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How to Respond to the 2022-2023 NYU Supplemental Essay
New York University is located in the heart of the city that never sleeps, New York City. Due to its ideal location in the Big Apple, NYU has an acceptance rate of 21%. Your NYU application will need to impress if you want to gain an education in NYC!
In order to apply, applicants will have to complete one optional NYU supplemental essay question. It is really an optional essay as students who do not submit an answer will not be penalized in NYU’s review process. Therefore, use this essay as a way to detail more about yourself to NYU.
Read our guide below in order to ace the NYU supplemental essay question!
Don’t miss: Top New York scholarships
NYU supplemental essays: The prompt
Get excited, because NYU only requires one optional supplemental essay 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.”
This prompt wants to know how you will contribute to the diversity of NYU. You should talk about any of the following topics:
- A perspective you hold
- An experience you have had
- A community you identify with
- Interests or talents
- Hometown
- Your ethnic or cultural background
- Personality traits
- Your family background
Any of these topics work well with this prompt as a way to describe your diverse nature. To brainstorm ideas for this essay, think about the elements of your life that are core to your identity. If you had to pick 3 things to tell a stranger to introduce yourself, what would you say?
While brainstorming, you should also be noting what you have already discussed in your application. If you already wrote your Common App essay about one piece of your identity – do not write about this again! Rather, choose something else in order to emphasize your diversity and broad range of interests.
Once you have come up with your topic for responding to this essay, you should detail your diversity through a narrative. Instead of stating a piece of your identity, describe a time or detail a story that reveals how your background has impacted your life.
Ultimately, your essay should demonstrate to a NYU admissions officer that you can be a contributing member to the diverse and talented NYU community. Therefore, towards the end of your essay you should address how your diversity will enhance the NYU community. You can do this by detailing what extracurriculars you want to become involved with on campus or hope to start.
Next steps after applying to NYU
Congratulations! Your NYU supplemental essay question is completed! Be thankful that NYU was so kind in only making applicants answer one question. Now, what should you do next? Instead of waiting what feels like a lifetime for NYU to reach a decision on your application, be proactive! Show demonstrated interest in NYU to prove that you are committed to attending their university.
How can you show demonstrated interest? Well, it is quite simple! Follow any NYU social media accounts, reach out to an admissions officer about any questions you may have and schedule a tour! Doing this will show NYU that you truly want to attend their university because you are making the effort.
Best of luck and enjoy New York City – it is famous for a reason! (Grab a slice of $1 pizza–you will not regret it!)
Additional resources
As a student working on college applications, you’ve got a lot on your plate. Fortunately, we have resources to help you through every step of the way. Check out our guides on how to write an essay about yourself, how to respond to the Common App prompts, and how to write 250 and 500 word essays. We can also help you decide how many schools to apply to and how to find safety, reach, and match schools.
If you’re wondering whether to send test scores to test-optional schools, we’ve got a guide for that as well. And once you start hearing back, we can help you create a college comparison spreadsheet to make your college choice. Finally, check out our free scholarship search tool to help fund your education and keep all of your college options open. Good luck!
