New York University, best known as NYU, is in the heart of the city, and is in many ways defined by one of the most famous cities in the world. The relationship between NYC and NYU is inextricable, and students seek out NYU because it matches a world-class education with a truly world-class setting. This has contributed to NYU being the most popular university in the country for international students. The over 20,000 undergraduate students at NYU can select from 270 areas of study, and even have the option to look beyond New York City for part, or all, of their undergraduate experience. NYU has three degree-granting campuses of equal caliber: NYC, Shanghai, and Abu Dhabi. But if you are looking to play a sport in college, especially at the varsity level, you’ll be looking at the New York City campus.
NYU athletes are known as the “Violets,” after the school color (purple if you didn’t guess that). There are nearly two dozen varsity sports, all of which compete in Division III of the NCAA. Despite being in the middle of an urban setting without a ton of extra field space, NYU has one of the longest-running athletics programs in the country. They even were one of the first colleges to have football team, in 1873!
If you’re considering NYU as an athlete, it’s important to know more statistics than just the sports ones, though. NYU received 118,000 applications in the 2023-2024 season, and accepted only 8% of applicants for the class of 2028. Three of NYU’s undergraduate colleges accepted less than 5% of applicants in 2024.
Don’t let this get you down, though. Rather, try to see it as a challenge for you to rise to! Just like performing at a high level in a sport, you’ll need all the preparation and planning you can get to find your future at NYU.
In this post, we’ll break down what you need to know if you’re really into NYU and want to keep playing the sport (or sports) you love.
Applying to college is challenging in the best of time, but for athletes it comes with a whole host of other hurdles. Luckily, we’re pros at this so you should send us an email.
What is NYU looking for in Student Athletes?
NYU is a member of the competitive NCAA Division III. It’s a very high-caliber league, but not what you see on ESPN most of the time. Division III schools are typically on the smaller side compared to the massive DI colleges, and less wildly competitive — but the athletes are still outstanding, and are particularly outstanding in the classroom. DIII includes many of the best colleges in the country academically, so many top students prefer DIII as they get the best of both worlds for their college experience with a strong athletic program and academics that will kickstart a career after graduation. So, understandably, this is just the kind of student-athlete NYU is looking for. They want young people who are as astonishing in the classroom as they are on the court, field, in the pool, or wherever else their sport of choice is played. They value excellence, community, wellbeing, and leadership, and they want to see that in your application.
Recruited Athletes
NYU is home to many championship-winning teams, including the 2024 men’s volleyball championship team! They offer extensive support to varsity athletes through the Office of Student-Athlete Excellence, which monitors student eligibility (grade thresholds and the like), provides academic support and tutoring, and fosters a community of academic excellence. All of this is accessible to recruited athletes, or athletes who commit to a sports team in an official capacity prior to even being officially accepted by NYU. Recruitment is a very specialized process, and requires a lot of planning — so we recommend starting early by registering with the NCAA to confirm your eligibility and picking a few colleges to focus in on. If you are at the top of your sport, you may even have a few colleges reach out to you proactively to express their interest in you as a recruit. There are a lot of rules for when colleges can reach out, though, so we don’t recommend waiting around. Instead, fill out the Prospective Athlete Questionnaire (or Individual Sport Questionnaire) at your very earliest opportunity to get on the coaches’ radar.
Once you’ve filled out the questionnaire for your sport, the most important thing to do is to keep your grades — and your play — top notch. You will not be recruited by NYU if you don’t have both going for you.
Walk-Ons
The other way of joining a collegiate team is by doing something called “walking on” or being a “walk-on.” Being a walk-on to a varsity team at NYU comes with many of the same benefits that recruited students have, but not all of them. Walk-ons do not typically have access to scholarships related to their athletic prowess, for example. You also will not be the first pick for playtime. If you’re okay not spending a ton of time playing during games but you still want to be part of an impressive DIII sports team, this could be perfect for you. But if you don’t see the point in practicing if you don’t get to play in games, you may want to consider other options — like club sports or intramural teams.
Club Sports
NYU athletics doesn’t stop with the varsity teams, and there are over two dozen teams open to students who want a more flexible and accessible experience that still has a high bar for performance. The teams available to NYU students range “from Icy Hockey to Ballroom Dance.” Some are purely for fun, and some are seriously competitive, travelling for games and matches and competing in well-regarded leagues. The teams often have very professional leadership and coaching in sports like badminton, multiple different cheer teams and dance squads, multiple forms of martial arts, lacrosse, water polo, and more. These programs are very popular with NYU students, and over 1,200 NYU students participate in club sports, 80% of whom are undergraduates.
Intramurals
If showing up to practices sounds overwhelming as you prepare for college, that’s ok — there is another, even lower-key, way of playing your favorite sport in college. Over 9,000 students at NYU take part in intramural sports annually. These programs are more relaxed than club teams, and are open to all students in good standing (club sports, for comparison, often require tryouts and high levels of skills.
Final Thoughts
Athletes at NYU get an outstanding sports experience in one of the most beloved cities in the world at one of the best universities in the country. The NYU alumni network is massive, and students can take advantage of it while still in college by pursuing summer positions and internships that work with their athletics schedules. Student athletes at NYU also have access to study abroad, which isn’t the norm everywhere. Many schools force student athletes to pick between playing their sport or studying abroad, but NYU doesn’t!
If you’re considering playing a sport in college, first you need to decide what level of competition would be ideal for you — varsity, club, or intramural. Then, you need to pursue the application process with that in mind. We can help.
We’re experts in helping outstanding students get into their dream colleges. If you’re an athlete who wants to play in college, but who also wants a top-tier education, let us know.