Apply for Admission

Get ready for an extraordinary journey.

Deadlines

Before You Apply

Be sure to have the following on hand before you begin your application:

1. School Contact: Provide the contact details of the counselor or school representative who will complete your Common Application School Report and submit your official transcript.
2. Letter of Recommendation: Share the contact info of a teacher, counselor, or other individual who can write a letter highlighting your achievements and aspirations.
3. Application Fee: A nonrefundable USD 80 application fee. Students who are unable to pay the application fee can request a fee waiver.
4. Campus of Interest: When applying to NYU, select your primary campus of interest: Abu Dhabi, New York City, or Shanghai (with the option to list up to two alternates). However, you’ll only receive one admissions decision from NYU.
5. Application authenticity: It's your responsibility to ensure all information and supporting documents are accurate and truthful. NYU has a strict policy on application authenticity and working with agents or third parties.
6. The review process: There's no set formula for admissions at NYU Abu Dhabi. We're looking for a dynamic mix of students with a variety of passions, talents, and ambitions to shape our global community.
7. Email Address: Make sure to use a personal email, not your school one, to ensure you don’t miss any critical updates on your application or admissions decision.

Step 1: Complete Your Common Application

Watch this helpful video below to learn about the process and deadlines.

Step 2: Submit Your Supporting Materials

Common Application School Report and Transcripts.

Your counselor or other school representative will complete your Common Application School Report, where they are able to submit your high school transcript(s).

This report features your academic records, predicted test scores, counselor recommendation, school profile, and mid-year updates. Your school official will complete your Common Application School Report, where they are able to submit your high school transcript(s).

Academic records would include transcripts, which are a record of your academic accomplishments, including every course you took, when you took each course, and the grades you received and how to submit them.

NYUAD will accept official or unofficial transcripts and test scores for the purposes of the application review process, however, you will need to provide official documents prior to enrollment.

Letter of Recommendation

NYU only requires one letter of recommendation, and it is not required that it be from a teacher, counselor, or school representative. We’re looking for a comprehensive letter that highlights your potential in a college setting.

While teacher, counselor, and school representative recommendations are welcome, you can choose someone else who better knows your achievements and goals. Provide their email in the Common Application, and they'll receive an invite to submit the letter online. Hard-copy submissions by mail are also accepted if necessary. 

Don’t forget to follow up with your recommender to confirm all required materials have been submitted.

Self Reported Academic Record

The Self Reported Academic Record (SRAR) is designed to allow you, the applicant, to submit your academic record without needing to rely on a high school counselor or other administrator. That puts you in the driver’s seat for more components of your application, and for students who don’t have easy access to college counseling, that can be the difference between being able to apply to college, and being edged out of the process.

All first-year applicants must submit the Self-Reported Academic Record (SRAR), which is free and takes about an hour to complete with a transcript on hand.

Please read about the SRAR requirement at NYU.

Timing

The school officials you identify do not need to wait for you to submit your application before they submit supporting materials, but universities will not be able to access their forms until you have submitted your application.

Step 3: Standardized Testing

NYU has extended the test-optional policy for the 2024-2025 cycle. Students who elect to submit testing as part of their application to NYU Abu Dhabi, should review our Standard Testing Requirements here and submit official score reports or predicted scores.

Note: Test scores must come from an official source to be processed. Use your name exactly as it appears on your passport or birth certificate on your application and supporting documents.

English Language Testing
All NYU students must have a strong command of the English language to be successful in a fast-paced, rigorous academic environment. If English is not your native language, we recommend you submit results from an English language testing exam.

See full list of accepted English language proficiency exams

Step 4: Optional Essay

This year’s optional writing section invites you to reflect on how your experiences, actions, and aspirations as a bridge builder align with our values of connection, collaboration, and global impact. The prompts include:

• 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?

The question is truly optional. So, if you want to take the opportunity to tell us a little more about yourself in the application, this question will give you a chance to tell us where you will turn for inspiration, and what experiences have shaped you.

Sending Documents

To be considered official, all documents (including academic transcripts) require an original signature of the registrar or other designated school official, or the institution's seal. If a document isn't in English, then a translation should be provided (a school official or a translation agency accredited in your country can issue the translation). All official testing should come from the relevant examination board or testing agency.

Note: Transcripts and test scores must come from an official source to be processed. Use your name exactly as it appears on your passport or birth certificate on your application and supporting documents.

NYU Admissions
27 West 4th Street
New York, NY 10012
USA

or via email to admissions.docs@nyu.edu

Candidate Weekend

Select applicants will be invited to participate in the NYU Abu Dhabi Candidate Weekend, which is a two-day, in-person event that is required for students who are invited to attend in order to remain eligible for admission. Read more about Candidate Weekend.