What are the basic requirements of the XE application?
All students applying to XE must submit the following materials with their general GSAS application:
- Official Academic transcripts from the applicant's undergraduate institution, as well as any other colleges at which he/she completed coursework.
- Three letters of recommendation
- A resume or Curriculum Vitae
- A XE-specific statement of purpose
- A writing sample
Please note: In addition to the materials above, all applicants must submit an application fee.
The above information can also be found on GSAS' downloadable "Application Requirements and Deadlines".pdf at the NYU GSAS Application Resource Center.
GRE and TOEFL or IELTS
The GRE general test is not required. Either the TOEFL or the IELTS is required of all applicants who are not native English speakers or who do not have a bachelor's or master's degree from an institution where the language of instruction is English. See test score requirements.
What should be in my statement of purpose?
In a concisely written statement, please describe your past and present work as it relates to your intended field of study, your educational objectives, and your career goals. In addition, please include your intellectual and professional reasons for choosing your field of study and why your studies/research can best be done at the XE/Graduate School of Arts and Science at NYU. The statement should not exceed two double-spaced pages.
What should be in my writing sample?
If you have a good sense of your area(s) of interest, you are encouraged to submit a writing sample that speaks to or reflects your area(s) of interest. It should be 10-20 double-spaced pages in length. You are welcome to submit additional work (creative/professional) in another medium in addition to the writing sample. You will find more specific instructions in the application.
Whom should I ask for recommendation letters? What sort of recommendation letters are most effective/useful?
Academic recommendations from professors or advisors with whom an applicant has studied are most useful to the admissions committee and are preferred. If you are unable to obtain three letters from professors or academic advisors, try to get as many as you can. (We suggest that when approaching faculty about recommendations, you provide as much information as possible about yourself—a recent transcript, CV, and/or copies of academic papers are very useful, as well as information about your plans for future study.)
If you are unable to provide letters from three academic references, professional references from people who can discuss your abilities as a researcher or writer are acceptable. Character references from friends, family, or religious advisors are less useful to our admissions committee.
For more information about submitting letters of recommendation, please see GSAS' "Letters of Recommendation FAQs" PDF, under "Frequently Asked Questions," here.
I've submitted my application--when will I receive my admissions decision?
Our admissions committee does its best to return admissions decisions to applicants within a month of receiving their completed applications. If you are facing a specific deadline and would like us to expedite your application's review, please email us at xe@nyu.edu after you have submitted your application and our admissions committee will do its best to honor your request.
May I speak or meet with someone at XE?
If you are interested in scheduling a meeting to discuss your potential course of study, the program, or the application process in more detail, please contact the program directly at xe@nyu.edu.
