Waitlist FAQ

As a student who was offered space on our admissions waitlist, you may have several questions about how to move forward in your college search and when to expect a final admissions answer from NYU. Please review the answers to our most frequently asked questions below.

If you wish to remain on our waitlist, you must complete the online form included in the NYU Applicant Portal where you received your waitlist offer. We will assume that any student who does not respond to our waitlist offer will be enrolling at another college or university, and will no longer be eligible for admissions consideration.

Please note: We do not have an appeal process of any kind, and we cannot reconsider your application. If we are able to offer you a space at NYU, you will need to respond quickly to our offer of admission and financial aid (if applicable). Please refer to your NYU decision email for specific deadline information.

Thank you for your patience and, regardless of the ultimate outcome with regard to your application at NYU, we wish you the best as you begin college next year!

Why was I not offered admission?

Every year seems to exceed the previous on as the most competitive admission process in NYU’s history. Unfortunately, even though students may be clearly competitive for admission based on their academic records and their test scores, we are only able to admit a fraction of qualified students given the space we have available in our classes at NYU.

Can I appeal my admission decision?

We do not have an appeal process of any kind. If we are ultimately not able to offer you admission, you can certainly re-apply for admission for the next applicable term. We cannot evaluate any new credentials or materials at this time. As a reminder only our campus in New York City will accept transfer students.

Is the waitlist ranked?

No. We do not rank-order our waitlist in any way so we cannot tell you what number or how high or low you are on the waitlist. If we are able to admit any students from the waitlist, we will re-evaluate all candidates who respond to our waitlist offer. We will not know how many students have responded to our waitlist offer until after the waitlist response deadline stated in your NYU Applicant Portal.

When will I know if I am admitted off of the waitlist?

We will not have any indication whatsoever if we have space available in our first-year or transfer class until after the admitted student response deadline. We first need to determine if those initially offered admission will accept their offers. We will re-evaluate our capacity to admit any additional students from the waitlist after we are sure that all deposits have been received. We will communicate with you about your status on the waitlist no later than August 1.

What can I do to improve my chances of being offered admission from the waitlist?

The only thing we ask of our applicants is to respond to our waitlist offer online by the date outlined in your waitlist offer letter. You should not submit any new letters of recommendation, writing samples, resumes, certificates, DVDs, CDs, photos, or additional information. Please do not ask anyone to write you an additional letter of recommendation or ask that anyone calls to advocate on your behalf.

You can update us on any new accomplishments and/or relay your level of interest in NYU by way of our Waitlist Response Form online, but you should not submit any new materials whatsoever. Please also understand that given the volume of our applicant pool, we do not interview any candidates for admission and we will be unable to meet with you in person about your status on the waitlist. While you are welcome to visit NYU at any time, please do not make a special visit to campus to discuss your status on the waitlist.

How can I show NYU that I am interested?

You can relay your level of interest in NYU by way of our Waitlist Response Form online. There, you will have the opportunity to express your interest level in NYU.

What happens if I place a deposit at another college or university?

Because we cannot provide any indication right now of whether or not you will ultimately be admitted off the waitlist, we strongly encourage you to confirm your enrollment at another college or university and provide that college or university with a deposit. While virtually all colleges and universities will release you from your initial commitment, it is very unlikely that you will receive a refund of the first deposit you make at another institution.

If I am offered admission, will I be considered for financial aid?

If we are able to offer you admission, we will consider you for need-based and merit-based financial aid, assuming you have already completed our required financial aid forms online by our respective deadlines earlier this winter. If we are able to offer you admission, we will not expect you to commit to enrolling at NYU until after you review your financial aid award.

If I am offered admission, can I defer my enrollment?

Students admitted from the waitlist are not eligible for deferred enrollment.

Can I be considered for another school, college, program, or campus at NYU?

Yes, students may indicate that they are now interested in being considered for admission to another school, college, program, or campus at NYU on the Waitlist Response Form online.

In previous years, how many students have been admitted off the waitlist?

The number of students who have been admitted from the waitlist has varied widely in previous years. While during one recent year, we were not able to admit any students from the waitlist, in others we were able to admit hundreds of students. Again, the number of admission offers we can extend is contingent on the number of responses we get to our initial offers of admission, and we will have a better idea of what space is available after the admitted student response deadline.