New York University is a large, private research university located in New York, New York. The school is unique because they don’t really have a true campus – but most of the main school buildings are centered around Washington Square Park. The school is extremely famous for Tisch (their school of the arts), Stern (business) and Gallatin (individualized majors). NYU also offers numerous global opportunities, with degree-granting campuses in Shanghai and Abu Dhabi, as well as study abroad outposts on every continent except Antarctica.
NYU has gotten very competitive in the last few years. Last cycle, NYU had a 7.7% acceptance rate, and over 120,000 applicants total. ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY THOUSAND!! In 2019, for comparison, they had an acceptance rate of 30% and 60,000 applicants. Absolutely bonkers! And while NYU does not publish ED or ED2 specific data, we know that the odds for ED and ED2 are much higher – estimates put it around 30-35%. NYU, while exclusive and competitive, still doesn’t have the yield rate they want to have, around 50%. That means when you apply binding, you’re locking in to attend, and at a school that wants more students to enroll? That’s a huge plus.
Why You Should Apply ED2
Before we dive into the nitty-gritty of the application itself, let’s address something we know is on many minds: is ED2 worth it? Maybe you’re unsure about making another binding commitment, especially after feeling the sting of rejection, or maybe you’re still holding out hope after being deferred somewhere else. That’s totally fair to feel that way, but from a purely strategic standpoint, skipping ED2 isn’t doing you any favors.
Colleges track their yield rates closely – a.k.a. the percentage of admitted students who actually choose to enroll. When you apply through a binding round like ED or ED2, you’re essentially telling the school, “I will go here if you let me in.” Admissions teams like that kind of certainty, especially at a school like NYU, which is trying to rise in the ranks and increase its yield rate while decreasing acceptance rates.
If you’re reading this post-deferral or even after a rejection, and especially if your current list leans heavily toward reach schools, ED2 is your most valuable card left to play. A lot of things are out of your hands right now, but this is a decision that can seriously influence the outcome of admissions season for you. We strongly advise applying ED2, and if not to NYU, to somewhere else.
If you’re dealing with a deferral or rejection from your Early Decision school, we can help. Whether you need a deferral letter, a college list for Regular Decision, polishing your Common App essay, an Early Decision 2 application, or even a complete rehaul for this next round, we have you covered. Reach out to us ASAP. Everything will be okay.
The Supplement
NYU asks three questions, and they ask you to “consider one or more” of the prompts. This means you could write three essays, but we suggest you don’t do that. NYU likes to ask a lot of similar questions, usually focused on some kind of trait or value they really care about that year. In this kind of situation, you only need to write one of them. Quality over quantity, people! Last year, it was community, this year it’s disagreement, and then one prompt we absolutely do not recommend under any circumstances. Let’s jump in.
We are looking for students who want to be bridge builders—students who can connect people, groups, and ideas to span divides, foster understanding, and promote collaboration within a dynamic, interconnected, and vibrant global academic community. We are eager for you to tell us how your experiences have helped you understand what qualities and efforts are needed to bridge divides so that people can better learn and work together.
Please consider one or more of the following questions in your essay (250 words):
Question 1: Tell us about a time you encountered a perspective different from your own. What did you learn—about yourself, the other person, or the world?
This is your standard disagreement question, and it’s become the hot new it girl of college admissions. (We got for saying that!) This prompt trips a lot of students up, because you either:
a) haven’t had a lot of life experiences that expose you to different people or opinions (which is okay, you’re 17)
b) are very conflict-averse and avoid experiences like these, or
c) are conflict-prone, but a lot of your experiences are hot-button in nature.
This question is a tightrope! You don’t want to talk about anything too controversial (like heavily debated political or cultural topics), and you don’t want to come across as ignorant, either.
There are a few successful strategies when it comes to this question. First is to think very close to you – literally. Do you disagree with your parents on your approaches to things (not politics!)? Maybe you come from an immigrant family, and your parents had a very clear idea of what they wanted you to pursue, but you made your case and followed your own interests. What about with your siblings? Friends? If nothing fruitful comes to mind, think about school: your teachers, classmates, administrators, etc. Focus on more minor interpersonal conflicts or people you fundamentally agree with on most things, but disagree with on approach or execution. In our experience, things that center on generational differences or philosophical approaches to life seem to play the best.
Now that you have an idea, you need to tell a story. Stories have a distinct beginning, middle, and end, and even short 250-word college essay stories need to follow that structure. Start with the differing perspectives to set the scene, and use descriptive language to describe where we are – make the admissions officers feel like they’re right there with you.
Once you introduce and expand on the conflict, you have to move the story along with a strong middle. This is where you can use dialogue or expand on each person’s perspective. Since the prompt asks about what you learned, use this space to reflect as the other person is explaining their side of things. Maybe you realize your friend has some strongly held values you didn’t realize, or that you’ve been defensive for no reason.
The ending of the essay needs to be as positive as possible, even though we know not everything ends super perfectly IRL. No one has to switch sides, bow down to the other’s more enlightened opinion, or dramatically declare how terrible and wrong they were for this to be a good, strong ending to the essay. It’s okay to still disagree at the end, as long as it’s civil and the relationship is intact, just as it’s okay for you to have changed or opened your mind to something new by the end.
Question 2: Tell us about an experience you've had working with others who have different backgrounds or perspectives. What challenges did your group face? Did you overcome them, and if so, how? What role did you try to play in helping people to work together, and what did you learn from your efforts?
This question is the same question as above, but this time it’s about group dynamics and not just one-on-one. We actually like this one a little bit more, because it lends itself better to a story – and you can highlight your leadership qualities. Our advice on how to write is the same as above, but we will give you a few don’ts for this one. We’d avoid talking about group projects at school, or really any school-sanctioned thing that might show up on your activities section. Topics should be more along the lines of you mediated a conflict in your friend group, you assumed the role of leader when your scout troop got lost in the woods on a hike, you took charge when some kind of (low-stakes) emergency or crisis popped up at work, etc.
Question 3: Tell us about someone you've observed who does a particularly good job helping people think or work together. How does this person set the stage for common exploration or work? How do they react when difficulties or dissensions arise?
This is the one we do not recommend you write. Like, at all. It seems like NYU puts one of these prompt options in every year, and we wonder if it’s some kind of mind-game test. College essays are supposed to be about you. This prompt is specifically asking you to write about other people. This tells NYU nothing about you. Avoid it, please. For us?
Submit and Wait
NYU’s ED2 is due a few days before their RD, on January 1st. January 1st is one of the most packed deadlines across the Common App, so we recommend you try and get it submitted well before 11:59 on the 1st, because we have seen crashes happen and applications go unsubmitted.
ED2 typically hears back a bit before RD decisions come out in the spring, but that isn’t a guarantee – especially with how popular NYU is and how many applicants they get a year. Either way, once it’s in, it’s just time to wait. You’ve got this!
Deferred or rejected and need help with an ED2 app? Don’t hesitate to reach out to us ASAP.