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How to Respond to the 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 NYU supplemental essay question. Before answering the prompt, be sure to research NYU and its “New York City is our campus” layout. Figure out what programs, courses and extracurriculars you are excited about. This will spark some ideas for what to include in your NYU supplemental essay question answer!
Read our guide below in order to ace the NYU supplemental essay question!
Don’t miss: Top New York scholarships
Note: The following prompt is from the 2021-2022 NYU application. 2022-2023 prompt coming soon!
NYU supplemental essays: The prompt
Get excited, because NYU only requires one supplemental essay response!
“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)”
On the surface, the NYU supplemental essay question appears to be simply just a “Why NYU?” question. However, you need to ensure your response is more than that. NYU is specifically asking what drew you to your intended major and NYU campus. Be sure to put your personality on the page! Do not just talk about NYU!
NYU has a few campuses students can choose from:
- New York City
- Greenwich Village (main campus)
- Downtown Brooklyn (engineering school)
- Abu Dhabi
- Shanghai
Emphasize how the campus you selected will improve your life and allow you to reach your future goals. You can discuss the cultural aspects of the location you chose.
Also see: What looks good on a college application?
Be creative with your answer!
Lots of applicants will write about how amazing New York City is and what they are excited about. So to stand out, try focusing on the “why.” Why do you want to travel to NYC or one of the other campuses NYU offers? Is it far from your hometown? Close? Try not to just focus on purely the fact that it is in NYC, because almost everyone knows the clichés of the city that does not sleep!
Be sure to write about what makes NYU unique! Weave pieces of your personality and goals throughout your response. Look into specific programs and courses offered at NYU.
Interested in the arts? What better place to be than the center of creativity that never sleeps? There is not one city in the United Stated that comes close to the number of art related businesses found in NYC. Show that you mean “business” with an essay that demonstrates that you did your research—let the reader know how you will take advantage of all that NYU and its prime location offers!
Questions to consider
- Why NYU out of all the schools located in New York City?
- What do you want to study and why?
- How will NYU specifically help you reach your career goals?
- What programs and extracurriculars does NYU offer that you are interested in?
- What campus do you want to attend and why?
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!
