If you are dreaming of going to school in New York, NYU is likely near the top of your list. New York University, usually just called NYU, is a private research university in the middle of Manhattan. NYU is made up of several smaller schools, including The Tandon School of Engineering. NYU doesn’t publish a separate acceptance rate for Tandon. However, it has been getting more competitive to get into NYU in recent years. The overall acceptance was just 9.2% last year.
The school has been more popular than ever, which means that whether you are hoping for Tisch, Tandon, or anywhere in between, you need to be a competitive candidate to get into NYU. But how? Good news, we are here to explain what you need to do to be a great Tandon candidate.
Get the Grades
NYU is looking for candidates with impressive grades. Last year, the average submitted GPA was 3.81 unweighted, and 72% of the incoming class had above 3.75. The better your grades, the stronger a candidate you will be. However, those grades have to be in challenging classes. A strong transcript includes Honors, IB, AP, Accelerated, and/or Dual Enrollment courses. You want to take the hardest classes you can while still maintaining a competitive GPA. For hopeful engineers, you should especially take the highest level of math and science that your school offers (this is really the bare minimum).
NYU is still test-optional, but good standardized test scores can set you apart and especially help STEM majors. Last year, only around 38% of applicants submitted scores. This is a very low number. The scores submitted were impressive: the 50th percentile was 1520 on the SAT or a 34 on the ACT. If you can achieve similar scores, they will absolutely help your overall application.
Build a Niche
Tandon is an interesting engineering school. It offers several majors that are outside the usual undergraduate engineering school options, such as Integrated Design & Media and Business and Technology Management. Therefore, it is imperative for applicants to have an established academic focus before applying. A history of involvement and pursuit of your specific academic interests is what we call an academic niche. The more defined your niche, the better your application will be. There are a couple of ways to start building one.
Courses and Reading
The first step in building a strong niche is learning as much as possible about your intended field. We highly recommend that you include a reading list in your early exploration. Before you say anything, you don’t have to be an English major to read books; there are many excellent books about STEM subjects. Find some that interest you and start reading outside of class. You can supplement your reading list with podcasts, scientific journals, tech blogs, etc., but books should 100% be a part of your academic exploration.
Another great resource is online classes. Many universities offer pre-taped and, often, free courses through third parties like Coursera. You can also look for academic summer programs at universities or community colleges. However you do it, taking courses related to your intended major outside of school is a great way to build a strong niche.
in-School Extracurriculars
Great candidates participate in activities at school. However, this doesn’t mean you should just sign up for any club. School clubs can also help build your niche if you choose them strategically. Depending on your specific academic niche, you should look for robotics teams, science Olympiads, mathletes, STEM tutoring clubs, solar car teams, computer science societies, etc. Find clubs that help you explore your academic interests outside of class. If your school doesn’t offer STEM-based clubs (or even just the one you are looking for), ask the administration about starting your own.
Signing up for the right clubs is just the first step. After you do, you must be ready to commit time and effort to your extracurriculars. NYU wants to see students who have taken on leadership roles and pushed themselves in their activities.
Out of School Extracurriculars
Just like your in-school activities, your out-of-school activities should strategically help your application. You can (and should) do out-of-school activities all year; however, summers are especially important for building a great resume. We love to see students who have a mix of academic programs, internships, and research during their summers. While there are a lot of great opportunities out there that can build a great summer resume, whatever you do, it needs to be impressive and connect to your academic interests. Making a strategic summer plan can be tricky. If you need help, contact us today! We can help build a summer plan that will impress Tandon.
Build Something Cool
From chemical engineering to AI, engineering takes hands-on skills. And engineers who love what they do usually have something tangible to show for it. You have to tell Tandon which skills you’ve mastered by building something you would be proud of. Capstone projects look different for everyone. We’ll have 10 compsci kids whose projects are all completely different. But the most important thing is that each student builds something impressive by the beginning of Senior year. We have worked with students who have made drones, computers, solar power systems, apps, and so much more. We love it when students show off their skills in tangible ways, and schools love it, too. Even better, challenge yourself with a project that forces you to learn new skills.
Apply Early
If NYU is your top choice, it's a good idea to still consider applying early. It shows the university you are serious about going there, and it will likely give qualified candidates a slight bump. Any strategic application plan includes ED/EA schools. If NYU is at the top of your list, you need to at least consider an ED option.
NYU isn’t necessarily synonymous with engineering (the same way it is with the arts or business), but Tandon is still a fabulous choice for hopeful engineers. The school is competitive, and you need to stand out to get in.
If you are nervous about getting in or need help. We have you covered. Contact us today!