I want to go to NYU and it will probably be the only uni I will apply to. I have read a lot about it and I saw a lot of different opinions. Some people say it is very selective and you need to have perfect grades and SAT/ACT and some say it is selective up to a point and you should write an amazing essay and dazzle them with your personality. I also know a lot of people apply to NYU for it’s location and that us why there are so many applicants. I need your opinion on this:
My gpa is around 3.1 and I am scared shitless because of it.
My ACT is 27
And in my essay I am planing to write about how I overcame depression and OCD and how it reflected my grades and personality and shaped me into a positive and strong person I am today.
I also plan on visiting NYU this spring.
My physics and biology teachers wrote amazing letters of recommendation.
Is this enough? Will I stand out?
Thank you in advance
:x
It is a very bad idea to only apply to NYU. With your grades, it is a reach. You need backups.
I agree with Rebeccar: it is incredibly unwise to apply ONLY to NYU.
NYU is not only an incredibly selective university in terms of admissions rates, test score averages, etc; certain departments within NYU are some of the harder programs in the nation to get into (eg Tisch for the Arts, Stern for Business, etc). Please CAREFULLY weigh what you would be planning on studying and how you can not only improve your GPA since I’m assuming you’re a junior (significantly if that is a weighted GPA), your test scores (again, significantly [eg 31, 32 would be better] to have a competitive edge), and your other extracurricular/volunteer activities to make you a competitive NYU candidate.
From there, please consider this (unless money is not a problem for you in the slightest): NYU is not only one of the most expensive schools in the nation, it is notorious for providing less-than-generous financial aid packages to students within the middle/lower-middle income bracket. If finding the funds to attend NYU will be difficult, you may want to consider transferring after 2 years from a CC or cheaper state school to save money, or think about a different school with a no-doubt just as rigorous course program and just as reputable degree.
I implore you to consider a lot of options, especially in-state publics. While NYU is a phenomenal school (I visited it myself and loved it, personally, but decided against applying for financial reasons [and shoutout to Boston University because BU was a lot nicer than NYU]), it should be more than the name and location that makes or breaks your college career. Apply to some other schools, at the VERY least one or two safeties. Most people apply to between 4 and 8 colleges, so I would advise you to weigh your options very carefully. You do still have time, but trust me, once August 1st rolls around and you register for the Common App, you are sealing your fate with the choices you make (because deadlines roll around faster than you think).
Also, while you’ll get some responses to NYU questions in this forum, NYU has its own subforum on CC. Here’s the link:
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/new-york-university/
That page will have so many more viewers, posters, and knowledgeable people who will be able to help you with any-and-all NYU questions. Most posts in this forum are for the NY state schools that don’t have forums and for smaller, private LACs in New York.
Best of luck in your application process and I do hope everything works out for you!
Okay, you WILL apply, but your teachers WROTE their recommendations?
Your essay is going to be about OCD and depression?
And you’d only apply to one school?
Just summarizing in case any adult posters missed those three things, and since we can’t say some words here anymore.
Just in case:
Is that your weighted or unweighted GPA?
Why would you apply to only 1 university (you understand that telling NYU this would make you sound foolish at best, or arrogant/crazy at worst?)
You should apply to two safeties, a few matches, and then only add the reaches, of which NYU would be.
Safeties for you would be Baruch, CCNY, Siena, Moravian, Lycoming, WCU, Rowan, Rider, Oneonta. Matches would be Marist, Goucher, St Lawrence, Susquehanna, New Paltz, Penn State Altoona, Pace, Quinnipiac. Reaches would be everything else.
How many AP classes have you taken (scores)/IB HLs SLs with predicted scores?
Are you a sophomore, junior, or senior?
Your test scores and GPA in general are fairly low for NYU. It would definitely be a reach, and I would really look into schools that will accommodate you better. And no, you probably won’t stand out. A good essay and letters of recommendations are nice, but compared to the other 45,000 or so applicants, it won’t get you in compared to others.
If you want a school in NYC/close by, also look at Fordham University (might be a reach too) or the CUNY schools. NYU is very tough to get into and with your gpa and ACT score it most likely isn’t possible (sorry but it’s the truth).