nyu personal essays

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.

How to Write The Supplemental Essay Prompt for New York University

While this essay is marked as optional, we’d highly recommend writing it—it offers another chance to show the school who you are and what you bring to their campus and community.

The first thing that comes to mind when many people see the word “diversity” is race, caste, or economic backgrounds and influences, but diversity is actually a much more expansive word, especially in the minds of college officials. We recommend checking out the full guide on how to write the diversity essay (and paying special attention to the “Some Do’s and Don’ts” section), but if you’re short on time, here are summaries of two straightforward approaches—community and identity/perspective:

Community approach

Brainstorm a list of communities that you belong to (places, interests, action/activities, and circumstance).

Once you choose a community or two, use the BEABIES exercise to generate the content for the essay (e.g., what you did, solved, learned, the impact you had, how you applied those lessons to other areas).

Pick between a narrative (if you’ve faced challenges in your community) or montage structure.

Identity/perspective approach

Brainstorm a list of ways in which you identify—this can range from ethnicity or nationality to activities (baker, gamer, reader) or interests (poetry, zoology), etc.

Describe why these identities reveal different sides of you.

Consider addressing an important identity that hasn’t shown up in your application yet.

For shorter prompts, it helps to focus on one identity while for longer prompts, you can write about multiple. At 250 words, this essay is about in the middle between short and long.

No matter which approach you pick, it’s important to remember that NYU is asking how your experiences will “ help [them] to shape and grow [their] diverse community.” This calls for an extra “Why us? ” element in this diversity essay. Consider …

In what ways will you contribute to diversity on campus?

Are there organizations, groups, or programs that will allow you to continue service work or activities you’ve already done?

Is there an organization you’d want to start?

Answering these questions will take a bit of research to see what NYU does and doesn't offer in terms of opportunities, but doing so will ultimately show that you’ve thought deeply about how you want to engage with NYU’s proudly eclectic community (you’ll see hints of “Why us?” coming up in the examples!).

Since this NYU prompt is new for the 2022-2023 application cycle, we don’t have examples that were specifically written for it. But we do have a great example, originally written for Brown, that does a great job of answering a similar question:

Since 10th grade, I have been offering TED Talks on topics of self-expression and inclusivity. I have learned to turn my experience of being bullied and silenced into a determined voice to combat bullying and promote a spirit of inclusivity. In 11th grade, I created an anti-bullying organization, which teaches middle schoolers how to deal with the transition to high school. I would like to take these conversations about the importance of safe space and inclusivity to middle schools in Providence, working with organizations such as “No Bully” and initiatives such as Be Fearless Be Kind to encourage kids to stand up for each other. As poetry has become the cornerstone of my personal growth and a tool for helping others, I plan to contribute to The Round Magazine and organizations such as WORD! I would explore opportunities to bridge poetry and the visual arts by possibly collaborating with Artbeat. I am also interested in studying connections between poetry and the sciences, their mutual applicability, and ways science can help me write better poetry while becoming an outstanding psychiatrist. By working with Providence organizations such as AS220, a non-profit community arts organization in downtown, I could tap into my passion for the arts and writing. I would be a AS220 volunteer teacher and possibly introduce activities and workshops to encourage others to express themselves more fully and vulnerably. (228 words)

Tips + Analysis

Write an intentional opening sentence. You’ll notice there’s no prolonged introduction or hook for this essay. Since the word count here is pretty restrictive, opening with a sentence that 1) hints at or tells the reader exactly where this essay is going, and/or 2) opens with values, means you’re saving space for more words later. The writer here opens with an activity they’ve been doing, but emphasizes their values of self-expression and inclusivity.

Envision yourself at the university. This plays into the “Why us?” part of the response. Through careful and thorough research, you’ll be able to identify campus organizations and programs that resonate with you, especially in terms of the ways you’ve outlined your areas of diversity. Going this extra mile shows NYU officials that you’re familiar with what the community has to offer and that you can envision yourself on campus, not just thriving but contributing. This writer names a handful of organizations and programs at Brown or in the nearby community, drawing specific connections to their interests.

Tie in your career aspirations. This is not necessary, but if it comes up organically while writing, it’s a nice nugget of information to include—it gives some backstory and motivation to your interests, and how you can use the university’s programs to achieve that goal. By noting their dream of becoming “an outstanding psychiatrist,” this student is able to add additional context around how these experiences will combine to enhance and inform their journey after college.

Show diversity through community. This essay is a good example of the community approach mentioned above. The writer touches on varying activities and interests, expanding by sharing how those experiences would help them contribute to the Brown community in specific ways. Like this: “As poetry has become the cornerstone of my personal growth and a tool for helping others, I plan to contribute to The Round Magazine and organizations such as WORD! I would explore opportunities to bridge poetry and the visual arts by possibly collaborating with Artbeat.”

Let’s take a look at another example (also written for Brown) that we love:

I am a people person. I enjoy meeting, engaging and connecting with people wherever I am and wherever they are from, the more different our perspectives, the better. I chat with New York taxi drivers and appreciate hearing their backgrounds and life stories. I chose to study Mandarin and Arabic to provide a better understanding of unfamiliar cultures and have enjoyed bonding with summer roommates from Colorado and Virginia to Lebanon, Russia and Turkey. And more recently, when volunteering in discussion forums with ex-convicts in the South Bronx, I have bonded over shared interests like hip hop and sneakers, while listening intently to the life lessons they imparted. I believe that connecting with people is a two-way street. Through my experiences, I have fostered a diverse set of values like curiosity, a commitment to helping others, and a willingness to take risks that shape my outlook on the world. I enjoy sharing these experiences and values with others and would look forward to continuing to do that at Brown. Whether making a queen sacrifice on the chess board next to teammates on the Ivy League Champion Brown Chess Team or collaborating with other Brown students in continued refugee work with BRYTE (Brown Refugee Youth Tutoring and Enrichment), I would enjoy connecting with my Brown classmates and contributing to the broader Brown community.

Open with a logical flow of information. This writer opens with a very intentional first sentence on being a “people person,” then quickly and clearly shows what they mean, using color and details to illustrate their explanation. Packing each sentence with an individual example of people-personing in action gives the first paragraph an easy, breezy sense of flow. Try this approach and see if it works for you.

Demonstrate your values, but don’t be afraid to name them. In the second paragraph, the writer clearly states the values they gained from the experiences in paragraph 1. While some writers may be more subtle when writing about their values, this approach also works because this writer has already shown these values through color and context; now they’re connecting the values to experiences through the tell—i.e., curiosity = listening to the stories of New York taxi drivers, and commitment to helping others = their volunteer work with ex-felons. Whether you lean toward the show or feel comfortable following up with some tell, just make sure values make a strong appearance, in all your essays.

Mention of activities + why. Pretty early in the essay, the writer talks about their reasons for studying Mandarin and Arabic. Your transcripts and activities list will show the classes you took and the activities you participated in, but illustrating the motivation or backstory for relevant activities gives the reader a clear explanation for the “why,” which helps glue together the different parts of your application.

Show more through small details. The writer is able to work in small details about themselves that the reader wouldn’t have known otherwise—their interest in hip hop and sneakers and that they had roommates from around the country and the world, leading to meaningful interactions. These small details offer the reader more of a 3D view of your world, breathing life and color into your application—the admission officers only know what you tell them.

Diversity through identity/perspective. This essay is a strong example of the identity and perspective approach, with the writer articulating what they gained from those interactions (like life lessons from ex-convicts and learning languages to better understand unfamiliar cultures), then followed up with specific ways they can use these experiences to enrich the Brown community—through BRYTE or Brown’s champion chess team.

Special thanks to Elica for contributing to this post.

Elica (she/her) is a college essay specialist who has a love of language in all forms; she has degrees in linguistics, has taught academic writing at the university level, and has been coaching students on their college and graduate school admissions essays for over 7 years. When she’s not working with students or writing, Elica can be found reading, printmaking, and exploring nature.

Top Values: Collaboration | Curiosity | Patience

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NYU Essay Examples (And Why They Worked)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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How to Nail the NYU "Pick Six" MBA Application Essay

The NYU Personal Expression or "Pick 6" MBA essay is unique as it asks applicants to explain themselves in only 6 images. Here are tips to help you choose the right photos and submit the best application possible.

February 3, 2023

NYU is an acclaimed university known for a variety of different undergraduate and graduate degrees. The Stern School of Business at NYU was founded in 1900 and is consistently ranked as one of the top 15 business schools in the country. In this article, we’ll provide an overview of and tips for one part of the application commonly referred to as the "Pick Six" essay.

Here is a quick overview of NYU Stern’s profile for the class of 2024.

Personal Expression (“Pick Six”) Essay Overview

One of the two essays Stern requires is known as the “Pick Six” essay. Instead of a traditional written response, students are asked to send in a PDF with six images, graphs, visualizations, artworks, etc. that they believe "help illustrate who they are." Many find this essay more difficult than others because of the non-traditional format. Though it can be daunting, think of it as a creative way to represent your candidacy that would otherwise be impossible.

The full prompt is as follows:

"Describe yourself to the Admissions Committee and to your future classmates using six images and corresponding captions. Your uploaded PDF should contain all of the following elements:

Note: Your visuals may include photos, infographics, drawings, or any other images that best describe you. Your document must be uploaded as a single PDF. The essay cannot be sent in physical form or be linked to a website."

“Pick Six” Essay Tips and Tricks

Let’s start with some general MBA essay tips. These are ubiquitous for all of your business school applications. For more essay help, read How to Write a Powerful MBA Essay and The Ultimate M7 MBA Essay Guide .

Don’t repeat information that can be found in other parts of the application: In almost every case, if there is a story told in another part of your application–whether that be a different essay, letter of recommendation, resume, etc.–don’t repeat it. You want to highlight as many facets of your candidacy as possible and repeating information will prevent you from doing so, and may also come off as repetitive.

Start early: Writing essays takes a lot more time than most people think it will. Give yourself at least three months, if possible, so that you can take the time necessary to brainstorm, draft, edit, revise, and get feedback. Once you’ve finished a version you’re happy with, read it out loud. Doing so will help you hear it as the admissions committee will.

Also, as we’ll talk about below, getting a second person’s advice is extremely valuable. Work with a Leland coach at any or all stages of putting together your essays in order to submit the best version possible. They can help you choose the right stories, pare down to the word count, edit the different drafts, and generally help you polish. Most of our coaches are alumni of top MBA programs and can also help you understand exactly what the schools are looking for.

Don’t portray a story that you think the admissions committee wants to hear: The first rule of MBA applications: be genuine. You are the only you out there and that is what makes your application unique. Be true to yourself, your values, and your story. There is a variety of ways to tell that narrative, with different areas of focus and examples, but whatever you choose should remain core to who you are as a person.

How to Approach the “Pick 6” Essay

Now, as with most creative assignments, there are many different ways that you could approach this essay. In this next section, we’ll provide some tips but keep in mind that there’s no wrong way to go about it. Here are several approaches to brainstorming you could take.

Now, let's dive into some strategies for success.

1. Spend a lot of time on introspection

Summarizing your entire life in six images is not an easy task, nor should it be. Before you start getting even close to picking your finalists, spend time reflecting on the questions above. This is important not just for the Stern “Pick Six” essay, but for all MBA application essays. Business schools want to know who you are, who you’ve been, and who you think you will be. Take time to reflect on these things as well as on what’s important to you, what drives your life, and what inspires you.

2. Think about the kind of story you want to tell

Your six photos could tell many different kinds of stories. For example, they could provide a comprehensive image of your past, your future aspirations, a mix of both, or something else entirely. What story is the one that you most want to tell?

You can also think about this in terms of the rest of your application. If you mostly focus on your history in the other essays, then use the images to show your present or future. The short answer and first essay ask more about your career aspirations, so you may use the "Pick Six" to focus more on who you are personally, not professionally.

3. Tie in the characteristics of a “Sternie” when possible and applicable

Through the different essay descriptions and instructions, several themes become apparent. Stern wants applicants who are involved, in both the community and eventually in its program. It also places emphasis on individuality, which, as mentioned in the general tip above, means staying true to yourself. Choose the things that are uniquely and genuinely you.

Stern is also looking for people who want to improve the world around them. If there is a natural and genuine way for you to weave this into your images and their captions, do so.

4. Get a third-person perspective

Once you have the images and captions that you think you want to have, show them to a friend, mentor, parent, coach, or anyone else who knows you well. Do the images accurately portray who you are? Then, ask a coach or mentor who doesn’t know you as well. What kind of person do the images show? Are they the characteristics that you wanted to portray? Understanding how someone else sees the story shown in the images is important because it’s likely how the admissions committee members will see it.

5. Think outside the box

Within the limits of six pictures with six captions, you have some room for creativity. We've seen screenshots of important texts, graphs, momentous occasions and photos with the applicant in them, stock photos, food photos, and more. Some applicants choose to create a sort of collage with multiple, smaller images in the larger photo. All this is to say, it's okay to push the boundaries of what you think "six images" could be.

Where Can I Start?

Applying to business schools is no easy task. If you're applying to other top programs, you may find these articles helpful.

If you’d prefer personalized advice in a one-on-one setting, work with a Leland coach. With over 80+ MBA experts on the site, you’re sure to find someone who fits your background and goals. Browse them all here .

When you join Leland, you get access to exclusive events and resources, a community of like-minded and ambitious people, and much more. Sign up today and together, we’ll go places.

Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, writing the why nyu essay.

College Essays

If you're applying to New York University, you'll need to submit both the regular Common App materials as well as the NYU supplement, which includes a short essay. At its heart, the NYU essay prompt asks you to answer a single straightforward question: why do you want to go to NYU?

In this article, we'll fully analyze the "Why NYU?" essay prompt and what successful essays need to accomplish. We'll also go over potential topics to write about and look at the essay that got me into NYU's College of Arts and Science.

First, however, we'll begin with a quick discussion of why schools ask students to write "why this school?" essays

feature image credit: Sagie /Flickr

Why NYU Essay 2022 Update

NYU has discontinued the "Why NYU" for the 2022-2023 admissions cycle . That means there won't be an NYU-specific writing supplement provided as part of the Common Application process.

However, students can submit an optional 250-word response as part of NYU's additional questions section. This response deals with students' perspectives on diversity. Here's the prompt for 2022:

Make sure you visit our expert post on how to write diversity essays to learn more about how to answer diversity prompts like this one.

What's the Point of "Why This School" Essays?

While the Common App essay gives students a chance to showcase something of who they are that might not be evident elsewhere in their application, the "why [school]?" essay allows students space to explicitly state why they are such a good match for the school.

Presumably, if you're applying to the school, your test scores, grades, course rigor and curriculum, extracurriculars, and volunteer experience all put you at least somewhat in line with other students at the school.

The "why this school?" essay is your opportunity to discuss not just why you could excel at the school, but why you are a good fit (and why you want to go there).

"Why this school" essays are also a useful way for schools to judge student interest in a school (which can indicate whether or not a student will attend if admitted). Based on students' "why this school?" essays, colleges can distinguish students who are specifically interested in attending that school from students who clearly applied just because of the school's location or ranking

Writing a strong "why [school]?" essay not only gives you another instance to showcase your writing and reasoning skills, but also tells the school that you care enough to invest time in researching what makes them special. It signifies that you have put in the time to realize whether or not you're a good fit. (And, it secondarily shows that having put in that time, you're more likely to attend if admitted than someone who just wrote some generic statements about why they want to attend college ).

For a more in-depth look at what schools hope to get out of your "Why [This School]?" essays, read this article .

Why NYU Essay Prompt, Analyzed

Here's the complete NYU supplement essay prompt for 2021:

We would like to know more about your interest in NYU. What motivated you to apply to NYU? Why you have 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)

Besides the standard "what motivated you to apply to [school]?" question that almost every "why this school" essay asks, the NYU prompt gives you one extra nudge for what to focus on in your essay.

Specifically, NYU wants you to talk about what's drawn you to "a particular campus, school, college, program, and/or area of study?" (or, if you're drawn to more than one, why you're drawn to each campus/school/college/program/area of study).

Keep in mind that you should be discussing all of this in the context of NYU . Obviously, if you're interested in NYU because of one of their 10 undergraduate schools, then that's particular to NYU, but the same goes for their campus locations, programs, and areas of study.

For instance, if you're passionate about studying theater, you wouldn't just write that you want to attend NYU because you love theater and NYU has a theater program and is in New York, a city that has theater; that description could apply to half a dozen schools. Instead, you'd go into the details of what attracts you about specific classes and professors at Tisch, or other opportunities that are unique to NYU (ability to do certain kinds of projects, the potential for interdisciplinary collaboration, etc).

This prompt also hints at a few different directions you can go with your "Why NYU" essay:

Why have you expressed interest in a particular campus, school, college, program, 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.

If you're already certain of what you want to study in college or have a " spike ", you'll want to go the "particular" route in your essay . This means mentioning specific classes, professors, programs, or how you see NYU supporting your future career/academic plans.

On the other hand, perhaps you're not at all sure what you want to study in college (AKA me in high school). In that case, you'll shape your essay more around how you believe going to NYU will allow you to explore many different avenues to find your passion .

Finally, if you already know that you want to spend time abroad during college in a place where NYU has a campus, you can emphasize your interest in continuing to receive an NYU-level academic education while living in another country .

Potential "Why NYU?" Essay Topics

Earlier, we briefly touched upon some topics that you might write about in your essay, including specific courses/teachers/programs and study abroad opportunities.

We're now going to take those broad topic categories and go into a little more depth for how to write about them in your "Why NYU?" essay.

Colleges/Programs

NYU has the following 10 undergraduate schools, colleges, and programs:

Because there are so many different undergraduate programs within NYU, it's a good idea to identify which program(s) you're applying to and why in your NYU supplement essay.

Since you'll need to decide on a program before applying to NYU anyway, you might as well use the time you spend reading about each college to figure out if there are any programs within particular colleges that call out to you.

For instance, if you're interested in the intersection of different fields (like psychology and computer science, or biology and philosophy/ethics) and are self-motivated to create your own program of study, you should talk about that in your application to the Gallatin School of Individualized Study. If you've spent the last 12 years devoting all your extra time in and out of school to theatre and want to attend a conservatory with opportunities to go see live theatre, then write about that in your application to Tisch.

Courses/Professors

NYU is a world-renowned university for a reason, and it's not just because of its immense real estate holdings; it has a wide variety of courses and professors renowned in their fields. If one of the main reasons you're drawn to NYU is for its academics, then this is a good topic to get into in your supplemental essay.

Flip through the online course catalogs and read about professors in departments you're interested in. Are there any classes you really want to take (that seem particular to NYU)? Or any professors you absolutely have to study with?

You don't need to go so far as to read the professors' research or anything like that (unless you're super excited by it!), but doing even a little research into the courses and professors you'd be learning from and mentioning it in your "Why NYU?" essay will go a long way toward showing the admissions officers that you're serious enough about NYU to check out its specifics.

Extracurricular Opportunities and School Traditions

If there's an extracurricular at NYU that you've been particularly involved in during high school (or are excited to start getting involved in at college), you can write about it, as long as you're clear about why it's something unique to NYU.

NYU Essay: Topics to Avoid

The "Why NYU" essay prompt makes it pretty clear that you should focus your 400 words around a specific college/program/area of study.

What you absolutely should avoid is gushing about NYU's location (whether you're applying to the New York campus or not).

Back when I applied to NYU, the "why NYU?" essay prompt was even more blunt about not centering your essay around New York City:

"Many students decide to apply to NYU because of our New York City location. Apart from the New York City location, please tell us why you feel NYU will be a good match for you."

If New Yorkers have heard it all and seen it all before, NYU admissions officers have certainly read any and all paeans you could care to write to New York City.

It's fine to write about how being in New York gives you access to opportunities relevant to your course at NYU (e.g. you can get amazing internship opportunities for journalism and theatre there that you wouldn't be able to get anywhere else). However, you need to be clear to center your essay around the program at NYU, with the New York location (and its opportunities) being an added bonus.

Unless you have a unique take on why NYU's location is so important to you (e.g. your grandparents used to live in a building that was demolished to make way for Bobst law library and you were brought up on vengeance that has since turned to adoration), stay away from NYU's location in your explanation of why you want to go there.

Brainstorming for the Why NYU Essay

Before you start to narrow in on what angle you'll take in your "Why NYU?" essay, you should first examine your reasons for applying to NYU. By "examine," we don't just mean "list your reasons"—we mean you need to go a few levels deeper into each surface reason that occurs to you.

For example, this is the list of reasons I had for applying to NYU (roughly in order of importance):

On the face of it, none of these reasons are very compelling. If I'd just gone on to write my "Why NYU?" essay (or in those days, essays) with those three bullet points, I doubt I would have been accepted.

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Instead, I went deeper with each reason to see if there was anything there I could mine for the NYU supplement essay.

Surface Reason 1 : My test scores and grades/course rigor make it likely I'll get in.

Surface Reason 2 : NYU has lots of good schools and programs.

Surface Reason 3 : It's easy enough to get from NYU to my family, transportation-wise.

Why NYU Essay Sample

Below, I've created a "Why NYU?" essay example that draws verbatim from what I used in my (successful) NYU application. (The essay requirements were slightly different then, with different word counts, so I had to expand a little upon what I originally wrote.)

I feel NYU would be a good match for me because of the number and kinds of programs it has. I am very interested in a variety of subjects, and NYU seems to encompass everything. In fact, I'm applying to the College of Arts and Sciences because I can’t specify my interests any more than that at this time. I have so many things that I want to learn that I can’t imagine limiting myself before I even enter college.

Take Chinese, for example. I'm learning Mandarin now (and have been for the last five years), but I would also like to learn Cantonese. There are not many other schools that offer Cantonese classes that can boast trips into Chinatown as part of the curriculum! Furthermore, I am excited by the possibility of studying abroad at NYU Shanghai. I'd not only be able to go to China for a semester for a year and immerse myself in the language and culture, but I'd be able to do so with the continuity of being on an NYU campus, even halfway across the world.

The music theory program in the College of Arts and Sciences also really interests me. I've picked up some theory here and there, but I haven't had all that much formal training. I'm also really intrigued by NYU's early music ensemble and the chance to explore different modes and tunings. At the other end of the spectrum, while I've written a few pieces on my own and taught myself a little bit about MIDI, I have not really had a chance to experiment very much with computer/electronic composition, and would really like to use those Steinhardt facilities that would be available to me at NYU to help remedy this.

Finally, I cannot stress enough how important reading and creative writing are to me. Because of how much the two feed into one another, I'm excited by NYU's Reading Series and the potential to be able to attend organized events for interacting with other writers outside the classroom.

The opportunity to expand my Chinese language abilities beyond Mandarin (and have the chance for practical application) is what first intrigued me; the chance to explore computer music and get my hands on NYU's facilities was the next breadcrumb; but the breadth and depth of the courses for writing lure me in even more, until I can resist no further.

This essay isn't necessarily the best piece of writing I've ever done. However, it still effectively conveys my desire to attend NYU because I mention a few key reasons I want to attend NYU:

Tips for the Why NYU Essay

To wrap up, we've summarized our top four tips for writing the "Why NYU?" essay.

#1: Look over the descriptions of the different schools/programs. This will help you figure out both which one you want to apply to as well as what makes those schools interesting for you to apply to.

#2: Read through the course catalog and look up professors in departments you're interested in. As the NYU Admission blog states , you don't have to go overboard in stating exactly what course you want to take with what professor at what time, but you should demonstrate that you're aware of what kinds of things you will be able to do and learn while at NYU

#3: Look into whether there are any extracurricular activities or NYU traditions that particularly appeal to you--and explain why they matter specifically to you.

#4: Avoid writing odes to New York City. If there are particular opportunities you're interested in that are only available in New York (e.g. internships at the American Museum of Natural History, research into immigration history at Ellis Island) you can mention it, but don't lean too heavily on the location.

#5: Remember that while you should make it clear why you want to attend NYU with your essay, you don't need to agonize for hours over it. Ultimately, other parts of your application (including your test scores and grades/course rigor, letters of recommendation, and personal statement) are more important factors to your acceptance than your NYU supplement essay is. You just need to show that you've done at least a little research into NYU and why you want to apply there in particular.

And if along the way you find that you don't really have a super good reason that's getting you excited to apply to NYU? It might be worth reconsidering whether or not you should apply there.

What's Next?

Have a bunch more college-specific supplement essays to write? Be sure to check out our overview of the "why this college" essay .

Looking for application tips for other selective schools? Read our complete guides to the University of California system and to the Georgetown application .

Should you apply early or regular decision to college? Find out the pros and cons of early decision in this article . ( And read up on the distinctions between early decision, early action, and the different kinds of each here. )

Want to write the perfect college application essay? Get professional help from PrepScholar.

Your dedicated PrepScholar Admissions counselor will craft your perfect college essay, from the ground up. We'll learn your background and interests, brainstorm essay topics, and walk you through the essay drafting process, step-by-step. At the end, you'll have a unique essay that you'll proudly submit to your top choice colleges.

Don't leave your college application to chance. Find out more about PrepScholar Admissions now :

Laura graduated magna cum laude from Wellesley College with a BA in Music and Psychology, and earned a Master's degree in Composition from the Longy School of Music of Bard College. She scored 99 percentile scores on the SAT and GRE and loves advising students on how to excel in high school.

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3 Tips to Choose the Right Common App Essay Prompt

Select the essay question that works best for you!

It’s time to start preparing your application to NYU. If you’re wondering how to choose the right prompt amongst the seven offered by the Common Application, then keep reading.

Icon/Arrow Solid TIP 1 – Which YOU are you presenting to NYU?

Don’t just jump on the first prompt you read and start writing. Before you choose a prompt, you may want to ask yourself: are you excited to talk to us about a specific achievement? Do you want to give us insight into a hardship you faced and conquered? Are you keen to tell us about how you challenged the world around you? Are you so passionate about something that it’s all you can talk about these days?

Each of the seven essay questions in the Common Application will highlight and reveal a different facet of your personality. Do your research on NYU to truly understand why we are the school for you. Use your findings to decide which of your own qualities, skills, and character traits show that you are a good match for NYU. Then choose the prompt that will help us best understand that you are indeed the right fit for the school.

Icon/Arrow Solid TIP 2 – Are you sure you’ve read this right?

While the seven prompts from the Common Application seem straightforward, are you sure you’ve really understood what they are asking?

Do read each question—and especially the one you will choose to answer—very carefully. These prompts are not as simple as they appear. Many of them have layers and sub-questions. Do not latch only on one key word and run away with it! You want to make sure you are actually understanding the question before you answer it fully.

I heard this tip from a colleague once and it never left me. To make sure you’ve actually answered the question, ask someone you trust to read your essay draft but remove the question first. Ask them afterwards what they think the questions was. If they get it, bingo! You’ve answered the question. If they are off-base, then you may want to rework your answer to make sure it covers what is actually being asked.

Icon/Arrow Solid TIP 3 – Trust your instinct

Many of you will already have, in the back of your mind, an interesting story about your life that you’d like to share with NYU. It’s an interesting anecdote that would accentuate your fit within our student community. But then, you hesitate. You’re unsure if you should choose this story or another one. Or another one. Maybe this other one would do?

Bottom line is trust that you know yourself. If you feel a specific story would represent your personality well and convey your fit to NYU better than another, then choose that one. Don’t debate forever. No time to waste!

Icon/Arrow Solid BONUS TIP

Many of you might consider choosing prompt 7: “ 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. ”

While great personal statements can come from this prompt, my application reviewer experience tells me it’s not always the savviest choice. As this question is very open, you may be tempted to use an essay that you’ve already written for a completely different reason. These essays tend to be more impersonal. They often focus on a school subject, a project or activity you were a part of. They don’t really tell us about YOU. What makes you interesting, unique, and a good fit for NYU. My recommendation would be to write your application essay for this purpose specifically and choosing one of the six other prompts will ensure that you do just that.

Icon/Arrow Solid EXTRA BONUS TIP

As we are still navigating uncertain times, you may be tempted to use prompt 7, the open essay, to write about recent events and how they have most certainly affected your life. “How I survived the Covid-19 lockdown” might well be on its way to become a recurring essay topic this coming year.

Before you chose this particular subject for your main essay, do ask yourself: What have I lived through that thousands (if not millions) of other high school students around the world have not also gone through? What is my angle on this? How would choosing this subject help me differentiate myself from others and help reveal my true personality? If you are struggling to find satisfying answers to these questions, another topic may be more appropriate.

Additionally, don’t forget that the Common Application has given you a dedicated space in the ‘Additional Information’ section to talk about your experience. This should give you ample space to share with us any Covid-19 details that you deem relevant.

Icon/Arrow Solid Finally....

If you are still unsure what to do with your essay, let me refer you to my earlier post about writing a great application essay . While written with international candidates in mind, it should prove useful to all who apply to NYU. Another great article about strengthening your writing is my colleague David’s post about how to proofread your college essay .

Happy writing! We really look forward to reading your essays very soon.

6 Proofreading Habits for Your College Essay and Beyond

Finished your first draft of your college essay? Here’s the next part—proofreading and editing. These tips will guide you through the treacherous proofreading process to make your writing as sharp as possible.

Tips for International Candidates Writing the Common App Essay

If you’re an international candidate who keeps staring in wonder at the Common App essay with no clue where to start, this article is for you!

NYU’s Common Application Questions

Thinking about submitting an application to NYU? Learn what to expect when you add NYU to your My Colleges list on the Common Application.

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COMMENTS

How to Write the NYU Essays 2022-2023
New York University Supplemental Essay Prompts All Applicants 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.
New York University (NYU) Supplemental Essays Guide ...
If you need help crafting your answers to the NYU application essay, create your free account or schedule a free consultation by calling (844) 343-6272. New York University ( NYU) Essay Guide Quick Facts: For the class of 2025, NYU accepted 12.8% of applicants to its New York Campus. U.S. News considers this school to be most selective.
How to Write Op-Eds and Personal Essays
An overview of how to write effective personal essays A draft of your own essay Ideal for Writers of all levels The curious and creative NO open sections available for this course at the moment. Please check back next semester. Course Details Additional Information Have you considered our Certificate Programs?
Essays
Essays Our Stern essay questions give you the opportunity to more fully present yourself to the Admissions Committee and to provide insight into your experiences, goals, and thought processes. Your essays must be written entirely by you. An offer of admission will be rescinded if you did not write your essays. Short Answer: Professional Aspirations
New York University
Common App Personal Essay Required 650 words 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?
Required Materials
Online Application and Electronic Attachments. Before you begin, review the Admission 2023 Application Instructions (PDF: 452 KB).. Application Form. You'll need to choose one program to which you'll apply this cycle (September to June).. Be sure to use the right application form for the program you've chosen and for the semester in which you'd like to start studies, if applicable.
New York University (NYU) 2022-23 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide
New York University (NYU) 2022-23 Application Essay Explanations The Requirements: 1 essay of 250 words. Supplemental Essay Type (s): Community NYU was founded on the belief that a student's identity should not dictate the ability for them to access higher education.
Journalism Personal Essays
Journalism requires applicants to write a personal essay. The essay is an extremely important part of the application, so treat it accordingly. The essay should be 1,000 to 1,500 words in length. In addition, all applicants must submit at least three samples of their work, whether published or not.
How to Write the NYU Supplemental Essay
NYU only has one supplemental essay—a diversity essay with some "Why us?" thrown in. Since diversity extends far beyond categories like race or social class, this guide will provide examples of diversity essays, along with tips and analyses, that will help you determine what makes you stand out and how you can contribute to NYU's diverse community.
How to Apply
The Application Process Whether you're from Massachusetts, Manchester, or Mumbai, a first-year student or a transfer, there are a few key things you need to do to apply to NYU. But requirements such as standardized testing and English language testing vary for different applicants. First-year applicants International applicants Transfer applicants
PDF ESSAY EXAMPLES
ESSAY #2 - Suburban vs Urban schools Describe a problem you've solved or a problem you'd like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma-anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.
4 Great "Why NYU?" Essay Examples
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.
NYU Essay Examples (And Why They Worked)
NYU Essay Examples (And Why They Worked) Julia Riew New York University 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.
How to Nail the NYU "Pick Six" MBA Application Essay
The NYU Personal Expression or "Pick 6" MBA essay is unique as it asks applicants to explain themselves in only 6 images. Here are tips to help you choose the right photos and submit the best application possible. February 3, 2023 NYU is an acclaimed university known for a variety of different undergraduate and graduate degrees.
Personal Essay
Personal Essay — The Latinx Project at NYU — Intervenxions Intervenxions is an online publication of TLP that features original writings, criticism, and interviews exploring contemporary Latinx Art, Politics, & Culture. Intervenxions THE LATEST Critical Latina Feminist Perspectives on Reproductive Health Post-Roe
Writing the Why NYU Essay
If you're applying to New York University, you'll need to submit both the regular Common App materials as well as the NYU supplement, which includes a short essay. At its heart, the NYU essay prompt asks you to answer a single straightforward question: why do you want to go to NYU? In this article, we'll fully analyze the "Why NYU?"
3 Tips to Choose the Right Common App Essay Prompt
Each of the seven essay questions in the Common Application will highlight and reveal a different facet of your personality. Do your research on NYU to truly understand why we are the school for you. Use your findings to decide which of your own qualities, skills, and character traits show that you are a good match for NYU.
Essays
Essays. Our Stern essay question gives you the opportunity to more fully present yourself to the Admissions Committee. Essays must be typed and double-spaced, in 12-point font. Word limits apply to the total question. Label the top of each essay with the following: Name, Date of Birth (month, day, year), Essay Number and Page Number.