How to Get Into NYU Stern School of Business
- NYU Stern Program Overview
- NYU Stern School of Business Curriculum
- Extracurriculars at NYU Stern School of Business
- NYU Stern Statistics
- Notable Professors and Classes at NYU Stern
- How to Answer NYU Stern’s 2024-2025 Essay Prompts
- Application Requirements for NYU Stern
- NYU Stern FAQ
NYU Stern Program Overview
The New York University (NYU) Stern School of Business, located right in the heart of Manhattan in New York City, is widely recognized for its collaborative student community and emphasis on developing students’ academic and emotional intelligence (IQ+EQ), as well as for its large menu of elective course offerings. At Stern, students can choose from more than 200 electives. Stern’s admissions committee prefers candidates who demonstrate strong intellectual ability, superior interpersonal skills, and a desire to create value for business and society. The Stern community is filled with individuals who possess both intellectual and interpersonal strengths; those who develop great ideas can turn them into action and inspire their fellow Sternies.
Stern’s New York City location helps position it as a popular business school for students aiming to secure post-MBA positions in finance. Indeed, Wall Street executives often visit campus to speak. Stern takes pride in its international atmosphere, made possible by the school’s metropolitan location and ample global study opportunities. By leveraging its vast global alumni pool and partner school network, Stern sends its students on Semester Exchange Programs and Global Courses all over the world.
Maintaining a sense of community in a large city like NYC might sound challenging, but Sternies stay connected by hosting such events as Passport Day, which allows students to showcase their countries’ cultures to their classmates. Thursday night Beer Blasts, hosted on campus or at nearby bars, are happy hours intended to allow students to mingle after the week’s final classes. The Stern culture is friendly and collaborative, even in the middle of a busy metropolis. “I have found my classmates to be diverse, hardworking, and driven,” a Stern student and former Stratus client told us.
NYU Stern is a decidedly international school—its prime location attracts applicants from all over the world. The aforementioned Stern Passport Day is an annual event that was created to celebrate the cultural diversity of the Stern student body, allowing international students to showcase their countries’ culture, food, traditional costumes, and music. The 2024 Passport Day attracted upwards of 350 participants, with Stern students showcasing more than 45 countries.
NYU Stern School of Business Curriculum
Students in the Stern MBA program are divided into sections (or “blocks”) of about 60 individuals before starting school. These blocks largely shape their two years of graduate school education—students in a block take core courses together and even compete in the annual Block Olympics. Stern’s guiding principle in terms of curriculum is “flexible first.” The Stern core curriculum consists of the required core, which includes the courses “Statistics and Data Analysis” and “Financial Accounting and Reporting,” and the menu core, where students choose five courses from a list of seven. Students can also establish proficiency in some courses via exams, prior degrees, or a CPA.
The second year consists only of electives and specializations. Students can select up to three specializations (or none), and Stern offers a large selection electives, with more than 200 course options. The nearly 30 available specializations include Management, Corporate Finance, Accounting, Strategy, and Real Estate. Students can take up to a quarter of their classes at other NYU schools.
International opportunities are readily available at Stern. Students can take part in Doing Business In (DBi) courses, which are one to two weeks long and offered between semesters and on breaks; a Global Course, which culminates in a trip abroad at the end of the semester; and the Study Abroad Semester Exchange Program, which leverages Stern’s international network of 30 exchange partner schools in 25 countries.
One Stern student and former Stratus client said, “Some of my favorite professors so far have included Luke Williams, Amy Webb, and Scott Galloway. All three are remarkable, super knowledgeable in their spaces, thoughtful, and great presenters to teach engaging classes, especially on Zoom.” Another student told us, “The ‘Predicting the Future of Technology’ class helped answer one of the top questions I have, which is how to have more strategic foresight in the fast-changing tech world. Amazing professor!”
Extracurriculars at NYU Stern School of Business
NYU Stern offers countless opportunities for students to take the reins and further develop their leadership capabilities. Professional clubs provide forums for students to hear from business leaders and offer opportunities that leverage Stern’s New York City location and NYU’s global network. Affinity clubs serve as professional, educational, and social forums and celebrate the student body’s diversity, cultural backgrounds, and experiences. Special interest clubs foster community at Stern through events that combine educational and social engagement, and sports clubs leverage the NYU Stern pride in a fun and competitive manner through intramural activities.
The nearly 40 student clubs include the Management Consulting Association, the Social Impact and Sustainability Association, and the Asian Business Society. The Stern Follies club creates and presents a one-night-only parody performance in the spring by collaborating with students throughout the year to write and produce a live musical theater show and a variety of comedic video sketches. Stern Women in Business promotes female students’ personal and professional development by providing networking and social interaction opportunities. “I really enjoyed the Women’s Leadership Breakfast; I met with senior female leaders from various industries both in person and virtually,” a Stern student and former Stratus client said.
Like many business schools, Stern has a long-standing tradition of Follies. Described on its site as “the Stern community’s opportunity to take a hard look in the funhouse mirror,” the annual event is an evening of jokes, musical theater, skits, and other forms of media with one main goal: to forget about the stresses of the classroom and concentrate on having fun. Auditions are held in the spring, although the planning of the event spans through the course of the academic year. The 2023 Follies had the Taylor Swift-inspired theme “The Eras Tour,” while the 2023 theme was “The Late Show with Follies.”
NYU Stern Statistics
Class Profile (Class of 2025)
Class Size: 327
Applications: 3,075
Admits: 966
Admission Rate: 31%
Average Age: 28
Age Range: 21–37
Average Work Experience: 5.2 years
Work Experience Range: 0–14
Average Undergraduate GPA: 3.61
GPA Range: 2.96–4.00
Women: 43%
US Minorities: 47%
Underrepresented Minorities: 17%
LGBTQ+: 13%
International Citizenship: 48%
Countries Represented: 46
Average GMAT: 732
80% GMAT Range: 700–760
GRE Q Average: 163
GRE V Average: 163
Career Placement (Industries, Class of 2023)
- Consulting: 41.9%
- Financial Services: 29.4%
- Investment Banking: 23.3%
- Asset Management: 1.7%
- Venture Capital: 1.7%
- Diversified Financial Services: 1.0%
- Private Equity: 1.0%
- Other: 0.6%
- Technology/Telecommunications: 14.2%
- Other: 4.7%
- Law: 2.4%
- Energy/Power: 1.0%
- Transportation/Logistics: 1.0%
- Manufacturing: 0.3%
- Entertainment/Media/Sports: 3.4%
- Consumer Packaged Goods: 3.0%
- Health Care/Pharmaceuticals/Biotech: 1.4%
- Real Estate: 1.0%
- Retail: 0.7%
- Non-Profit/Education: 0.3%
Geographic Placement (Class of 2023)
- North America: 95.1%
- Northeast: 77.6%
- West: 8.7%
- Mid-Atlantic: 3.8%
- Southwest: 2.8%
- Midwest: 1.4%
- South: 1.0%
- Outside North America: 4.9%
- Asia and the Middle East: 2.4%
- Europe: 2.1%
Latin America and the Caribbean: 0.3%
Notable Professors and Classes at NYU Stern
Scott Galloway
Professor Galloway teaches the “Brand Strategy” elective course in Stern’s marketing department. He is the founder of several companies, including a business intelligence firm, an e-commerce company, and a global brand strategy consultancy. His expertise includes luxury goods and digital marketing, and he has served on the board of directors of such companies as The New York Times Company and Eddie Bauer. The World Economic Forum has named Professor Galloway one of the “Global Leaders of Tomorrow.”
Geeta Menon
Geeta Menon is the Abraham Krasnoff Professor of Global Business and a professor of marketing at Stern, which she joined in 1990. Although Professor Menon teaches in all the Stern MBA programs and the master’s program, she also served as the dean of the school’s undergraduate program for eight years. She teaches such courses as “Brand Strategy,” “Consumer Behavior,” and “Customer Insights for Decision Making.” In 2022, Professor Menon received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Consumer Behavior Special Interest Group of the American Marketing Association.
Anindya Ghose
Anindya Ghose serves as the Heinz Riehl Chair Professor of Technology and Marketing at Stern, where he also holds appointments in the Department of Technology, Operations, and Statistics and the Department of Marketing. In addition to the MBA program, Professor Ghose teaches in the EMBA, MSBA, and Executive Education programs. His courses include “Digital Marketing Analytics,” “Ecommerce and Social Media,” and “IT in Business and Society.”
LAUNCH
The introductory LAUNCH course is “designed to transform the mindsets of MBA students,” according to the Stern website. LAUNCH exposes students, divided into their cohorts, to business problems and their various solutions via guest speakers, presentations, and group projects. Speakers often include industry leaders, Stern alumni, and faculty.
Tech and the City
Part of Stern’s experiential education opportunities, the “Tech and the City” course offers students the opportunity to work with technology startups and tech-focused venture capital companies for a semester to understand their business models and to create an assessment of their products. Students who have taken part in this course have worked with such companies as Clarifai, Minibar, and Handy.
Stern Consulting Corps
Students in the “Stern Consulting Corps” course are divided into teams to work with for-profit and nonprofit organizations in the New York City area. The teams study business problems under the guidance of Stern faculty and representatives from the organizations. Participating organizations in this hands-on course have included the Metropolitan Opera, the Guggenheim Museum, the New York Historical Society, and the World Wildlife Fund.
How to Answer NYU Stern’s 2024-2025 Essay Prompts
Stern’s collaborative, dynamic, and diverse culture is truly shaped by the school’s location in the heart of New York City and can be defined simply as IQ + EQ. The cocurricular program “Change: Studio” highlights Stern’s commitment to embracing and facilitating change, and the school’s essay questions for this application cycle focus on and align with this goal.
Short Answer
- Professional Aspirations (150 word maximum, double-spaced, 12-point font) What are your short-term career goals?
Essays
Essay 1
Change: _________ it (350 word maximum, double-spaced, 12-point font)
In today’s global business environment, the only constant is change. Using NYU Stern’s brand call to action, we want to know how you view change. Change: _____ it. Fill in the blank with a word of your choice. Why does this word resonate with you? How will you embrace your own personal tagline while at Stern? Examples:
– Change: Dare it.
– Change: Dream it.
– Change: Drive it.
– Change: Empower it.
– Change: Manifest it.
– Change: [Any word of your choice.]
Essay 2
Personal Expression (a.k.a. “Pick Six”)
Introduce yourself to the Admissions Committee and to your future classmates using six images and corresponding captions. Your uploaded PDF should contain all of the following elements:
-A brief introduction or overview of your “Pick Six” (no more than 3 sentences).
– Six images that help illustrate your interests, values, motivations, perspective, and/or personality.
– A one-sentence caption for each of the six images that helps explain why they were selected and are significant to you.
Note: Your visuals may include photos, infographics, drawings, or any other images that best describe you. Your document must be uploaded as a single PDF. The essay cannot be sent in physical form or be linked to a website.
Essay 3:
Additional Information (optional) (500 word maximum, double-spaced, 12-point font)
Please provide any additional information that you would like to bring to the attention of the Admissions Committee and/or give context to your application. This may include important aspects of yourself not otherwise apparent in your application, including but not limited to: hardships you have encountered, current or past gaps in employment, further explanation of your undergraduate record or self-reported academic transcript(s), plans to retake the GMAT, GRE, Executive Assessment, IELTS or TOEFL, or any other relevant information.
Click here to read our advice on NYU Stern’s essay questions.
Application Requirements for NYU Stern
Bachelor’s degree and transcripts
NYU Stern requires all applicants to have completed a four-year bachelor’s degree (or its equivalent if the applicant graduated outside of the United States) and to provide unofficial academic transcripts with their application. If an applicant is admitted, they are asked to provide official transcripts.
Resume
All Stern applicants must submit a resume with their application. “Our Admissions Committee evaluates work experience not only in terms of years, but also in regard to the depth and breadth of an individual’s experience, responsibilities, and progression,” the school states on its website.
Recommendations
Stern requires one recommendation letter, which the school calls an EQ endorsement, from all applicants, and submitting a second recommendation is optional. In business school applications, obtaining a recommendation from a direct supervisor or a manager is usually the best option. “EQ Endorsements should come from individuals who can objectively assess your potential for success in NYU Stern’s MBA program and in your future career, and who can act as a persuasive advocate of your EQ strengths,” the Stern website notes. If you do not have a current direct supervisor or manager, consider past supervisors, colleagues, or clients, based on your work situation. Family members, friends, and professors are typically not suitable recommenders.
Test scores
Stern accepts the GMAT, GRE, EA, LSAT, MCAT, and DAT to fulfill the test score requirement. All applicants must provide a test score, although the school does not have a stipulated minimum score. For the Class of 2025, the average classic GMAT score was 732 and the middle 80% range was 700–760, while the average GRE quant and verbal scores were 163. International applicants are also required to provide a TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo English Test score. Stern does not have minimum score requirements for any of the tests.
Anything else?
An interview and three essays are also required of Stern applicants. Interviews are conducted on an invitation-only basis by admissions committee members who have reviewed the application beforehand. All Stern interviews are currently conducted virtually. These are some of the questions that are commonly asked during Stern interviews:
- Take me through your resume.
- Why are you getting an MBA and why Stern?
- If accepted to multiple schools, how will you make your decision?
- During your first few weeks at Stern, how will you distinguish yourself from your peers?
- Describe your typical day at work.
NYU Stern FAQ
What is NYU Stern best known for?
Stern is best known for its diverse, international community in the midst of a vibrant metropolis. The school’s goal of “creating leaders who embrace uncertainty and drive change” speaks to the innovative and hands-on style of the MBA program. NYU carries name recognition worldwide, and the school’s central location opens numerous opportunities for students post-graduation.
How much does tuition cost?
Estimated cost of attendance for the NYU Stern full-time MBA program is $126,874 for the 2023–2024 academic year. This includes the program tuition for three semesters, room and board, transportation, health insurance, and such additional fees as books and supplies and loan fees.
How difficult is it to get accepted into NYU Stern?
As is the case with all top-ranked business schools, Stern has a competitive acceptance rate. In 2023, the school received 3,075 applications and admitted 966 applicants. This means that approximately 31% of applicants received an invitation to join the program. Out of the 966 applicants who were admitted, 327 decided to enroll.
NYU Stern may be known as an innovative powerhouse in an incredibly diverse location, but do not let a school’s reputation steer you elsewhere if it doesn’t seem like a perfect match right away! Regardless of Stern’s location, the school’s community feels tight-knit and collaborative.
Are you considering applying to Stern? Whether you are looking for comprehensive MBA admissions consulting, hourly help, or perhaps interview prep, we at Stratus Admissions Counseling can help you! Sign up for a free consultation today!