The Stern MBA – New York University
The Stern School of Business, founded in 1900, is one of the oldest business schools in the world. It belongs to New York University and is in constant competition with Columbia Business School. Both share the advantage of their superior location, near the world economic center, and both use it well in marketing and positioning their schools and in inviting senior managers from leading companies as guest lecturers.

Sign Up For a Free Consultation
Average Age
Class size
Acceptance Rate
Average GMAT
Average GPA
FT Ranking
Percent of Hires in Each Industry:
- Financial 29.4%
- Consulting 41.9%
- Technology 14.2%
Median Starting Salary per industry:
- Consulting – $188K
- Financial – $175K
- Technology – $152K
- Consumer – $125K
- Health Care – $124K
- Media – $140K
- Energy – $130K
- Important to show that you have undertaken thorough research to learn what the Stern community is like, and that you have an idea as to how you will contribute to it.
- Your chances are significantly higher if you are able to convince Stern that they are your first choice and that you will surely matriculate if you are admitted (yield management.) The “Why Our School” essay section is key to this.
- Show that you have a good idea of what you want to do after school, why you want to do it, and why/how will you be successful in recruiting for that position.
- Show that you fully understand the NYC advantage.
- Stern is always compared to Columbia and usually loses. The NYC advantage works for Columbia as well. Should note aspects which distinguish Stern from Columbia (such as being a more intimate program, more collaborative atmosphere).
- Show passion and clarity in essays.
- Have very specific instructions for application – make sure to follow them all.
- NYU Stern accepts the Executive Assessment test instead of the GMAT.
Trait | Importance |
---|---|
Leader/Manager | 4 |
Team Player/Relationship Builder | 4 |
Smart | 3 |
Initiates | 3 |
International/Cultural | 2 |
Creative | 2.5 |
Presentation Skills | 1 |
Persuasion Skills | 1 |
Community/Society | 3 |
Risk Taker | 1 |
Business Skills | 2 |
Source of career plan/prog choice | 1 |
Promotions | 2 |
Credible Names | 2 |
Story is unique | 2 |
Learn more about the meaning of these traits and how they are reflected in your application.
ARINGO has developed this information through ARINGO employees who worked with the Stern MBA admissions committee, thousands of hours of research, and by helping hundreds of applicants apply to NYU. ARINGO knows NYU, and we can help your strengths shine through your application. Contact us today.
Finance, (Media & Entertainment)
The program is large with approximately 830 students. Its key strengths are finance and accounting, but the program is also considered excellent in entertainment and media. The school also emphasizes entrepreneurship, and is well-suited for those seeking a career change.
The student body is very diverse and cosmopolitan (over a third are from outside the US), and the atmosphere is collaborative and collegial. The school has a high proportion of female students.
The Stern admissions process is highly selective (only 14%-15% of applicants are accepted) and is notorious for its waitlist, with an exceptionally high number of candidates waitlisted every year. Interviews are a key part of the admissions process and are usually held in New York.
Alumni include the following individuals, with current or past positions in parentheses: Thomas Dooley (CAO and CFO of Viacom), Richard Fuld (CEO of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc.), Kenneth Langone (Founder, Home Depot), Alan Levin (CFO of Pfizer) and Kenneth Quinn (CEO of Citibank Canada).
- Collaborative, friendly students.
- Cosmopolitan, diverse.
- High percentage of women.
- Access to top companies and execs in NY, both as contacts and as lecturers. Good relations with Wall Street financial institutions.
- A lot of flexibility- more than half of courses are electives. Can take up to 25% of courses at other NYU grad schools.
- One of few schools with a strong name in Media & Entertainment.
- Are openly encouraging of career-switchers and offer programs to pair them with mentors from desired industry.
- Have rolling decisions process.
- The interview, which is usually in NY, is very important. Most of the interviews are done by professional interviewers.
- The “Personal Expression” essay gets into who the applicant is outside of work. They want cool, unique, diverse people. They receive crossword puzzles, works of art, sculptures, etc. (but conventional essays have also been successful).
- Career-switchers, particularly those looking to switch into finance.
- Someone who wants to live in NYC.
- $50,000
- $15,000
- $160,000
- $100,000
- $190,000
- $140,000
- $140,000
- $90,000
- $50,000
- $30,000
- $20,000
- $20,000
- $150,000
- $24,000
- $158,000
- $40,000
- $28,000
- $28,000
- $28,000
- $28,000
- $160,000
- $127,000
- $71,000
- $130,000
- $10,000
- $60,000
- $50,000
- $10,000
- $25,000
- $25,000
- $45,000