Gone are the days of the skinny envelope or fat envelope revealing a student’s admissions decision. As decision release has moved to the digital space, the industry has struggled to find its footing in providing a compelling admitted student experience through print. In reconceptualizing our admit package, we endeavored to create a more immersive and emotional connection with our admitted population through celebratory, multimedia assets. Above all, we wanted admitted students to immediately feel connected to the current student population. To achieve this, we surveyed current freshmen students and held focus groups on their admit packs from New York University and other institutions. And from broader trends analysis, we recognized that if our work was successful, it would complete a full cycle of physical-to-digital media through the trend of unboxing videos: an expression of excitement about the package received, and a show of pride for their admission to NYU. Our previous version of the admit pack was heavily administrative. We reimagined it to be more sentimental, community-driven, and shareable—turning this into a moment of celebration rather than just an informational tool. The goal was to provide students a tangible way to showcase their NYU identity, feel connected to the community, and better envision their campus experience. Ultimately, we strengthened the emotional impact of acceptance to NYU, reinforcing our global identity while increasing excitement and engagement among admitted students.
From the Judges
The expression of NYU's brand was highly captured in this piece! We loved all the different elements that were included in their admissions packet and the fact they had unique collateral for their three campuses.
