Once upon a time (and not that long ago), NYU was a reliable choice for strong students looking for a college decision early. It was respected and competitive, but not in the sub-10% acceptance rate category of colleges. For the Class of 2024, the acceptance rate was . Not so, anymore. The NYU acceptance rate has plummeted in response to number of applicants — not just for NYU, but for any in the US. Most recently, the first year acceptance rate at NYU was only . For three of the undergraduate colleges, the acceptance rate for the Class of 2029 was . As a result, many students who thought that an ED application to NYU was a strong, if not safe, choice, have received surprising rejection letters.
Being rejected from NYU in the ED I round is frustrating. You can’t know precisely what went wrong, and you need to recalibrate your expectations to decide what to do next. In this post, we are going to break down what may have gone wrong with your NYU application. We’re going to spend most of the time, though, giving you the tools that you need to turn your NYU rejection into a dream acceptance in the Regular Decision or Early Decision II round. Now, let’s get into it.
An ED rejection can be devastating. We help students bounce back. Learn more.
Step One: Take a Break
The first step is not a joke; you seriously need to slow down. Yes, there is a lot of work to do. Yes, deadlines are coming up quickly. But ploughing forward will not get you the results you want. College admissions isn’t an endurance sport. Wearing yourself down doesn’t get you bonus points. After a disappointing decision, you need to take a moment to rest, to recharge, and to reset. We advise students to take a day or two to simply be a teenager. Do something that makes you genuinely happy. Eat a food that feels special. Don’t punish yourself for NYU’s decision. Instead, refill your tank so you’ll be ready to get back to work.
Step Two: Strategize
We can’t tell you why NYU rejected you. We were not there when they made that decision. They could have agonized over it, or it could have been fast and obvious for them. If it was fast, it was probably an issue with your grades or scores. As NYU has become more competitive, they’ve been able to expect more of applicants academically.
NYU has been test-optional in recent years, which has skewed the SAT and ACT scores that are submitted. Only strong scores are submitted when they aren’t required, after all. If you submitted an SAT under 1520, or an ACT under 34, that could illuminate where your application to NYU went wrong.
Most students accepted by NYU in recent years have also had a GPA above 3.75, so a GPA below that threshold is also a red flag.
If either of these metrics were an issue, that is critically important to keep in mind as you create a plan for the RD or ED II round.
But what if your grades or scores weren’t out of line with what NYU looks for? Then, it’s a bit more complicated. What went wrong with your application wasn’t the measurable metrics. Rather, it was how you presented yourself. We say this because successful applications don’t require a certain set of activities or a particular type of essay or supplement. There isn’t a formula for a perfect application, instead it’s about telling compelling stories that spotlight your passions and highlight the ways that you have already been engaging with your academic interests.
NYU ED I applicants, as they prioritize making their decisions quickly. They have to be fast and definitive because they have a mountain of applications to sort through. So, your application could have been anywhere between an obvious “no,” and an excruciating rejection. To change the trajectory of your college application process, you need to create a college list that fits your profile academically and do the writing the makes saying “yes” easy.
Step Three: Essays
Once you have an updated college list, with a balance of safety, target, and reach schools, you need to get back into the writing. For the vast majority of students, we recommend completely starting over with your essays. You did work hard on what you have right now, but it didn’t work for you. So, let’s change it.
Great college writing pulls the application reader from their head — the place where it is easy to say no — to their heart. In their heart, they are looking for reasons to find you a spot. That is the ideal scenario in college admissions, so it is what we are always aiming for. But what makes writing great?
The key to great college writing is telling compelling stories that truly connect with the reader while sharing authentic pieces of yourself and conveying core characteristics. There is no single voice that wins in college admissions. If you are quiet and thoughtful, you can show that. If you are enthusiastic and quick to pull others into your passions, you can show that. Whatever your best personality traits are, highlight them through stories from your life: particularly over the past 2 years, and especially as relates to your areas of academic interest.
A key fault we often see in applications rejected ED, even if they had the grades and the scores for NYU, is that it isn’t clear that the student knows what they want to do. NYU knows that you are likely to develop new interests and follow unforeseen academic paths, but at this moment a college wants to see confidence and a sense of clarity. As you rewrite your essays, make sure that each school can see who you are and what you care about, especially as relates to your strongest academic interests.
Step Four: Ask For Help
The final step is to admit what you don’t know. You know you, but you don’t know college admissions. Your parents, most likely, are not college admissions professionals. Your siblings may have gotten into a great school, but that doesn’t make them a college admissions pro. Same goes for friends, and even your uncle who is a writer. Getting into college, especially a highly competitive school, is a particular game and knowing the rules greatly increases your chances of admissions.
So, if you want to go somewhere highly selective, talk to a true pro.
We help driven students get into dream schools — even after an ED rejection. Learn more.