We’re interested to know more about why you’re interested in NYU. What led you to apply? What attracted you to a specific campus, school, college, program, or field of study? If you applied to more than one, please explain why you’re interested in the additional areas or campuses. We want to understand why NYU stands out to you. (Maximum of 400 words)
AUTHOR 1
I’ve always been fascinated by numbers, probability, and finance. From a young age, I found joy in solving math problems, figuring out sales tax, and understanding statistical concepts. This interest led me to take advanced classes in economics and statistics, where I learned about mathematical models in economic markets and statistical analysis. It sparked my desire to work in risk management as an actuary, where I could use my analytical skills.
Choosing Stern College was an easy decision for me because it offers a program that aligns with my interests and career goals. Here, I can study actuarial science while also getting a business degree. The actuarial science concentration will help me improve my statistical skills, and courses like “Introduction to Stochastic Processes” and “Statistical Inference and Regression Analysis” will give me a strong foundation in analyzing social situations.
The Bachelor of Science in Business Program at Stern is appealing because it covers all the essential aspects of business and emphasizes the importance of having a global perspective. Through programs like the International Business Exchange Program, I’ll have the chance to experience different cultures firsthand, which will help me become a well-rounded business leader. Plus, I’ll get to study at some of the best business schools around the world and connect with successful alumni.
Why this NYU essay worked: From an ex-admissions officer
This essay makes a strong case. It’s obvious that the student’s interests match well with their personal background and experiences, showing a clear connection to what the college offers. Essays like these work best when they show the student’s genuine passion and excitement. Admissions officers like it when they can clearly see how the student might contribute to campus life. By providing detailed information about their love for business, the student helps the reader understand how this enthusiasm will show in their studies.
AUTHOR 2
Before I started my internship with the International Rescue Committee’s program for refugee youth on the Lower East Side, I went through weeks of training focused on supporting these kids who have been through a lot.
When the kids arrived, they were nothing like what I expected based on my training. One boy, Mahdi, and I hit it off. He was just like any other nine-year-old who loved playing Roblox, eating pizza, shooting hoops, doing funny accents, and hating math.
But Mahdi’s experience was different because of how some people in America see him. Nearly half of Americans think he doesn’t belong here because of his skin color, religion, or immigration status.
Some people would even call him a terrorist just because of his name. Instead of appreciating how quickly he picked up basketball in just six months, kids at school would make fun of his accent. Adults, no matter their political beliefs, would see him as a symbol, not a child, making him grow up faster than he should because they politicize his life.
Every day, I took the A train to the M train at West 4th Street to get to my internship. Sometimes, I’d walk around Washington Square Park.
In the park, NYU students in lavender shirts asked people to share their thoughts on social justice on small notes. I wrote, “Let Mahdi be a kid.”
NYU could help with that. They have great research on racial bias and inequality that I want to be a part of. Studying public health policy lets me learn about important topics like Social Policy in Modern Societies and Race and Ethnicity. I also plan to join student groups, like the one in Washington Square Park, to work with others at NYU and in New York City to fight for fairness in healthcare and let Mahdi enjoy being a kid.
Why this NYU essay worked: From an ex-admissions officer
The essay starts with a student seeking solutions. She has received training to help her community, used her knowledge in her surroundings, and then built on what she learned. Discovering her purpose through volunteering, she shares a personal story about Mahdi, drawing us into her world. We are engaged.
She now feels frustrated because she thinks she can’t help enough, until, by coincidence, she meets an NYU student, and NYU becomes her solution. She explains why NYU is the best choice for her, detailing the degree she plans to pursue, the classes she wants to take, and the student organizations she thinks will help her.
This essay succeeds in showing the student as community-minded and ambitious. As readers, we are confident she will be a great addition to the school. This is a student with a clear purpose, confident that NYU will help her reach her goals.
