will be waived. Do not pay the application before the waiver is applied, as we will not be able to issue a refund. 

International Credential Evaluation (ICE) Waivers

Applicants who obtained their bachelor's degree outside of the U.S. or Canada must submit an International Credential Evaluation from an approved organization such as WES or Span Tran, listed on NACES.org . Evaluations for Graduate degrees earned from institutions outside the U.S and Canada are recommended, but not required.

Students with degrees from institutions based in the United States that operate degree-granting branch campuses in another country are exempt from this requirement. 

We do not require an evaluation for a study abroad semester.

Please contact [email protected] for questions or clarification. If you meet the criteria for an ICE waiver, this requirement will be waived upon submission of your application, no formal request is needed.

STANDARDIZED TEST SCORES

Gre or gmat (optional).

Quantitative analysis is a core component of the MSPP program. If you do not currently have any evidence of quantitative proficiency that demonstrates your ability to succeed in the program represented in your previous academics or in your professional experience, we encourage you to submit GRE or GMAT scores.

• Scores are valid for five years from the date that you took the test and must be valid at the time that you submit your application. You are responsible for including your test score on the online application and ensuring that Pearson VUE or ETS is able to release and send your official score report to NYU Wagner.
• NYU Wagner has no minimum GRE or GMAT score requirement. For applicants who took the test more than once, the Admissions Committee considers only the test with the highest total score.
• Please upload a copy of your score report into the online application before submission. We cannot accept test scores once your online application is submitted. 

GRE School Code: 2507

English Language Proficiency (if applicable)

Mastery of English is required for NYU Wagner programs. If your undergraduate or graduate degree was not taught in English, you must demonstrate your level of proficiency in English in one of the following ways;

1. A TOEFL score of at least 100 (We accept MyBest scores and our TOEFL School Code is 2507)

2. An IELTS score of at least 7.0 

3. A Duolingo score of 130

Scores must be less than two years old upon application submission. While official scores are required, an unofficial copy of your score report can be used to review your application and must be uploaded at the time of submission. If you submit a test score that does  not  meet the minimum requirements to apply, you will be contacted by the admissions committee and given the opportunity to retake the exam. 

For applicants who took the test more than once, the Admissions Committee considers only the test with the highest total score taken within two years of the application deadline for which you apply.

If you plan to retake one of the required English Language Proficiency assessments after applying, you must inform the Admissions Committee of the date you intend to take the test via email to [email protected] . The Admissions Committee will proceed with the evaluation of your application using your submitted score, and may issue a decision prior to receiving additional test scores.

APPLICATION FEE

An $85 application fee is required to process your application for admission.

Pay by credit card 

When you arrive at the last step of the application process, choose "Pay by Credit Card." Then follow the instructions to complete your payment.

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Please review the items below and indicate if any of the following apply to you.

Fee waivers are granted for the following:

• Current NYU Undergrad
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If you qualify for an application fee waiver, please do not submit your payment. The Admissions Office will contact you regarding your fee waiver status. We can not refund payments once they have been received. 

INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS

International students may have additional application components. Please review the International Applicant checklist for a complete and comprehensive list

We encourage international students to apply earlier in the cycle so that admitted students have ample time to arrange student visas. 

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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Admissions Guide: Exploring the NYU Teacher Residency Application Process

If you’re looking for an intensive teacher training program that combines rigorous academics and real-world field experience, consider the New York University Teacher Residency . Teacher residents complete master’s-level course work while participating in an immersive residency at a partner school. The Teacher Residency helps residents develop confidence and skills as a classroom teacher while understanding how to serve learners of all backgrounds and instructional needs. Successful residents graduate with a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT).

This article explains how to apply to the NYU Teacher Residency and what to expect during the admissions process. 

Completing Your Application: What You Need to Apply 

NYU evaluates applications holistically to find impactful teachers who can help learners reach their full potential. Applicants should use this opportunity to share who they are and how they aim to influence the future of education.

Eligibility Requirements

Prospective residents must first determine whether they are eligible for their chosen Master of Arts in Teaching (Inclusive Childhood Education or Secondary Education). NYU bases eligibility on an applicant’s previous undergraduate and graduate course work; each MAT degree has different eligibility requirements . Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree with a strong GPA, irrespective of their chosen Teacher Residency. However, prior teaching experience is not required. 

Application Materials 

Upon determining eligibility for the Teacher Residency, applicants can begin the process. The following materials are required: 

• Application profile: Applicants create a profile to access the NYU application portal and connect with enrollment advisors who can guide them through the process. 
• Transcripts: Applicants submit transcripts from educational institutions where they earned credit so NYU can assess their eligibility for the Teacher Residency’s specific content areas. 
• Letters of recommendation: Provide two letters of recommendation from  professional or academic references.
• Resume: The resume should highlight the applicant’s employment history and most recent achievements and pursuits.
• Essay: Essays should demonstrate the applicant’s commitment to ongoing reflection, learning, and the practice of inclusivity and accessibility for all learners.
• Video introduction: Applicants record a ninety-second video to give the faculty a better sense of who they are and will be as a future teacher.
• English proficiency exam: If English is not the applicant’s native language, they must submit results from one of the following exams: TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE.
• Application fee: Applicants may have to submit a $75 nonrefundable fee with their application.

Upload all application materials to the NYU application portal .  

A Closer Look at the MAT Admissions Process

Upon submitting an application, applicants must navigate through the critical stages of the admissions process . Residency assignments typically occur 8 to 12 weeks after the application deadline. 

Application Review & Faculty Interviews

NYU Steinhardt faculty members review each application. The University invites candidates who meet the academic requirements to an asynchronous interview to determine whether they are a good fit for the Teacher Residency. 

Residency Preference Survey 

Successfully matching prospective residents with residency schools is critical to the admissions process. If invited to participate in the faculty interview process, applicants must complete a residency preference survey. The program’s admissions committee reviews survey results and, to the best of their ability, pairs each student with a set of residency options based on preferred location, residency benefits, and postgraduate employment opportunities, among other criteria. While first-choice placement is not guaranteed, it’s recommended that applicants research their residency options before completing the survey.  

Partner School Interviews & Residency Offers

All accepted teacher residents are automatically approved for a half-day residency within the New York City Department of Education (DOE) school system . If this is the resident’s preferred choice, no further action is needed. 

However, many applicants seek full-day residencies due to the stipends, wages, and other associated benefits. Should a resident wish to pursue a full-day residency, NYU will forward their application to school hiring managers based on the preferences indicated in their residency survey. The hiring managers will review their materials and decide whether to invite them to a final interview. Successful interviewees will receive a full-day residency offer from the partner school.  

Financial Support and Applying for Aid 

The Teacher Residency offers various financial aid and scholarship options ; many residents fund their MAT through a combination of scholarships, financial aid, loans, and financial resources earned through their teacher residency. Learn more about the stipends, wages, and benefits associated with full-day teacher residencies on the locations page .  

Getting Help Along the Way: MAT Application Assistance 

The Teacher Residency application process is rigorous. Fortunately, applicants don’t have to navigate it alone. NYU enrollment advisors wait to answer any questions and provide guidance on how to submit a compelling application. For questions about tuition or financial aid, contact the NYU Financial Aid office . 

Next Steps: Apply to the NYU Teacher Residency

The NYU combined MAT and teacher residency experience can help future educators reach their career goals, empowering them to make an impact in classrooms and communities. If you’re ready for the next step in your teaching career, schedule a one-on-one application walkthrough or start the application process today.  

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Published April 25, 2024

From COVID-19 to Commencement: Three Reasons for Choosing NYU

Chris McVey

Class of 2024

Some Background

Trigger warning: the year 2020.

I’m sure we all remember spring 2020. Back then, “social distancing” was a newly ubiquitous term. N95 masks were still unfamiliar objects. And high schoolers graduating in 2020—like me—were receiving their college admittance letters and making decisions. Unfortunately, as my excitement for being a newly admitted member of the NYU Class of 2024 grew, the world was falling apart under a new, unsettling normal. Cases of COVID-19 were spiking. A vaccine was still far from a reality. And New York City was the epicenter of it all. But, despite all of that, I chose NYU.

NYU’s Class of 2024 faced an incredible challenge in fall 2020. We arrived at NYU’s campus (if we were lucky enough to attend school in person our first year) during one of New York City’s most uninviting times. I, like most of NYU’s new students, did not know anyone else at the school prior to starting. In a normal year, NYU hosts an extensive Welcome Week to create community before first-year students begin classes. However, the Class of 2024 was greeted with two weeks of quarantine and strict guidelines for social distancing. Instead of making new friends or exploring our new home, we isolated to protect our new community.

One of the biggest challenges I have ever faced was moving into my NYU dorm room and not leaving it for two whole weeks. When we arrived at NYU’s Washington Square campus, we were allotted one very quick elevator ride up to our new rooms. We could only have one guest to limit the number of people interacting with each other. After a swift trip up to the 4th floor of NYU’s Weinstein Hall with my mom, and an even quicker goodbye, my journey as a new NYU student began.

To be honest, my NYU college experience wasn’t feeling so glamorous then. In the beginning, saying goodbye to my family, experiencing social isolation, and eating watermelon chicken salad (those who know, know…) did not add up to the college experience I had envisioned.

So, What Changed?

Clearly, something had to change. After those two weeks of quarantine, the Class of 2024 proved themselves COVID-19-free. So, we were released into the city. Still, as we all remember, safety was a priority. We could only hang out in groups of five or fewer people (masked, of course). This was not the most convenient way to meet new college friends. Regardless, persistent students like me used a combination of social media, small outdoor gatherings, and meetups in the few local restaurants that were open during this time to start making connections.

Although we had a responsibility to protect ourselves and each other from this virus, the Class of 2024 took on NYU as any other class would. Very slowly, but surely, NYU’s community showed through in different and creative ways. Whether it was hosting events in residence halls over Zoom or relocating small classes outside, we were given small but significant opportunities to gain our footing at NYU. Soon enough, we persisted through a lonely first year. Then, shortly after, a more promising sophomore year began.

Now that the Class of 2024 is in their senior year, it’s clear that we not only chose NYU our senior year but kept choosing NYU. We continued to make the decision to stay despite these unique circumstances. I cannot speak for everyone else, but I know I have discovered some unexpected reasons why I’ve continued choosing NYU throughout the years. Now that you’ve read my dramatic introduction, here are three reasons why I chose to attend NYU, from my start with COVID-19 as a background in fall 2020 to commencement in spring 2024.

Why I Chose (and Continue Choosing) NYU

1. Unique Academic Programs

Like many high school students, I struggled to pick a major when exploring colleges. I had no idea what I wanted to do with the rest of my life (understandably). So picking a major was simply a best guess for what I thought might be interesting. I took a single introductory computer science class in high school, and I enjoyed it. As a result, I focused on schools of engineering and computer science programs when applying to colleges.

However, when I came across NYU’s application, I noticed there were multiple computer science programs. I could go to the College of Arts and Science or the Tandon School of Engineering . Furthermore, there were a number of joint majors NYU offers that combine computer science with other subjects. Despite never taking a single economics class, I randomly decided to apply to the joint-major Computer Science and Economics program. Economic theory sounded interesting enough. After all, who doesn’t love money, right?

Honestly, I made this “best guess” of a major in high school thinking I would switch out of it at some point. College-level computer science classes seemed intimidating. But, over the last four years, I realized I was a pretty good guesser. NYU’s Computer Science and Economics joint major was the perfect combination of challenging, applicable, and diversified for me. Plus, it aligned greatly with my interests.

I came to love the major more and more as I progressed through NYU. Now, as a senior, I have taken very interesting courses in both subjects. So far, Social Networks has been my favorite computer science class at NYU. There, we analyzed current trends in tech, such as artificial intelligence developments, and worked on a semester-long project designing a start-up venture. Urban Economics was my favorite economics class. We studied the reasons behind urban clusters and the formation of cities. It’s a topic that’s especially fun to study when living in New York City.

Additionally, NYU at heart is a liberal arts school. So, no matter what you major in, you will complete a core curriculum that covers classes outside of your major. In the College of Arts and Science (CAS), I completed CAS’s core curriculum in addition to my major-specific classes. Some of my favorite classes included Egypt of the Pharaohs, Global Impressionism, Energy and the Environment, and Human Evolution. I really enjoyed this liberal arts core. It diversified my workload each semester with less technical classes.

Overall, the joint major is an unexpected reason I love NYU. It’s also one of the main reasons choosing NYU was the right move for me. I have not only learned a tremendous amount related to my original interests but have explored different fields and their intersections across academic areas. Plus, I can name a number of impressionist paintings and ancient Egyptian pieces of art in The Metropolitan Museum of Art, a skill most aspiring computer scientists or economists in other colleges likely lack.

2. The NYU Community

The NYU student body is composed of some of the most interesting people you will ever meet. I was shocked at the number of students I met in my first year at NYU who were already doing amazing things. Whether it was developing their own start-up, producing their own film, or advocating for social justice in New York City, it seemed like everyone chose NYU for similar reasons. They all wanted to take advantage of the school’s tremendous opportunities as well as those New York City offers.

Additionally, the NYU students I met were extremely passionate about what they were studying, no matter what that was. In addition to the joint or double majors (or minors) NYU offers, students at the Gallatin School of Individualized Study can create their own major. I have friends at Gallatin studying the intersections between fields you’d never guess, like psychology and tech. These students, like many, are some of the best people to talk to about their interests. They will talk your ear off for hours (for better or worse) about what they are studying because they love it so much.

Finally, NYU’s student body is incredibly diverse. The Class of 2024 has no racial or ethnic majority. What’s more, NYU has one of the largest international student populations of any US university. By nature, I have met friends at NYU from (quite literally) all over the world. Going to a school with such diverse perspectives turned out to be an unexpected reason for loving NYU. I am lucky to have benefited greatly from meeting NYU students and faculty with much different backgrounds than my own. This is just one more way that NYU has stimulated learning outside of the classroom: by curating a diverse student body and integrating the school into the greater New York City area.

3. New York City

At this point, you might be asking: Chris, aren’t there many schools in New York City you can attend? Yes, there certainly are. But, I would be lying if I did not include New York City as a reason for choosing NYU. While NYU has its own campus, and you could technically attend the University without venturing too far from downtown Manhattan, the school does an incredible job of allowing students to take advantage of the city. I have taken many classes at NYU that take students on trips to local museums, historical sites, and parks in the city related to what we were learning.

Aside from the academic experience, NYU offers tremendous access to professional opportunities in the city. I have taken advantage of NYU’s Wasserman Center for Career Development . It helps students land jobs and internships in and out of New York City. Most NYU students intern during their time here. In fact, some even intern during the semester if their office is in the city. Personally, I have taken advantage of two summer internship programs in New York City. I spent the summer before my junior and senior years interning in finance (one at an asset management organization and the other at an investment bank). Going to school in New York City made it easy to access these internships. Plus, I got comfortable with navigating the city before entering the office.

Finally, I believe New York City is one of the most exciting places you can be as a college student. In high school, I loved our big football games. But, once I came to college, I was ready to explore some different experiences, and I certainly did. While NYU isn’t like traditional colleges when it comes to the student experience, having New York City as your campus makes the school a lot of fun. Studying here, I have taken advantage of restaurants, Broadway shows, comedy shows, jazz clubs, nightlife, and sightseeing—experiences that only New York City has to offer. While we don’t have the big football games and tailgate parties you might find at another school, if you love New York City, you’ll likely love NYU.

Hi everyone! My name is Chris and I am a senior at NYU’s College of Arts and Science majoring in Computer Science and Economics. I am originally from Bucks County, PA, but have loved enjoying New York City as an NYU student for the past three years. In the city, I enjoy running at Hudson River Park on the west side of Manhattan and trying different restaurants around the East Village where I live with two other students. On campus, in addition to working with our admissions center as a Student Ambassador, I am a College Leader at CAS, a member of our Economics Society, and a frequent competitor in our HackNYU hackathons, which I promise are not as nerdy as they sound!

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