Hi! I’m a Nigerian student applying ED1 to NYU Abu Dhabi for Computer Science, with a particular interest in AI/ML. I’d really appreciate feedback on how my application comes across, especially from current students or people familiar with NYUAD admissions.
I’m mainly trying to understand whether the building → AI/education research → human-centered technology thread of my application comes across clearly, and whether there are parts of my background that may need more context.
Demographics
International student from Nigeria
Female
Significant financial need
Academics
WASSCE:
\* Chemistry — A1
\* Physics — B3
\* Biology — B3
\* Economics — B3
\* Mathematics — B3
\* Further Mathematics — B3
\* Civic Education — B3
\* English — C6
My school does not provide class rank. My transcript is roughly in the low-70% range overall.
I’m applying without SAT/ACT.
Main extracurricular / probably the center of my application
I founded and built a web-fiction platform for writers, translators, and editors. I’m a self-taught full-stack developer and built the platform using Next.js, TypeScript, React, and Supabase.
I recruited 20+ founding contributors, with a larger creator community becoming involved as the project developed. I built systems involving authentication, databases, translation tools, messaging, and payments.
What became especially important to me was how feedback from the people using the platform changed what I built. Some features came directly from problems writers and translators described rather than from my original plans.
Research
I independently researched human-AI collaboration in education through a literature-based project. I became interested in the question of when AI supports a student’s thinking and when it begins replacing that thinking.
I developed a four-mode framework for distinguishing different ways students interact with AI.
Other activities
\* Freelance/self-taught developer: Studied frontend development formally and taught myself backend development. I’ve built several web projects.
\* Contracted webnovel author: Published multiple novels on web-fiction platforms. I used my first significant writing earnings to help fund the laptop I use for development.
\* Track: Participated throughout secondary school and won medals in inter-school races.
Most of my strongest activities came from things I pursued independently rather than school clubs or formal organizations.
A few things I’d especially appreciate thoughts on:
\* Does the development → Novara → AI/education research thread come across as coherent, or do the activities feel disconnected?
\* My strongest activities are mostly independent rather than school-based. For current NYUAD students with similar backgrounds, how did you communicate that context in your application?
\* Are there parts of my academic background that would benefit from additional context for someone unfamiliar with the Nigerian/WASSCE system?
\* Does my supplemental’s interpretation of bridge-building through collaboration and incorporating other people’s perspectives come across clearly?
\* For current CS students, how well does NYUAD support someone interested in combining software development with AI/ML research?
I’d especially love to hear from Nigerian/African students or students who came from schools where extracurricular opportunities were limited. Critical feedback is welcome. Thank you!
