Recently, 18,520 students were admitted to NYU as potential members of the class of 2021, according to a press release from the university. The new acceptance rate of 27 percent marked the university’s lowest in 16 years.

The press release said that the percentage of Latinx and African-American students admitted to the class of 2021 was the largest percentage of both these groups the university has admitted in more than 16 years. Additionally, first-generation college students make up 17 percent of admits. Both incoming and current NYU students shared their thoughts on the diversity of the incoming class.

“I’ve been meeting people through the NYU class of 2021 Facebook group, and it’s really exciting to me to see how so many of us come from completely different backgrounds, yet we share the common goal of growing together at NYU. Also I’ve seen that everyone’s really proud of their heritage/culture and that’s heartwarming to see.” — Avika Thalheim, CAS Class of 2021

“I think we’re improving definitely but until we can ensure that NYU is able to provide more financial aid to students so that everyone who gets accepted can go to NYU, we have so much further to go.” — Rebecca Karpen, Gallatin freshman

“I think it is cool that more people of color are getting accepted into accredited research institutions, but we should not let claims of diversity overshadow racism in the admissions and financial aid processes.” — Ananth Panchanadam, LS sophomore

“Diversity is an asset. I am glad NYU is making strides to make itself a more diverse, more inclusionary campus.” — Iyal Basen, LS sophomore

“As someone who goes to a high school where the high-achieving classes are mainly filled with white students, I’m excited to be going to a university with a more diverse population. As a Latina I’m excited to meet more people with similar cultural backgrounds to me and also just a variety of cultural backgrounds. College is the place to learn about different cultures and people and I really think New York City’s diversity along with the diverse class of students at NYU will help me expand my cultural literacy and become more open-minded and aware of the world around me.” — Eugenia Cardinale, CAS Class of 2021

“I think the push for diversity in admissions is a great step for NYU to take; I’m proud to go to a university that takes diversity in its admissions seriously and offers opportunity to many different kinds of students. However, NYU needs to be doing more to make its education a truly diverse experience. Just having different kinds of students here isn’t enough, and even that still isn’t happening in schools like Stern or Tisch. NYU needs to ensure that students of all different backgrounds and identities aren’t just welcomed here, but respected and integrated into all of its programs. The way I’ve seen this done has been on a classroom level; professors take initiative to welcome or shun differing opinions, to ensure or deny students’ rights to contribute their experiences to the learning of the class. This kind of diversity needs to be embraced by NYU and indeed made the norm before [the university] can call itself truly diverse.” — Natasha Rubright, Gallatin freshman
Additional reporting by Miranda Levingston and Jemima McEvoy.

Email Natasha Roy at [email protected].