<p>If I've got the GPA and the tests scores to get in and so do to 30,000 other kids who apply, what can I do to set myself apart from other applicants? My extra curriculars are pretty steller here in my state, but they may be average or even below average to the admissions people are NYU. </p>
<p>-Theatre (Plays and Musicals)*
-Key Club (Officer)*
-Beta Club*
-National Society of Scholars*
-Mentor*</p>
<p>*'s meant I had to be invited to apply or I had to audition for the activity.</p>
<p>My awards are good but pretty average once again.</p>
<p>-Honor Roll (4 years in a row)
-Awards for Honesty and Accountability
-Excellence in Spanish
-Invitation to Beta Club
-Invitation to National Society of Scholars</p>
<p>I am going to be a Creative Writing major which is in the College of Arts and Sciences.</p>
<p>Devote yourself to something others don’t have. To be honest, your ECs seem pretty bland and don’t show much commitment in anything particular.</p>
<p>Don’t worry about this nonsense about having the same GPA and SAT scores as 30,000 other applicants. You don’t. Here is the simple truth: If you get a 2300 on the SAT, you will get into NYU. The other applicants who are applying don’t have or can’t get a 2300.
That would be the easiest way, in my mind, of getting in, as doing well on the SAT is something that can be accomplished with under a hundred hours of preparation whereas certain things like your grades or extracurriculars are impossible to rectify in a short amount of time. </p>
<p>ECs matter not to NYU (or any college for that matter). Honestly, everyone tries to figure out what the admissions officers like, but once you have already been at college for a little while you realize how unimpressive extracurriculars like debate, athletics, or science are. An acquaintance of mine was a national champion in forensics and people do not give a fu-k. Those people continue to not give a fu-k as they graduate and become admissions officers.
Unless you do something truly outstanding, your extracurriculars will never hook you into a college.</p>
<p>That being said: Make sure your extracurriculars section is not empty. This is one of those things where having something cannot help you, but not having it will definitely hurt you. </p>
<p>If you are worried about the SATs, then do not bother going for anything difficult in life. In comparison to exams like the GRE, LSAT, MCAT, or GMAT, the SAT is a cakewalk.
Unlike the LSAT, you can at least study for and succeed on the SAT. While some people have a noticeable leg-up on the SAT and can score very well with very little preparation, the vast majority of people who have very high scores got them because they worked their asses off for them.
I know it sounds like I am overemphasizing standardized tests, but trust me when I say that they are far more important than you can possibly even imagine. Every kid who gets a 2400 and is rejected from every ivy (because let’s face it, they’re sort of a crapshoot, but the likelihood of striking out 8 times in a row is so unbelievably low) is more the exception than the rule. I highly recommend you take a gander at the SAT section of the collegeconfidential forum because moving up a hundred points on your SAT means your application is MAGNITUDES more competitive.</p>
<p>okay… NYUSternie2016: Just saying, it is hard to get into the plays and musicals at my school and those things are HUGE time commitments. And it’s not easy being a Key Club officer and having to plan the meetings. Or having to meet with kids every morning and evening (scheduled around play rehearsals of course) to mentor and tutor them for Mentoring and Beta Club. So even if my EC’s aren’t anything super special and different I do take slight offense when you say they don’t show commitment. I’m not sure what your EC’s are or were, but if you were spending 6-7 hours of the week doing community service and another 15-18 doing Theatre I’d say that shows commitment. Especially when you factor in the fact that I still get good grades and test scores.</p>
<p>Thanks for your opinion though.</p>
<p>MT8989: I appreciate what you are saying, but based on the data I’ve gathered about people who got into NYU it’s pretty random. I know kids with 3.5 GPAs and 1800 SAT scores who got in and kids with 4.3 GPAs and 2300 SAT scores who were rejected. And it was not a difference of Early Decision. The admissions officers are looking for something special and I want to know what that is. Because it’s not all tests scores.</p>
<p>That “something special” is a big wallet. Not just at NYU but pretty much any school :P</p>
<p>whatever. I call admissions and find out that way.</p>
<p>You ask for these peoples’ advice and then you just say “whatever”? It’s your loss for not listening to us. </p>
<p>Dreamer and MT89 are each right. A high SAT score is absolutely critical and it won’t necessarily get you in, but it sure as heck will keep you out. Those kids who got rejected with 2300 SAT scores were probably bad writers and said something in their essay that raised a red flag, like “I LOVE New York!” or something cheesy like that. </p>
<p>In reality, college admission is usually based 50% on your GPA and 50% on your SAT score.</p>
<p>Seriously? You ask for an opinion and then get angry?</p>
<p>Do you know how many people have ECs that are clubs and that they devote ~20 hours a week to? You’re asking what will set you apart and I’m just saying it’s common. And therefore, your grades/scores will be important as well.</p>
<p>Best of luck in admissions as I think all of us in the end realize there is no real “formula” to getting into college.</p>
<p>Sorry, the “:P” face and blowing off my EC’s as bland and not showing commitment and stuff just sound like they were being condensending. It’s knee jerk reaction to shake it off with a whatever. And according to the 2012 Princeton Review NYU’s average GPA is a 3.6. And I have higher than that and I have 2000 SAT scores and I am going to get them up. All I asked was is there something in particular that admissions people look for since they don’t want to see portfolios unless they ask for them. But it doesn’t matter. I’m not looking for a fight. So thanks for your opinions.</p>
<p>Ok then. You need to show self-awareness in your essays. Also, don’t dwell on how much you like New York City. I heard they don’t like that.</p>
<p>“That “something special” is a big wallet. Not just at NYU but pretty much any school”</p>
<p>Especially NOT at NYU. This school is so popular (the first or second – re USC – highest number of applications in the country to a private school) that it can afford to be need blind. There are plenty of applicants with money (and possibly lower stats) to fill seats not taken by those (with higher stats) who need FA but must turn down their offers. Some of the very top needy applicants are given enough aid to attend. After many years’ experience NYU knows the yields of those with and without enough money.</p>
<p>I think every highschool student should read the book titled THE GATEKEEPERS by Jaque Steinberg…</p>
<p>It gives a “fly on the wall” view of the admissions process! The book follows students who are applying to Wesleyan University. </p>
<p>A great read.</p>
<p>I was at the NYU LA seminar and the NYU admissions officer says try to do ECs that show that you are passionate about your major. She said she would prefer to see someone that has few ECs but are all concentrated around the applicant’s major over someone that has a lot of random scattered ECs that doesn’t really that they are passionate about their major.</p>
<p>That’s just what my admissions officer said… hope that helped!!</p>
<p>@NewHavenCTmom,
I LOVE that book!! Was quite an interesting read for a college applicant.</p>
<p>I definitely recommend checking it out @kenzieg2013.</p>
<p>Also, kenzieg2013, I agree with @HelloParis and suggest that, since you are interested in Creative Writing, that you enter in some writing contests and maybe create a blog or something to demonstrate your interest and experience in the field. Trying never hurt right? And best of luck!! :)</p>
<p>(P.S. - I was admitted to NYU this year and accepted.)</p>
<p>Consider working as a volunteer on a farm for 6 weeks in the summer .My D worked on an organic farm and learned about sustainable agriculture .Look up WOOFING on Google. You pay a small fee and have access to farms who participate .You would have to do some investigating on your own to find a good place to volunteer .</p>
<p>kenzieg2013—
let me have my 2 cents here…you’re asking what these admissions officers are looking for? that we will never know but here’s what I know --</p>
<p>My child applied on Early Action 2
Sat score per subject -
critical reading 590
Math 420
writing 700
essay score 11
ACT score 33
Dropped all maths in Year 12 and took main english and extension english
Wrote a short story fiction
received an award for academic excellence
traveled to Europe
went to all school camps from year 7-12
volunteer work
Wrote an essay about “my family”
2 teacher recommendations who knows my child well
Did not apply for financial aid
International student (not from Asia)</p>
<p>So based on this, my child received an acceptance offer.</p>
<p>So I believed that whatever your strengths are, focus on that one. I don’t think SAT and ACT weighs more than the essays, Essays is definitely very important in the admissions process, so is being a well-rounded person.</p>
<p>If you’re into creative writing, I’m sure you will get in to CAS!
Just my opinion!</p>