<p>So I am going to be a senior this year and NYU is my dream school! I'm average in grades but have a few good extra curriculars and volunteer work to back it up. I was just wondering, since I have decided to do early admission and need to start thinking about this now,would someone please give your opinion on this question: would it be better to right a ballsy unique essay if you think you could manage it, or should I stick to what I know aka direct and to the point with no humor? I know that does'nt really make sense but I just need some ideas because my essay seems to play a HUGE role in getting accepted:/
Thanks :)</p>
<p>Hmm I think I would need to hear your proposed topics to make a judgement, but boring essays generally are harmful. However, humor can be quite risky. Try for a middle ground but lean into unique territory. (Btw if you’re worried about how competitive your app is, you can still take the SAT in October in time for early decision).</p>
<p>I honestly sat down for 3 hours and wrote 2 awe inspiring essays and 1 decent one (got tired, and senioritis). Write about your passions, your dreams, and things NYU is good at/has exclusivity (e.g. great library/international programs). If you’re from the tri state area, and specifically Monmouth county/NYC/Long Island, your chances just skyrocketed: they LOVE us. But emphasize what makes NYU different and how you plan to use that uniqueness (research like hell). If they asked about your experiences, write about a single event/organization with detail and the lesson learned. I got in with a scholarship and here are my stats:
SAT - 2240 superscore, 1500 just reading and math, 2180 highest one time
Subject tests - 750 Math 1, 790 Bio M, 780 Chem
GPA - 3.7 unweighted, 3.85 weighted
Rank - 28/460
Extra Curriculars - 4 leadership positions in clubs, teacher assistant at chinese school for 3 years, hospital volunteering over summer, 10 years piano with multiple competition awards, NHS and french honor society, helped found a club, NJ science league (top 10% in state), BUT NO SPORTS…SOBSOBSOB (plz tell me you do a sport)</p>
<p>My stats are no where as good as yours, but I do have some volunteer and a paid internship under my belt as well as I plan on taking my SATs once more and I participate in Academic Decthlon too. As for what topics I plan on writing my essay on, I honestly don’t really know. I’ve never done this before and I thought whatever topic they gave me would spark some ideas. I can’t fill out the Common Application until after July because I’m not officially a senior right now and I won’t be applying for the 2012 school year; so I have about a month before I should start getting down to business. BTW, I am in a sport kindof, I’m only going to be in it for my senior year though because I just made the team at the end of junior year, but it’s more of a spiritline flags team than a rigorous sport.</p>
<p>Also, compared to your stats and the other ones I have “researched like hell” that got into NYU/that NYU is looking for; I honestly am below the average by quite a bit, especially on my current SAT scores. That’s mainly why I’m so concerned about my college essay, because I want to make sure it sticks and I’m remembered. All I know about the topic for my essay is I really would like to be interesting and myself; the only thing I’m concerned about is that I am incredibly sarcastic in real life but I’m nervous about how that might be displayed on paper. I don’t want to seem rude/ careless/not serious about how much I really want to attend their school.</p>