nyu stern essay requirements

• NYU Stern School of Business Essay Tips and Examples

June 2, 2023

Jeremy Shinewald

NYU Stern 2023–2024 Essay Tips

Short Answer: Professional Aspirations 

What are your short-term career goals (150 word maximum, double-spaced, 12-point font).

With this rather no-nonsense query about your motivation to earn an MBA and expectations as to where you will go with it after graduation, NYU Stern simply wants you to spell out what you have in mind as you approach this phase of your life and career. With just 150 words, you do not have any space to waste here, so focus on presenting your answer as directly and thoroughly as possible. Keep in mind that the rest of your application needs to provide evidence that your stated goals align with your existing skills and interests, especially once they have been augmented by an MBA education. This will show that your professed objectives are achievable and thereby lend credibility to your statement. The school does not ask specifically about past experiences or what about its program in particular makes it the best one for you, though brief mentions of either would be acceptable if they are particularly important to conveying your main points. 

Essay 1: Change: _________ it 

In today’s global business environment, the only constant is change. using nyu stern’s brand call to action, we want to know how you view change. change: _____ it. fill in the blank with a word of your choice. why does this word resonate with you how will you embrace your own personal tagline while at stern (350 word maximum, double-spaced, 12-point font), change: dare it. change: dream it. change: drive it. change: empower it. change: manifest it. change: [any word of your choice] it..

If your first instinct when you read this prompt is to immediately start brainstorming catchy, cool-sounding slogans and trying to find something that will “wow” the admissions committee, you need to pump the brakes. To craft the most effective response to this unique essay prompt, you will most likely need to work backward. The slogan is obviously the centerpiece of this essay, but you must be able to persuade the school that it is truly meaningful for you personally and is the basis of something you expect to do at the school and/or how you anticipate engaging with the NYU Stern community. So if you do not choose an authentic idea (word) that will position you to write compellingly and convincingly on these two points, you will have probably wasted your time, not to mention this interesting opportunity to share more about yourself with the admissions committee.

Start by thinking at length about what change really means to you personally and professionally. How has it played a role in your life and career to date? What is your reaction to change? How do you tend to navigate it? Do you enjoy creating change, or do you resist it? Why? Let your mind really roll with these kinds of questions so that you uncover as many options as possible, and rest assured that there is no “right” answer that the admissions committee is expecting you to guess. Choosing a word that is genuinely important to you and reflective of your attitude with respect to change is what will make your essay powerful and memorable—not a word you are hoping no one else will use or that forces the admission reader to reach for the dictionary because it is so obscure. And keep in mind that you do not necessarily have to frame change as something that should always be indiscriminately pursued merely for change’s sake. For example, something like “regulate change” could be an appropriate and even compelling choice if the candidate has strong personal reasons for this mind-set and can clearly express how it could be an additive or useful one at Stern.

Again, in asking how you expect to “embrace your . . . tagline while at Stern,” the admissions committee wants to know how you envision yourself participating in, and perhaps influencing or contributing to, the school’s greater community. For you to offer your strongest possible ideas on this point, you really need to know the school well, because if what you describe or propose is just not possible at Stern or does not align with its values and culture, this will definitely not be a point in your favor. As you do your research, look for specific niches and opportunities that correspond not only with your proposed slogan but also with your personality, strengths, knowledge, and/or experience. Read student blogs, peruse discussion boards, catch up on the past year or more of press releases from the school, spend some time on Stern’s YouTube channel —these are all good places to start (or better, continue!) educating yourself about what life at the school is really like, beyond the course work.  

Also, for a thorough exploration of NYU Stern’s academic offerings, defining characteristics, crucial statistics, social life, community/environment, and other key facets of the program, consider downloading your free copy of the mbaMission Insider’s Guide to the Leonard N. Stern School of Business at New York University .

Essay 2: Personal Expression (a.k.a. “Pick Six”)

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:, a brief introduction or overview of your “pick six” (no more than 3 sentences). six images that help illustrate who you are. a one-sentence caption for each of the six images that helps explain why they were selected and are significant to you., note: your visuals may include photos, infographics, drawings, or any other images 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..

We imagine that the initial reaction most candidates have to pretty much any prompt that does not request a traditional essay is momentary panic (though, to be fair, that is likely many applicants’ reaction to traditional essays as well), but let us reassure you a bit before we delve more deeply into how best to approach this one. One could argue that in many ways, this essay prompt is merely asking you to do something we assume you are already doing every day and have possibly been doing for years—curate an impression of yourself for others by sharing certain images and other media that resonate with you. Is that not what people regularly do via Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok, and any number of other social media venues by posting photos, memes, infographics, cartoons, and the like, typically along with a related comment? When you think of the task NYU Stern has presented you with this framework in mind, do you feel a little more confident about mastering it? We hope so.

In this case, rather than passing along just anything you think is funny or interesting or documenting your latest adventure or meal, you are communicating directly with a very singular audience, within a certain context, and with a very specific goal in mind. So start by carefully considering what you want the admissions committee to know about you—with the goal of sharing as many different aspects of your life and personality as possible—and what it will already be able to learn through your other essays and the rest of your application (resume, recommendations/EQ endorsement, transcript, etc.). You want the admissions “reader” to take away something new from each image they see.

Your images do not need to be sequential, nor do they need to always include you. Consider photos of meaningful locations and people (or animals, even) in your life as well as inanimate objects, such as a musical instrument, a pair of running shoes, a home-cooked meal, or a blooming flower. As long as the subject of the image is reflective of who you are as an individual—and remember that you will have the accompanying sentence for each image to clarify this connection, as needed—then you will be on the right track. Keep in mind also that not all of your images need to be actual photos, either. They can include drawings, paintings, charts, tables, emojis, and so on. And finally, although getting accepted to your target business school and earning an MBA are serious goals and undertakings, this does not mean that all your images for this essay submission need to be serious in nature, especially if your personality is naturally more lighthearted and humorous. Costumes and comical arrangements, if used judiciously, can be valid options if, again, the resulting final image is truly reflective of your character and/or life.  

Your one-sentence captions are clearly an opportunity to enhance the meaning of each image you are submitting. In some cases, you might use the caption to provide a direct explanation of who or what is depicted in the image, chart, artistic expression, etc. You could also use the sentences to create a narrative link between multiple images, perhaps as a way of profoundly illustrating a particularly meaningful aspect of your life or personality. Another option would be to use the caption sentence to explain your state of mind in relation to the image or to express an associated viewpoint, value, or philosophy. As you write your short explanations, keep in mind that these statements must adhere to the school’s one-sentence rule, and be sure to not simply reiterate whatever is already obvious in/from the photo but to use the additional content to enhance the admissions reader’s understanding of you.  

This prompt from NYU Stern offers a lot of leeway, but take care not to get carried away with overly elaborate or complicated images. This is not an art contest or a battle of wits but an opportunity to express and portray yourself to the admissions committee. Each time you consider an image to include, come back to the central question of  Does this truly capture who I am?  If so, then proceed, but if not, stop and reconsider your options. An increasingly complex series of images that lacks the proper heart and meaning will not elicit the response you want!

Essay 3: Additional Information (optional)

Please provide any additional information that you would like to bring to the attention of the admissions committee. this may include current or past gaps in employment, further explanation of your undergraduate record or self-reported academic transcript(s), plans to retake the gmat, gre, executive assessment, ielts or toefl, or any other relevant information. (500 word maximum, double-spaced, 12-point font).

NYU Stern’s optional essay prompt is broader than most in that it does not demand that you discuss  only  problem areas in your candidacy, though the examples it offers within the prompt seem to imply a preference for these topics. Ultimately, this is your opportunity to address any lingering questions that an admissions officer might have about your profile— if you feel you need to . We caution you against simply trying to fill this space because you fear that not doing so would somehow count against you. And of course, however tempted you might be, this is not the place to reuse a strong essay you wrote for another school or to offer a few anecdotes you were unable to use in your other submissions. But if you are inclined to use this essay to emphasize or explain something that if omitted would render your application incomplete, write a very brief piece on this key aspect of your profile. For more guidance, download our free mbaMission Optional Essays Guide , in which we offer detailed advice on when and how to take advantage of the optional essay, with multiple examples, to help you mitigate any problem areas in your application.

The Next Step: Mastering Your NYU Stern Interview

Many MBA candidates find admissions interviews stressful and intimidating, but mastering this important element of the application process is definitely possible—the key is informed preparation. To help you reach this high level of preparation, we offer our free  Interview Guides . Claim your complimentary copy of the  NYU Stern Interview Guide   today!

2023-2024 Business School Essays MBA Essay Tips New York University (Stern)

Tags: business school essay MBA application essays NYU Stern optional essay Pick Six

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2023–2024 MBA Essay Tips

• Berkeley Haas School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• BU Questrom School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• Cambridge Judge Business School Essay Tips and Examples
• Carnegie Mellon Tepper School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• Chicago Booth School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• Columbia Business School Essay Tips and Examples
• Cornell Johnson Graduate School of Management Essay and Examples
• Dartmouth Tuck School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• Duke Fuqua School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• Emory Goizueta Business School Essay Tips and Examples
• Esade Essay Tips and Examples
• Georgetown McDonough School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• Harvard Business School 2+2 Deferred MBA Program Essay Analysis 2024
• Harvard Business School Essay Tips and Examples
• HEC Paris Essay Tips and Examples
• HKUST Business School Essay Tips and Examples
• IE Business School Essay Tips and Examples
• IESE Business School Essay Tips and Examples
• INSEAD Essay Tips and Examples
• International Institute for Management Development (IMD) Essay Tips and Examples
• Ivey Business School Essay Tips and Examples
• London Business School Essay Tips and Examples
• Michigan Ross School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• MIT Sloan School of Management Essay Tips and Examples
• Northwestern Kellogg School of Management Essay Tips and Examples
• Notre Dame Mendoza College of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• Ohio Fisher College of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• Oxford Saïd Business School Essay Tips and Examples
• SMU Cox School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• Stanford Graduate School of Business Application Essay Tips and Examples
• Texas McCombs School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• The Consortium for Graduate Study in Management Essay Tips and Examples
• The Wharton School Essay Tips and Examples
• Toronto Rotman School of Management Essay Tips and Examples
• UCLA Anderson School of Management Essay Tips and Examples
• UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School Essay Tips and Examples
• USC Marshall School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• UVA Darden School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• UW Foster School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• Vanderbilt University Owen Graduate School of Management Essay Analysis, 2023–2024
• Villanova School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• Yale School of Management Essay Tips and Examples

Click here for the 2022–2023 MBA Essay Tips

MBA Program Updates

• Berkeley-Haas
• Boston University (Questrom)
• Cambridge Judge Business School
• Carnegie Mellon University (Tepper)
• Columbia University (Columbia Business School)
• Consortium for Graduate Study in Management
• Cornell University (Johnson)
• Dartmouth College (Tuck)
• Duke University (Fuqua)
• Emory University (Goizueta)
• George Washington University (GWSB)
• Georgetown University (McDonough)
• Harvard University (Harvard Business School)
• IE Business School
• IESE Business School
• Indian School of Business
• Indiana University (Kelley)
• Ivey Business School
• London Business School
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Sloan)
• New York University (Stern)
• Northwestern University (Kellogg)
• Notre Dame (Mendoza)
• Ohio State University (Fisher College)
• Oxford University (Saïd Business School)
• Penn State Smeal College of Business
• Rotman School of Management
• Saïd Business School
• Southern Methodist University (Cox School of Business)
• Stanford University (Stanford Graduate School of Business)
• University of California Los Angeles (Anderson)
• University of Cambridge (Judge)
• University of Chicago (Booth)
• University of London (London Business School)
• University of Michigan (Ross)
• University of North Carolina (Kenan-Flagler)
• University of Pennsylvania (Wharton)
• University of Southern California (Marshall)
• University of Texas at Austin (McCombs)
• University of Virginia (Darden)
• Vanderbilt University (Owen)
• Villanova School of Business
• Yale University (School of Management)

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How to Write the NYU Essays 2023-2024

NYU has just one supplemental prompt this year, which allows you to choose from six different options. Although this prompt is technically optional, NYU’s prime location in the heart of downtown New York City, campuses all across the globe, and affiliation with excellent graduate schools in a range of subjects make it highly competitive to gain admission. So, we strongly encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity to share something new about yourself with admissions officers.

Read these examples of past NYU essays about diversity and “Why NYU?” to inspire your writing.

NYU Supplemental Essay Prompts

Prompt: We are looking for peacemakers, changemakers, global citizens, boundary breakers, creatives and innovators – Choose one quote from the following and let us know why it inspires you; or share a short quote and person not on our list who inspires you, and include why. (250 words, optional)

• Option A: “We’re used to people telling us there are no solutions, and then creating our own. So we did what we do best. We reached out to each other, and to our allies, and we mobilized across communities to make change, to benefit and include everyone in society.” Judith Heuman, 2022 NYU Commencement Address
• Option B: “I encourage your discomfort, that you must contribute, that you must make your voice heard. That is the essence of good citizenship.” Sherilynn Ifill, 2015 NYU Commencement Address
• Option C: “If you know how to fly but you never knew how to walk, wouldn’t that be sad?” Lang Lang, 2015 NYU Honorary Degree Recipient
• Option D: “You have the right to want things and to want things to change.” Sanna Marin, Former Prime Minister of Finland, 2023 NYU Commencement Address
• Option E: “It’s hard to fight when the fight ain’t fair.” Taylor Swift, Change, Released 2008, 2022 NYU Commencement Speaker
• Option F: Share a short quote and person not on this list, and why the quote inspires you.

“We’re used to people telling us there are no solutions, and then creating our own. So we did what we do best. We reached out to each other, and to our allies, and we mobilized across communities to make change, to benefit and include everyone in society.” Judith Heuman, 2022 NYU Commencement Address (250 words)

Brainstorming Your Topic

Although the framing is a little more particular, this prompt has similarities to two supplemental prompt archetypes: the  “Global Issues” essay and the “Community Service” essay. Basically, you want to show NYU that you’re able to not just identify a problem in the world around you, but actively work towards solving it.

That second piece, of showing that you’re someone who acts when you see injustice, rather than merely observing, is crucial. So, you should have a personal connection to the issue you write about, as the point of your essay ultimately isn’t to teach admissions officers about a particular issue, but rather show them what your passion for that issue says about your potential as an NYU student.

So, don’t write about how aboriginal people in Australia struggled during the 2020 wildfires if you don’t know anyone in that community and have never been to Australia, as your essay will likely end up sounding overly factual and academic. Instead, think about issues that have directly impacted your own life. 

Maybe that’s a social media campaign you spearheaded to help abandoned animals get adopted when the shelter was overcrowded. Or working with your friends from Spanish class to ensure the local soup kitchen always had a Spanish speaker working, to make the environment more welcoming to immigrants from Spanish-speaking countries.

Keep in mind that the story you tell should have some component of “reach[ing] out to others,” as this quote highlights the importance of collaboration when solving big issues. So, while creating a statistical model on your own to show the viability of solar polar is certainly something to be proud of, it may not be the best anecdote to write about for this prompt. If you then hosted webinars sharing the model with local business owners and answering their questions, however, that could be an effective way of aligning the story with the spirit of the prompt.

Tips for Writing Your Essay

Like any good college essay, your response should show, rather than tell, your readers what you did. What that means is to use descriptive writing, with strong sensory details, to paint NYU admissions officers a picture, rather than just saying “I did x, y, and z, and learned a, b, and c.” The more detail you can include, the more immersive your story will be, which will make your essay both more engaging and more fun to read.

The other key to a strong response is having takeaways that are both clear and personal. You don’t want your essay to feel like a Hallmark card, so avoid clichés like “This experience showed me the power of diversity” or “I realized that deep down, we’re all the same.” The point of the college essay is to distinguish yourself from other applicants, and relying on generic tropes won’t accomplish that.

Instead, think about how you can take one of these overused ideas and creatively reframe it through the lens of your story in particular. For example, if you write about the soup kitchen example above, you could talk about how you bonded with one person who attended frequently because you discovered you both enjoyed crocheting, and how that taught you to look for shared experiences even with people who may outwardly seem quite different from you. 

The general idea of diversity as a unifying, rather than divisive, force is the same, but by connecting that idea to something specific that happened to you, you’ll give NYU admissions officers of how that idea tangibly impacts your day-to-day life. Ultimately, they’re trying to figure out how you would fit into their classrooms, clubs, dorms, dining halls, and so on, and specificity gives them a much clearer idea of that than just big-picture ideas.

Mistakes to Avoid

There isn’t really any major pitfall to keep an eye out for here. Just make sure you’re conscientious of how you frame your issue. Even though NYU, like most colleges, is much more liberal than society as a whole, you still want to use discretion when discussing politics in a college essay, as you have no way of knowing exactly what context your readers are coming from.

So, if you’re writing about a fundraiser you and your friends organized after the overturning of Roe v. Wade to help women from red states afford travel to states where abortion would remain legal, keep the focus on your efforts and what this experience taught you. Don’t talk about your feeling that anyone who opposes abortion is a misogynist, as, for all you know, the person reading your essay may have a loved one who is pro life, or they may even be themselves. 

You can talk about controversial topics in this essay, but do so in a way that’s introspective and acknowledges the complexity of the issue, rather than in a way that celebrates your own moral superiority.

“I encourage your discomfort, that you must contribute, that you must make your voice heard. That is the essence of good citizenship.” Sherilynn Ifill, 2015 NYU Commencement Address (250 words)

Like Option A, this prompt has elements of both the “Global Issues” essay and the “Community Service” essay. However, the scope here is a little broader, as you’re being asked to talk about a time when you made “your voice heard,” rather than one when you were an active part of helping solve a particular problem. That means you have a little more flexibility in what you write about.

For example, you could describe the time when a conversation with a Jewish friend of yours made you realize Christmas-centric your school’s holiday decorations were, and how that motivated you to accompany her to talk to the principal about it, as she felt uncomfortable going alone. You could also take a similar angle as the one described above, with Option A, and talk about service work, like advocating for preserving wildlife habitat over expanding the boat launch at a nearby lake, or something else on a slightly larger scale that you spoke up about. 

However, don’t talk yourself out of writing about a more personal story like the Christmas example. Although this approach may seem less “impressive,” in reality talking about that kind of smaller moment in daily life can do a lot to show admissions officers what you’re like when nobody’s watching. Just about everyone applying to NYU will have an impressive resume, so you can really distinguish yourself by telling them a story that you’re still kind, altruistic, and thoughtful even outside the context of a particular project or organization.

That being said, both approaches can work incredibly well, so long as they honestly reflect your desire to speak up about the things that matter to you.

Once you’ve picked a particular moment to focus on, you want to think about what lessons you took away from that experience. NYU admissions officers care about who you’re going to be for the next four years, not who you were in the past, so they want to get a sense of how this experience is going to impact your contributions to their community.

There’s no one right way to do this, so if you immediately see a way to tell your story in a reflective, informative way, go for it! If you’re having writer’s block, though, one reliable approach would be to explain what happened, what you learned, and then include a second, much briefer anecdote that shows how you’ve utilized what you learned in the time since. 

For the Christmas example, after you finish describing the principal’s willingness to include menorahs and dreidels alongside the Santas and Christmas trees, you talk about how this experience showed you most people do want to be inclusive, they just might not know exactly how, so we all have a responsibility to speak up when we see a way to be better. You could then talk about how this realization then motivated you to talk to your manager at your part-time job about adjusting shift start times to align with the bus schedule, as she didn’t know that some employees didn’t have their own car.

250 words isn’t a lot, so depending on how much space you need to describe the original anecdote, you may not have space for the second one. That’s completely fine–as long as your takeaways are framed in a personal way that directly connects to the story you have just told, your readers will understand the significance of this experience to who you are today.

Letting your main anecdote breathe is the most important thing, as if you rush through things, your reader might not have enough details to properly anchor your eventual takeaways, which could make your essay feel impersonal or generic. 

For a somewhat extreme example of this, say you wrote about the day you noticed your school had changed their holiday decorations, and how happy that made you, but totally glossed over your own involvement in driving that change. Having a takeaway about the importance of standing up for what you believe in would then make no sense. So, make sure the details you include at each point in the essay work together to create a single, cohesive unit.

“If you know how to fly but you never knew how to walk, wouldn’t that be sad?” Lang Lang, 2015 NYU Honorary Degree Recipient (250 words)

This prompt may come across as overly philosophical at first, but before you rule it out, take a second to think about what it’s actually saying. Flying is more glamorous, exciting, and magical than walking, but walking is what we all do every single day to move around the world. While practicality never makes any headlines, daily life wouldn’t work without walking. 

Connecting that idea, about the value of practicality, to NYU’s focus on difference-makers means that you’ll want to discuss the importance of small, seemingly insignificant actions to driving broader change. As the saying goes, Rome wasn’t built in a day: for every figurehead of a major, earth-shattering movement, there are thousands or even millions of people who spent years paving the road so that the leader could one day walk down it. These people rarely get fame or recognition, but the movement never would have succeeded without them.

Of course, to write a strong, engaging response here, you don’t want to write about a huge historical movement that happened generations before you were even born. Instead, apply the same general idea to your own life. Think about what you do, or observe, on a daily basis that shows you the value of sometimes just taking things one step at a time. If there’s something you’ve been passionate about for a long time, that can be a great starting point, as you’ve probably made many small contributions over the years, compared to something where you were just involved in one, big, “flying” project.

For example, maybe you’ve always loved animals, and as a child you used to talk to your mom about flying around the world and rescuing all the endangered species. Once you got older, you realized you couldn’t do that, but what you could do was start a blog featuring a different endangered species every month, along with nonprofits dedicated to helping that species survive. You’ve even established partnerships with some of these groups, and helped organize fundraisers such as bake sales and 5Ks.

As this example shows, ideally you want to show how you’re finding a way to contribute to a much bigger cause. NYU wants to accept difference-makers, and although most of us aren’t able to donate millions of dollars or spearhead new technological initiatives, you can still show that you’re dedicated to finding ways to help however you can. 

Remember, as we noted in Option B, describing your grassroots efforts can in some ways demonstrate your dedication to a cause more than a high-level accomplishment or accolade, because that kind of work truly shows who you are on a day-to-day basis. So, if something comes to mind, don’t sell yourself short by saying “Oh, but they won’t care about that.” If whatever it is was meaningful to you, we promise they will 🙂

This is the kind of prompt where the brainstorming, if you do it well, is 90% of the work. Since the prompt is more abstract, you’re going to have to spend more time up front thinking about exactly what you want to say, or else you may end up sitting down to write and realizing you have no idea where you want to go. So, if you find yourself staring at a blank page, we would suggest rewinding, and spending a little more time brainstorming.

Once you have a clear sense of the story you want to tell, all you really need to do is actually put the words on the page. As you do that, remember that you want to include strong sensory details, to make your essay as immersive and engaging as possible. Focus less on what you did, and more on how you felt and what you learned from the experience. You may or may not do something similar to, for example, raising awareness for endangered species during your time at NYU, but you want to show admissions officers that, whatever you get involved with, you’re going to bring a thoughtful, dedicated perspective to your work.

For example, rather than saying just “My post on the work done to get manatees from ‘endangered’ to ‘threatened’ got 5,000 views, from places as far away as Italy, Kenya, and New Zealand,” take the next step, and describe how that success made you feel. That might look something like: 

“When I saw the number, I went back to the first post I ever did, on the African Bay owl. That post didn’t get a single view from someone who wasn’t related to me. But as I flipped back to the manatee post, I realized that we’re all related to each other in ways other than blood, as we all share this planet, and reminding people of that can be as simple as putting up a blog post and letting them come find it.”

NYU would be impressed by your outreach alone, but what will truly take your essay to the next level is including this next layer of reflection, and showing them the broader lessons you learned from this experience. That will prove to them that you’re not just talented and motivated, but also that your values align with theirs.

We noted at the beginning of this prompt breakdown that you shouldn’t get scared off just because it’s a little more philosophical than some of the others, and we stand by that. However, its more abstract nature will likely make the brainstorming process take longer, and it’s possible you do end up just feeling stuck. 

If you don’t think you have the time right now to give this prompt the attention it needs, that’s completely fine! The advantage of option prompts is that you have, well, options. Even if you’re initially drawn to this prompt, if you find yourself beating your head against the wall and not getting anywhere, don’t be stubborn–just pivot to one of the others.

“You have the right to want things and to want things to change.” Sanna Marin, Former Prime Minister of Finland, 2023 NYU Commencement Address (250 words)

Like Options A and B, this prompt is, roughly, a version of the “Global Issues” essay. That means you should have two main goals here. First, identify an issue that matters to you. Second, explain what your interest in that issue says about you as a person. 

Note that, unlike the first two options, the problem you choose doesn’t have to be one you’ve taken a lot of tangible action towards resolving. Obviously, you should have some level of personal investment in your issue, as otherwise your essay could come across as disingenuous. But if you have a cause you’re passionate about, but for whatever reason haven’t been able to get involved in directly, that would still be fair game here.

For example, maybe you’d like to increase access to healthy food options, as you live in a remote area and grow a lot of your own food with your family, so you know what a difference high-quality produce makes, but you also know how frustrating it can be to simply not have access to certain things, as your supermarket’s stock is limited. Because you don’t live in a city, you haven’t had the chance to get involved in any volunteer work related to this issue, so instead you’ve done your very best to learn everything possible about the process of growing your own food, so that you’ll have a wealth of hands-on experience to draw on when you are eventually in a situation where you can discuss theoretical, bigger picture solutions to this issue.

This hypothetical student hasn’t been able to take much concrete action towards addressing food inequality. However, they’re still demonstrating a genuine desire to help fix this issue, as well as forethought and motivation, by explaining how they’re finding a way to build up their skill set now, so that when the time comes, they are prepared to create tangible change. Any NYU admissions officer would feel confident about this student’s potential to become a difference-maker.

Of course, you are also more than welcome to write about an issue you have already done some work to help solve. We only want to highlight that already contributing to the solution isn’t a prerequisite for this prompt, so you can cast your net a little wider in your brainstorming than you would for Option A or B.

Once you sit down to actually start writing, the key is to make sure you aren’t just discussing your personal connection to this particular issue, but also highlighting admirable personality traits that will serve you in any of your future endeavors, whether related to the same issue or not. To see what we mean here, look back at the example we gave above. That student shows several traits admissions officers will find attractive, including:

• They are able to extrapolate from their own lived experiences to better understand a broader, societal issue
• They can appreciate the nuance of a big-picture issue
• They can critically evaluate their own skill set and determine the best way for them to contribute to a resolution

These qualities come across because of the (hypothetical) level of detail the student provides. If they were to instead just give a general sketch of the situation, along the lines of “I care about food inequality, and although I haven’t yet been able to combat this issue, hopefully I will one day,”  then admissions officers have a lot of blanks to fill in. 

Instead, you should do the work for them: build a concrete connection between this issue you care about and certain, broader attributes that are fundamental to who you are. That will show them not just that you’re passionate about this one issue, but that you’re an overall thoughtful, mature person who’s ready to take advantage of all NYU has to offer.

If you choose to write about an issue that you haven’t taken much concrete action on yet, just be careful that your essay doesn’t become more about the issue, and your interest in it on a theoretical level, than about your own personality. In the context of the example given above, that might look like a bunch of statistics showing how lack of access to healthy food disproportionately impacts lower income people. 

While that is certainly informative, remember that this isn’t an academic essay. It’s a personal reflection, so even if you’re still figuring out how you can best contribute to tangible change, you still want to highlight specific experiences or moments that showcase the strengths you will eventually use to make a real difference. Otherwise, NYU admissions officers may come away from your essay knowing more about the issue you’re highlighting, but not much about what you’d bring to their community, which is ultimately the question they’re trying to answer.

“It’s hard to fight when the fight ain’t fair.” Taylor Swift, Change, Released 2008, 2022 NYU Commencement Speaker (250 words)

Like the previous prompt, this quote wants you to discuss a cause you are currently fighting for, or would like to fight for during your time in college and beyond. But the angle is a little bit different, as this quote is centered around the challenges of fighting for something in unfair circumstances.

If you choose this prompt, you’ll want to talk about an obstacle you’ve overcome, or are in the process of overcoming, in your effort to make your communities a little more just. This doesn’t have to be anything intense, like facing harassment or threats after a talk you gave at a school assembly about your experiences with racism. Of course, you are welcome to discuss this kind of extreme hardship if you are comfortable doing so. 

You don’t have to, however. There are a whole bunch of things that make advocacy work difficult, and many of them have nothing to do with physical violence. For example, you could talk about your attempts to research successful city planning projects that incorporate more green spaces, and your frustration upon realizing many of the articles you wanted to read were stuck behind paywalls.

Alternatively, you could talk about how you want to help increase access to affordable education in your city by tutoring, but not having a car makes it difficult for you to reach many of the people who seek out your help. No obstacle is too small–as we’ve highlighted in several of the previous breakdowns, contextualizing a societal issue within your own life is what NYU wants you to do with pretty much all of these prompts, so don’t feel like you need to dramatize anything. Just be honest about your efforts, and the things that have gotten in your way.

The key to writing a successful response is to not focus your entire essay on the challenge itself, as that will result in a rather defeatist tone. Rather, spend the first part of the essay explaining the difficulties you’ve faced in your efforts to resolve some societal issue, and spend the second half explaining what you’ve done to overcome them. That will result in a more positive overall vibe for your essay, which shows your ability to adapt and grow even in the face of challenges, a skill that will be vital to your success in college.

Like with the challenge itself, you don’t have to glamorize whatever it is you did to work around the obstacle you encountered. For example, don’t say you set up a consortium of high school students where everyone pitched in some money so that you could create shared accounts on all the sites you wanted to use, unless you actually did do that. 

It’s okay to say you asked your parents for their credit card, and that you agreed to take on extra chores around the house because being self-sufficient in your advocacy work is important to you. Or that saving up for your own car proved too difficult, so you’ve worked out a schedule with your elderly neighbor to use his car in the evening, since he goes to sleep early anyways, so long as you pick up his groceries on the way home. 

NYU isn’t going to judge you for the particulars of your situation. They just want to see that, when the fight isn’t fair, you still find a way to keep punching.

Taylor Swift may be the biggest pop star in the world right now, but this sadly isn’t an essay for you to talk about your fandom. Keep the focus on the challenges of tackling inequality, not on your Eras Tour outfit or opinions on which (Taylor’s Version) album has the best (From The Vault) tracks 😉

Share a short quote and person not on this list, and why the quote inspires you. (250 words)

While you may initially feel drawn to this option because of the freedom it affords you, we advise against defaulting to it if you don’t immediately feel a connection to one of the other prompts. The other options do have narrower focuses, but you have five to choose from, and all of the quotes are open-ended enough that you aren’t being forced into a box.

Because this prompt is already unusually flexible for a supplemental essay, you should have a good reason for creating your own option. Ideally you’ll already have a particular quote, or at least a particular person, in mind. If you’re just thinking “Oh, I’d like to write about [general topic],” the time you spend googling possibilities is time you could instead be spending on your actual response, so we’d encourage you to look back at the options already given to you and see if any of them could be an inroad to your desired topic.

Additionally, you may have noticed that, while the options NYU gives you all portray slightly different perspectives, and come from a wide range of speakers, they all have something to do with the theme of justice and equity. In the main prompt, NYU even says they’re looking for “peacemakers, changemakers, global citizens, boundary breakers, creatives and innovators,” so your quote should show your potential to become a difference-maker in the world. Avoid writing about, for example, Stephen Hawking’s thoughts on black holes, as that would be jarring for admissions officers.

Obviously, the exact structure of your essay will depend on which quote you select. But in general, many of the points we’ve made in our breakdowns of the other prompts will apply here too. The best advice we can give is:

• Use anecdotes, rather than speaking generally about whatever your topic is
• Make sure the essay doesn’t just focus on your topic, and instead teaches your reader about a few tangible personality traits that speak to your potential as an NYU student 
• Provide enough detail that your story feels personal, rather than like something any old applicant to NYU could have written.

With regards to this prompt specifically, since you’re taking this choose-your-own adventure path, don’t be afraid to be a little unconventional in how you do these three things. Maybe you share a quote of something meaningful your dad once said to you about having a responsibility to give back to others, and then you describe a few moments you have shared with him that exemplify how he embodies this ideal every day, and how you seek to do the same.

Alternatively, say you study Latin in school. Maybe you choose a quote from Ovid, your favorite Roman author, that relates to injustice, and explain how to you, this quote shows that, although it’s easy to get discouraged by all the doom and gloom on the news, humans have been trying to make the world a little bit better for as long as our species has existed.

These two examples both take advantage of the fact that you have a pre-existing personal connection to the actual person who said the quote, not just their words, as that’s something you probably don’t have with any of the options given to you (with the possible exception of Taylor Swift). As a result, NYU admissions officers get to see a level of depth and reflection in your response that they otherwise wouldn’t, which is the benefit of this option–you can pick both the framework and the content of your essay, rather than needing to fit what you want to say into a particular structure.

This isn’t a mistake, but just something to keep in mind if you’re seriously thinking about coming up with your own prompt: you still only have 250 words, and you’re going to have to spend probably about 20 of them just on your quote and the name of the person who said it. So, make sure your quote is relatively short (you can also use well-placed ellipses to save yourself room)–Option A, for example, would be much too long, as you’d be using over 20% of your space just on the quote itself.

Regardless of how short your quote is, however, you’re still going to have less space available than if you had chosen one of the options NYU provides, which is yet more reason you need to be 100% sure that this option will allow you to say something none of the others will. If you choose this option without already having some sense of what you’d like to say, having 20 fewer words may end up really biting you.

To summarize: if you’re feeling bold, and already have a clear sense of how you’re going to channel that boldness, this prompt is a great opportunity to truly set yourself apart from other applicants. But if you’re just choosing it because you can, and coming up with your own prompt sounds fun, we’d encourage you to give the pre-established options another look.

Where to Get Your NYU Essay 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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Quantitative Management (MS)

Program description.

NYU Stern’s online MS in Quantitative Management (MSQM) offers high-potential working professionals the opportunity to become data literate managers and leaders. The program delivers a comprehensive business foundation with emphasis on the data-driven analytical skills that are rapidly becoming a requirement for anyone who wants to launch or advance their business career, with online flexibility with best-in-class instructional design.

The MSQM program is open to applicants with any undergraduate major and varying levels and types of professional experience. For some individuals, the MS in Quantitative Management serves as an MBA alternative. For those who want but are not ready to pursue an MBA, this online business degree offers a possible path into Stern’s top-ranked Langone Part-time MBA program. For everyone, the online MSQM presents the possibility of obtaining a high-value degree while continuing to work.

Students complete 22 courses in 20 months, one at a time in lockstep with their cohort. The curriculum comprises MBA core courses and analytics courses taught by the same Stern faculty who teach on campus. During two short residential immersions on campus, students complement their online learning with intensive coursework, community building and career workshops, alumni panels, and an opportunity to network.

As alumni, MSQM graduates join NYU Stern’s global alumni network, gaining access to more than 110,000 alumni across industries in 138 countries. MSQM students who have not completed the degree and wish to further their education with an MBA are eligible to apply to transfer to Stern’s Langone Part-time MBA program and use the credits they have earned online toward their MBA degree.

NYU Stern evaluates each MSQM candidate holistically. The Admissions Committee seeks students who demonstrate strong intellectual ability, superior interpersonal skills, and a desire to create value for business and society.

Step 1: Complete Your Application Submit an application that has met all of the  application requirements .

Step 2: Admissions Committee Review The Admissions Committee will complete a review of your application materials and reach out if there are any missing items.

Step 3: Initial Notification You will receive one of the following decisions via email by the guaranteed initial notification date after you submit a complete application: interview invitation, waitlist offer, or denial of admission.

Step 4: Interview Select candidates may be invited for a 20-minute virtual interview with a member of the Admissions Committee. Interviews are conducted via Zoom and are a requirement prior to being admitted to the program.

Step 5: Final Decision Upon completion of an interview, the Admissions Committee will review your application and make a final decision. You will receive one of the following final decisions via email 2-4 weeks after completion of your interview: offer of admission, waitlist offer, or denial of admission.

The Admissions Committee accepts applications and issues notifications on a rolling basis throughout the year and advises you to begin the admissions process as soon as you are ready.

The team looks forward to reviewing your application!

Requirements

Thank you for your interest in the NYU Stern MSQM program. We look forward to receiving your application! As part of the admissions process, all candidates must submit the materials listed below.

Formal Application

• Program Information
• Personal Information
• Academic Background
• Standardized Tests (GRE, GMAT, or GMAC Executive Assessment Score or Test Score Supplemental Essay; TOEFL, IELTS, iTEP, or Duolingo score, if required)
• Professional Background
• Activities and Achievements
• Transcripts
• Acknowledgments
• Letters of Recommendation

Completed  online application form The online application form will require you to select the program and provide basic information about yourself. It will provide you with the ability to upload the additional materials listed below.

Unofficial transcripts Students entering the MSQM program are required to hold a four-year bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in the U.S. or an equivalent degree from a foreign country. Please upload transcripts (and English translation if applicable) from all undergraduate and graduate institutions from which you have received a degree.

There are two options for submitting an unofficial transcript via the online application:

• Upload a scanned copy.
• Complete and upload the  Self-Reported Transcript Form . ( Download Adobe Acrobat Reader  to view this form.)

GMAT, GRE, or GMAC Executive Assessment scores (optional) While the GMAT, GRE, or GMAC Executive Assessment exams are optional for the MSQM program, we encourage applicants to submit scores if they believe it will strengthen their applications or their academic and professional records do not provide sufficient evidence of their quantitative, verbal, and reasoning abilities.

If you will not be submitting a test score, please provide a supplemental essay in which you explain how your academic and professional experience provide evidence of your quantitative, verbal, and reasoning abilities. Please be sure to include at least one specific example for each of the three abilities listed above.

Unsure if you should submit a test score?   Click here .

TOEFL, IELTS, iTEP, or Duolingo scores (if required) Mastery of English is required for NYU Stern programs. If your native language is not English, you must demonstrate your level of proficiency in English by taking a standardized test. Please review our  English Proficiency requirements  for more details.

Stern essay questions give you the opportunity to present yourself more fully to the Admissions Committee. Essays must be typed, double-spaced, and use a 12-point font. While there is no minimum length, each essay should be a maximum of two pages and thoroughly answer the questions below:

Essay 1 (Required for all)

• Describe your personal and professional goals and how they align with your decision to pursue the MSQM program.
• How have your background and experiences prepared you for success in this program?
• Why do you feel that you are an ideal fit for the NYU Stern MSQM?

Essay 2 (Required for those who do not submit a GRE, GMAT, or GMAC Executive Assessment score) Please describe how your academic background and professional experience provide evidence of your quantitative, verbal, and reasoning abilities. Be sure to include at least one specific example for each ability.

Current resume Please provide us with an up-to-date resume that includes your education and employment history. Post-college work experience is not required to apply. If you do not have post-college work experience, please include information on any internships and part-time employment in your resume and provide thorough answers to the application questions about activities and achievements.

Two letters of recommendation (academic or professional) We strongly recommend that at least one of your recommendations is professional, ideally from your current or direct supervisor. If you are not currently employed, please use your most recent direct supervisor.

Application fee: $100 (non-refundable) Prior to submitting your online application, you will be prompted to pay the non-refundable application fee. The application fee must be paid online by credit card when you submit your application. Your application is not complete until we receive payment of the application fee. The application fee is non-refundable and may not be applied toward any future applications at NYU Stern or other NYU programs.

Application Policies

Applications are reviewed and admissions decisions are given on an ongoing basis throughout the admissions cycle. The Admissions Committee recommends submitting your application earlier in the cycle as admission becomes more competitive throughout the year.

Additional Submissions by Waitlisted Applicants

The Admissions Committee reserves the right to make final decisions on waitlisted applications prior to receiving additional information. Materials received after a final decision will not affect that decision.

Application Fee Waivers

U.S. military members and U.S. veterans who have served active duty and Teach for America and Teach for India program alumni are eligible for application fee waivers. Just prior to submitting your application, email your request for an application fee waiver to  [email protected]  and include documentation of service.

If you are experiencing economic challenges and would like to request an application fee waiver, please email  [email protected] . Requests should include a detailed rationale for the application fee waiver and will be considered by the Admissions Committee on a case-by-case basis.

Once an application fee is paid by an applicant, it is non-refundable and non-transferrable. If you wish to request a waiver, please be sure to contact  [email protected]  prior to paying your application fee.

GMAT, GRE and GMAC Executive Assessment

Scores are valid for five years from the date that you took the test and must be valid at the time that you submit your application. You are responsible for including your test score on the online application and ensuring that Pearson VUE or ETS is able to release and send your official score report to NYU Stern.

Stern’s GMAT and GMAC Executive Assessment reporting code is 5TF-HW-27.

Stern’s GRE reporting code is 4469.

While an official test score is required for a final decision, the Admissions Committee can begin the review of your application with an unofficial test score.

If you plan to retake the GMAT, GRE, or GMAC Executive Assessment after applying, you must inform the Admissions Committee of the date you intend to take the test in the optional essay or via email to  [email protected] . The Admissions Committee will proceed with the evaluation of your application using your submitted score and may issue a decision prior to receiving additional test scores.

NYU Stern has no minimum GMAT, GRE, or GMAC Executive Assessment score requirement. For applicants who took the test more than once, the Admissions Committee considers only the test with the highest total score.

Applying Prior to Completing your Undergraduate Degree

If you submit your application prior to the conferral of your bachelor’s degree or equivalent, the Admissions Committee will accept and evaluate your application. This will not delay the evaluation of your application. If an offer of admission is made, it will be contingent upon graduating from your undergraduate program prior to the first day of class. An undergraduate degree is required to enroll in the MSQM program.

Official Transcript Requirement for Enrollment

Admitted students are required to provide an official copy of academic transcripts with proof of conferral for all degrees earned prior to enrollment. Instructions are communicated upon admission.

Do not send official transcripts to NYU Stern unless instructed to do so. Please take care to record your grades accurately. The Admissions Committee reserves the right to withdraw an offer of admission at any time, prior to or after enrolling, if there is any discrepancy between the scanned/self-reported transcript and the official transcript.

Interview Policy

MSQM Interviews are by invitation only and are not required of every candidate. Select candidates may be invited for a 20-minute virtual interview with a member of the Admissions Committee. If invited for an interview, it is a required step in the process. An invitation to interview signals that your application has reached an advanced stage of consideration, but it does not guarantee admission.

Interviews will be conducted virtually and will be scheduled in Eastern time. Please adjust your calendar to reflect the correct time if you are located outside of the Eastern Time Zone.

Those invited to interview will be asked to respond to the interview request in a timely manner with availability. If you have not responded within two weeks of receiving the invitation, the admission committee will move forward in making a decision about your application.

Once scheduled, you are required to attend your interview. If you miss your interview or are more than 10 minutes late, your appointment will be canceled and you will not have the opportunity to reschedule.

Change of Information

If anything changes during the application process (name, address, contact, employment, citizenship status), it is your responsibility to notify the admissions committee and provide necessary documentation. If you fail to update your information you may miss key information, which could jeopardize your admission and/or place in the class. You may update your information within the application portal or notify us by email at  [email protected] .

NYU Stern is not responsible for any technological issues (including email filters, etc.) that prevent applicants from receiving official communications.

Deferred Admission/Leave of Absence

NYU Stern does not grant admission deferrals. If you are admitted and decide not to enroll, you may re-apply for a future term. Leaves of absence are not granted to students who find that they cannot begin the program in the semester for which they were admitted or who cannot successfully complete one course in that first semester.

Enrollment Deposits

After admission, a non-refundable enrollment $750 deposit is required to secure your place in NYU Stern’s MSQM program. The deposit is due within two weeks of notification of an offer of admission.

Final Decisions

The Admissions Committee reserves the right to make an admission decision at any point in the process even if the application is not complete or is missing components or does not meet eligibility requirements. All admission decisions are final.

If any materials were found to be forged, falsified, or intentionally misrepresentative, your offer will be revoked.

Re-Application and Applying to Multiple Programs within the Same Admissions Cycle

You may have only one active application for a program at NYU Stern within the 2021-22 admissions cycle (entering Spring, Summer, and Fall terms for 2022). If you are not offered admission to the MSQM or withdraw your application, you may request to re-apply to the same program with a different start date or you may request to apply to a different program. Requests must be sent to  [email protected]  and your request must be approved before you begin your new application.

Immunizations

New York State requires that all students have the  necessary immunizations  to ensure your well-being and the vitality of the NYU community.

Program Requirements

The program requires the completion of 33 credits, comprised of the following:

Sample Plan of Study

Learning outcomes.

Upon successful completion of the program, graduates will:

• Be able to gain essential business skills and knowledge. 
• Be skilled in analyzing data for use in making key business decisions.
• Develop strong quantitative skills in the areas of analytics and finance.

NYU Policies

Stern policies.

University-wide policies can be found on the New York University Policy pages .

Additional academic policies can be found on the Stern Graduate Academic Policies page . 

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Published September 18, 2023

Your Guide to the NYU Supplemental Essay

Katie Hindman

Senior Assistant Director of Admissions

As part of this year’s first-year application , you’ll have the option to answer a new NYU supplemental essay question. This year, we’re asking something brand new:

We are looking for peacemakers, changemakers, global citizens, boundary breakers, creatives and innovators – Choose one quote from the following and let us know why it inspires you; or share a short quote and person not on our list who inspires you, and include why (250 words).

• “We’re used to people telling us there are no solutions, and then creating our own. So we did what we do best. We reached out to each other, and to our allies, and we mobilized across communities to make change, to benefit and include everyone in society.”  Judith Heumann, 2022 NYU Commencement Address
• “ I encourage your discomfort, that you must contribute, that you must make your voice heard. That is the essence of good citizenship .” Sherilynn Ifill, 2015 NYU Commencement Address
• “If you know how to fly but you never knew how to walk, wouldn’t that be sad?” Lang Lang, 2015 NYU Honorary Degree Recipient
• “ You have the right to want things and to want things to change. ” Sanna Marin, Former Prime Minister of Finland,  2023 NYU Commencement Address
• “It’s hard to fight when the fight ain’t fair.” Taylor Swift, “Change,” Released 2008, 2022 NYU Commencement Speaker
• Share a short quote and person not on this list, and why the quote inspires you.

No matter your initial reaction to this new question (perhaps “How or where do I start?!” or  “Hmm, nobody has answered this before…” or even “Woohoo! I get to be the first to take this on– no expectations!”), we want this question to give you a chance to shine.

Remember that there are real people (like me!) on the other side of the screen reading your application, and no matter what you write, we are grateful that you’re willing to share with us. 

We encourage you to approach the (optional!) NYU supplemental essay question with a sense of curiosity and excitement– because, after all, it’s all about YOU! 

HOW SHOULD YOU START?

Everyone’s writing process is distinct and personal. To begin, it might be helpful to jot down some ideas about what inspires you in each of these quotes. Even if one jumps out immediately, give some thought to them all! Is there a common theme that comes up in the ways you relate to each? Do they remind you of another quote that inspires you? Brainstorm in the way that works best for you, but give yourself a fair opportunity to consider your best answer.

Once you’ve chosen the quote you’ll reflect on, get all of your thoughts on paper. Sometimes the best writing comes from fragmented and unedited ideas, so try to stay away from judging your own writing before it’s time to edit.

WHAT SHOULD YOU SAY?

While each of the selected quotes has a specific connection to NYU, we want your answer to be about YOU. We assume you’re excited about NYU because you’re choosing to apply, so there’s no need to use this as a way to tell us about your interest in the school. You also don’t need to give us a literary or academic analysis! We’re confident you’re developing these skills in school. Rather, this is our opportunity to read about what inspires you as an individual (because we’re inspired by these quotes, too)!

Finally, think about how your answer might enhance what you’ve already shared with us through the rest of your application. Remember, you only have 250 words to answer the NYU supplemental essay, so start big and then narrow your ideas down to their most succinct form. Pick an idea and get right to it.

THE BOTTOM LINE…

There is no right or wrong way to answer as long as your answer is genuine to you. 

Remember that this question is completely optional (we promise). If you decide that you don’t want to answer the question, you will not be penalized in the admissions process. 

All of us admissions counselors are wishing you the very best of luck as you complete your college applications. We are already looking forward to learning more about the unique and dynamic class of 2028!

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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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• Program Overview
• Earn a Stern MBA in one year and minimize time out of the work force
• Integrate customized coursework in business and tech with cutting edge real-world industry projects from leading companies
• Participate in intensive industry immersions on the East and West coasts of the U.S.
• Gain access to global headquarters and local startups in one of the tech world’s most exciting locations
• Study with one of the largest faculty of computer and data scientists among business schools

• MS in Data Analytics and Business Computing
• MS in Quantitative Finance
• MS in Marketing and Retail Science

MS in Organization Management and Strategy

• Graduate Ambassadors
• Connect with Our Students
• Students and Alumni Profiles
• Alumni Network
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• Services and Resources
• Graduate Destination Reports
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NYU Around the World

• New York Shanghai Abu Dhabi
• Accra Berlin Buenos Aires Florence London Madrid
• Paris Prague Sydney Tel Aviv Washington
• Arts and Science College of Arts and Science College of Dentistry College of Global Public Health Rory Meyers College of Nursing Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences Gallatin School of Individualized Study Graduate School of Arts and Science Institute of Fine Arts Institute for the Study of the Ancient World Leonard N. Stern School of Business Liberal Studies Program Robert F. Wagner Graduate School School of Law School of Medicine School of Professional Studies Silver School of Social Work Steinhardt School Tandon School of Engineering Tisch School of the Arts

Standardized Tests

Gmat or gre.

The GMAT or GRE is NOT a required component, however, you are highly encouraged to submit a competitive  test center  GMAT or GRE score. 

If you decide to submit a  test center  GMAT or GRE score:

The GMAT or GRE must be taken within five years of the deadline by which you are applying:

You are responsible for including your score on the online application and ensuring that Pearson VUE or Educational Testing Services is able to release and send your official score report.

GMAT and GRE reporting codes:

There are no minimum GRE or GMAT score requirements. We consider only your highest overall scores. Therefore, feel free to retake a test if you believe you can improve your performance.

If you plan to retake the GMAT or GRE after applying, please inform the Admissions Committee of the date you intend to take the test in the optional essay of your application. The Admissions Committee will proceed with the evaluation of your application using your submitted information and may issue a decision prior to receiving additional test scores.

IELTS or TOEFL

All applicants whose native language is not English OR who have not received a university degree taught in English must take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or the IELTS (International English Language Testing System).

The minimum TOEFL score is 100 and the minimum IELTS score is 7.

If your native language is not English and you are in the process of completing a bachelor's degree taught in English and the degree will be conferred prior to enrollment in the MS program, you may contact the admissions office and request to have your IELTS or TOEFL waived. The IELTS or TOEFL must be taken within two years of the deadline by which you are applying:

You are responsible for including your IELTS or TOEFL score on the online application and ensuring that your official score report can be released and sent to us. While an official test score is required for a final decision, the Admissions Committee can begin the review of your application with an unofficial test score.

IELTS and TOEFL reporting code:

(* Please choose "China" when selecting the Country/Region for the IELTS score report)

For applicants who take the test more than once, the Admissions Committee will consider only the test with the highest total score taken within two years from the application deadline by which you apply.

If you plan to retake the IELTS or TOEFL after applying, please inform the Admissions Committee of the date you intend to take the test in the optional essay of your application. The Admissions Committee will proceed with the evaluation of your application using your submitted information and may issue a decision prior to receiving test scores.

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NYU Requirements for Admission

Choose your test.

What are NYU's admission requirements? While there are a lot of pieces that go into a college application, you should focus on only a few critical things:

• GPA requirements
• Testing requirements, including SAT and ACT requirements
• Application requirements

In this guide we'll cover what you need to get into NYU and build a strong application.

School location: New York, NY

This school is also known as: New York University

Admissions Rate: 12.5%

If you want to get in, the first thing to look at is the acceptance rate. This tells you how competitive the school is and how serious their requirements are.

The acceptance rate at NYU is 12.5% . For every 100 applicants, only 13 are admitted.

This means the school is extremely selective . Meeting their GPA requirements and SAT/ACT requirements is very important to getting past their first round of filters and proving your academic preparation. If you don't meet their expectations, your chance of getting in is nearly zero.

After crossing this hurdle, you'll need to impress NYU application readers through their other application requirements, including extracurriculars, essays, and letters of recommendation. We'll cover more below.

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NYU GPA Requirements

Many schools specify a minimum GPA requirement, but this is often just the bare minimum to submit an application without immediately getting rejected.

The GPA requirement that really matters is the GPA you need for a real chance of getting in. For this, we look at the school's average GPA for its current students.

Average GPA: 3.8

The average GPA at NYU is 3.8 .

(Most schools use a weighted GPA out of 4.0, though some report an unweighted GPA.

With a GPA of 3.8, NYU requires you to be near the top of your class , and well above average. Your transcript should show mostly A's. Ideally, you will also have taken several AP or IB classes to show that you can handle academics at a college level.

If you're currently a junior or senior, your GPA is hard to change in time for college applications. If your GPA is at or below the school average of 3.8, you'll need a higher SAT or ACT score to compensate . This will help you compete effectively against other applicants who have higher GPAs than you.

SAT and ACT Requirements

Each school has different requirements for standardized testing. Only a few schools require the SAT or ACT, but many consider your scores if you choose to submit them.

NYU hasn't explicitly named a policy on SAT/ACT requirements, but because it's published average SAT or ACT scores (we'll cover this next), it's likely test flexible. Typically, these schools say, "if you feel your SAT or ACT score represents you well as a student, submit them. Otherwise, don't."

Despite this policy, the truth is that most students still take the SAT or ACT, and most applicants to NYU will submit their scores. If you don't submit scores, you'll have one fewer dimension to show that you're worthy of being admitted, compared to other students. We therefore recommend that you consider taking the SAT or ACT, and doing well.

NYU SAT Requirements

Many schools say they have no SAT score cutoff, but the truth is that there is a hidden SAT requirement. This is based on the school's average score.

Average SAT: 1455

The average SAT score composite at NYU is a 1455 on the 1600 SAT scale.

This score makes NYU Strongly Competitive for SAT test scores.

NYU SAT Score Analysis (New 1600 SAT)

The 25th percentile SAT score is 1470, and the 75th percentile SAT score is 1560. In other words, a 1470 on the SAT places you below average, while a 1560 will move you up to above average .

NYU's high exam standards can be as imposing as Manhattan's iconic skyscrapers. We'll help you rise to the occasion with our professionals' advice for tutoring in Manhattan

Here's the breakdown of SAT scores by section:

SAT Score Choice Policy

The Score Choice policy at your school is an important part of your testing strategy.

NYU has the Score Choice policy of "Contact School."

This means that the school wants you to contact them to learn more about their Score Choice policies. Keep reading - we may have extra notes about this from our own expert research.

Download our free guide on the top 5 strategies you must be using to improve your score. This guide was written by Harvard graduates and SAT perfect scorers. If you apply the strategies in this guide, you'll study smarter and make huge score improvements.

NYU ACT Requirements

Just like for the SAT, NYU likely doesn't have a hard ACT cutoff, but if you score too low, your application will get tossed in the trash.

Average ACT: 34

The average ACT score at NYU is 34. This score makes NYU Extremely Competitive for ACT scores.

The 25th percentile ACT score is 33, and the 75th percentile ACT score is 35.

Even though NYU likely says they have no minimum ACT requirement, if you apply with a 33 or below, you'll have a very hard time getting in, unless you have something else very impressive in your application. There are so many applicants scoring 34 and above that a 33 will look academically weak.

ACT Score Sending Policy

If you're taking the ACT as opposed to the SAT, you have a huge advantage in how you send scores, and this dramatically affects your testing strategy.

Here it is: when you send ACT scores to colleges, you have absolute control over which tests you send. You could take 10 tests, and only send your highest one. This is unlike the SAT, where many schools require you to send all your tests ever taken.

This means that you have more chances than you think to improve your ACT score. To try to aim for the school's ACT requirement of 35 and above, you should try to take the ACT as many times as you can. When you have the final score that you're happy with, you can then send only that score to all your schools.

ACT Superscore Policy

By and large, most colleges do not superscore the ACT. (Superscore means that the school takes your best section scores from all the test dates you submit, and then combines them into the best possible composite score). Thus, most schools will just take your highest ACT score from a single sitting.

However, from our research, NYU is understood to superscore the ACT . We couldn't confirm it directly from the school's admissions website, but multiple sources confirm that the school does superscore the ACT. We recommend you call their admissions office directly for more information.

Superscoring is powerful to your testing strategy, and you need to make sure you plan your testing accordingly. Of all the scores that NYU receives, your application readers will consider your highest section scores across all ACT test dates you submit .

Click below to learn more about how superscoring critically affects your test strategy.

For example, say you submit the following 4 test scores:

Even though the highest ACT composite you scored on any one test date was 20, NYU will take your highest section score from all your test dates, then combine them to form your Superscore. You can raise your composite score from 20 to 32 in this example.

This is important for your testing strategy. Because you can choose which tests to send in, and NYU forms your Superscore, you can take the ACT as many times as you want, then submit only the tests that give you the highest Superscore. Your application readers will only see that one score.

Therefore, if your ACT score is currently below a 35, we strongly recommend that you consider prepping for the ACT and retaking it . You have a very good chance of raising your score, which will significantly boost your chances of getting in.

Even better, because of the Superscore, you can focus all your energy on a single section at a time. If your Reading score is lower than your other sections, prep only for the Reading section, then take the ACT. Then focus on Math for the next test, and so on. This will give you the highest Superscore possible.

Download our free guide on the top 5 strategies you must be using to improve your score. This guide was written by Harvard graduates and ACT perfect scorers. If you apply the strategies in this guide, you'll study smarter and make huge score improvements.

SAT/ACT Writing Section Requirements

Currently, only the ACT has an optional essay section that all students can take. The SAT used to also have an optional Essay section, but since June 2021, this has been discontinued unless you are taking the test as part of school-day testing in a few states. Because of this, no school requires the SAT Essay or ACT Writing section, but some schools do recommend certain students submit their results if they have them.

NYU considers the SAT Essay/ACT Writing section optional and may not include it as part of their admissions consideration. You don't need to worry too much about Writing for this school, but other schools you're applying to may require it.

Final Admissions Verdict

Because this school is extremely selective, getting a high SAT/ACT score and GPA is vital to having a chance at getting in . If you don't pass their SAT/ACT and GPA requirements, they'll likely reject you without much consideration.

To have the best shot of getting in, you should aim for the 75th percentile, with a 1560 SAT or a 35 ACT . You should also have a 3.8 GPA or higher. If your GPA is lower than this, you need to compensate with a higher SAT/ACT score.

For a school as selective as NYU, you'll also need to impress them with the rest of your application. We'll cover those details next.

But if you apply with a score below a 1560 SAT or a 35 ACT, you unfortunately start out with the odds against you and have a tiny chance of getting in. There are just too many students with high SAT/ACT scores and strong applications, and you need to compete against them.

Admissions Calculator

Here's our custom admissions calculator. Plug in your numbers to see what your chances of getting in are. Pick your test: SAT ACT

• 80-100%: Safety school: Strong chance of getting in
• 50-80%: More likely than not getting in
• 20-50%: Lower but still good chance of getting in
• 5-20%: Reach school: Unlikely to get in, but still have a shot
• 0-5%: Hard reach school: Very difficult to get in

How would your chances improve with a better score?

Take your current SAT score and add 160 points (or take your ACT score and add 4 points) to the calculator above. See how much your chances improve?

At PrepScholar, we've created the leading online SAT/ACT prep program . We guarantee an improvement of 160 SAT points or 4 ACT points on your score, or your money back.

Here's a summary of why we're so much more effective than other prep programs:

• PrepScholar customizes your prep to your strengths and weaknesses . You don't waste time working on areas you already know, so you get more results in less time.
• We guide you through your program step-by-step so that you're never confused about what you should be studying. Focus all your time learning, not worrying about what to learn.
• Our team is made of national SAT/ACT experts . PrepScholar's founders are Harvard graduates and SAT perfect scorers . You'll be studying using the strategies that actually worked for them.
• We've gotten tremendous results with thousands of students across the country. Read about our score results and reviews from our happy customers .

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Application Requirements

Every school requires an application with the bare essentials - high school transcript and GPA, application form, and other core information. Many schools, as explained above, also require SAT and ACT scores, as well as letters of recommendation, application essays, and interviews. We'll cover the exact requirements of NYU here.

Application Requirements Overview

• Common Application Accepted
• Electronic Application None
• Essay or Personal Statement Required for all freshmen
• Letters of Recommendation 1
• Interview Not required
• Application Fee $80
• Fee Waiver Available? Available
• Other Notes Audition or a portfolio for some specific programs recommended for some freshmen

Testing Requirements

• SAT or ACT Considered if submitted
• SAT Essay or ACT Writing Optional
• SAT Subject Tests Optional
• Scores Due in Office January 31

Coursework Requirements

• Subject Required Years
• Foreign Language 3
• Social Studies 3

Deadlines and Early Admissions

• Offered? Deadline Notification
• Yes January 1 April 1
• Yes November 1, January 1 December 15, February 15

Admissions Office Information

• Address: 70 New York, NY 10012-1019
• Phone: (212) 998-1212 x1212
• Fax: (212) 995-4902
• Email: [email protected]

Our Expert's Notes

We did more detailed research into this school's admissions process and found the following information:

NYU has two early decision deadlines: November 1 (December 15 notification) and January 1 (February 15 notification), as well as regular decision (January 1). Both early decision options are binding, so only select them if NYU is your top choice.

Other Schools For You

If you're interested in NYU, you'll probably be interested in these schools as well. We've divided them into 3 categories depending on how hard they are to get into, relative to NYU.

Reach Schools: Harder to Get Into

These schools are have higher average SAT scores than NYU. If you improve your SAT score, you'll be competitive for these schools.

Same Level: Equally Hard to Get Into

If you're competitive for NYU, these schools will offer you a similar chance of admission.

Safety Schools: Easier to Get Into

If you're currently competitive for NYU, you should have no problem getting into these schools. If NYU is currently out of your reach, you might already be competitive for these schools.

Data on this page is sourced from Peterson's Databases © 2023 (Peterson's LLC. All rights reserved.) as well as additional publicly available sources.

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Scholarships

Scholarships at nyu.

Scholarships and grants are types of financial aid you don’t have to pay back. NYU offers or recognizes many scholarship options, including programs for new students, current NYU undergraduates, and scholarships from outside sources.

In addition, NYU schools and colleges award their own scholarships.

Scholarships for Incoming Students

Scholarships for current students.

As an incoming student at NYU, you are eligible for select scholarships. 

AnBryce Scholarships

This scholarship is awarded to academically-motivated students who demonstrate financial need and who are the first generation in their family to attend college. The award will cover up to the cost of tuition and is renewable over four years of undergraduate study at NYU. Students are expected to maintain a minimum GPA of 3.5 and must remain active in program activities.

Lenape Scholarship

In honor of the Lenape people and their lands on which New York University was founded, the Lenape Scholarship will be awarded to applicants with a demonstrated participation in or engagement with Native American culture and communities regardless of tribal membership. Preference will be given to members of the Lenape tribal nation, which students may self-certify. 

Lewis Rudin City Scholarships

Rudin Scholars are outstanding entering first-year students selected from public and parochial high schools in all five boroughs of New York City. In addition to their scholarship, they participate in academic and cultural activities throughout the city. The program is named in honor of the late real estate developer and NYU alumnus Lewis Rudin.

Phi Theta Kappa Scholarships

These scholarships are awarded to outstanding community college transfer students who are members of Phi Theta Kappa , the national honor society for two-year colleges. Transfer students from all colleges who are members of the society and who have participated in its programs are eligible for consideration.

Yellow Ribbon Scholarships

The Yellow Ribbon GI Education Enhancement Program is a provision of the Post 9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008. Yellow Ribbon is a scholarship designed to help military or veteran students supplement their Post 9/11 GI Bill tuition benefits.

• Find out more about the Yellow Ribbon Program .

As a student at NYU, you’re eligible for a host of scholarships and scholar programs offered by the university’s schools and colleges. 

Learn about scholarships from NYU’s schools and colleges:

Study Abroad

College of arts and science, gallatin school of individualized study, rory meyers college of nursing, silver school of social work, steinhardt school of culture, education, and human development, stern school of business, tandon school of engineering.

You can also explore scholarships outside NYU as well.  

Global Pathways Scholarships

Want to see the world? We can help with that. This need-based award of up to $4,000 per semester goes toward the additional costs of studying away for undergraduate degree-seeking students whose home campus is New York City. You must have a current FAFSA on file with the university to be considered. Award notifications occur in June for the fall semester and November for the spring semester.

P.O.I.S.E. Scholars

The program is for Borough of Manhattan Community College students who desire to pursue studies in a science, technology, engineering, psychology, and math related major. Students participate in a variety of activities and social network opportunities aimed at academic achievement and preparation for successful transition into a four-year college.

Presidential Honors Scholars Program

This program is for students who have demonstrated superior academic achievement and outstanding records of leadership and service to their school and community. Scholars participate in seminars, meet regularly for lectures and discussions, and engage in a variety of co-curricular activities. Recipients are expected to complete the honors track in their major, as well as study abroad for part of their time at NYU.

Scholars Program

Gallatin Scholars participate in a carefully planned program of cultural and intellectual activities, including concerts, theatrical performances, and lectures. They also take study trips; past groups have traveled to Greece, Italy, Thailand, China, and Spain, as well as throughout the United States.

Meyers Nursing Scholars Program

This scholarship will meet the full demonstrated financial need for two incoming first-year students. Preference is given to students who are the first generation in their family to attend college, are high achieving with financial need, and who have a demonstrated interest in nursing.

Community College Transfer Opportunity Program Scholarships

Qualified students transferring from community colleges participating in the Community College Transfer Opportunity Program (CCTOP) are eligible for this need-based scholarship. Students must be nominated for consideration by the dean, department chairperson, professor, or transfer counselor of their community college.

As part of the school’s honors program, this program promotes excellence in academic achievement and leadership. Scholars participate in a mix of seminars, domestic and international travel colloquia, research, social activities, and community service. All qualified freshman and transfer applicants are automatically considered.

Education Scholarships

These are awarded to entering freshmen and transfer students who have demonstrated academic excellence and leadership potential and have chosen to major in education.

Artistic Scholarships

These scholarships are for entering freshmen who show exceptional promise in music or studio art.

Gateway Mathematics Education Scholarships

This program offers both financial and academic support for community college transfer students intending to become mathematics teachers in New York City.

NYU Stern is committed to making college accessible to high-achieving, exceptionally talented students with financial need through two ambitious programs at its Undergraduate College.

The Berkley Achievement Scholars Program provides an exclusive group of highly accomplished students from across the United States with bespoke learning experiences centered on academic excellence, community building, and career readiness. As Berkley Achievement Scholars (BAS), students will learn and apply academic and interpersonal competencies that will enhance their professional achievement at Stern and beyond. 

The Breakthrough Scholars Leadership Program equips a select group of high-performing students from a wide range of backgrounds with the skills and relationships needed to grow and excel as students and future business leaders. Breakthrough Scholars (BTS) participate in customized programming in which they learn and apply foundational leadership competencies while gaining a broad understanding of leadership in its many forms.

ASPIRE Scholarship 

The ASPIRE (A Scholarship for Service Partnership for Interdisciplinary Research and Education) scholarship assists in educating and training the next generation of cybersecurity experts. The program aims to produce cybersecurity specialists who understand information-security issues from a multidisciplinary perspective. ASPIRE is funded by the Federal Scholarship for Service (SFS), a partnership between the National Science Foundation and the Department of Homeland Security to strengthen the United States’ information safety.

• Find out more about the ASPIRE Scholarship .

Nicholas and Angelica Romanelli Endowed Scholarship 

The Nicholas and Angelica Romanelli Endowed Scholarship is for undergraduates who demonstrate academic excellence and financial need. It’s intended to support one new freshman each year throughout his or her time at NYU (subject to continued eligibility). This scholarship is open to candidates of all backgrounds. Applicants should contact Kourtney Gardner with further questions.

• Review the application.

Outside Scholarships

As you seek financial aid for your education, you may also want to explore the availability of scholarships and grants from other organizations. 

• Learn more about scholarships and grants from outside sources.