NYU Stern School of Business
MBA Application Essay Questions: 2023 – 2024
Short Answer: Professional Aspirations
What are your short-term career goals? (150 word maximum, double-spaced, 12-point font)
The Stern Admission Committee has retained the goals essay this year. This essay is critical to help the admission committee understand your post MBA professional aspirations and how realistic they are for Stern to help you achieve them. Ideal responses will touch upon the prior experience of the applicant highlighting the unique skills and experiences that he/she would have acquired in his/her career and making a connection with his/her future aspirations post the MBA. Be sure to specifically talk about the industry and function that you have in mind and express an openness to alternate career paths since market conditions and job environment tend be fluid depending on multiple factors that maybe beyond an individuals’ control.
Essay 1: Change: _________ it
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? (350 word maximum, double-spaced, 12-point font)
Examples:
Change: Dare it.
Change: Dream it.
Change: Drive it.
Change: Empower it.
Change: Manifest it.
Change: [Any word of your choice] it.
The essay prompt is unique to NYU Stern given the schools emphasis on change as a catalyst for growth and development in business and society. Use this space to talk about how you view change and what is the reason behind this viewpoint. It will be helpful to talk about specific instances where you acted as a change agent and how they have helped shape your views around change. Its okay to have your own interpretation of change, in fact the admission committee would welcome differing opinions around change but be sure to have a solid reasoning behind the same.
Lastly, do mention how you intend to carry forward this belief while you will be pursuing you MBA at Stern. Are there is any specific areas where you are committed to bring about a change that will add value to the Stern community? Do talk about some of these aspects as well.
Essay 2: Personal Expression (a.k.a. "Pick Six")
Describe 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 who you are.
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.
One of the most interesting essay prompt across all applications, this question wants to get to know you on a personal level. Responses can vary and there isn’t a right or a wrong answer to this question. Do keep in mind that since the application question asks you to describe yourself, you can utilize the space to showcase some unique skills, experiences, hobbies, achievements, or passions that you may have. Unique and interesting visuals are likely to create a greater impact in the minds of the admissions committee so try to bring out unique elements of your personality through this prompt. Lastly, remember to limit your captions to one and keep them crisp and punchy.
Essay 3: Additional Information (optional)
Please provide any additional information that you would like to bring to the attention of the Admissions Committee. This may include important aspects of yourself not otherwise apparent in your application, 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. (250 word maximum, double-spaced, 12-point font)
The optional essay should be utilized to explain any gaps in the application. The essay can be left blank by most candidates who don’t have any extenuating circumstances to talk about.
Upcoming deadlines
The application deadlines for the Full-Time MBA Class of 2026 are:
*You will receive one of three initial notifications: invitation to interview, waitlist offer, or denial of admission.
International applicants to the Full-time MBA program are encouraged to apply earlier in the application cycle to facilitate visa arrangements.
Applications are evaluated by the same criteria regardless of the deadline met. Deadlines are designed for applicants to know the latest date they will receive initial notification from Stern. We recommend that you apply when you feel your application is at its strongest. Please note that NYU Stern MBA Admissions reviews applications on an ongoing basis and does not wait for a deadline to pass in order to review applications. For this reason, we encourage you to submit your application between deadlines if it is ready. Most applicants will receive their initial notification within 8 weeks of submitting their application.
MBA Class of 2024 Snapshot:
Industry Represented:
Undergraduate Degree:
Standardized Test Split for Incoming Class:
Career Outcomes (Class of 2022)
Industry Split:
Historical Industry Split:
Industry wise average compensations:
Top Employers:
Client Testimonials
