I wrote about how transferring to a public school changed who I was. I was previously in Catholic school for 11 years. Here is an excerpt. I was incredibly reserved before coming to Tech filtering my expressions, especially in middle school, because I was afraid of getting into trouble and going against the vast majority's opinions. It felt like I was being attacked even for the way I looked or carried myself, and I was tired of having to follow the...

New York University is located at the heart of NYC, a place I am native to and has helped me become better-rounded and open minded. Living in NYC, I can honestly say there is no place like home. I have gained a large wealth of knowledge by taking advantage of what this city has to offer and exploring it. Its large diversity has exposed me to so many different cultures and has encouraged me to move forward in an institution...

Do not rely on teachers who write a "standard" recommendation that they use to just change it to your name and submit. Choose teachers who you know personally and have good things to say...

Try to score an internship or volunteer opportunity at a well established organization....

Begin looking into standardized test prep as early as the end of your sophomore year. When signing up for an ACT or a SAT exam, search for dates that are less popular and thus the curves for these tests will be much greater than if you took the test when a lot of students are taking it. Usually test dates in...

The one school besides NYU I was considering going to before the May 1st deadline was Boston University. It was a hard decision...

Have extracurricular activities that you are passionate about or reflect what you are looking to study. Try to branch out also, taking courses not related your desired major and also joining clubs you would not usually consider. If...

I feel like NYU looks for students who admire being in the actual cultural center of the world. They look for students who are well-rounded and look to explore themselves not only...