Question 1
We are looking for peacemakers, changemakers, global citizens, boundary breakers, creatives and innovators – Choose one quote from the following and let us know why it inspires you; or share a short quote and person not on our list who inspires you, and include why.
Explanation:
Although NYU gives you the option not to answer this supplemental question, we highly recommend that you take advantage of the opportunity to tell the school a little more about yourself.
That being said, the key to writing a strong supplement is choosing a quote that allows you to shed more light on your values, accomplishments, and the reasons why NYU is a good fit for you.
You should also highlight how you fit into one of the roles the university mentions they are looking for at the beginning of the prompt: a peacemaker, changemaker, global citizen, boundary breaker, creative or an innovator. How do you fit into one of these categories? Does one of the quotes provided mirror that which inspired you to take on that role?
As you write your essay, be sure to both explain why the quote you choose inspires you, and shed light on one of your own related values or accomplishments.
Sample:
A strong NYU supplemental essay might look something like:
Quote 1: “We’re used to people telling us there are no solutions, and then creating our own. So we did what we do best. We reached out to each other, and to our allies, and we mobilized across communities to make change, to benefit and include everyone in society.” Judith Heuman, 2022 NYU Commencement Address”
“Drumroll please…We raised $220,000 for this year!”
Since the beginning of my sophomore year, I’ve had the pleasure of working alongside 24 of my peers to host an annual gala to raise funds for ALS research laboratories. Our group has carried on the work started ten years ago by our peers, who sprung into action when they learned of their teacher’s diagnosis.
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis has no cure, and to this day, 5,000 people learn of their own diagnoses annually.
So, in Heumen’s words, we work to enact change, and we do it as a community by collaborating with local vendors, restaurants and businesses, both local and national, to secure the monetary donations, raffle items, decorations, and food and beverages necessary to host a successful gala. Every summer, two of us travel to Northwestern to partake in the Feinberg Institute’s ALS research—funded in part by our efforts.
Cold calling and soliciting donations from businesses in an effort to raise funds was daunting at first, but it ultimately brought me out of my shell. Last year, planning the gala as a Junior Lead taught me the importance of delegation, and working alongside my mentor at the Feinberg last summer, I learned the power of sheer dedication in the face of a problem for which no solution is in sight.
Heumen’s words reflect that which I have most loved about fighting for a cure alongside my peers: when communities work together in pursuit of a goal that supersedes their personal gain, far-reaching positive change is possible.
