NYU only has one supplemental essay—you have the option to choose from a few different quotes (or choose your own), and share what it inspires in you, and why.
If you want to get a clearer sense of what NYU is looking for, you can explore an extensive, by-the-numbers look at its offerings, from enrollment and tuition statistics to student life and financial aid information on its Common Data Set. And for insights into how the university envisions itself and its role, and how it wants to grow and evolve, read its strategic plan. Reading through this will give you a strong idea of what NYU values—and may offer nuggets you can sprinkle into your essay.
What is the NYU supplemental essay prompt?
Prompt #1
In a world where disconnection seems to often prevail, we are looking for students who embody the qualities of bridge builders—students who can connect people, groups, and ideas to span divides, foster understanding, and promote collaboration within a dynamic, interconnected, and vibrant global academic community. We are eager to understand how your experiences have prepared you to build the bridges of the future.
Please consider one or more of the following questions in your essay (word limit 250):
What personal experiences or challenges have shaped you as a bridge builder?
How have you been a bridge builder in your school, community, or personal life?
What specific actions have you taken to build bridges between diverse groups, ideas, or cultures?
How do you envision being a bridge builder during your time at our university and beyond?
MLK Scholars- Incoming first-year applicants who have demonstrated outstanding academic achievement, leadership, and commitment to civic engagement and social progress are invited to apply to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholars Program at NYU (Optional):
Optional: In under 250 words, please share how you have demonstrated your commitment to the legacy of Dr. King's ideals of "Beloved Community" as evidenced through academic achievement, research or service.
(Note: This question is only available to those who select "yes" to being considered for the MLK Scholars program in the "New York Campus" section of the CommonApp)
How to Write The Supplemental Essay Prompt for New York University
In a world where disconnection seems to often prevail, we are looking for students who embody the qualities of bridge builders—students who can connect people, groups, and ideas to span divides, foster understanding, and promote collaboration within a dynamic, interconnected, and vibrant global academic community. We are eager to understand how your experiences have prepared you to build the bridges of the future. Please consider one or more of the following questions in your essay: What personal experiences or challenges have shaped you as a bridge builder? How have you been a bridge builder in your school, community, or personal life? What specific actions have you taken to build bridges between diverse groups, ideas, or cultures? How do you envision being a bridge builder during your time at our university and beyond?
NYU’s single supplemental essay invites you to describe how you’ve been a bridge builder in your life—making connections between groups, cultures, or ideas. Citing “a world where disconnection seems to often prevail,” NYU signals its intention to admit individuals who can craft and lead us toward a more connected and collaborative world.
Consider your role as bridge builder. How have you been a changemaker who has brought people or groups together, reached across divides, and shaped collaboration in your school, community, or personal life? How do you see yourself expanding on those actions in college and beyond?
STEP ONE: DECIDE ON A TOPIC
You can go about choosing a topic for this essay in a few ways. Whichever you choose, think strategically. This is the only supplemental essay you’ll write for this highly selective school (unless you’re applying for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholars Program at NYU; see below). Beyond your academic record and activities list, consider what is most important to share about yourself that clearly and powerfully sets you apart.
Communities
One way to decide on a topic is to consider the communities you’re a part of, and how you’ve engaged within or across them in ways that “connect people, groups, and ideas” to “span divides, foster understanding, and promote collaboration.” Communities may be based on geography (like your city, or country of national origin), identity (religion, ethnicity, sexuality, etc.), circumstances, interests, groups, shared activities, and more. To brainstorm all the communities you’re a part of, check out the communities chart in our guide to “community essays”.
As you fill in the chart, actions you’ve taken within one or more of the communities you participate in may emerge as the one(s) you want to write about for NYU.
Diversity
Another way to choose a topic is by considering how you, individually, will contribute to the overall diversity of the school—the “dynamic, interconnected, and vibrant global academic community” named in the prompt. What combination of identities, cultures, and life experiences are you adding to the mix? The If You Really Knew Me exercise in our guide to ”diversity essays” can help you identify those aspects of yourself and your experiences that have most put you in a position to build bridges.
(Pro Tip: This exercise can actually help you generate the key content to include in all of your applications!)
Extracurricular Activity
Have you got a passion project or rockstar achievement that spans divides, fosters understanding, or promotes collaboration? Focusing your essay on a meaningful extracurricular activity can be a great way to flex your achievements while highlighting the skills, qualities, values and experiences you’ll bring to campus. You can read more about this approach in our guide to ”extracurricular essays”.
STEP 2: USE THE BEABIES EXERCISE TO GENERATE YOUR ESSAY CONTENT
You’ll find detail on the BEABIES Exercise + a chart you can use at that link.
But if you just want the short version, the exercise asks:
What do you actually do in that community, experience, or activity? (Tip: use active verbs like “organized” and “managed” to respond to the part of the prompt that asks what specific actions you’ve taken to build bridges between diverse groups, ideas, or cultures).
What kinds of problems have you solved (personally, locally, or globally)?
What specific impact have you had?
What have you learned (skills, qualities, values)?
How have you applied the lessons you learned from this community, experience or activity?
Don’t skip this step. It’s important. Remember to focus on the aspects of what you did that highlight your bridge-building capabilities.
Pro Tip: Consider the “Powerwall” structure (AKA narrative or problem/solution structure)
Because NYU’s essay focuses on how you’ve been an agent of change, the Powerwall structure can shine for you here. You can find out why we call it Powerwall in our guide to ”extracurricular essays,” but here’s the TL/DR version of how to use it:
First, lead by announcing a problem you’ve encountered in the world—personal or political, local or global.
Then, follow on with how YOU have addressed that problem through your engagement with a community, experience or activity. In this case, your approach to the problem will involve connecting people, groups, or ideas to show how you’ve been a bridge builder.
Wrap by naming the impact you had, lessons you learned, or values you gained.
Check the “extracurricular essay” guide for solid examples.
Because this is a new prompt for NYU, we don’t have an example written for the it. But here’s an example, written for a different school, that illustrates the direction to head in.
Example:
In the 1930s, 36 members of my family were lost to the Holocaust, and that fact has since led me to carry on the memory of my ancestors through tradition—preparing for my Bar Mitzvah, observing Jewish holidays, and going to synagogue for Rosh Hashana. Additionally, it has driven me to teach others about the Holocaust. At my first-year Entry, I would share my involvement within the Jewish community, and how it has led me to become a more engaged member of society.
During this past school year, I became an educator on the Student Leadership Board of the Seattle-based Holocaust Center for Humanity. Meeting biweekly, we discussed historical anti-Semitism as well as modern-day discrimination toward oppressed groups of people.
Before joining the board, I had felt disconnected from Jewish activism and lacked a community of fellow Jewish activists. My year on the board solved that. Each week, I added my ideas and learned from fellow students during group discussion. Additionally, I built an interactive website to share the story of a Holocaust survivor.
Even though we weren’t all Jewish, this group’s drive for educating others and spreading peace brought us closer. It was a community where we could talk about serious current events, but also where we could share a laugh.
At Williams, I hope to discover that same kind of community. I’ll join the Williams College Jewish Association, where I can carry on what I loved about the Holocaust Center’s board, participating in discussions, leading service projects, and making impactful art to share stories.
Even outside that group, I’ll bring to Williams my Jewish values and enthusiasm for meeting people from different backgrounds, spreading a greater message of peace and kindness. (282 words)
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Tips + Analysis
Situate yourself within the community, identity or experience. One of the prompt’s questions to consider is, “What personal experiences or challenges have shaped you as a bridge builder?” In this example, we learn about the significance of this student’s Jewish identity, history and community as they share about their family’s experience of the Holocaust and carrying on their ancestors’ memory through traditions such as preparing for Bar Mitzvah, observing Jewish holidays, and going to synagogue for Rosh Hashana, the Jewish new year. What details can you share about your identity, culture, or experience that invite the reader into your world and form the launch point for your work as a bridge builder?
Point to that bridge. What is the bridge you built? The prompt’s second question to consider asks, “How have you been a bridge builder in your school, community, or personal life?” Here, the student joined a board of Jewish and non-Jewish members who discussed challenging issues, spread peace by educating about historic and current discrimination, and became close across their differences through these efforts.
Clarify your role. Another question the prompt offers you to consider asks, “What specific actions have you taken to build bridges between diverse groups, ideas or cultures?” This is where you can show NYU what you’re capable of. Consider using the Epic Verb List to enumerate the specific steps you took to build the bridge. This student shared their involvement within the Jewish community, taught others about the Holocaust, joined the student leadership board of the Holocaust Center for Humanity, added ideas to the discussion, and built an interactive website for the center. Highlight the range of skills you bring to the table.
Look ahead. The prompt’s final question asks, “How do you envision being a bridge builder during your time at our university and beyond?” Is it necessary to respond to all four questions for consideration? No. But it never hurts to end an essay by looking ahead to how you’ll contribute on campus, as this student does here: They plan to carry on their work and discover the kind of community they built with the board by joining the Williams College Jewish Association. See how they named an actual organization on campus to demonstrate their genuine interest and research they’ve done about the school? Pro move.
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Here’s another example essay written for another school that could work well here:
Essay Example:
Every season, my high school volleyball coaches pick an inspiring quote to label on the back of our practice shirts. My favorite? “Be a voice, not an echo.”
After wearing braces for several years to correct a persistent jaw pain, I was elated when they were removed. However, after just a few months, my orthodontist noticed my teeth shifting to their previous position and recommended tongue therapy.
Though reluctant at first, I gained a newfound confidence through tongue therapy. In the classroom, no longer the last to speak. On the volleyball court, effectively communicating plays and rotations. Tongue therapy allowed me to freely speak my mind.
As my confidence soared, so did my desire to help others. Through Lion’s Heart, I once provided baby supplies to needy families in Santa Ana and noticed a long line forming for the provisions. Realizing many immigrant families were struggling with filling out the forms, I offered to translate for them. Through Chinese and Spanish translation, I not only reduced wait times, but became the voice for those who could not speak, literally.
As a selected participant for Girls Who Code, I found even more voices. Introduced to coding for the first time, I now know more languages, including HTML and JavaScript. I now plan to help others discover their voice. Using technology-based solutions, I will develop innovations for society’s problems. Perhaps, a device that can both translate multiple languages and teach correct pronunciations.
After all, I am a voice, not an echo.
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Tips + Analysis
Work a theme. This student’s essay revolves around the idea of finding one’s voice. Drawing on their personal experience of developing their voice through tongue therapy, the student built bridges by offering their voice to others. This theme of voice intertwines beautifully with that of language, one of the student’s key interests. Organizing your essay around a theme adds depth.
The details tell your story. Reading this short essay, we find out so much about this student: the ways they overcame the challenges of pain and orthodontia, their desire to serve and the specific contexts in which they do that, their Chinese and Spanish language abilities, and their involvement with coding and tech. The more specific details you can provide, the better an admissions reader can know who you are and distinguish you from other candidates.
Values speak volumes. This essay ultimately works because it shows us what matters to this student—their values of gaining confidence, using one’s voice, helping others, learning, the importance of language, empowerment, innovation, and of course, building bridges! More than anything you’ve done or thought or made, the values that steer you through life comprise your unique fingerprint, and when you share them with admissions, you rise off the page. Take a few minutes to identify your top values, and consider building your essay around them.
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And here’s another example essay written for another school that could work well here:
Essay Example:
“Creating an environment that allows students to build lasting friendships, including those that cut across seemingly entrenched societal and political boundaries...requires candor about the inevitable tensions, as well as about the wonderful opportunities, that diversity and inclusiveness create."
The buzz spread across campus like a California wildfire. My waterpolo teammate, an international student, had been ostracized by the community in an instant. An exaggerated rumor destroyed his reputation at school, cost him his friendships, and led to his suspension. Was this fair? Was it the truth? How could I help?
For the past two years, as a member of SLAC, a student life advisory committee focusing on restorative justice, I have partnered with my school administration to build an inclusive community to prevent conflict, de-escalate disputes, and reintegrate students. To solve my teammate’s conflict, we were tasked with the responsibility of bringing resolution both on the micro and macro levels.
First, we had to solve the issues between the immediate students at harm. I applied my training in active listening and tailored my questions so that the students could communicate more honestly, share their concerns, and help resolve their own conflict. Then, we had to address the grade-wide friction and show our community the harmful effects of spreading rumors. To do so, we hosted interactive ice breaker games, team building activities, and conversations about non-inclusive behavior. Conflict is bound to take place in communities -- cliques are natural -- but so long as we are willing to be vulnerable and learn how to communicate better, we can be a stronger community and build new relationships.
My experience in SLAC has made me a more empathetic listener and an active participant in creating a positive community -- one where the students can feel safe, engaged, and supported. At Amherst, I am excited to participate in the First Year Experience and get involved with the Center for Restorative Practices to help build a strong 2025 class culture where we encourage reflection, mindfulness, and student engagement.
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Tips + Analysis:
Draw your reader in. This essay starts with campus buzz spreading like California wildfire. Both the descriptive language and the mystery evoked prompt the reader to lean in to find out what the author has to say. Although you can’t go too big with your intro in this 250-word essay, a short hook can help you start off strong.
Consider a problem/solution approach. This student leads with a problem: a rumor destroyed a reputation, cost friendships and ended in suspension, implicating truth and fairness. Then in the essay, they set out how they solved the problem. You can read at the link about this powerful structural tool, which we call the Powerwall approach.
Show and name your values. At the start of the second paragraph, we understand that this individual is committed to restorative justice. In your essay, lean heavy into the values that underlie your efforts. Peep this Values List to identify what’s most important to you—one of the best ways you can tell NYU about yourself.
Delineate your specific role and actions. This student describes their role on the student life advisory committee and how they used active listening and created a community-building event at their school to resolve the conflict. Detail about what you actually did highlights the skills you’ve gained and will bring to NYU. Yes, it’s ok to brag.
Relate back to NYU. In the conclusion, the writer says how they’ll extend their restorative justice work in college, by participating in the First Year experience and getting involved with the Center for Restorative Practices. How will you be a peacemaker, changemaker, global citizen, boundary breaker, creative or innovator at NYU? Don’t talk in generalities. Research the school and hone in on specific opportunities that illuminate your inspiration—academic, research opps, programs, extracurriculars, etc.—and that you plan to engage with at NYU. The research tips in our Why Us? Guide will help you dig deep for offerings that align with your values and interests.
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Example
Since 10th grade, I have been offering TED Talks on topics of self-expression and inclusivity. I have learned to turn my experience of being bullied and silenced into a determined voice to combat bullying and promote a spirit of inclusivity. In 11th grade, I created an anti-bullying organization, which teaches middle schoolers how to deal with the transition to high school.
I would like to take these conversations about the importance of safe space and inclusivity to middle schools in Providence, working with organizations such as “No Bully” and initiatives such as Be Fearless Be Kind to encourage kids to stand up for each other.
As poetry has become the cornerstone of my personal growth and a tool for helping others, I plan to contribute to The Round Magazine and organizations such as WORD! I would explore opportunities to bridge poetry and the visual arts by possibly collaborating with Artbeat.
I am also interested in studying connections between poetry and the sciences, their mutual applicability, and ways science can help me write better poetry while becoming an outstanding psychiatrist.
By working with Providence organizations such as AS220, a non-profit community arts organization in downtown, I could tap into my passion for the arts and writing. I would be a AS220 volunteer teacher and possibly introduce activities and workshops to encourage others to express themselves more fully and vulnerably. (228 words)
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Tips + Analysis
Write an intentional opening sentence. You’ll notice there’s no prolonged introduction or hook for this essay. Since the word count here is pretty restrictive, opening with a sentence that 1) hints at or tells the reader exactly where this essay is going, and/or 2) opens with values, means you’re saving space for more words later. The writer here opens with an activity they’ve been doing, but emphasizes their values of self-expression and inclusivity.
Envision yourself at the university. This plays into the “Why us?” part of the response. Through careful and thorough research, you’ll be able to identify campus organizations and programs that resonate with you, especially in terms of the ways you’ve outlined your areas of diversity. Going this extra mile shows NYU officials that you’re familiar with what the community has to offer and that you can envision yourself on campus, not just thriving but contributing. This writer names a handful of organizations and programs at Brown or in the nearby community, drawing specific connections to their interests.
Tie in your career aspirations. This is not necessary, but if it comes up organically while writing, it’s a nice nugget of information to include—it gives some backstory and motivation to your interests, and how you can use the university’s programs to achieve that goal. By noting their dream of becoming “an outstanding psychiatrist,” this student is able to add additional context around how these experiences will combine to enhance and inform their journey after college.
Show diversity through community. This essay is a good example of the community approach mentioned above. The writer touches on varying activities and interests, expanding by sharing how those experiences would help them contribute to the Brown community in specific ways. Like this: “As poetry has become the cornerstone of my personal growth and a tool for helping others, I plan to contribute to The Round Magazine and organizations such as WORD! I would explore opportunities to bridge poetry and the visual arts by possibly collaborating with Artbeat.”
How to Write The MLK Scholars Essay Prompt
Incoming first-year applicants who have demonstrated outstanding academic achievement, leadership, and commitment to civic engagement and social progress are invited to apply to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholars Program at NYU (Optional):
Optional: In under 250 words, please share how you have demonstrated your commitment to the legacy of Dr. King's ideals of "Beloved Community" as evidenced through academic achievement, research or service.
(Note: This question is only available to those who select "yes" to being considered for the MLK Scholars program in the "New York Campus" section of the CommonApp)
When you hear the words “community,” what comes to mind? Your school, your local area, cultural or religious connections, your orchestra section, the discord you started… ? The foundation of this prompt is the community(ies) you’re a part of and how you’ve made change within it/them.
See the guidance on identifying your communities from the main supplemental essay above. Because there is some possible overlap in essay topics, if you’re applying for the scholars program, make sure your topic diverges from the one you chose for the main supplemental essay.
So think for a minute about all the different communities you participate in. They can be based on geography (like your city, or country of national origin), identity (religion, ethnicity, sexuality, etc.), circumstances, interests, groups, shared activities, and more. Check out our guide to “community essays” for more ideas and sample essays.
Choose one where you’ve had measurable impact bringing positive change to that community. Might be the Girls Who Code club you started at your school, a city-wide initiative connecting young social entrepreneurs with sponsoring organizations, a pride festival you organized, or service work with the mosque. Explain why you’ve chosen to engage in this way, answering the prompt’s inquiry about your motivation. Lay out the details of what you did—as well as the impact you had—in order to emphasize your scholarship-worthy talents, skills and accomplishments.
Here’s an essay that was written for a Boston College prompt, but that demonstrates the direction to head here (though it would need fairly big word count cuts).
Essay Example:
In 2020, various racially motivated hate crimes such as the slew of disturbing police killings and spread of Asian hate caused me to reflect on racial injustice in America. While such injustices can take many different forms and be overt or subtle, all are equally capable of creating racial inequality.
A societal issue significantly impacting minorities is educational injustice between private and public schools since students of color account for more than 75% of public-school enrollment. The pandemic exacerbated this problem as some private institutions (like my school), not impeded by a lack of financial resources or bureaucracy, could return to in-person instruction, while many public institutions stayed closed for the majority of the 2020-21 school year, their students’ educational experience less optimal as a result.
The values of service instilled through my Sacred Heart education prompted me to act in response to this injustice and do my part to propagate educational equality across races in the Bay Area. My interest in tutoring began in middle school when I volunteered in my school’s peer tutoring program. In high school, I created a tutoring club, giving my peers the opportunity to help younger elementary students on financial aid with their homework. With the club being sidetracked by COVID-19, I joined 826 Valencia, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting under-resourced students in the Bay Area. This experience prompted me to transition my old club to a remote format, adapting to restrictions posed by the pandemic. I worked with my friend to rebrand the club, naming it TutorDigital, registering it as a non-profit, and designing a website, efforts which expanded our reach to include local public schools. Through our efforts, we’ve helped provide tutoring services to 32 underprivileged Bay Area students, while also identifying other opportunities to support public schools, such as donating upwards of 60 iPads and creating a book donation program.
While educational injustice is an issue that unfortunately will not be solved overnight, it’s an issue that must be aggressively addressed, now more than ever given the massive impacts from the pandemic. I look forward to continuing this work at Boston College. But for now, I gain comfort from each thank you note from a parent or good grade achieved by a student, knowing my efforts have potentially improved the academic trajectory of these children and helped to address racial injustice in America.
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Tips + Analysis:
Use the problem/solution structure. This student starts the essay by naming how racially motivated hate crimes raised their awareness of racial inequity and then identifying the specific context that concerns them, educational injustice. Once they flesh out the problem in the second paragraph, they launch into a description of the steps they took to address it. The structural approach used here can also work well in other essays you may be writing about volunteer or community service.
Be specific about your role and activities. The bulk of this essay—the third paragraph—clearly lays out this student’s actions on the issue: started a tutoring club, joined a nonprofit, rebranded the club, registered it as a non-profit, etc. Using clear, active verbs with this kind of detail helps you highlight your skills and achievements for your admissions reader.
Show your impact. Thank you notes and good grades let this student know how they might have improved their students’ academic trajectory and achieved their goal of addressing racial injustice. And offer tangible evidence when possible: 32 students, 60 iPads, book donations. What has happened because of your efforts? What outcomes can you report? Whom have you affected and how?
Looking ahead… at NYU. This author points out that there’s still much to do and that they plan to continue their work in college. You could go further by suggesting one or two specific things you plan to do on campus on your issue, building on what you’ve already done. For ideas, do a little “Why Us?” research and link back to the MLK, Jr. Scholarship mission: outstanding academic achievement, leadership, and commitment to civic engagement.
