new york university transfer essay

Transfer Applicants

Your guide to applying.

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

Admission for transfer students is highly competitive. NYU’s evaluation will focus primarily on your college/university grades and your high school/secondary school performance. Our most competitive applicants have completed at least 32 credits/points of coursework by the time they enroll at NYU.

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

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

AND any of the following apply to you:

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

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

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

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

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

How do I apply?

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

You’ll need:

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

Other Considerations:

• In recognition of continued challenges applicants have with standardized testing during COVID-19, NYU is extending its test-optional policy to students applying for first-year or transfer admission during the upcoming admissions cycle.
• An audition or portfolio  is required for art and music programs at the Steinhardt School and Tisch School of the Arts.
• English Language Testing must be submitted If you have not completed at least three years of study where English is the sole language of instruction or English is not your native language.
• Some students will be required to submit a Self-Reported Academic Record or SRAR. Following application submission, you may be asked to complete a SRAR for any college or university coursework completed in the U.S.
• NYU reserves the right to request a midterm report from any transfer student, even though it is not required.

Are you ready? Start the application now .

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

Financial Aid for Transfer Applicants

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

When should I apply?

Follow the key dates and deadlines below.

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

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

Sending Documents

NYU accepts the submission of original/certified copies or unofficial copies. A certified copy has an original signature of the registrar or other designated school official, or the institution's seal. Include an official English translation if the document isn't in English. A school official or a translation agency accredited in the country of the educational institution can issue the translation. NYU will only make exceptions for documents in Mandarin Chinese submitted to NYU Shanghai.

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

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

New York University Office of Undergraduate Admissions 383 Lafayette Street New York, NY 10003 USA

[email protected]

Note: Transcripts and test scores must come from an official source to be processed.

Remember to ...

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

How does NYU evaluate transfer applicants?

Admission for such students is highly competitive. NYU’s evaluation will focus on your high school/secondary school performance and your midterm college/university grades. Read more about what accepted NYU students typically take in high school/secondary school .

Our most competitive applicants have completed at least 32 credits/points of coursework by the time they enroll at NYU.

Is housing available?

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

The Ultimate Guide to Writing the NYU Transfer Essays

So, you’re looking for the best advice on how to write the NYU transfer essays.

We wrote this guide because transferring to NYU is going to be an uphill battle. It doesn’t matter how strong your GPA is. If you have the same academic achievement as the average transfer applicant, you have a 24.63% chance of getting accepted. As for the other 75.37%, there is a chance of you getting rejected, losing research opportunities, having a smaller network of people to collaborate with, and having a smaller chance of overall career success after graduation.

NYU takes on a holistic admissions approach . So, your essays will be even more important. You can’t guarantee an acceptance. However, the advice we’re about to give you on writing the NYU essays will help you maximize your chances.

You’ve worked hard to show NYU deserves a bright student like you. Every class you’ve worked through brought you here today.

Thus, knowing how to write the NYU transfer essays is absolutely crucial. The last thing you want to do is throw two years of hard work right out the window by writing bad essays. If you follow our guide carefully, your essay will stand out to NYU’s admissions officers.

Without further ado, here’s our ultimate guide on how to write the NYU transfer essays.

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Table of Contents

• Standing Out

The HYPMS Format.

The calamities of rejection., why transfer out of your current institution, having a future goal in mind., how to write the nyu transfer essays: the “why nyu” prompt..

We would like to know more about your interest in NYU. We are particularly interested in knowing what motivated you to apply to NYU and more specifically, why you have applied or expressed interest in a particular campus, school, college, program, and/or area of study? You may be focused or undecided, or simply open to the options within NYU’s global network; regardless, we want to understand – Why NYU? (2500 character maximum) NYU “Why Us” Transfer Essay Prompt

Standing Out.

When you’re writing your NYU Transfer essay, you’ll need to stand out amongst the rest. The admissions office receives a heap of applications, and many of them are in the upper percentile of academic performance. You won’t be the only one with high marks.

If you’re at the lower marks, then it’s doubly important that your NYU transfer essay stands out.

The key to writing a stellar college essay that stands out is estimating the median applicant. What exactly do you think they’ll be doing to maximize their admissions chances? Perhaps they’ll be reading up on tutorial guides online, or they’ll be sending their admissions essays to their teachers. Think about what kinds of topics they’ll be covering and how exactly you think they’ll sound.

Here’s an example of something that won’t stand out:

“NYU contains all the resources I would need to be properly prepared for a career in business and finance. I would like to learn under its world-class professors to one day work as a financial analyst.” Example Bad NYU Why Us Essay Description

In the NYU Why Us essay prompt, you can guarantee a lot of applicants will be covering why they need to transfer to NYU for their future major and career. Due to the nature of “Why Us” essays, it’s probably not a good idea to talk about something so different as “wanting to attend NYU because of their cool coffee shops around the area.” You need a serious answer. The universities are a place to learn and develop yourself, but also a place to harness skills for your future career.

So, the right way to stand out in the “Why Us” NYU essay is asking yourself, “How will other people write about NYU’s importance to their career, and why is mine different?”

So, what does a good NYU Why Us essay look like? Maybe your pursuit of knowledge differs from the rest because there are certain cultural experiences behind NYU that will help provide more value to your career. Or, perhaps NYU has resources and the professors there are conducting research that is highly related to the sorts of projects you want to undertake for the future like unique startups and non-profits. See how your need for NYU and its place in your future career and aspirations is different for you compared to the rest, and capitalize on that.

Let’s take a look at what a good NYU Why Us essay would look like. Here’s a sample of a description that works well.

“To create a bottom-up based AI startup would be the start of a fantastic business journey for me. I always aspired to create software that would help ease the pain of work, especially for those who struggle with 9-5 desk jobs. Easing that pain would allow the powers of AI to take the load off hard-working employees, and promote a healthier lifestyle for a modern time. Thus, I would like to attend NYU to use its vast resources for springboarding my AI software startup. To attend NYU and optimize my chances for startup success would mean securing the chances of making a real world change on modern work-life blanace patterns.” Example Good NYU Why Us Essay Description

What sets this one apart is that it digs deeper into the unique reasons the applicant wants to attend NYU. Unlike other essays that simply cover the strong resources that would help the applicant, which the admissions officers already know, the applicant in this essay shows the greater overarching moral advantages of attending NYU.

This is a technique we like to use for a lot of our clients.

For those who don’t know, HYPMS is short for Harvard, Yale, Princeton, MIT, and Stanford. These schools are regarded as some of the most valuable universities to obtain a degree from. So, what does the HYPMS format entail?

Essentially, it goes like this:

Imagine you were accepted into Harvard, Yale, Princeton, MIT, and Stanford for any major of your choice. You also have no financial restrictions, and paying off the student loans is no concern to you. Why, at the end of the day, will you reject all of these schools and still take a spot at NYU?

This isn’t exactly an easy question to ask yourself. Besides, a degree from any of those schools will set you up for life quite well. The reason we ask that you ask yourself this question is so that you can push yourself to find out why NYU is a school that is vital to you. There has to be something about the school that makes it so valuable, that you cannot get what they provide at any other institution. Now, realistically, that’s not possible. Most institutions will be capable of providing you with an education better than you can ever imagine.

Think deeply about what advantages NYU will provide you. Better yet, think about the absolutely crucial kinds of advantages you can get from attending here that will be the lifeblood of any aspiration or future projects you have lined up.

When you’re trying to stand out amongst the crowd when writing your NYU transfer essay, it’s sometimes useful to think about what the downside of getting rejected will be. We don’t mean this in a superficial surface-level sort of manner. Everyone thinks about what happens if they get rejected!

Instead, what we mean by this is we suggest you think about some of the deeper effects that can take place if you were not accepted as a transfer to NYU.

Here are a couple of examples:

• You want to transfer to NYU because it is the only place that would make reasonable sense for you to study both fashin design and business. Your future at NYU would determine just how well your new idea for a fashion line can jumpstart, and not attending as a transfer would mean having to settle with the current state school you’re in and using its limited resources.
• You need to escape the limitations of your small town in Alabama. You live in a small community, and it’s both a city quite limited in creativity and industry. You feel strangled by your background, and you need a place to escape to like the city. It would provide you with the sort of worldly experience you need to fuly actualize yourself as a person, and you know you will do everything you can to repay NYU in full.
• You live in a majority Asian-American community that is actively conservative. Despite your resentment for your community for what it has done to you as an Asian-American woman, you wish to be a healer for the community that will help recognize its downfalls, and perhaps even revivify the city that you live in. You believe that to do so would not be to continue to attend the local state school you’re attending, as the professors are unmotivated and do not care about your wellbeing. You wish to attend NYU because you feel that its resources and networking opportunitites will give you the best results to help you become the political leader you want to become in your hometown.

These ideas can help you shape your ideas when writing the NYU transfer essays. The advantage of considering the downfall of getting rejected is that there are motivations from both directions: motivation to get accepted, and motivation to avoid whatever comes with getting rejected by NYU.

Most students apply to prestigious schools like NYU because they’re motivated to get accepted and reap the rewards that come with its notoriety. However, you also want to have the possibility of rejection also motivating you. This will also give admissions officers more reasons to accept you, and they’ll know just exactly how much you take attending NYU seriously.

How to Write the NYU Transfer Essays: The “Reasons + Objectives” Prompt.

Please provide a statement that addresses your reasons for transferring and the objectives you hope to achieve. NYU Transfer Essay Prompt 2

This goes with all the NYU transfer essays. Just like the first, you’ll want to stand out amongst the rest when answering this question.

When you think about it, of the two NYU transfer essays, the second one is not much different from the first. The first asks, “Why NYU?” The second one asks for your ” reasons for transferring and the objectives you hope to achieve.”

What makes the second one different from the first is that it provides more opportunities for you to elaborate on your objectives. Based on the prompt, they are insinuating that your reasons for transferring to NYU are tied in with your specific goals in mind.

We like to think that there are 2 forms of objectives that you should demonstrate: short-term, and long-term.

Your short terms goals should involve something related to your academic performance as well as how you’re going to narrow down your major path into something more specific like an industry niche. This shows the admissions officers that you’ve done your homework, and you already know enough from your first two years of university to have a better idea of what you know you want to do. You should also specify what exactly your long-term goals are going to be. You don’t have to have it accurate at a microscopic level. Though, it helps to show the admissions officers that you have a clear path of what you’re doing for the future. That will help them better understand that you’re clear about why you need to attend NYU to achieve said path.

It helps the answer the second NYU transfer essay prompt with a reason why your current institution is not sufficient for goals.

Most students can achieve what they need at practically any university. They don’t need a prestigious school with vast resources to start a business or get the certification they need to become a high school teacher. Thus, most students applying as transfers to NYU don’t really have a strong reason for transferring, to begin with.

Remember: most people transferring to NYU will also be transferring out of state. There are plenty of students from California and even across the globe who would like to attend.

Think about what you have to gain through transferring to NYU, but also how the benefits you may take from attending differ from that of someone else. Perhaps someone wants to attend NYU because they have plans to attend for business and management purposes. However, you may have a better reason to attend because you already have a plan to execute a startup focusing on young activism amongst college students, and what better place to start that than in the heart of activism and business startups?

Think also about why you need to escape your current institution. Is there something about attending the school you are in now that made it impossible for you to actualize your goals?

We had a client a few years back who talked about her issues attending Cal Poly Pomona. She was more interested in the tech startup world as well as business, but the business programs at Cal Poly were, strangely enough, completely absurd. She learned nothing there, was surrounded by racism, and had to deal with people in her business classes who certainly did not have the most motivation for success in the business world. Our client was suffocating in the environment, so she needed a place to attend that would nurture the kind of growth she needed to explore her passions in business.

The future goal you should have in mind when writing the second part of the NYU transfer essays should be as specific as you can make it, but you also want to expand out a little bit to get to the external reasons for your aspirations.

Let’s say you’re an applicant for NYU as a transfer student. You made a goal for yourself to attend and learn more about business. Your long-term goal is to break into the business and administration software industry, so you would like to go to NYU to work with professors and hopefully collaborate with other fellow like-minded students to create a product that companies can use that is both affordable and useful for their administration purposes.

To expand on the future objectives you hope to achieve, you can talk about the moral and personal reasons for your objectives. Let’s take a look at the previous example again. Why would someone want to provide cheaper alternatives to admin software for businesses? You may argue that your aspirations are driven by an admiration for the small business trying to achieve the American dream by climbing up the ranks. However, it isn’t easy to do that with many obstacles in the way, and the 1% always winning all the money.

Your product making cheaper resources for smaller businesses can help them climb up the financial hierarchy and tackle the 1% that so often occupies all the nation’s wealth. Attending NYU would help you achieve that; thus, your admissions to NYU also puts a moral value at stake here.

Think about the larger-scale reasons for your goals. They can be personal, moral, rational, or any other reason you may possibly have. Expand on this by diving deeper into why you want to pursue such passions at NYU, and you’ll have those philosophies to back you up in your application essay. Being a doctor at a great school is one thing, but writing about how your transfer to NYU would also dictate whose lives you could possibly save puts much more on the table.

If you are still concerned with writing your NYU transfer essays, you may want to consider a free college admissions essay revision and advising service. Schedule a free consultation with us today , and we can provide you with free essay revisions and advice within 24 hours.

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How To Transfer to NYU

If you’ve decided that you want to transfer , and think that NYU is the ideal school for you, you’ve come to the right place. This blog post will detail how to answer the two mandatory writing supplements, which at first glance seem slightly redundant and therefore confusing.  

But before you start writing, be sure to check out NYU’s website that details the materials that you’ll need to send in. Request them soon (as in, now) so that you have time to follow up with your schools and professors to make sure that everything is submitted on time.  Be sure to check the additional program requirements as well – we’ll go through the essays with you but please read through the requirements and restrictions before you start the process. 

The two essays that you’ll need to write can be found under the “questions” tab of the common app transfer website. Make sure that you’re not using your regular common app account! There is another website for transfer students, linked here . Let’s start by looking at both prompts.

We would like to know more about your interest in NYU. We are particularly interested in knowing what motivated you to apply to NYU and more specifically, why you have applied or expressed interest in a particular campus, school, college, program, and/or area of study? You may be focused or undecided, or simply open to the options within NYU's global network; regardless, we want to understand - Why NYU? (2500 character maximum)

Please provide a statement that addresses your reasons for transferring and the objectives you hope to achieve. (3,000 character maximum)

*Please note that you are not given a word limit, but a finicky character limit. Make sure that you’re keeping track of the limits as you write.

When we’ve worked with students in the past, they have all commented on the slight overlap between the questions. It’s crucial that you’re not repeating information, so read through both questions carefully and make a list of everything that you want to cover. We like to think of it like this: the first question is asking you why you want to transfer specifically to NYU , and the second question gives you room to expand on your more general reasons for embarking on the transfer process. 

A Breakdown of Question 1:

Your response to this question should address why transferring to NYU is your only possible step forward, and you need to get hyper specific. This answer should look a lot like a “Why X School” supplement, and it should include the following:

Your intended major: You absolutely must declare a major. NYU requires it, and so do we.

Two upper-level classes that you want to take: Next, do a deep dive into the course catalog and look for two upper-level classes that you want to take. In addition to writing which classes you want to take, include a reason why. These reasons should relate to past or current school work, online classes that you’ve taken, job or internship experience, or research that you’ve done.

A professor you would like to work with: Research the expertise’s of the professors at NYU and find someone with interests that align with yours. Ideally, you’d pitch yourself as a researcher on their team or mention how what you’re currently doing is related to their classes, interests, and résumé. For example, if you’re transferring to NYU for a specific track within the English department, you might mention that your thesis topic is in the field of Irish literature and there’s a professor there who takes trips to Ireland to read original works of James Joyce.

Anything else that’s specific to NYU. This is where you have room to delve into something that is truly specific to NYU, and you should research the school until you find something. Look for research labs, student groups, interesting projects, etc.

Short conclusion: Conclusions can often be the hardest part of an essay to write, but you really shouldn’t have much room left over. Simply put a bow on it and move onto the next slightly longer prompt.

A Breakdown of Question 2:

The goal of this essay is to give the admissions team a chance to get to know you, your reasons for wanting to transfer, and your eventual goals. It’s best to start with an origin story that explains your academic interests. It’s totally fair if not ALL of your reasons for wanting to transfer are academic, but you are applying to college after all, and they need to know why you want to study what you want to study.

Your story does not need to be huge. In fact, it should be small and zoomed-in. Maybe you used to write books as a child, have always loved reading and writing, and did an internship at a local magazine one summer– and you’re applying to NYU’s creative writing program. Whatever your story looks like, tell them. It’s important to start with academics because it is the anchor from which you’ll write the rest of the essay.

Next, you should answer this part of the question: “address your reasons for transferring.” This is important: under no circumstance should you talk poorly about your current school. Explain why it doesn’t work for you, but don’t be extra about it. Sticking with the example from above, you might say that you’re currently studying English, which you thought would suffice, but you’ve realized writing is actually what you want to study. You should clearly state that your current school does not have the specific offerings that you’re looking for, which is one of the “requirements” for wanting to transfer . And here’s something that can be hard to digest for students who are trying to position themselves in a certain light to transfer colleges: it is okay to admit that you thought you wanted something, and then changed your mind, as long as you’ve made the best of the resources that you currently have access to. This means that if you thought you wanted to major in Chemistry, and after a year of classes you now want to major in Biochemistry, it’s okay to write that. If you thought you want to major in Econ, but you actually want to study business, you need to let them know in plain terms. Your essay will not make sense if you don’t explain why you’re currently studying Psychology but now want to be a Biopsychology major. When we work with transfer students they’re often too reluctant to admit that they initially chose the wrong major because they don’t want to seem unfocused. But a little bit of humility goes a long way.

After you’ve explained why your current school isn’t working for you, you can start writing about the “objectives you hope to achieve.” This is usually related to things that NYU can offer you that your current school can’t. Perhaps it’s location based, proximity to jobs and internships, or other reasons that you haven’t have the space to address yet. For example, it might be the case that one of your objectives is to obtain a summer research position at a hospital, and you currently go to a school that isn’t affiliated with any hospitals and doesn’t have any nearby. Whatever your goals are, explain how NYU will help get you there. 

While you write, keep the goal of the essay in mind! Make sure that you’ve told them a story about yourself, and included all of the pertinent transfer related information.

If you want help with your transfer applications and aren’t sure where to start, contact us here .

NYU Essay Examples (And Why They Worked)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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4 Great “Why NYU?” Essay Examples

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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 2022-23 Essay Prompts

Cinema studies short response.

A statement that answers the following questions: Have you taken any cinema-related classes? What areas of cinema studies most interest you (film genres, directors, theory, etc.)? What are your career aspirations (film journalism/criticism, film curating, filmmaking, etc.)?

Diversity Short Response

NYU was founded on the belief that a student’s identity should not dictate the ability for them to access higher education. That sense of opportunity for all students, of all backgrounds, remains a part of who we are today and a critical part of what makes us a world class university. Our community embraces diversity, in all its forms, as a cornerstone of the NYU experience.

We would like to better understand how your experiences would help us to shape and grow our diverse community. Please respond in 250 words or less.

Cinema Studies Essay

An essay on a film, director, or any other film-related topic that you choose.

MLK Scholars Short Response

In what ways have you enacted change in your community and what has been your motivation for doing so? This can include enacting change globally, locally, or within your family.

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?

The Admissions Strategist

Why nyu how to write the nyu supplemental essay (examples included).

After much consideration, you’ve decided to apply to NYU. Why NYU? You don’t know where to start. This post will help take you from start to finish.

This past application cycle proved to be historic and selective. While the school admitted the largest number of international students as well as the largest percentage of African-American and Latino students in 16 years, the NYU acceptance rate dropped to 28% , its lowest acceptance rate since 2001.

NYU (short for New York University) is a private university located in the heart of New York City, with satellite campuses found in Abu Dhabi and Shanghai.

• Offering over 230 areas of study and 2,700 courses across 17 schools, NYU ensures that there’s something for every student.

While NYU may not be impossibly difficult to get into, it’s become more selective.

This means you’ll need to spend some extra care and attention on your application, especially on the supplemental essay “Why NYU?”

NYU Essay Requirements

Every freshman applying to NYU will have to write the standard Common App essay. Otherwise known as your personal statement, we created an entire Common App guide so you can write the best essay.

When you’re applying to NYU, you’ll need to write one supplemental essay.

• The supplemental essay has a 400-word limit and requires that you express your interest in NYU as artfully and concisely as possible.

This guide will walk you through the question and tips for crafting your essay to help you put your best foot forward!

So, let’s get to it: Why NYU?

Step 1: Read the question and break it down.

This is an extremely important step! A question like this one, with several parts, requires that you understand and address the entire question in your 400-word response.

Let’s walk through the question breakdown together.

“We would like to know more about your interest in NYU”

Translation : Why do you want to attend NYU? You have thousands of other choices in schools, and you used one of your choices on NYU. Why?

“We are particularly interested in knowing what motivated you to apply to NYU and more specifically, why you have applied or expressed interest in a particular campus, school, college, program, and/or area of study.”

This is a meaty one, so let’s break it down into two parts.

“We are particularly interested in knowing what motivated you to apply to NYU…”

Translation: We want to know more about you as an individual.

• What is it about you that makes you think NYU is a good choice?
• Are you a good fit for NYU? If yes, tell us why

“We are particularly interested in knowing….why you have applied or expressed interested in a particular campus, school, college, program and/or area of study.”

Translation:  Why are you interested in what you’re interested in, and why did you apply to the school that has your chosen major?

For example, if you’re interested in acting, tell us why you’re interested in acting and why you’re applying to the Tisch School of the Arts.

“If you have applied to more than one, please tell us why you are interested in each of the campuses, schools, colleges or programs to which you have applied”

Translation : If you have more than one interest and want to pursue more than one major or degree, please tell us why and help us to make sense of your interests.

For example, if you want to study Acting (Tisch School of the Arts) and Computer Engineering (Tandon School of Engineering), we want to know how your interests fit together and why you want to do both.

“You may be focused or undecided, or simply open to the options within NYU’s global network; regardless, we want to understand – Why NYU?”

Translation: You understand that NYU has a global network, right? Tell us why you want to come to our school.

If you are unsure of what exactly you want to study, rejoice!

Click above to watch a video on the NYU Essay.

NYU is saying that you don’t need to have your major all figured out. You just need to have a clearly articulated interest in NYU.

Think about the issues and the questions that interest you.

• Maybe you wonder about the way our dress (fashion) sustains or challenges the way we see world culture (anthropology)?
• Consider, then, how NYU could help you explore anthropological questions about fashion.

Click deeply into NYU’s website to find an avenue – a school, a program, or even a class – that will help you pursue this interest. You don’t need to commit to a career, or even a major, but you do need a good sense of the questions that guide you. Even if you’re uncertain, lean into a vision for your future.

Your supplemental essay isn’t binding, so you can operate in hypotheticals.

• If you’re interested in economics, imagine yourself as a business student.
• What type of business student would you be?
• Would you care about sustainability?
• Would you have other social or ethical concerns?
• What kind of career would this prepare you for?

And, in case you didn’t notice, they highlighted that they have a “global network.” This is important information, and the next step will tell you why.

Connect us to your school's principal!

Step 2: research nyu’s values and special traits..

If you’ve decided to apply to this school, then you’ve likely already done your homework. Just in case you haven’t, study their website.

From studying the website, you can gain a clear sense of the school’s values, what they look for in an applicant, and if you share similar values.

Even if you’re uncertain, pretend that you’ve “fallen in love with the school,” and focus on the particulars of your new infatuation. To extend the metaphor, the application process is a kind of courting in which you make the first move.

• If you’re interested in digital media, research programs like the Brooklyn Experimental Media Center.
• Describe how its resources will convert your interests into an abiding passion or a career orientation.
• A good rule of thumb for “Why This College” essays is that you should have several names (in capital letters) of particular programs at the university.

This research will help you immensely in answering the “Why NYU?” question.

If they have blogs and/or social media accounts, look through those to get a feel for the school. Bonus points if you are able to visit, because an on-campus visit (especially during a regular weekend when they’re not trying to impress you) is the best way to determine what a campus feels like, what their culture is like and what they truly value.

Here’s a great way to research NYU’s values and traits:

• NYU has an online magazine called NYU Q for prospective students. You can find the online magazine by clicking  here . NYU Q showcases the interesting people, places, and things that make NYU special.
• A quick look through the NYU Q site illustrates that NYU as a campus deeply values building a global community with people from diverse backgrounds, geographic locations, academic interests, and life experiences.
• You can find out that NYU boasts of having a higher number of international students than any other campus (their international student population is  20% ). They also have three international campuses and a robust study abroad program.

Additionally, because the question asks you specifically, “Why have you applied or expressed interest in a particular campus, school, college, program and/or area of study,” you owe it to yourself to become familiar with the culture of the particular school or college to which you’re applying, and even the department of the major you’re interested in studying.

It’s important to ensure you aren’t picking NYU for generic traits. Generic traits are dangerous to mention in your essay because they can be applied to any college campus.

Here’s a useful checklist to make sure you are highlighting the special elements of NYU:

• Don’t say NYU is the “perfect” place for you. Perfection is impossible to achieve, and the admissions officers are well aware.
• Instead, pick five elements of NYU (departments, professors, events, on-campus groups) that appeal to you. Picking real names and titles forces you to perform research and stay specific.
• Your “Why NYU?” essay should not be a retelling of your Common App essay. Use this opportunity to pair NYU with your values and personality (covered later in this piece).
• Make sure your essay couldn’t be true of any other school. This demands that you do your research and dive deep into the school’s website.
• Make sure you never write about how you want to attend school in New York City. There are dozens of universities both in and near NYC, so this reason is cliche and tiresome.

Still having trouble? Ask yourself these questions to help you find specific elements of NYU that you find appealing:

• What are classes I’d like to take?
• What are some questions I’d like to ask in these classes?
• Name some on-campus groups and activities that I’d like to participate in.
• What are NYU-sponsored events I’d like to attend?
• Which academic department at NYU do you want to study in? And what are the department’s noteworthy achievements?
• What is my ideal major or double major at NYU?

The admissions officers at NYU want to see that you are well-informed about what they are offering, and that you’ve thought hard enough about whether or not you would be a good fit.

You want to mention, for example, that you’re interested in the Tisch School of the Arts. You also want to go a step further and describe how you’re excited, perhaps, about their internship opportunities and classes on animation.

You can’t determine if you’re a good fit if you haven’t done your research.

Under the Academics tab is a full listing of NYU’s academic programs, schools and colleges, and other academic offerings. Make sure you click through to find your particular school and major.

Step 3: Free-write

The worst thing you can do as you’re writing your response is to agonize over every single word at the beginning of the process.

• Instead, just start writing.
• For each question they ask, write down whatever comes to mind and don’t hold back.
• Use our translation to each question to simplify what you should be writing about.

It’s through answering these questions in an unrestricted flow that patterns can emerge.

Be sure to  write down any memories that come up   – even the bad ones! The refining will come later, but for now, put all the words you can on paper.

They key here is to organize your thoughts. This task seems farcical, but it’s important to perform because “Why NYU?” is such a broad question that countless thoughts will fly through your mind at first read.

• Find stories that embody your personality.
• Record stories that highlight your sense of grit.
• Write stories that personify your wonder and curiosity.

Perform this task three times. You want at least three stories. The more stories, the more options you have.

Step 4: Brainstorming Powerful Essay Ideas

Once again, you never want to write about how much you want to live in New York City. There are plenty of schools that share NYU’s geographic location. Furthermore, there are thousands of students who want to live in a city as diverse, resource-rich, and historic as New York City.

Your goal is to set yourself apart from the rest of the applicants. Your story will help you do this.

Dig deeper.

Write down what you care about. What…

• …makes you happy?
• …makes you angry?
• …bores you to death?
• …are you inspired by?

Don’t hold back here either. Be completely honest with yourself.

In the college admissions process, you may be able to lie to yourself, but it’s hard to lie to the college admissions committee. It’s not worth the risk.

Be honest about what you care about, and it will shine through in your essay. Once you’ve come up with your list, look through your research from Step 2. What does NYU care about? Perhaps, you’ve learned that they care about the arts, curiosity, intercultural exchange, and open-mindedness.

• … care about the arts? Are you curious?
• …enjoy learning from and learning with people from cultural backgrounds different from yours?
• …consider yourself to be open-minded?

Why, or why not? Once again, the key here is to be honest.

Dig deeper. Explore your values, memories, interests, and hobbies.

• Is there a setback you’ve learned from? Is there a challenge burned into your memory?
• What issues are you passionate about?
• What are you endlessly curious about? Do you love reading about a particular subject?
• What talents do you want to offer the world? Is there a specific reason you want to share your gift with the world?
• What drives you? Deep down, is there something that makes your blood flow and brain click?
• Are there special items in your house that hold sentimental value to you?

All told, think about anecdotes: What stories from your life have inspired your interests and passions. Think about lessons learned, personal themes, and the challenges and setbacks that made you who you are today.

Students often say that their anecdotes aren’t interesting. That’s fine!

What matters is how you explain them within the context of your experiences. That means you should be honest and specific about your experiences. Authenticity goes a long way for the Why NYU essay.

Step 5: Picking an Effective Essay Premise

Look over your free-write responses, and pick up particularly interesting memories that are related to your values and tell a story.

Almost everyone likes a good story.

• Review your free-writing document. Find memories that highlight an important aspect of your personality or values.
• Find a common thread between each of your stories and one or two values per story.
• Match one of NYU’s values or special traits with each story.
• Structure your essay around these three parts.

College admissions officers have to read hundreds of applications a day, and the ones that stand out are the ones written in the form of a good story.

The good news is that you don’t have to be J. K. Rowling or John Green.  The best stories are authentic  (that means they are true to who you are), descriptive (you help the reader experience your experience with their own senses), and clear (the reader understands exactly what you’re trying to say).

Talk about your experience, how that relates to your values and NYU’s values, and, most importantly, how your experience has impacted your choice of NYU as a potential college.

It’s likely your “Why NYU?” essay will flow as such:

• This is a story that highlights an important aspect of who I am.
• This value connects to the story.
• It just so happens this value connects with NYU’s special value.
• And that’s why I’m a great fit.

Remember the million-dollar question: Why NYU?

And then rethink the question: Why am I a good fit for NYU?

Why NYU Essay Example Outline

Here’s an excellent outline of a Why NYU essay. Before reading the outline, keep in mind that you have many options for crafting this essay.

What counts is telling an effective story.

• As such, one way to tell an effective story is to start your essay with an anecdote.

Your anecdote can begin with one of the following:

• A quote from someone that helps you preface your story
• Cold hook: Something almost random that captures the reader’s attention
• Bold statement: A statement that your story will support with details
• Obvious statement: A line that makes the reader say, “Yes, of course. Why would you say something that obvious?” This is the segue to the next part of your essay.

Once you add your anecdote, frame it with details immediately. You have 400 words to work with, so get right into your essay. Your anecdote should comprise 10-15% of your essay.

Once you get into your essay, explain the actions you took to pursue an interest. This should comprise 30-40% of your essay.

• What are you interested in?
• Describe the action steps you took to further your passion and take initiative.

Then, spend the rest of your essay discussing the resources at NYU that will help you accomplish your goals and sharpen your skill set. You can mention examples of the following:

• Fellowships
• Internships
• Professors and their classes
• On-campus groups
• Study-abroad programs
• New academic initiatives
• Externships

Without further delay, here’s what a good Why NYU essay would look like:

• You grew up in a lower-income household and can recall a conversation with your sibling about how your family couldn’t afford health insurance.
• Disappointed in our country’s health care options, you were inspired to volunteer in clinics, where you learned more about bloat and inefficient business processes within insurance companies. This adds to costs for would-be consumers like your family.
• You shadowed a doctor during your junior year in high school to learn about technologies that could be provided at scale for low-income citizens.
• This is why you want to study at NYU Stern: to engage in NYU-sponsored internships both in the city and abroad that will help you learn more about healthcare technology at scale.
• You then want to establish a startup with the help of a specific professor, who will advise you with raising capital, hiring talent , and pivoting when necessary.

Step 6: Get Critiques & Make Revisions

An English teacher, your favorite teacher (which may or may not be your English teacher), and a friend who is always honest are great choices for additional readers.

A great English teacher knows the mechanics of the English language very well and will be honest with you about how your essay looks and sounds.

• Bad punctuation is a death knell, and awkward words and phrases could move your essay from the “wow we’ve got to take him/her” pile to the “snooze/meh” pile.

Pick an English teacher with whom you have a good/neutral relationship, and approach them with the utmost respect and humility.

• Remember, they don’t have to read your essay. They’re doing you a favor.
• Ask them to mark it up for you, if they have time, and to give their honest thoughts and opinions.
• If they really like you, they may do this several times. After the process is said and done, be sure to send them a thank you card.

Your favorite teacher may not be your English teacher, but they’re just as valuable because they usually have a really good sense of your likes, dislikes, as well as your authenticity. In other words, they can tell if you’re lying or trying to be something you’re not.

You need someone who knows you well and can tell you if you’re being honest in your essay. Your favorite teacher may also be able to remind you of things about yourself that you’ve forgotten.

• Let’s face it, when you’re taking 6-8 classes a quarter among all of your other responsibilities, you might lose a memory or two.
• A friend who is always honest with you is infinitely better than a friend who just wants you to be happy/flattered.

Pick a friend who isn’t afraid to tell you that your writing is terrible, or that you could have worded things a little better.

You need as much constructive criticism as possible while crafting a college essay that is authentic and compelling.

Step 7: Final read-throughs

If possible, do your final readings at least 24-48 hours after your last revision , in order to give your brain a break.

Make sure to read your essays out loud, just in case you have a typo in there that you and your other readers missed.

Two final read-throughs should be sufficient for assurance sake, but any more than that, and you could end up making yourself a bit anxious.

Trust yourself and trust the process. When you’re done, let go and submit.

Why NYU Essay Examples

We’ve provided some examples of Why NYU essays. Please remember to never plagiarize – we take this quite seriously.

These Why NYU essay examples are here to provide you with a visual on what a good essay looks like. Your essay should look different.

A version of Why NYU by a student:

Se-mi-llas de Es-pe-ran-za y A-mor. These were the words written on the school wall I visited as a member of The Hillsdale Effect an organization that fundraises microloans for businesswomen. Seeds of Love and Hope. During my six days in Guatemala, I had the opportunity to speak with students, teachers, and businesswomen about the struggles they face every day. My journey in Central America not only shaped my college and career goals, but they have also guided the direction in which I want to use my skills. Semillas de Esperanza y Amor is a school that brings in street children and offers them a free education. I asked one student, a young girl, about her aspirations. To my greatest surprise, she wanted to study at Guatemala’s only public university to become a doctor and return to her village to help her community. Afterward, a teacher explained that despite the students’ aspirations, a college education would be financially out of reach for their parents. This was a call to action. Later, I spoke to a local organizational director, who described an application they had tried to develop that would allow the businesswomen they serve to connect with business educators. Unfortunately, due to the lack of a strong Internet connection in some regions and the overall complexity of the user experience, the application failed. It was abandoned by all the local directors, who no longer saw it as a beneficial endeavor. To me, this seemed like a lost opportunity. If done right, the application could radically simplify communication and make the loaning process more effective. Which would then allow more women to participate in the program to empower themselves, transform their businesses, and help their children get an education. I want to dedicate my education to building technology that makes a social impact. My passion for international affairs has allowed me to help people in a drastically different community than my own. And by pursuing a computer science education at NYU while also participating in one of the multitude of study abroad programs offered, I know I will be able to develop the technical and global skills that will allow me to construct technology that will break the cycle of poverty, allowing little girls like the one I met to make their dreams come true.

Here’s another example of the Why NYU essay from the same student:

“Comienzo! Alto!” As the young students and I kicked the soccer ball back and forth on the Guatemalan field, I peered toward their village, San Mateo Miltas Alpas, and envisioned change. Change to improve infrastructure and help the businesswomen of their community. This is why I want to study computer science at NYU. In high school, I have been a leading member in The Hillsdale Effect, an organization that fundraises microloans for businesswomen in Guatemala. Our goal is to empower women entrepreneurs in hopes of breaking the cycle of poverty. I was given the opportunity to travel to Guatemala on a study tour and meet the individuals we were helping. When visiting a local headquarters in Antigua, the director explained how microloans are processed through their office: Business educators working for the organization contact their users. The educators then utilize a smartphone application to simplify the rest of the communication process between the businesswomen and educators. Unfortunately, due to the lack of a strong Internet connection in some regions and overall complexity of the user experience, the application failed. It was abandoned by all the local directors, who no longer saw it as a beneficial endeavor. I quickly realized I wanted to construct my own application that would connect the educators with the users. Of course, my application would need minimal service, and its simpler interface would be accessible from anywhere in the country. By utilizing images and multiple audio explanations, the language barrier could be broken, allowing individuals of any age or background to use the application. My goal is to integrate the solutions to these problems into a new application. After studying computer science at NYU, I want to apply my learned skills to build the Internet infrastructure of villages around the world. Furthermore, I want to partake in one of the multitude of study abroad programs offered so I can again travel to developing countries and learn more about the various benefits technology can provide in addressing infrastructure needs. This past year, we broke our school fundraising record, earning over $8,000 in two weeks for the businesswomen of Guatemala. As I look forward to the conclusion of high school, I know I can do more by learning at NYU. As my coding skills improve, I want to use them to go back abroad and do my part to build communities, like San Mateo Miltas Alpas.

From a student who wants to go to NYU to study public health:

As a Lacinda First Aid Team leader, I applied my interest in public health within my school community. During weekly shifts, I supported the nurse by patrolling the fitness center and common areas for ill students. After initiating partnerships with other school clubs, my team and I organized informational health fairs and visits from physicians, pharmacists, physical therapists, and surgeons. I trained noncertified members and supplied bandages, heating pads, and antiseptic swabs to injured students. My training culminated during competitions, where I treated patients in unconscious victim, heart attack, stroke, and choking simulations. NYU’s College of Public Health provides students with opportunities to blend academic rigour with clinical experience, just as I delved into my zeal for helping others as a member of the First Aid Team. As a global public health major, I would complete an Experiential Learning course where I would step out of the classroom using a tactile approach. Then, I would take Health and Societies in a Global Context to learn how factors such as age, gender, culture, and race impact health on a global scale. I could take this knowledge to engage in team-based learning, where I would address the severity of mental illness on NYU’s campus. Learning to tackle problems as a team is a vital skill, especially when working closely with public health organizations. A project that captivates me is the Applied Global Public Health Initiative led by Dr. Chris Dickey. As a future program member, my goal is to discover improvements for the universal health coverage policy of the World Health Organization and the development of online public health programs. Under Dr. Dickey’s tutelage, I would apply my newfound knowledge to create an interactive fellowship experience that promotes collaboration with experienced NYU professionals while tackling issues that impact vulnerable communities. This work would create tools that better manage health accessibility to all. One day, I would like to become involved with Doctors Without Borders. NYU gives me the optimal resources combined with engaging experiences to work toward my goal. I believe a person’s health is the fundamental pillar of stability and sustainability; thus, I want to dedicate my time to improving both on a global scale. I aim to work in developing countries to spread the knowledge I acquire through internship opportunities, projects, and stimulating curriculum. NYU offers an immersive academic experience while supporting its students through personal growth and innovation.

Written by another student who wants to study health:

A year ago, my grandmother was a fiery, sharp-witted woman. Since then, a progressive neurodegenerative disease called Lewy body dementia (LBD) has caused her to deteriorate rapidly. Due to medical complications and worsening of symptoms, she has been forced to transition in and out of residential, rehabilitative, and hospital facilities, resulting in a constant battle to adjust to new environments. Witnessing my grandmother’s downward spiral has opened my eyes to the inadequacies of our healthcare system, fueling me to seek solutions.  At NYU, I will make progress towards an LBD cure by studying neural science and develop evidence-based policies to improve dementia patients’ lives through my public policy studies. This double major will allow me to absorb the scientific understanding necessary to create effective legislation, as will embarking on a health policy summer internship in Washington, D.C. where I can network while fusing my scientific and policy interests . The unique neural science major at NYU will fulfill my fascination with the brain’s function, while providing a strong natural science foundation. I am enthusiastic about elective courses, like Learning and Memory , w here I can examine memory formation and the pathophysiology of dementia. It will be thrilling to apply my classroom-based knowledge during a summer research project at the Center for Neural Science, ideally working alongside a faculty member to develop my own LBD-focused research project. With the Alzheimer’s Disease Center located on campus, I can frequently attend special events like the Alzheimer’s Disease Lunch and Learn series, supplementing my studies with current brain research and furthering my journey towards my desired career.  While neural science will develop my understanding of LBD, public policy will teach me the skill of employing legislation to solve issues that face dementia patients. I am eager to immerse myself in five health policy electives, in addition to classes such as Medical Ethics , where I can engage with peers that are passionate about patient rights. The Senior Seminar experience will allow me to utilize knowledge from both of my majors, honing in on a pressing policy issue facing dementia patients today.  Neither in life nor in academics have I stayed within a confined box. NYU’s liberal arts education promotes exploration, making it the perfect place for me to pursue my bursting passions. 

Final Why NYU essay example:

As a Macona First Aid Team leader, I applied my interest in public health within my school community. During weekly shifts, I supported the nurse by patrolling the fitness center and common areas for ill students. After initiating partnerships with other school clubs, my team and I organized informational health fairs and visits from physicians, pharmacists, physical therapists, and surgeons. I trained noncertified members and supplied bandages, heating pads, and antiseptic swabs to injured students. My training culminated during competitions, where I treated patients in unconscious victim, heart attack, stroke, and choking simulations. NYU’s College of Public Health provides students with opportunities to blend academic rigour with clinical experience, just as I delved into my zeal for helping others as a member of the First Aid Team. As a global public health major, I would complete an Experiential Learning course where I would step out of the classroom using a tactile approach. Then, I would take Health and Societies in a Global Context to learn how factors such as age, gender, culture, and race impact health on a global scale. I could take this knowledge to engage in team-based learning, where I would address the severity of mental illness on NYU’s campus. Learning to tackle problems as a team is a vital skill, especially when working closely with public health organizations. A project that captivates me is the Applied Global Public Health Initiative led by Dr. Chris Dickey. As a future program member, my goal is to discover improvements for the universal health coverage policy of the World Health Organization and the development of online public health programs. Under Dr. Dickey’s tutelage, I would apply my newfound knowledge to create an interactive fellowship experience that promotes collaboration with experienced NYU professionals while tackling issues that impact vulnerable communities. This work would create tools that better manage health accessibility to all. One day, I would like to become involved with Doctors Without Borders. NYU gives me the optimal resources combined with engaging experiences to work toward my goal. I believe a person’s health is the fundamental pillar of stability and sustainability; thus, I want to dedicate my time to improving both on a global scale. I aim to work in developing countries to spread the knowledge I acquire through internship opportunities, projects, and stimulating curriculum. NYU offers an immersive academic experience while supporting its students through personal growth and innovation.

Conclusion: Why NYU?

You did it! You made it through all 7 steps.

By now, you understand the importance of breaking down the essay questions and putting them in your own words, researching the school, reflecting on your own values, and finding places of commonality between your values and the school’s.

In order to get to your story, you need to let yourself write without restriction. In addition, you know the importance of crafting a coherent narrative and having several people read through your work.

Hopefully, you have written a superb essay in response to NYU’s question.

Remember that you are more than enough, and all the support you need is out there if you would look for it.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us. We wish you all the best on your applications!

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New York University (NYU) Transfers: 2023 Requirements, Dates, GPAs & More

This is the complete guide for transferring to New York University (NYU). We suggest you read until the end - you can also use the below calculator to estimate your likelihood of being able to transfer to New York University (NYU).

This free college chances tool calculates your acceptance chances at any other U.S. college

Please note all chances are estimates based on test score and GPA averages.

I get it - transferring colleges can be confusing, time-consuming and overwhelming. You are not alone . In fact, more than 700,000 students transfer colleges every year. Watch the New York University (NYU) CampusReel

At New York University (NYU), 3.19% of the entire student body are transfer students, so you won’t be alone.

To read about regular admission requirements for New York University (NYU), click here

Can you transfer into New York University (NYU)

What are the transfer requirements for New York University (NYU)?

New York University (NYU) requires a number of completed documents for consideration. The table below summarizes the most important pieces of information:

In addition to the above requirements, New York University (NYU) also requires a minimum number of credits completed to apply to be a transfer student.

New York University (NYU) requires a minimum of 16 credits.

What are New York University (NYU)’s Transfer Deadlines?

Many universities accept transfer applications during each semester. For this reason, we break down New York University (NYU) transfer deadline by fall, winter, spring and summer.

Waiting until the last minute to finalize your application could result in a silly mistake.

We recommend you complete your application at least 1 week before the required deadline.

In fact, take a full 2 day break from looking at anything related to your application and then come back to look for errors. I bet you’ll find a few 😉

When are decision dates for New York University (NYU) transfer applicants?

If you applied to transfer to New York University (NYU) on or before the reported deadlines then you should have your decision date by the notification dates in the below table.

Note this data is current as of 2019 and to the best of our knowledge this hasn’t changed.

What is New York University (NYU)’s transfer acceptance rate?

In 2019, New York University (NYU) received 8138 transfer applicants.

The school accepted 2004 students. Therefore, the transfer acceptance rate for New York University (NYU) is 24.63%.

This indicates how hard it is to transfer into New York University (NYU). You can use the free calculator below to predict your chances of getting accepted.

Additionally, of the 2004 accepted transfer students, 922 students enrolled - that means the yield was 46.01%.

New York University (NYU) accepts 25 out of every 100 transfer applicants.

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What are the New York University (NYU) transfer GPA requirements?

New York University (NYU) requires a minimum college GPA of 2.5 - this is on a 4.33 point scale.

In addition, New York University (NYU) requires a minimum high school GPA of 2.5.

New York University (NYU) has noted the additional policies: Steinhardt Sch of Culture, Education, and Human Development offers articulation agreement with metropolitan New York City area community colleges..

Will you enjoy transferring to New York University (NYU)?

There are a lot of reasons to transfer to New York University (NYU).

Maybe your plan has always been to attend community college, and then move to a four year college to save money while completing your degree.

Maybe you had a bad experience at your first school - don’t worry this is more common than you think.

Or perhaps you’re drawn to New York...

Will you be able to find a place to find home and grow?

Regardless of your reason for transferring, you’re already enrolled at another college or university so you know that the most important element in your college experience is the people and community

Finding success at New York University (NYU) is dependent on feeling comfortable - will you be able to find a place to find home and grow?

These are the questions that numbers and data cannot answer, but CampusReel can.

If you’re considering transferring to New York University (NYU) then I highly recommend that you watch the school’s videos on CampusReel. These are real students with real stories.

Let’s wrap up everything we’ve learned. If you still have questions about transferring, check out the New York University (NYU) website for more info. New York University (NYU) accepts 24.63% transfer applicants, which is competitive.

To have a shot at transferring into New York University (NYU), you should have a current GPA of at least 3.62 - ideally you’re GPA will be around 3.76. In addition, you will need to submit standardized test scores.

The below tables show the SAT and ACT breakdown of New York University (NYU) students.

New York University (NYU)’s average SAT score is 1365. To be a competitive applicant for New York University (NYU) your SAT score should come close to the average - for the ACT you should be aiming for the equivalent.

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NYU External Transfer Essay Questions

The essays that NYU allows students to submit have maximum word counts that are relatively high compared to other universities (2500 for the Why NYU? vs. 250 for What Excites You About BU?) and I was wondering what the suggested length was for NYU's essay.

Those of you who have submitted an External Transfer Application, how long was yours and what was the outcome with your application status?

I am also wondering if for the Personal Statement if it is acceptable to talk about campus culture as a reason for leaving? The school that I currently attend is known for having a pretty significant drinking/party/"frat" culture that I have come to not identify with, and I was wondering if that is reason enough to allow for a strong personal statement.

Thanks Y'all.

I have to say that is really weird considering Why NYU for freshman app is like 250 or 500 words.

I wrote around 400 words for my essay and got in. I don't specifically remember there being a 2500 word maximum when I applied but generally speaking I wouldn't worry about approaching the maximum number of words if you feel like what you can clearly express your interest in NYU in a shorter number of words.

For my larger personal statement, I also mentioned campus culture as a reason for wanting to transfer. While it wasn't the primary focus of my essay I would say it's still a valid reason for why someone might want to transfer. The key would be to generally discuss how the campus culture at the school you want to transfer to (NYU or BU) would benefit you personally, how your goals and needs would be met at a different school, etc. I would advise against focusing on what you dislike about your current situation.

Thanks for the advice!

I transferred in here last year. 2 notes: the exact fratty, socially backwards campus culture you’re talking about is the same reason I transferred out of my last school. I talked about it a lot in my personal statement, and even told the professors writing my rec letters about it so I would go for it. if you’re worried about sounding negative try to frame it something like “NYUs campus culture is so good because of “X”, I think that would suit me better than the “Y” campus culture at my current school. Secondly, my biggest piece of advice for “why NYU” is programs programs programs. Go on the website of the department you’re interested in studying under and try to find some specific programs of study, internship opportunities, etc that you’re interested in and talk about them in detail in your essay. They want to see that you’ve done your research and are planning to come here with specific academic pathways in mind. Being detailed about why these opportunities are perfect for you is a good application and also helps to fill that large word count.

Best of luck! Transferring here is one of the Best decisions I’ve made.

Make sure it’s not 2500 character count.

You are correct. I was mistaken, thanks for the advice.

I wrote like two paragraphs and got in, but I also had a 3.9. So take that with a grain of salt.

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