How to Get Into the NYU Stern MBA Program
New York University Stern School of Business defines itself as a driver of change and transformation. After all, as the school points out, change is inevitable in business. The NYU Stern MBA program is looking for candidates who envision, embrace, orchestrate and drive change in business and in the world.
Change is not just a slogan at Stern. Curriculum innovations in recent years affirm that the school is innovative and forward-looking, For example, Stern launched its Tech MBA to meet evolving business trends and students’ needs and interests. Soon after that, Stern added the Change: Studio to its MBA. This cocurricular program helps students become adept at understanding, impacting and driving change.
Stern also values being “radically responsible.” The school states, “The unequivocal belief in the power of business to improve society is built directly into our culture and curriculum-rich learning opportunities as well as post-MBA jobs.”
With its urban campus in the heart of New York City’s Greenwich Village, Stern offers proximity to Wall Street. It’s also at the epicenter of enterprise in nearby Silicon Alley, home to the second-highest concentration of tech startups in the US. Stern also has strong ties with the fashion industry, luxury brands, entertainment, and media. Immersed in this dynamic environment, the NYU Stern MBA is built around experiential learning opportunities in these industries.
Established in 1900, Stern is well into its second century but proudly stakes its claim to “excellence, unbound by tradition” as a core value. The school states, “People choose us because we are bold, nimble, fearless, hip, edgy, and innovative—a school rooted in rigor, yet on the cutting edge. “
What do these aspects of the Stern culture mean for your chances of admission? In this article, we go beyond the basic facts and school data to share tactical admissions strategies and advice from our 10+ years of coaching MBA candidates to admissions success. Read on for tips from Fortuna’s MBA insiders. Our tips will help you align your NYU Stern application with the school’s specific culture and focus.
The insights shared in this article demonstrate only a taste of the expertise, care, and attention that Fortuna Admissions devotes to our clients. Keep this in mind as you scroll the page, and don’t hesitate to schedule a free brainstorming session with us if NYU Stern is on your school target list.
NYU Stern MBA Program Overview: Rankings, Admission Rates, and Top Fields
It’s helpful to start with some essential context before we turn to your key question: “How do I actually get into the NYU Stern MBA program?”
Ranking consistently in the top 15 b-schools, Stern is tied for seventh among US News’ best business schools in 2024. The NYU Stern admissions rate is 31%. Stern reports that 80% of the admitted class had GMAT scores between 700 and 760.
In several fields, Stern ranks in the top 10:
- Finance – #3
- Real estate -#2
- Business analytics – #4
- International business – #6
- Information systems – #7, tie
- Marketing -#9
Class of 2025 Profile
Number of applicants: 3,075
MBA class size: 327
Average age: 28
Average work experience: 5.2 years
Avg. GPA: 3.61
Avg. GMAT: 732
Admissions rate: 31%.
Median GRE: V: 163 / Q: 163
International students: 48%
Female students: 43%
Minority: 17%
US military veteran / active duty: 13%
Tuition: $84,180/year
Stern is often considered a finance school, but in recent years, roughly the same share of graduates went into consulting and finance. Consulting took a strong lead in 2023, with 42% of graduates choosing that field.
Around 15% go into the technology and communications field. Small but significant shares of the class choose positions in entertainment, media and sports — not surprising since New York is a vibrant center for those industries.
Planning Your NYU Stern MBA Application: Key Deadlines and Tips
If you’re considering pursuing a Stern MBA, your first decision is deciding which MBA. As Stern proclaims, it’s “Your Passion. Your Purpose. Your MBA.” You can choose from a full range of MBA and master’s degrees. Notably, Stern also offers a whopping eight dual-degree programs, capitalizing on the quality of its top-ranked graduate programs. Offerings include small, specialized one-year programs like the Andrew Koo Technology and Entrepreneurship MBA and the Luxury and Retail MBA. A one-year MBA based at NYU’s Abu Dhabi campus features a summer term in New York.
For its traditional full-time, two-year MBA, Stern has four rounds of deadlines from mid-September to mid-April. However, Stern uses a rolling admissions process where applications are reviewed as they come in. The “rounds” are really just used to determine the latest date that you would be notified of a decision. Therefore, you shouldn’t rush to apply in the first round.
Rather, make sure that you are applying when your application is the strongest. For example, if you’re thinking of retaking the GMAT to improve your score, don’t skip that step in a rush to get your application in before a deadline (unless you have some strong reason you need to receive your decision in that particular timeframe.)
The specialty programs in retail and tech entrepreneurship start in the summer, with application deadlines between early September and February.
Positioning Yourself
The NYU Stern application includes some unique components. It also relies less on long essays than some schools do. Your challenge is to position yourself as a change leader with IQ+EQ — a robust emotional quotient — across these components.
Because the school is looking for candidates who will drive change, the main essay asks you to pick a word to define your view of change —and explain it in just 350 words or less. You’ll outline your professional aspirations and career goals in a 150-word short answer.
Unique to Stern, the “Pick Six” essay asks you to introduce yourself with six images that are meaningful to you and illustrate your interests, values and personality. (See our advice on mastering Stern NYU’s essays.)
Finally, instead of a standard letter of recommendation, Stern requires an EQ Endorsement from your current supervisor. An optional second endorsement may be submitted by someone who knows you personally or professionally. Key to this format, Stern asks your endorsers to “Please provide one specific and compelling example to demonstrate the applicant’s emotional intelligence.”
What NYU Stern Admissions Looks for in MBA Applicants: Key Traits and Tips
The former Dean of NYU used to give a talk each year about the “Stern Student,” according to Fortuna Expert Coach Trisha Nussbaum, an NYU alumna. n his telling, the ideal Stern student is someone you meet briefly and they make such a memorable impression that you walk away thinking, “I want to go into business with this person.”
The current interim dean, J.P. Eggers, studies technological change, decision-making under uncertainty and the challenges faced by managers and executives in seizing potential in a climate of emerging technologies. This aligns with the school’s ethos of innovation and suggests that the school is looking for candidates who make an impression with their creativity, drive and forward-looking ideas.
The lesson you can draw from both deans’ viewpoints is that as you prepare your NYU Stern MBA application, you should think in terms of making a marketing pitch for yourself. Clearly state the value you will bring to the school and the impact you will make with your degree.
There is no specific profile to fit yourself into, she cautions. “Your story really should be authentic. They are not looking for a single answer; if anything, they are looking for the opposite. They are looking for you to bring something new they haven’t thought of to the class. If you try to write an application that is exactly what they are looking for, it will fall flat.”
Behind-the-Scenes Secrets
“Think of your application as forging a relationship — your first relationship with the school and community,” Nussbaum says. She notes that introducing yourself and making your case for admission requires authenticity, serious self-reflection, self-awareness and even vulnerability.
“I think the best thing you can do is open yourself up to your adcom. The people who are motivated to go to bat and fight for you are the people who get to know and like you through your application,” Nussbaum says. This also applies to interviews at Stern, which are not blind. The interviewer has read your materials and knows who you are, so there’s a foundation in place for deepening that relationship and making an ally in that conversation.
As a rigorous top 10 b-school, NYU Stern is undoubtedly looking for evidence of strong academic capabilities. With a median GMAT of 732 and a 3.61 average GPA in the latest admitted class (on par with Wharton), you’ll need to demonstrate your academic strength.
But remember that NYU Stern Admissions values the combination of IQ plus EQ. Stern is proud of its reputation for developing students who are not only smart but also have outstanding interpersonal strengths and teamwork skills. They look beyond grades and test scores to assess your emotional quotient. Because you’re building a relationship through your application, Nussbaum emphasizes that you should focus on conveying your EQ through your essays, interviews, campus visits, and official EQ Endorsements. In every application element, find ways to highlight your self-awareness, empathy, and openness to other ideas, people and cultures. And because Stern is interested in impact, you need to show how you’ve combined your IQ and EQ to make a positive difference.
Show How You Will Fit In
Every MBA candidate has individual goals and aspirations, but the journey to your degree is inherently collaborative. From the moment you set foot on campus, you’ll witness firsthand how the Stern students and faculty are approachable and supportive. “Sternies” are ingrained with a sense of responsibility to help each other throughout their MBA, constantly developing new resources for knowledge sharing and interpersonal development.
You need to show that you’ll fit into this culture and contribute to the community. Identify stories and examples of how you collaborated in challenging situations or learned from the perspectives of others. Weave these stories throughout your application narrative.
In addition, “Stern is looking for prospective students who will be involved in the school community — and actively shape it,” Nussbaum adds. “It’s more than just joining student groups and clubs. it’s leading and creating them.
She notes that students are continually founding clubs that reflect new or growing industries or interests. Examples include the Gaming and ESports Management Society, the Family Business Club and Stern Entrepreneurship through Acquisition.
Stern students were also early adopters of the podcast, launching Stern Chats to ride that wave. Eight years later, the podcast has become part of the Stern culture.
Stern Admissions is interested in hearing what you will add to the Stern community, whether you want to share your talents in music or theater, your love of sports, a passion for chest, or a commitment to a social cause.
Show that You Embrace Change
The Stern MBA program is looking for changemakers. As noted above, Stern’s brand is built on the theme of change: “Dare it. Dream it. Drive it.” This showcases the school’s ethos around adaptability, transformation and changing the world.
As noted above, the main required essay asks you to seize on one of these words describing your approach to change, or come up with your own,and explain how your choice captures your relationship with change.
It’s smart to keep this theme of change in mind and incorporate your experiences driving change in every step of the application process, from your career goal and resume to your Pick Six and your interview.
Stern wants to see that you are agile, flexible and progressively thinking beyond your industry’s traditional definitions. Again, EQ comes into play. Your approach to change illustrates your flexibility, open-mindedness, willingness to learn, and capacity to grow.
Tell Us More
Outside of your resume and EQ Endorsements, the longest piece of the NYU Stern MBA application is the optional “additional information” essay. Stern gives you up to 500 words to share any details you would like to bring to the attention of the Admissions Committee and give context to your application.”
This generous word limit is a sign that Stern seriously wants to get to know you — and is willing to learn about any shortcomings or ways where you fall outside the statistical class profile.
Hear Directly From NYU Experts
Our team has shared specific insider views of the NYU Stern culture and ethos in videos that capture Fortuna’s best collective advice on how to win a spot at this prestigious school.
For more detailed application advice and specific strategies, please see NYU Stern Essays: Strategy & Tips For Success.
Let’s Talk About Getting You into NYU Stern
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