I know from experience that frankly, the college application process can feel scary and overwhelming. And sometimes getting started is the hardest step. Hopefully this guide helps you tackle the Common Application as you apply to NYU.
Before we get into the nitty-gritty of applying to NYU, check out this comprehensive article on what to keep in mind if you’re applying during the 2023-2024 admissions cycle.
And once you know that NYU is the school for you, you’ll need to decide a few things before applying. Not to worry, I’ll walk you through it!
One of my early visits to Times Square!
NYU has three application deadlines: Early Decision I, Early Decision II, and Regular Decision. (Not sure which decision window is right for you? Check out this article from a former student ambassador to learn more.)
Early Decision application deadlines, as its name suggests, are earlier than other deadlines. The only difference between ED I and ED II are the application deadlines and decision dates. However, if you apply Early Decision and are offered admission to NYU, the University expects you to honor your commitment and withdraw your applications to other schools. There are exceptions to this, but you should be 100% sure NYU is the school for you if you apply Early Decision.
Personally, I needed the freedom and time to decide which school was the best fit for me. I didn’t know if I wanted to go to school in the UK or the US as a British citizen living in Taiwan. So, I’m happy that I decided to do Regular Decision when I was applying to NYU.
While the choice of when you’ll apply to your school(s) of interest is common among other American universities, choosing a campus location is very specific to applying to NYU. Each campus features unique clubs, opportunities, majors, and programs!
You will be asked to rank your preferences of NYU Abu Dhabi , New York City , and NYU Shanghai . You can rank them or if you’re set on a specific campus, you can just select the one you want. New York City made sense to me because it was the biggest campus and I wanted the flexibility of different colleges and majors.
I was tempted to apply to NYU Shanghai, but there were more challenges applying there because of my Taiwanese nationality. An important thing to remember: Don’t select a campus if you’re not passionate about going there. Only rank the campuses you’re genuinely interested in!
When do I decide my major? Can I apply undecided? Does that impact whether or not I get accepted? These are questions we are often asked during prospective student tours.
Firstly, this depends on which location you’re applying to—each campus has majors unique to its location.
For example, NYU Abu Dhabi has a major specific to its location called Business, Organizations and Society. Conversely, NYU Shanghai has majors like Interactive Media and Business as well as Global China Studies. You should keep in mind the majors available at whichever campus(es) as you decide to apply to.
For NYU Abu Dhabi and NYU Shanghai, you don’t have to declare a major when you apply. If you have an area you’re interested in, you can note that on the Common App.
New York City is slightly different since there are multiple colleges spanning a range of fields. When you apply you will select a specific school. Depending on the school you select, you will have to declare your major on the Common App. However, with some schools you can matriculate as an undeclared student. So don’t fret! If you feel undecided , there are options for you in New York City!
If you need more time to decide, consider applying to the College of Arts and Science or School of Liberal Studies . You won’t be expected to choose a major until your second year. Additionally, if you know you’re interested in a field within engineering, the Tandon School of Engineering allows first-year students to matriculate without declaring a major. Choosing a major can be a really daunting task, luckily we have an article on how to narrow your options .
For the Common App essay, I thought I needed some life-changing event to write about, which is a huge misconception. After looking back and talking to a lot of my friends who also were admitted into NYU, this is just not true. Little things we’ve come into contact with in our life end up becoming such an identifying factor of who we are as a person. Harness this and write about it! One of my closest friends wrote about persimmons (yes, the fruit!).
TL;DR: There really isn’t a certain topic you should write about . But make sure when you’re done writing to get feedback from your teacher, parents, friends, siblings . There’s nothing worse than submitting an amazing essay with a spelling mistake in the first sentence. If you want to talk about the impact of a natural disaster or COVID-19 on your studies, there’s a special (optional!) section for that as well.
