Why hello there future violets. I'm Kevin, amateur break dancer, Yale grad and pro college counselor. Over the last 5 years, our firm, the Elevated School, has helped students get into every single top 20 university, including NYU. Now, back in the day, NYU was more of a target school, but just last year, the acceptance rate plummeted down to 8%. But don't worry because in this video I'll be sharing my top three concepts to instantly improve your odds of getting in. One, the global mindset. Two, the experiential edge. And three, the collection of tactics behind why this NYU essay actually worked. Part one, the global mindset. Meet Maya. Not a real student, but inspired by many. Maya didn't start a million-doll fashion brand or hedge fund in high school. Wild, I know, right? But what Maya did do was launch a podcast interviewing immigrants in her community, documenting their cultural traditions and experiences. She connected those local stories to global issues, examining how immigration policies affected real people in her neighborhood. Here, my friends, is a mindblowing stat about NYU. Not only does NYU have degree granting campuses across three major cities, you know, Abu Dhabi, Shanghai, New York, they also have 12 studya away sites across six continents. That's not just a selling point in their brochure. That's NYU's entire educational philosophy. Through NYU global programs and go local initiatives, students can literally study around the world while still thriving within the NYU ecosystem. This isn't just about travel. It's about becoming what NYU calls a globallyminded citizen. Now, by that logic, by extension, NYU also wants seniors, students who have already demonstrated that kind of global thinking, global consciousness, global citizenship even before applying. My dear virtual little sibling, if you learned anything from this video, show how you've engaged and contributed to different global issues, problems, perspectives, cultures, even if it's something local or something small like volunteering at a refugee resettlement organization in your hometown or starting a cultural exchange club program at your school. Make sure to highlight it beyond your activities list by writing stories, narratives about them in your NYU essays. And if you can write about cross-cultural experiences or how you've connected local issues to global problems, that's exactly what NYU is looking for. Now, I know what you're thinking, Kev. Isn't NYU just a bunch of crazy film students and aspiring Wall Street bankers trying to live their best life. Well, yes, but there's also more to it. NYU, my friends, is obsessed with experiential learning. They want to hear about how you don't just learn things, but you do things. Too often I hear about how students want to explore New York or experience the energy of the Big Apple. But don't forget to talk about how you're going to apply what you learned in the classroom to these exciting urban environments and leave them better than how you found them. Again, NYU has built their entire educational approach around these urban environments. They want students who will treat the city as a classroom and not just use it for Instagram backdrops. Now, in the essay we're about to see, this NYU student didn't just write about loving New York. They wrote about their own unique academic interest, then connected that to what they're going to do at NYU and beyond. But the most important part is connecting those dots and threading how your past is connected to your present and future at NYU. Also, quick tip, NYU isn't just divided by its global campuses. It has 20 different schools and colleges, each with its own unique vibe and personality. So whether you're applying to Tish for film, Stern for business, or Gallatin to design your own major, make sure that you understand the school's specific culture and approach. So many kids make this mistake of treating NYU as this mega conglomerate university. But the fact is that each distinct school has special things that they're looking for in each applicant. Usually each school, each college within NYU also has their own admissions committee. Part three, an NYU essay that actually worked. But first, pause. You guys know what's coming. Please don't forget to like and subscribe. Really, such a small act of kindness helps promote more of our free educational content to amazing students just like yourself. Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart. Okay, here it is. The following essay was written in response to this prompt. The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well. Damn, what a banger of a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson. In 11th grade, I attended a model UN conference where I represented the UNHCR during a refugee crisis simulation. After four intense days of negotiation, I found myself speaking with Dr. Elena Martins, a former aid worker who served as our committee adviser. She shared her experiences working in refugee camps in Jordan, describing how cultural understanding helped diffuse tensions between different ethnic groups. I scribbled notes frantically as she explained how sustainable solutions required both immediate humanitarian response and long-term integration strategies. This conversation, combined with my 3 years of Mun participation, ignited my passion for understanding the human dimensions of displacement crisis. I seek to combine an NYU education with what I've learned from studying displacement on a local level and apply it to the international stage. At NYU Gallatin, I aim to design a concentration in displacement and community integration that draws from courses in the migration studies initiative, the politics department, and the silver school of social work. I'm particularly excited about Professor Klette Mazuchelli's course on transitional justice after mass atrocity and professor Shinasi Rama's theory and practice of global politics which perfectly align with my interest in postconlict community building. Beyond the classroom, I plan to engage with the NYU Belleview program for survivors of torture and the immigrant rights clinic to apply theoretical knowledge to real cases. While beginning at Washington Square, I'm eager to study at NYU Abu Dhabi during my junior year to gain firsthand experience in a region facing complex migration challenges, potentially conducting research with the Arab Center for the Study of Conflict Zones. Wow. First off, this essay shines because this student beautifully links their personal journey with their future NYU dreams and aspirations. They don't just say, "I like helping refugees." They take us on their adventure from that eyeopening model UN conference to their hands-on work with real refugee families. It's a terrific blend of the theoretical with the practical. The research game here, too, is strong, my friends. They didn't just Google NYU programs the night before. This student did their homework. Dropping names like Professor Mazuchelli and naming the specific courses they intend to study the moment they set foot on campus. Guys, that is the most compelling, convincing information you can provide to NYU's admission office that you deserve to be there. So many students just neglect to do this. They don't look at the course catalog. They don't mention professors. You have to have to mention specific proper nouns. In fact, a good rule of thumb is to mention at least four proper nouns in a supplemental essay, about 200 to 250 words like this. Finally, what is most impressive is how they weave together NYU's global vibe with realworld impact. They're not just saying, "I want to study abroad because it looks fun." M. They're articulating. They're explaining how studying at that Abu Dhabi campus will give them a front row seat to understanding complex migration challenges. Terrific. By the way, my dear virtual little sibling, if you want your NYU essay professionally edited, check out our website, www.elevated.school/editmy essay. You can even use this code YouTube15 to get 15% off your first edit. And if you have any questions, suggestions, ideas for what videos I should make next. Leave them in the comment section below. And don't forget to check out this playlist where I cover how to answer every single supplemental essay question for free. Until next time, my dear virtual little siblings. H peace. [Applause] [Music] [Music]