Demographics: Female, Pakistani, NY resident, public school, first-gen, low-income, applying for aid

Intended Major: Philosophy (Pre-Law)

Testing: Test optional (not submitting SAT/ACT or AP scores)

Academics

• GPA: 90 UW and 94 Weighted (100 scale) - Upward trend senior year shown in my mid year report (Overall GPA increase by 2 points in weighted and 1 point in unweighted in just 2 quarters after experiencing the peak of my hardship during my junior year - my essay is written on this)
• Course Rigor: 9AP/IB + 5 Dual Enrollment/College Classes + 4-5 Honors Classes including senior year schedule
• Taking 5 AP exams and 4 IB Exams this year

Awards/Honors

• Principal’s Honor Roll (9–12)
• 3× First Place Regional Speech Competition Awards
• Town of Islip Student Ambassador Award
• Brandeis University Book Award + Scholarship Recipient
• On-A-Roll Academic & Leadership Award
• AP Scholar
• NHS, Rho Kappa Honor Society, NAHS
• Academic Medal of Excellence

Extracurriculars & Leadership:

• President: Philosophy Club (founding president)
• President: Rho Kappa Honor Society
• President: History & Politics Club
• President & Founder/Mentor : Speech Competition Club for URM groups
• Vice President: National Art Honor Society
• Secretary: Student Government
• Executive Council: National Honor Society
• Head Anchor & Editor: Student Media Network
• Social Media Manager: Student Media Network
• Student Ambassador for my district - district appointed

Community & Advocacy:

• Junior Manager, Community Soup Kitchen (500+ hours)
• Governor’s Youth Leadership Council – District selection
• Food Drive/Pantry Leader – helped communities after SNAP reductions
• Anti-Bias Initiative Ambassador
• Building Safety Team Student Representative
• Youth and community alliance - district appointed student rep.
• Compassion Without Borders - District appointed student rep.

Healthcare & Research Experience:

• Clinical Volunteering & Shadowing (30 hrs shadowing + 100 volunteering hours)
• Columbia University Summer Program – Ethical disparities in cancer care among URM groups

Mentorship & Education:

• Peer Mentor, Freshman Transition Mentor
• Community Educator for URM groups - I was actually one of the kids who was learning from these people as a kid, and loved it so much I started teaching in 8th grade and recruited more people as teachers. I continue it to this day and spend about 5-7 hours a week here!

Languages

English, Urdu, Pashto, Arabic

Other Notes:

• Strong upward trend senior year, counselor will explain junior-year dips
• Extremely strong letters of recommendation (one of them from NYU alum (my APUSH teacher & history & politics club advisor which I am the president of), my principal, and my College Psych or AP Bio teacher.
• Strong essays demonstrating philosophy passion, ethical reasoning, and community impact
• Strong hardship background: poverty, unstable home environment, caregiving responsibilities, periods of sleeping in mosque during winter, lack of heat, heavy household responsibilities
• Explains academic struggles + strong upward trend + leadership development in essays and in additional info section

The mentoring work I do now for URM groups is deeply personal because I was once in their shoes. As a child, my parents couldn’t afford a full-time school for me and my siblings, so I attended religious classes at the mosque, the same community where my family relied on the soup kitchen for meals. In fact, there were times when we couldn’t pay our rent, and we spent the night at the mosque. Growing up, all six of us lived in a single-room basement, and I never had my own bed or personal space, which made it difficult to develop my own identity. My parents’ strictness and the social isolation I experienced were particularly challenging for someone like me, naturally drawn to communication and expressing ideas. Despite these hardships, I found a deep sense of solace and purpose in the mosque’s programs. What began as a place of survival, where I learned and grew, became a place of service: I now teach Sunday school there, mentoring URM students, helping them find confidence and guidance in their public speaking skills and religious studies, much as I once did as a child. These experiences, paired with witnessing and navigating personal, familial, and financial struggles, have fueled my passion for philosophy, ethical reasoning, and community impact.

the title

I know lots of people got WL this year so if you hear back, comment below with ur info!!!

Hey everyone! I’m currently on the NYU waitlist for the Liberal Studies Core program (ED2, Fall 2026). NYU is my top choice and I’m trying to get a better sense of what spring admit movement looks like.

If you’ve been admitted off the waitlist as a spring admit, LS core or any other school, I’d love to hear about your experience.

• How late did you get the offer?
• Did your mid-year grades or recent EC updates seem to make a difference?
• Any tips on timing/communication with admissions?

Please DM me! I’d really appreciate hearing from someone who’s actually gone through it. Thanks!

Hey everyone! I’m currently on the NYU waitlist for the Liberal Studies Core program (ED2, Fall 2026). NYU is my top choice and I’m trying to get a better sense of what spring admit movement looks like.

If you’ve been admitted off the waitlist as a spring admit, LS core or any other school, I’d love to hear about your experience.

• How late did you get the offer?
• Did your mid-year grades or recent EC updates seem to make a difference?
• Any tips on timing/communication with admissions?

Please DM me! I’d really appreciate hearing from someone who’s actually gone through it. Thanks!

I know lots of people got WL this year so if you hear back, comment below with ur info!!!

EDIT: Please help!

If you have gotten off the waitlist in the past AND received aid, pls pls pls comment below or dm me bc I am on the waitlist and Ik full pay kids are obvs gonna be before me but this is my abolsute dream school pls let me know if you have gotten off the WL and received aid!!!

so for context, I got waitlisted during NYU ED2. I always thought I was considered a good student. I have absolutely made a ton of mistakes during school, but overall I considered my self involved and always challenging myself academically and socially. I got waitlisted at NYU and Northeastern. NYU is my first choice, always has been. But then I got rejected from a state school.....like whatt?? and now I am ending up at a school with all the kids who didnt even fucking try in my grade, who yk got minimum to decent grades while I genuinely struggled with my personal life but worked my ass off to be recognized in any way, get A's, leadership roles in clubs, internships, community service hours, community service projects, AP/IB/college classes............. I don't even want to tell people where it is I'm going because how did I even end up here? Is there a chance of getting off the waitlist if I would be under the NYU promise? LS core with alternates in CAS, Steinhardt, and Gallatain as a philosophy major, even willing to go as a spring admit. I just feel utterly defeated and like a fucking failure. No one expected this, not my teachers, friends, family, and most of all, me.