Schools like NYU want a diverse student body that has demonstrated the ability to do things outside of the classroom. Perform in theTer, make a film, develop an app, create a business.

Strong academic credentials, demonstrated initiative and indépendence, passion and good writing skills.

Also cash… NYU is expensive, so have a pile of $$ available, get scholarships, or expect to come out with a large student debt.

NYU is very expensive- as I well know – but they do have a lot of money for scholarships. I wouldn’t let the price stop you until you see the final offer. ButI would go to a state school over a private if it meant you didn’t have to take out hefty loans.

Don’t forget being a legacy. That helps. ;)

The fact is these schools are going to get a plethora of applicants with perfect GPAs and test scores, so they’re going to then look at everything else: extracurriculars, ambition (especially self-motivation), personality (as much as they can gauge it), etc. NYU’s admit rate is about 20%, so it’s not as much of a long shot as Stanford or Harvard, but you’re going to have make yourself stand out.