Not surprisingly, the top ten full-time MBA programs in the U.S. News & World Report rankings have once again shifted positions. The Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB) moved up to capture the #1 spot this year, replacing The Wharton School, which now stands at #2. Chicago Booth climbed to #3, while Harvard Business School (HBS) and Northwestern Kellogg are tied at #4. MIT Sloan dropped one spot to #6, while Columbia Business School (CBS) and NYU Stern tied for #7. Dartmouth Tuck dropped from #6 to #9, and Berkeley Haas rounds out the list in the #10 spot. 

U.S. News’ metrics continue to encompass career placement success (50%), quality assessment by deans/directors and corporate recruiters/company contacts (25%), and selectivity (25%). The ranking maintains its composition of career-related factors for career placement success. Subcategories of this section of the survey include salary by profession (10%), which compares salaries by industry and acknowledges that varying pay scales exist for different occupations; the employment rate at graduation (7%); the employment rate three months after graduation (13%); and mean starting salary and bonus (20%). U.S. News collected scores for both the traditional and new versions of the GMAT. It used percentiles as components for the selectivity analysis, along with GRE scores, GPAs (undergraduate), and acceptance rates.

Regardless of the outcomes or the changes in methodology, applicants, students, and alumni continue to study the rankings insatiably. Interestingly, U.S. News encourages prospective students to consider factors beyond the rankings, including “location, campus culture, strength of specific programs, and cost after tuition and financial aid.” We encourage you to do the same and have created a free guide to help you do so. 

U.S. News received responses to its 2026 survey request from 333 U.S. universities accredited by AACSB International. The publication then ranked the 134 full-time, in-person, and hybrid programs that had submitted sufficient data. It’s worth noting that U.S. News largely adheres to the data-reporting standards set by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) and the MBA Career Services and Employer Alliance (MBACSEA). GMAC’s GME Admissions Reporting Standards and the MBACSEA’s are publicly available. 

Notable Changes This Year

• The Stanford GSB claimed the top spot after tying with The Wharton School last year. The California-based program boasts an overall starting salary and bonus (two-year average) of $206,157 this year, leading the top ten for the highest total compensation. However, the school reported a three-month placement rate (two-year average) of 80.3%, which was the lowest among the top-ten schools (next lowest was HBS, with 80.4%). The median GMAT score at the Stanford GSB increased by five points to 745 (old scale), lagging NYU Stern’s reported median score of 750 (old scale). The median GMAT Focus score at the GSB is 695, which is equal to that at CBS and ties for the highest among all programs. The median GPA at the GSB is 3.8 (tied with Northwestern Kellogg).
• The Wharton School stands alone in the #2 spot this year. Its students reported the second-highest starting salary and bonus (two-year average) at $201,902, slightly ahead of NYU Stern’s reported $201,106. Wharton’s three-month placement rate (87.6% ) is just slightly lower than those of CBS (88.4%) and Dartmouth Tuck (87.7%). The GSB’s acceptance rate is the lowest among the programs in the top ten of the rankings, at just 6.8%, well ahead of the next lowest of 11.2% at HBS. 
• The median GMAT at Wharton, Chicago Booth, and CBS is 740, just behind the reported median scores at the Stanford GSB and NYU Stern (745 and 750, respectively). The median GPA at Wharton (3.7) is slightly lower than the 3.8 at both the Stanford GSB and Northwestern Kellogg but equal to the median GPA at Chicago Booth, MIT Sloan, CBS, NYU Stern, and Berkeley Haas.
• Last year, Northwestern Kellogg and the Stanford GSB were both ranked #2, but this year, Kellogg shares the #4 spot with HBS, which rose from #6. Berkeley Haas entered the top ten this year at 10th, after being ranked 11th last year.
• Some well-known programs that moved into the top 25 this year are UNC Kenan-Flagler at #21 (tied with Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business), the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California at #25 (tied with the Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia), and Emory Goizueta at #23 (tied with the University of Texas at Dallas, which moved up eight spots). 

The U.S. News ranking of part-time MBA programs remained relatively static this year. Northwestern Kellogg and Berkeley Haas remained tied at #1, while Chicago Booth slipped to #3, where it is tied with NYU Stern. The rest of the top ten is made up of the same schools from last year, which either maintained their former ranking or shifted one place up or down. 

The part-time rankings were based on survey responses from which 245 schools qualified for the 2026 ranking. Ranking factors included peer assessment (50%), part-time student ratio (12.5%), part-time students total (12.5%), GMAT/GRE scores (10%), undergraduate grade point average (10%), and work experience (5%). 

U.S. News 2026 Top Ten Full-Time MBA Programs

U.S. News 2025 Top 10 Part-Time MBA Programs

Hoping to start business school in 2026 at one of these top-ranked programs? Sign up for a free consultation, and be sure to check out our MBA Admissions Consulting Services and work one-on-one with an expert consultant to create an application that will get you accepted!

Related Resources:

• The Business School Selectivity Index: GMAT Scores, GPAs, and MBA Acceptance Rates, a free tool
• The Best MBA Programs: A Strategic Guide to Selecting the Right One, a free guide
• Admissions Straight Talk Podcast for MBA Applicants

The post U.S. News & World Report 2026 MBA Rankings [Full-Time & Part-Time] appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

Stern wants to know who you are, and the school focuses on “IQ+EQ.” The adcom asks for an EQ recommendation rather than a simple recommendation letter that extols your great work skills. This indicates how strongly they feel about having students who have superior experience, strong academics, and above all, the maturity and wisdom to implement change. Matthew Moll, a director of MBA admissions at Kellogg, states, 

“Sternies are committed to looking honestly at their EQ – their emotional quotient or emotional intelligence. How do we improve as leaders? When do we step back and support? What can we do to address challenges differently?” 

Keeping all this in mind, let’s get to work on your NYU Stern application!  Here is some expert advice to help you get accepted.

NYU Stern application essay tips

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] it.

If you’ve looked at NYU’s website you will have seen that “change” and “innovation” are key words throughout. As you approach this question, you need to think about what change means to you. But what is more important than the specific verb you choose to fill in the blank is the rest of the question. Why are you choosing it? Do you have one or two examples that show how you have effected change in your work or personal life? A strong example will state the problem, and then you’ll talk about why this situation or problem pushed you to act, what you actually did, and of course, the result of your actions. Finally, given your reasons and your verb choice, how will you embody this motto while at Stern? Look at the student clubs you could be involved with and the research centers you could contribute to. If they don’t have a club or research center in the area that concerns you, then offer to start a new club or do a special topics class with a professor that might interest others. 

You must do your research. What are the curricular and extracurricular opportunities at NYU Stern that will allow you to live your tagline while you are a student there? Check out Admissions Straight Talk Episode 525, “How to Get Accepted to NYU Stern,” in which Executive Director for MBA Admissions Lindsay Loyd discusses Stern’s Change Studio (see 8:29). 

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  linked to a website.

Nedjee Corriolan, an assistant director of MBA admissions at Stern, shares her advice on tackling this essay: 

“From your first image to the very last image, you’re creating a visually dynamic story. It’s important to understand what the message behind each photo is so you can capture the narrative in your brief caption.” 

She states that the “why” means more than the “what.”

To emphasize the importance of “change,” Stern launched a program called “Introducing Change: Studio,” which allows students to choose courses from “Dare it. Dream it. Drive It.” As you are selecting your images, ask yourself these questions: Why is this important to me? And what does this show about who I am? Corriolan suggests that you show the images to a friend and ask them what the images convey about you. Does what they say match your idea for a caption? Maybe your friend has other ideas. Brainstorm and see what you can come up with. This is a fun essay, so you should have fun putting it together! It doesn’t have to be about your professional achievements – that is covered elsewhere in your application and resume. You are not your job. Think about who you are in your life outside of work and what is important to you. Although you have the option of including something professional or related to your goals, make sure that your images complement those goals. Let your individuality shine in this essay to differentiate you from other candidates. This can be a great place to reveal personal interests, hobbies, or community service commitments.

Remember, each caption is only one sentence, so don’t pick an image that will require a complicated explanation. It might relate back to one of your essays, but really, it should showcase a new facet of your personality. 

NYU Stern Associate Dean of MBA Admissions and Program Innovation Isser Gallogly explained to us at Accepted that today, images are used as much as words are for communications. He strongly feels that combining images with a few sentences and captions might be more comfortable for applicants accustomed to communicating on Instagram, Facebook, and other social media platforms. So let your visual talents shine. You can go deep into one special interest or let your six picks show different facets of you and your experience.

You can use word clouds, graphs, infographics, charts, and of course pictures. Basically anything two-dimensional that will go into a PDF for uploading can work for Stern’s Pick Six essay.

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 a standardized test or English proficiency test, or any other relevant information.

If you are a reapplicant, please utilize this optional essay to highlight any changes since your last application.

Stern provides several suggestions regarding what to include in this essay. However, if you have something significant you would like the adcom to know and that topic isn’t mentioned in the school’s prompt, don’t worry. The prompt is open enough that you can still use this optional essay to explain it. Just don’t duplicate information that’s found elsewhere in your application.

NYU Stern application deadlines

Source: NYU Stern website

***Disclaimer: Information is subject to change. Please check with NYU Stern directly to verify its essay questions, instructions, and deadlines.***

NYU Stern Class Profile 

Here is a look at NYU Stern’s full-time, two-year MBA Class of 2026 (data taken from the NYU Stern website). 

Applicants: 4,550 

Admits: 1,141

Admission rate: 25%

Number enrolled: 352

Women: 47%

U.S. military veterans/active duty: 11%

LGBTQ+: 11%

Students with international citizenship: 40%

Countries represented: 50

Average age: 28

Age range: 22-39 

Minorities: 46%

Underrepresented minorities: 22%

Race and ethnicity (multidimensional guidelines)

• White, Non-Hispanic: 53%
• Asian American: 25%
• African American, Black: 12%
• Hispanic, Latino: 12%
• Did not specify: 9%

Average GPA: 3.64

GPA range (80%): 3.34-3.93

GPA range (100%): 3.03-4.00

GMAT average: 733

GMAT range (80%): 690-760

GMAT range (100%): 650-780

GRE Quant average: 164

GRE Quant range (80%): 159-170

GRE Quant range (100%): 152-170

GRE Verbal average: 164

GRE Verbal range (80%): 159-169

GRE Verbal range (100%): 153-170

Standardized test type:

• GMAT: 45%
• GRE: 23%
• Test waiver: 13%
• EA: 8%
• NYU test waiver: 6%
• MCAT/LSAT/DAT: 5%

Students with work experience: 99%

Average years of work experience: 5

Range of years of work experience: 0-16

Prior industries:

• Financial Industries: 22%
• Consulting: 19%
• Technology: 10%
• Military, Government: 7%
• Other: 7%
• Consumer Products, Retail: 6%
• Entertainment, Media: 5% 
• Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals: 5%
• Advertising, Public Relations: 5%
• Nonprofit, Arts, Education: 4%
• Real Estate: 3%
• Law: 3%
• Engineering: 2%
• Manufacturing, Import/Export, Trade: 1%
• Energy: 1%

Related Resources

• M7 MBA Programs: Everything You Need to Know in 2025
• The Business School Admissions Calculator
• Navigating MBA Admissions: Expert Guidance for a Successful Journey, a free guide

The post NYU Stern MBA Essay Tips and Deadlines [2025-2026], Class Profile appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

For many business degree hopefuls, the MBA remains the gold standard of graduate management education, and not without reason – an MBA can be the start of a new chapter in your life. Professionally, it can help you accelerate your career or make a career pivot. Academically, it can help fill gaps in hard and soft skills. Personally, it can help you discover more about yourself. For these reasons, many cite their MBA experience as being transformative. 

An MBA is the goal for many people who aim to pursue a business career. But what about individuals who have the desire to pursue graduate management study and start making their mark in the business world but don’t meet the work experience requirement of most MBA programs? Is gaining acceptance to business school without work experience possible? The short answer is yes, it is! The two most common paths for candidates in this situation are pre-experience master’s programs and deferred MBA programs.

Pre-experience/Early Career Programs

The terms “pre-experience” and “early career” are used interchangeably, but they both refer to programs that cater to recent graduates (“recent” meaning fewer than three years out of college). While the first offering in this category was the general management MiM (master’s in management) degree, the portfolio of programs now includes master’s degrees in finance, innovation and entrepreneurship, and data analytics, to name but a few options you might find at business schools today. Business master’s (BMs) degrees in data science, accounting, finance, and health administration are generally the most searched BM programs in the United States.

Applicants in this category are commonly referred to as pre-experience or early career candidates, and this market continues to be popular; according to GMAT Geographic Trend Report: Testing Year 2024, while global GMAT scores are most often sent to MBA programs (63% of them are), the proportion of GMAT score reports sent to BM programs has declined from 36% in 2020 to 30% in 2024. Although pursuing an MiM or similar program doesn’t negate the need for an MBA down the road (indeed, you will find individuals with both an MiM and an MBA), these programs are excellent choices for recent graduates looking to explore their options in the business world. 

Candidates who opt to pursue their business studies now, rather than waiting until they’ve earned a few years of work experience, might do so for a few reasons: they might want to specialize early on in a certain area, such as finance or marketing, to enter a specific function; they might want to “convert” their liberal arts or science degree into a business career; or they might come from a business undergraduate degree but want to better understand how theory is applied in the real world so they can hit the ground running in their post-graduate job. Whatever the candidate’s reason, these degrees provide an excellent foundation and help individuals build the skills, knowledge, career support, and network to get a head start in their careers. Additionally, some MBA programs provide a path for their MiM students to return to complete their MBA as a second-year student.

Deferred MBA programs allow students in their final year of study (or just after, if they’re pursuing a master’s without full-time work experience) to secure a seat in the MBA classroom before gaining the generally required work experience. These programs tend to attract highflyers – students with excellent academic credentials and internships, who have demonstrated leadership potential, and who have already started formulating career goals. These candidates understand, and can articulate, how an MBA will help them achieve their goals. These programs are a great option, because they offer security (you don’t have to worry about studying for the GMAT and writing applications while juggling your busy work schedule!) and add some clout to your resume (“Wow, already accepted to an MBA program before you’ve even graduated? Impressive!”). Of course, as with anything, there are pros and cons, so it’s important to determine whether committing yourself to a deferred program makes sense with your career plans. If you decide that a deferred MBA program is the best option for you, bear in mind that they are incredibly competitive. 

Here’s some information to help you better understand which schools offer deferred MBA programs and what these programs are all about. (Information is accurate as of February 2025.)

Harvard Business School 2+2 Program 

Harvard’s 2+2 program is what the name implies – a minimum of two years (four, maximum) of work experience, followed by two years of MBA study. Harvard is looking for “innovative thinkers who have demonstrated leadership and analytical skills and want to develop their knowledge and passion to make a difference in the world.” And this difference doesn’t have to be in a “traditional” business area. In fact, the 2+2 shows some preference for candidates who are pursuing paths “that aren’t as well established”; this could include candidates who plan to work in an operating company, come from a lower socioeconomic background, are first-generation college students, aim to pursue a technically demanding role, or aspire to entrepreneurism. So, if you’re not focused on joining one of the “big three” strategy consulting firms, don’t let that stop you from applying. You might just be what the 2+2 is looking for.

New York University (NYU) Stern NYU x NYU/Stern Program

Undergraduates from NYU’s College of Arts and Science, Tandon School of Engineering, Global Liberal Studies program, Stern School of Business, and Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development can opt to join the full-time, two-year MBA program at Stern (without needing to take the GMAT or GRE) two to five years after they graduate. Financial support is a big pull with this program – accepted students are granted an Early Advancement Award of $10,000, which covers part of their MBA tuition. These students are also eligible for other Stern scholarships, including the Berkley Early Advancement Fellowship, which covers all fees and tuition for the year in which they matriculate. Accepted students with an interest in technology or in the fashion and luxury industries, and who have relevant post-undergraduate experience, can enroll in the Andre Koo Technology and Entrepreneurship MBA program or the Fashion & Luxury MBA program, rather than the traditional two-year MBA program.

Columbia Business School (CBS) Deferred Enrollment Program

CBS’s deferred admissions option offers flexibility; admitted students can explore the professional world for two to five years before beginning their MBA studies at a time that works best for them. This is a great opportunity for individuals who are looking to explore their career options and develop a better understanding of their business interests and passions. The flexibility continues once students begin their studies; they can specify in a letter of intent whether they prefer the 16-month (January) program or the 20-month (August) program, the latter of which includes a summer internship. Having spent time in industry or entrepreneurship during the deferment period can help students determine which MBA journey will offer the teaching and experience they need to achieve their desired professional and academic development.

Wharton Moelis Advance Access Program

Wharton’s deferred admissions program offers recent undergraduate or master’s degree students the chance to work for two to four years before joining the MBA program as a Moelis Fellow. The program is meant for “students who are ambitious, innovative, and prepared to use a sense of professional liberty to maximize their early career experiences.” In addition to seeking proactive, motivated students, Wharton encourages admits to take professional risks during the deferment period and take advantage of the opportunity to “pursue [their] early years with increased confidence and risk-tolerance.”   

Stanford Graduate School of Business Deferred Enrollment Program

Stanford’s program offers something that most do not – deferred MBA admits are able to take as little as one year (but no more than four) to gain experience before beginning their MBA studies. It is open to students in either the final year of their bachelor’s or joint bachelor/graduate program, and to those in a graduate program that they started immediately after their undergraduate study. We should note that Stanford uses the same evaluation criteria for deferred candidates as it does for applicants to its full-time MBA program, assessing how they think, lead, and see the world.

Stanford cites deferred enrollment as a good option for candidates who are unsure of their long-term professional path and feel they would benefit from gaining full-time work experience first. The school also indicates that some industries – such as private equity, biotech, and management consulting – recruit only MBA candidates who have either pre-MBA experience in that field or specialized knowledge. So, taking time out to gain that experience and knowledge can be valuable in ultimately achieving your post-MBA career goals. 

Interested in a dual degree option? Some of Stanford’s programs allow you to wait until the first year of your MBA to apply for a dual degree; others prefer that you apply in the year immediately before you matriculate in the Deferred Enrollment Program.

Stanford expects admitted students to “pursue opportunities that enable [them] to build expertise, enhance [their] skills and knowledge, expand [their] perspective, and develop professional judgment and self-confidence” during the deferral period. So you will need to reflect on what activities will allow you to develop and how you should spend your pre-MBA time.

Kellogg Future Leaders Deferred Enrollment Program

“Graduate with the confidence that incredible things are ahead.” Kellogg’s deferred enrollment program allows admitted students to work for two to five years before beginning their MBA journey. The admissions committee wants to get to know you and to understand your motivations and why Kellogg is a fit for you. Master’s and undergraduate students (excluding law, medical, and PhD students, who apply through the standard admissions process) can come from any study discipline and either graduated in the past year, are in their final year, or went straight into graduate study post-bachelor’s.

The usual admissions requirements apply – test scores, essays, letters of recommendation, interviews – for some candidates, but not all. Applicants who are already engaged in undergraduate studies at Northwestern are exempt from having to take either the GMAT or GRE, so that’s one application requirement that can be ticked off the list for candidates already wearing the purple N.

Yale School of Management Silver Scholars Program

Yale’s program works slightly differently from the other deferred admissions programs on this list. College seniors earn their MBA in a fast-tracked, three-year format immediately after they complete their undergraduate degree. The program structure is as follows: Year 1 covers the core curriculum, Year 2 involves a full-time internship, and Year 3 comprises electives. The opportunity to develop academic skills while simultaneously gaining professional experience is a unique one. In addition, Silver Scholars learn alongside students from Yale’s traditional MBA program. Access to knowledge and experience? Check!

Yale says, “Silver Scholars are chosen for their combination of intelligence and common sense, maturity and curiosity, passion and compassion. Each has made a difference and distinguished themselves in a particular field of interest.” You’ll need to ensure that you really stand out through the application process (which is largely the same as for the traditional MBA program). Remember, you’ll be studying alongside students with five years of professional experience. You’ll need to convince the adcom that you have what it takes to contribute to classroom discussion and debate.

Chicago Booth Scholars Program

Chicago Booth’s program is open to students who plan to pursue either the full-time or part-time MBA and allows candidates to apply before they graduate from college, then defer and gain professional experience for two to five years before enrolling in one of the school’s MBA programs. Booth cites flexibility as one of the major differentiators. Booth Scholars have the option of pursuing the Evening MBA or Weekend MBA, if one of those programs is a better fit with their career objectives.

Booth says that candidates for the Scholars Program “demonstrate intellectual curiosity, personal maturity, competitive scores, and leadership” and that they “have a history of substantive internships or part-time jobs and/or an entrepreneurial spirit.” The application essays make clear that successful candidates need to be able to articulate their career goals and where the MBA fits in. The school wants intelligent, independent thinkers with a considered career map. Although one’s professional goals can change during the deferment period, of course, the adcom wants to see that candidates have taken the time to think through their career path and how attending Booth aligns with it.

UVA Darden Future Year Scholars Program

Darden’s program allows final-year undergraduate students, or full-time master’s students without work experience, to work for two to five years before starting their MBA studies. Student backgrounds are diverse, because Darden aims to recruit individuals who bring to campus a range of abilities and professional and academic experience. In 2024, 121 Future Scholars were admitted and were in the deferral period, busy enhancing their professional experience. This group comprises an internationally (20%) and academically (46% non-business degrees) diverse group of students hailing from 16 countries and 43 undergraduate institutions. Applicants are evaluated in three areas: academics, extracurricular involvement, and personal characteristics. While the latter of these criteria is vague, the adcom does say that the school is looking for individuals who “aspire to be future ethical leaders and managers in a global world.” Putting thought into why you have the potential to be this kind of future leader, and whether your values align with Darden’s, would be time well spent.

MIT Sloan Early Admission

If you are an “ambitious and forward-thinking student,” Sloan’s deferred admissions option might suit you. It is open to final-year students who will not enroll in a PhD, MD, or JD program immediately after graduation and to those in graduate study (who started immediately after completing their bachelor’s) without full-time work experience, except for internships or co-op experiences. Accepted students can work for two to five years before joining the MBA program.

The admissions process is slightly different for Early Admission candidates, and the application calendar differs for non-MIT undergrads. Candidates are required to submit a 300-word cover letter demonstrating their fit with the school. MIT is quite specific about who it’s looking for. The school wants “thoughtful leaders with exceptional intellectual abilities and the drive and determination to put their stamp on the world … people who are independent, authentic, and fearlessly creative … who can redefine solutions to conventional problems, and strive to pre-empt unconventional dilemmas with cutting-edge ideas.” There is a lot to think about and squeeze into a one-page cover letter, so carefully consider how you fulfill the program’s stated criteria. Additionally, candidates must submit a resume and a 60-second video in which they introduce themselves to the class. This video is an excellent opportunity to show your personality and bring the person introduced in your cover letter to life. A second video is required in whish applicants must respond to open-ended questions that are randomly generated.

Additionally, interested MIT students who have a cumulative GPA of 4.2 or higher are in luck, because they can waive the GMAT/GRE.

Berkeley’s Accelerated Access Program 

Berkeley’s Accelerated Access Program is open to undergraduate and graduate students and encourages domestic and international candidates with diverse backgrounds and academic areas of study to apply. Admitted students not only have access to the full-time MBA program but are also eligible for consideration for dual degree programs.

Students are required to work for a minimum of two years before beginning their MBA studies but are allotted a maximum of five years in which to explore their career interests. Although Berkeley does not require its deferred students to follow particular career paths, it prods them to pursue “employment that enhances [their] leadership profile and prepares [them] to contribute to the mission-driven business community” at the school. To ensure that admitted students are meeting the required criteria, some admissions offers are conditional, and students are required to attend check-ins with a Berkeley Haas advisor or career coach. Additionally, a review might be conducted prior to the intended enrollment date to ensure that the student has met the required terms. 

Carnegie Mellon Tepper Future Business Leaders Deferred MBA Admissions Program

In February 2021, Tepper joined the deferred admissions space with its Future Business Leaders program, which allows students to defer for up to four years while they gain professional experience. The program is open to college seniors who plan to graduate from a U.S. university in the current academic year and do not yet have full-time work experience. The school says that “competitive applicants will have a strong academic record, professional internships, and undergraduate leadership experience.” Tepper’s adcom also expects candidates to have put some thought into their career goals and why the program format is a good fit for them (essay alert!). The GMAT/GRE is waived for Carnegie Mellon students, and admits are eligible to apply for scholarships, with decisions to be made at the time of matriculation.

Georgetown McDonough MBA Advanced Access Program 

The most recent player on the MBA deferred admissions scene is Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business, with its MBA Advanced Access Program (MAAP). The program allows candidates who are either in their final year of undergraduate studies or in graduate school – and have no full-time work experience – to apply for deferred enrollment. Accepted students can secure a place in the class two years out from when they apply, with the option of extending this time period to three or four years.

The application process is thorough. In addition to the standard written application essay (candidates have three question options to choose from) and video essay, MAAP candidates must complete program-specific essays. The prompts for these essays ask candidates not just about their career goals but also about where they stand in working to achieve them. Additionally, applicants are expected to describe their personal and professional development plans. So, you’ll want to take some time to reflect on how you can present yourself as a proactive, principled future leader who will contribute to the school’s community and make an impact in the business world.

If these options sound interesting, but you’re still unsure whether you should study for a master’s now or wait to pursue an MBA, schedule a free consultation with an Accepted admissions expert today!

Related Resources:

• MBA Acceptance Rates: The Selectivity Index
• Admissions Straight Talk Podcast for MBA Applicants
• Retaking the GMAT with a 700 – Should You Consider It?

The post Deferred MBA Programs and Other Options for MBA Hopefuls with No Work Experience appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

Show Summary

The NYU Stern Masters of Business Analytics and AI (MSBAI) program is a one-year specialized degree program that trains students to make data-driven decisions. Dr. Anindya Ghose, Heinz Riehl Chair Professor of Technology and Marketing at New York University’s Leonard Stern School of Business and Director of the Masters of Business Analytics and AI Program at Stern discusses everything applicants need to know. He shares the core aim of the program which is to impart cross-functional skills that can be applied across industries. Additionally, Dr. Ghose highlights the career path for graduates of the program.

Show Notes

Welcome to the 597th episode of Admissions Straight Talk. Thanks for tuning in. The challenge at the heart of admissions is showing that you both fit in at your target schools and stand out in the applicant pool. Accepted’s free download, Fitting in and Standing Out: The Paradox at the Heart of Admissions will show you how to do both. Master this paradox, and you will be well on your way to acceptance.

Our guest today is Dr. Anindya Ghose, Heinz Riehl Chair Professor of Technology and Marketing at New York University’s Leonard Stern School of Business and Director of the Masters of Business Analytics and AI Program at Stern. Normally, I would give a brief bio, but Dr. Ghose’s list of achievements, titles, degrees, and books is so long. Let’s just say he’s here today to discuss Stern’s Masters of Business Analytics and AI Program. 

Dr. Ghose, welcome to Admissions Straight Talk. [1:40]

Thank you for having me, Linda.

Can you give us an overview of the Masters of Business Analytics and AI Program at Stern? [1:46]

Sure. So this is a one-year, specialized degree program in which our graduates are trained to take data-driven decisions. As you might know, over the last, more than a decade ago or so, companies started moving towards making decisions based on data as opposed to simple intuition and gut. And I think there was this opportunity that no other business school had a degree in this space, and we thought, “Why don’t we be the first?” And turns out that the market really handsomely rewarded our graduates. It’s been almost 12 years now.

Why was AI added to the title? [2:34]

Right. So amongst many hats that I have, I spent a lot of time in the industry helping companies with their data-driven decision making. A lot of them have data and they don’t know quite what to do with it. And the last four or five years I’ve been working with them and it turns out that all of these companies have been hearing about AI, but they didn’t really know what AI is. So it was this mysterious, mythical thing. But I had a background in AI for almost 20 years. It’s just that at that time we were the nerdy geeky folks, and today we are cooler and happening because AI is everywhere.

And so I think when I talked to a lot of these companies, my colleagues or ex-colleagues, they were like, “Look, we need people, graduates with degrees or at least skill sets in AI that we don’t have.” And I had been anticipating this over the last four or five years, and I’d been already making changes in the curriculum, like putting in new courses in AI, revamping existing courses. And as the market really started talking about AI, I approached our deans and said, “Look, I think we are ready. We should rebrand or rename the program.” And it took a little while for the discussions to actually come to fruition, but eventually our deans agreed and said, “I think it’s the right time.” So that was the genesis. I saw the market demand, I saw a huge feedback from recruiters saying that we need skills in AI. And the curriculum was already geared towards an AI degree, and so I thought this is the right time.

I mean, I am not a techie at all, but isn’t AI just a very advanced use of data? [4:14]

In some ways, it is. And so we have this framework based on which I put together this curriculum in the MSBAI program. Data is just one part of it, but data engineering is sort of the lowermost level. And then there’s analytics, there’s modeling, there are various dimensions of AI like generative AI, and there are various dimensions of machine learning. The way I design this curriculum is we have this stack layer-based approach where we start with such broad-based skill sets first and then narrow it down like a pyramid. And so data, you’re right, the data is a part of it, but it’s one thing. There are many other components in an AI degree program that are required.

What are some of those other components? [5:09]

So for example, most of the data sets that we know they exist are raw and dirty. They’re not processed, they’re not curated, they have a lot of problems. And so data engineering is the first step where unless you clean the garbage, you end up with sort of what we call garbage in, garbage out, right?

And so we basically train our students before they unleash the AI algorithm, we train them to clean the data. And that’s not a very kind of an exciting part of the job, but it’s an incredibly important part of the job. And then once you do that, then we train them on how to build different models like predictive models or causal models or prescriptive models. Then we teach them how to tell the story, which is, what is a question you’re trying to answer? Why is it important? Who can use it? And finally, we teach them what we call responsible AI, which is you should always keep in mind that ethics and fairness and equality and equity is important. And so AI can be magical, but you’ve got to be very cognizant of the limitations of AI, which is you have to devise the algorithms to make sure they’re fair, they do not end up in discrimination, the algorithms are trained using ethical means. And so those are the other components beyond data.

That was a great answer. For a non-techie, I appreciate it. Who is this program intended for? [6:33]

We actually draw candidates and applicants from across the board. We almost never, even from the beginning, we never restricted only to engineers. Typically, we see that people with some level of quantitative or computational background have maybe slight edge coming in, but by no means is that sort of a deal breaker. So if you don’t have one, there are other means with which you can compensate for that. So a lot of people we work with in the program, they may not have a professional degree in engineering or quantitative sciences, but during their work experience, they’ve actually acquired on-the-job skills that are more quantitative or computationally intensive. And so sometimes a lack of a prior degree in these skills can be compensated by actual work experience.

Can you go over the structure of the program? I know this is a program for working professionals, right? [7:42]

Yes. Until last year, that’s what we asked for. You should have at least three to five years of experience. But now going forward from this year, because of this massive demand of AI, we’ve started to relax it now. We no longer are going to impose that three to five years of prior experience.

There are in-residence portions of the programs and more portions of the program, correct? [8:07]

That’s right. So it’s not a full-time program. The way it works is we have five modules. Each module lasts for about a week. It’s during those modules, these students meet with the faculty in person physically and mostly in New York City with one global module. But then in between modules, everything is happening remotely. Some courses require you to check in at least once between modules, some don’t, but the students have to, obviously, they have to work in groups. So amongst themselves, they are constantly almost on a weekly basis, they’re logging in and discussing and finishing assignments and pre-module, and post-module work.

During the remote portions of the program, how much time per week do students typically spend completing the program? [8:53]

I would say on average, it’s between 25 and 30 hours a week, which makes it possible for them to continue their full-time job. Let’s say they have 40 hours or 50 hours of full-time job. And then on top of that, they can add another 20, 25 hours a week. A few weeks tend to be higher, but the 20, 25 is typically the average.

I know you mentioned that most of the in-person sessions are in New York City, but you also mentioned that there’s a global component to it. Where do you typically go? [9:21]

So we have one global module, we used to have more before, but we have one global module in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. And there’s a couple of reasons why I chose that. One is NYU has a full-fledged campus in Abu Dhabi. It’s relatively brand new and it’s really pretty awesome, pretty flashy and all that. But also the other important reason is the Gulf states are extremely progressive when it comes to technology adoption and thinking about the vision. So if you look at Qatar or Saudi Arabia, UAE, when it comes to AI, they’re actually very progressive and in some ways a lot more than maybe Europe or Africa. And so when it came to the choice, because I wanted to give our students an exposure into maybe opportunities globally, I thought, “Look, NYU has an infrastructure on top of that. This is a very progressive nation when it comes to blockchain technology, AI, so let’s make the best of it.”

How many students are in the MSBAi? And do they ever mix or meet with the other graduate or undergraduate students at Stern? [10:33]

So we have approximately 40 as of this year. When it comes to mixing with others, there’s no formal requirement, but I see them when I’m connected with them on LinkedIn or Facebook, I see them informally mixing with MBAs. That does happen. They’re about the same age group and then the MBAs, there’s sort of a synergistic mutual relationship. The MBAs benefit from understanding the specialized knowledge that the MSBAI, and and the MSBAs can benefit from having networking opportunities with companies which traditionally may not have recruited MSBA people, but now when they talk to the MBAs, they’re like, “Oh yeah, so you guys also need people like us.” And so there’s this nice, kind of a symbiotic relationship.

I once had this discussion with one of my kids. Isn’t the MBA a more recognized degree and somewhat more flexible? What is the benefit of getting a seemingly narrower degree? [11:29]

So I think the shifts started to happen, like I said, around the time when we put this program, because even with the C-suite, the CEOs and CMOs with whom I often work very closely, they started noticing the shift from this intuition-based decision making into data-based decision making. So it became people no longer simply rely on their gut primarily. And so I think as they started to see the shift, they also realized that there are some benefits to doing it this way, using more scientifically approved methods. And that momentum then picked up as big data became popular, and then business analytics became popular. And now with AI, because of the very rapid progress in competition complexity of both hardware and software, I think as an organization, if you’re not making data-driven decisions, you’re just leaving a lot of money on the table. So I think it’s just a matter of time.

What are the academic requirements to gain admission to this program? And what are the nice-to-haves? [12:47]

I would say maybe more than academic requirements, we traditionally have looked for some relevant work experience in broadly, let’s say sort of again, this space of analytics or analysts or maybe even programming. So I think we typically look for people with background in analytics or programming because if you have that, it sort of helps to hit the ground running, right?

I assume some knowledge of statistics is pretty important. [13:30]

Yeah. So sometimes you have backgrounds in statistics or economics or even computer programming that can help. But I think over time we’ve also, I’ve revised the curriculum in a way where if you don’t have that, it’s not going to be a big impediment for you to make progress. And quite often, frankly we see, I often tell them on day one that, “Guys, this is not rocket science. Data science is not rocket science. If you are willing to work hard, if you’re willing to burn the midnight oil and put in those hours, you will excel. There’s nothing that’s going to stop you.”

Do you ever tell people, “Look, I’m going to admit you, but I advise you to take this in this class before you start the program”? [14:12]

Sometimes people ask me, and I’ve said that. Our program starts in May and people start to get admitted by December of the previous year, so they’ve got about six months. And if they asked me for advice on, “How should I best use my time?” I often say, “Why don’t you take online today? Education is totally democratized now. So you can get a certification program, like Harvard has programming in Python. Top universities now have these certification programs, so consider that.” And many of them do.

What kind of experience do you like to see? You mentioned computer programming but what about healthcare data analytics, military data analytics, insurance data analytics? There are all kinds of data analytics. You don’t really care what industry it is as long as they have some relevant experience? [14:55]

It’s funny you mentioned all three. We do get people from all three. We do get military veterans, we get healthcare professionals, we get insurance professionals. So what I tell them on day one again is, “Look, you may have picked up some skills in your domain, but what we are going to teach you are cross-functional skills where, based on those first principles, now that you’ve learned, you can apply them in any data set.” So literally, we are agnostic to the industry because the way the curriculum is structured is we are going to give you this portfolio of hammers and nails and knives and all sort of thing, and you can now then sculpt any data set the way you want it to.

I noticed that neither the GRE nor the GMAT is required, but may be requested of applicants. Who is likely to be requested to take the test? And does the test score play any role in the awarding of scholarships, specifically the Dean’s Scholarship or the Yellow Ribbon Program for US veterans? [16:00]

I would say, first of all, we do not require GMAT and GRE as part of admissions. I think standardized tests are usually helpful for the admissions team to assess if the candidate is academically ready. This is a very rigorous program. You have to put in 25, 30 hours every week beyond your actual work hours. But what we have done is we’ve realized that there are other data points that can be used to assess someone’s academic capability. So like undergrad degrees, graduate degrees, any certification, any coursework. So we also, like I said, because it’s a professional degree program, we look for your prior professional experience. And if you have a couple of years of relevant experience, that does help.

And then I think you asked about scholarships. Typically, when you’re awarding merit scholarships, we look at the whole application pretty holistically and we would then decide to award scholarships to those people who are, we think, are going to be a strong addition to the overall cohort based on their professional background and experiences.

There’s an essay that’s a required part of the application. What are you looking for in the essay portion of the application? [17:27]

We are really trying to get to know the applicant and learn more about their background, professional goals, and really the reasons for why they want to pursue the MSBA program because we do get a very diverse set of people. And it’s also international, we get people from other parts of the world as well. So I think we are trying to keep in or maintain or enhance a level of diversity in the cohort. I think we are looking for people who are truly excited to invest and learn in this program. We want them to build relationships with not just faculty, but also their peers, and basically contribute positively to this program. And last but not the least, if you can demonstrate in the essay that you truly have a passion for data, maybe you did a project using publicly available open source data, that’s like the icing on the cake.

What can applicants expect if they’re lucky enough to be invited to interview? [18:24]

I personally don’t do the interviews, but in our admissions team, led by Neha Singhal, she does it. What they have told me is that the interviews tend to be like a two-way conversation, where they’re trying to get to know more about the applicant, and the applicant is trying to get to know more of the program like, really is it the right step? But sometimes there are a handful of situations where people have not really thought through what they want to do with this degree program. And I think it’s appropriate for the admissions team to counsel them and say, “Look, if you haven’t thought through, maybe you want to think about it more, maybe come back next year.” So I think they treat the interview more like a formal job interview. So they’re going to be asking questions about your background, accomplishments and goals, and then we will want to assess how the MSBAI curriculum actually fits with those goals. And it’s usually about 30 minutes or so.

Thinking of goals, what are the typical positions that graduates of this program go into? Do they have access to the Career Center at Stern? [19:31]

Great question. So because this is not a full-time program, they don’t have formal access to the career center, but we often send them, like if the career center sends event information about events, like Jamie Dimon from JP Morgan comes and does a fire chat with one of the faculty. He is obviously a world-renowned figure, so we would inform our MSBA students about that sort of fireside chat. So we keep them informed, but there’s no formal relationship with the career center.

Do graduates of the program typically just advance in their current positions or do they change companies and roles? [20:13]

Great question again. We find both. So sometimes the folks who are slightly senior, generally I would say they’re using this degree program to advance in their existing organization, like climb the ladder, so to speak. Younger people, oftentimes because age is on their side, they often try to experiment. So they might have spent a couple of years in retailing and realize, “Okay, I want to move to banking or move to consulting.” So I do see that cross-industry migration. Typically, it’s on the younger students’ side.

What do you think of applicants using AI to write their application? [20:56]

Personally, I’m all in favor of using AI tools as long as you disclose it. And so that’s something we have mandated also in the program curriculum that I have not stopped students. And I’ve basically suggested to faculty, faculty have their own mind, so I can’t impose it, but I basically told them, “Look, the real world, these guys have access to AI tools. This is only going to get more and more ubiquitous. So why make this artificial distinction between tools that you can use in the real world but not use in the program?” What I’ve told our faculty is, “You should revise your coursework so that they can actually use the tool and then you can assess them in a way that makes sense.” So I think in the application too, look, if you’ve used it and if you’re asked, just be honest. And we are not going to hold it against you.

I interviewed Dr. Robert Salomon, who’s from NYU Stern Abu Dhabi. We were discussing AI and he said that he has a question he likes to ask applicants, “Here’s a response to a question I asked AI. Tell me what’s wrong with it.” [22:00]

Yeah, that’s smart. I like that.

I thought it was pretty smart too. And I don’t think it was a take-home exam either. I thought it was pretty clever. 

You just came out with a new book. Can you tell us a little bit about it? [22:29]

Yeah, thank you for asking. So first of all, there is a direct connection between the book and the program. And if you ask me how, it turns out that the curriculum that I designed for the program is actually based on the framework that is there in the book. And my co-author and I, Ravi, he also teaches in the program. We started writing the book four years ago, and both he and I have spent a lot of time consulting with companies. So I think collectively we spend, maybe we work with almost 100 companies at this point, and that framework is so well tested now across dozens of companies, so I felt very comfortable and confident changing the curriculum based on the framework. And so that’s a connection of the book with the program.

Now, the book is called Thrive: Maximizing, Well-Being in the Age of AI, and we wrote this book because we were really tired of the negative narrative around AI, and we thought it is really prudent upon us to balance the narrative and tell the other side of the story. And nobody was doing that because good news doesn’t catch attention; bad news sells.

So we’re like, “Okay, so what? We are seekers of the truth, so we are going to tell what the true story is.” So that’s the background of the book. 

Can you give us an example? [24:03]

Absolutely. We talk about how AI can improve your physical health, mental health, and I can give you examples in dating, relationships, work.

I’m past dating, let’s start with health. [24:15]

I have two favorite stories. One is based in the US. With an increasing use of granular location data, first responders, 911 medical professionals when they can improve their response time by one minute in a densely congested city like New York City, they have been able to save 10,200 lives, people who are just going through heart attack or a brain stroke. That’s an example of AI was used on location data to predict, are you on the 19th floor of this building or the second floor? 17 floors, one minute makes a difference in your life.

Wow, that’s amazing. [25:00]

Yeah, that’s one. And the other one very quickly is out of Hungary, Budapest, there are these cancer detection clinics for women in Budapest. And turns out that last year, 63 women who actually had cancer, the human radiologists could not detect their cancer, but the AI algorithm that was unleashed on the data, was able to detect it. So 63 people owe their lives to AI.

That is very impressive. Is your book about the benefits of AI exclusively, or is it also about some of the risks and how to handle them? [25:29]

We are very clear right at the beginning that, look, we are not dismissing the risk, but there’s like 10,000 books that have talked about the risk. And so we are cognizant of the risk, but we want to dedicate the book to the positive impact, the positive stories about AI.

Thank you. What question would you have liked me to ask you that I haven’t asked? What would you like to answer or discuss that I haven’t raised? [25:28]

Well, I think we just talked about it. I would’ve asked you to ask me about what motivated me to change the curriculum. And I think simultaneously writing on the book and the real world experience and the connection between the framework in the book and the curriculum is what really motivated me.

Relevant Links:

• Masters of Business Analytics and AI Program  
• Applying to Graduate Engineering Programs: What You Need to Know
• Application Advice from Accepted Data Science Clients
• Seeking a Graduate Degree in Artificial Intelligence? (accepted.com)

Related Shows:

• ROI and NYU’s Part-time MBA
• Stern at NYU Abu Dhabi: A Full-Time MBA in the Middle East 
• Stanford’s MCiM Combines Technology, Healthcare, and Business 
• Berkeley Haas’ Master of Financial Engineering Program 
• CMU Tepper’s MS in Business Analytics: All You Need to Know 
• What’s New at NYU Stern’s Online Masters of Science in Quantitative Management 

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Show Summary

In this episode of Admissions Straight Talk, Linda Abraham discusses MBA return on investment (ROI) and NYU Stern’s part-time MBA options with Isser Gallogly, Associate Dean of MBA Admissions at NYU Stern School of Business. They discuss how to calculate ROI, the ROI of NYU Stern’s part-time MBA program, and the benefits and flexibility of the program. Isser Gallogly also provides tips for applicants and encourages them to create options for themselves by applying to the program.

Show Notes

Are you concerned about possible lack of ROI if you go for an MBA? Are you considering part-time options? Then today’s episode is for you. We’re discussing MBA ROI and NYU Stern’s four part-time MBA options.

Welcome to the 552nd episode of Admissions Straight Talk. Thanks for joining me. Sometimes I’m asked, “Is the MBA worth it?” And my answer always is, “It depends on your individual circumstances”, but I’ve got good news. We’ve developed a tool that will help you evaluate whether an MBA is worth it for you and your individual circumstances, and by how much. Use Accepted’s MBA ROI Calculator  and check out how much you are likely to benefit or not from getting an MBA. And using it won’t send you back even one cent because it’s free.

We’re going to dive more into the topic of MBA ROI today with our special guest. It gives me great pleasure to have back on Admissions Straight Talk, Isser Gallogly, associate dean of MBA admissions at NYU Stern School of Business. Isser has been involved in MBA admissions at NYU Stern for the last 20 years, and I’ve probably known you for about 20 years since you started there. Today we’re going to talk about MBA, return on investment or ROI, and specifically the ROI provided by Stern’s part-time MBA program and then how to get into that program. 

Isser, welcome back to Admissions Straight Talk. [1:53]

Great to be here. Thank you.

I’m delighted to speak with you today, as always. I want to start by discussing the topic of MBA ROI or return on investment. Since our listeners have not yet earned their MBA, maybe we should start by discussing how to calculate ROI. What is it? I mean, I’ve seen lots of definitions, not all of which I agree with.

Yeah, there are a lot of different ways that you could think about ROI, and I think ultimately it probably comes down to the person and their individual goals in pursuing the part-time MBA. I think for most people, just the notion that they’re going to gain useful information, skills, experiences that will help them advance their career, be more effective at their career, might be sufficient. But for some people, they want to do some type of financial calculation and oftentimes they want to look at things like how much does a program cost and then what might that do to my salary over my working life?

Right, and the one caution I would give people is every so often I see ROI and the expense part of it includes living expenses, food, and room and board. And I would argue that that should not be part of the calculation in terms of calculating the ROI of an MBA, not because I’m trying to reduce the expenses, but because those are expenses you’d have regardless of whether you did an MBA or not. So, if you’re going to calculate the return on investment or just the cost of the MBA degree, while you have to budget for living expenses, it’s not really part of the cost of the MBA because those are expenses you would have in any case, under any circumstances. That’s just my own thing, but okay, let’s go on. 

What is the ROI of the NYU Stern part-time MBA program? [2:47]

Yeah, so we’ve been working on this for a few years now for the part-time program, to try to come up with a methodology that we feel is helpful for people who are interested in looking at that type of calculation. And what we did is we looked at data over the last four years of the class of the part-time students that were graduating, and then we compared to what they stated their entering salary was or their salary when they entered the program, so approximately three years earlier. So, we looked at basically exiting salary and then the entering salary of the group that came in three years prior. And we obviously don’t have data on everybody. We have a significant amount of data on both. And what we saw was that when we averaged this over the past four years, it was 52%. We usually just say over 50 at this point, but 52%, and we’ve actually provided a ROI table on our website in the Finance Your MBA section, that provides the ingoing salaries, the exiting salaries, so people could see that for each year and the average as well as a lot of details on the methodology, but when you think about it from the time that you submitted your application to the time that you graduate to increase your salary over 50% is a pretty impressive increase.

Do you have any idea if they hadn’t … they were just going along merrily how much they would just based on inflation, how much they would’ve increased their salary? [4:43]

We looked at that or tried to figure that out from a number of ways, but it’s a very specific population, so to look at generalized data probably wouldn’t be representative and it’s hard to know without trying to figure it out.

Regardless, 50% over four years is pretty impressive. [5:05]

Yeah, and when you think about it, that annualizes to about 17% increase per year in each of those three years. And I think most people would probably say, even if they were getting increases in salary or promotions, the odds of getting three 17% increases each year is probably fairly low for a lot of people, at that point in their career.

Let’s start with another basic question, since I seem to be into those today. Can you provide an overview of NYU Stern’s four part-time options? [5:27]

I can, let me also just say a couple other things on ROI if I can?

Sure, go ahead. Absolutely. We’ll go back. [5:40]

A couple other things that we really wanted to try and explain to people were some of the other benefits you have beyond the financial impact for your salary. Obviously most people think about the value of an alumni network, what that can do for them, the connections. There are a couple other things I think that are pretty unique to our part-time program or our MBA programs in general. One is that we provide career services for life and as we know, people change jobs multiple times. So the fact that there’s always a resource available for free for our alumni, either have their resume reviewed, practice interviews, job posts, connections of that sort, even recruiting things going on, that’s a huge benefit for people that I think really has a lot of value.

The other thing that we’ve offered more recently too is the ability to take courses for free after you graduate. They’re done virtually via video and stuff. People can take one or two courses a year. There’s a set of about 20 or so courses currently, it’ll vary by semester by semester. But when you think about the cost of an MBA course and the value to stay current over the course of your careers, that’s incredibly valuable. I mean, you could theoretically take the equivalent of a second MBA after you graduate, and so you could consider that to double your ROI potentially. If you think about-

Well, consider the rate of change now, my goodness. [7:00]

Yeah, I mean, it’s fantastic. I mean, you think about someone who was working in finance a few years ago before a lot of blockchain, cryptocurrency and now just being able to stay up to date on that would be incredibly helpful for them. I think we’ll see that with things like artificial intelligence and other things going forward. So, for us, you have the financial salary increase in the short term, then you also have the network and the value of that, the career services, plus the courses for life. So, there’s a lot of factors to think about in terms of what an MBA can do for you, not just immediately but over the duration of your professional career. So, that’s another factor to think about in the mix.

I’m so glad you added it. And obviously to my knowledge, I don’t think there are too many top MBA programs that are offering either career support for life, or I’m thinking of one that is, but or the ability to take courses. Not too many throughout your career. [7:37]

There are huge benefits. Another fun fact is we also have one of the largest alumni networks of any top MBA program because not only do we have a large part-time program, well established full-time program, executive programs, but we also have our undergraduate program in business. So, you actually join, I think it’s the largest of any top MBA program. And certainly, if you want to be in the northeast area, we’re incredibly well entrenched there. So, just a lot of factors to think about when considering the MBA investment.

Again, I’m really glad you added those things. Now can we go back to- [8:25]

Yeah, four options.

… the options, right. [8:30]

Yeah. So, we do have four options in the Part-time program. The first is our evening option, where people take classes at night. It’s typically about two days a week for about three hours an evening. The typical progression there is about three years to complete the MBA, that’s the most common.

We also have a version of the evening program that we call the accelerated two-year program because you can finish the program in two years. And in that case, some semesters you’ll be taking three courses a night versus two. We also have an option to do the program on Saturdays, where you could do the entire program on Saturdays. So, for some people that’s more convenient with their schedule. And most recently, we’ve introduced an online modular option, where people can do the majority of the program online. And just to be clear, when we say online, we’re talking about live online. So, it’s not prerecorded information that you watch whenever, which a lot of people talk about as asynchronous. For us live, or synchronous, means that you are in video class in the evenings, so you have the real interaction in real time with classmates and discussions.

In addition to that, we allow people to come and do some modules, they’re one-week immersions, so they can do a significant portion of credits pretty quickly. It’s four and a half credits for a module. So that allows them to come to New York, spend time on campus, but in a more manageable way. And with all that said, these are how people start the program. After a certain period of time in the program, people can switch between options. They can pick and choose some of the courses. So, if you’re in the online modular program, let’s say you’re in the greater New York area, but it’s just not convenient to come in person on evenings, but then there’s an elective that you really want to come in person for later on, you certainly can do that. Saturday people can take evening courses, people can take online courses. So again, once you get to the elective portion, the second half of the program, really there’s a tremendous amount of flexibility. You could either change your official option or you could just take … cherry pick things in different options. So a lot of choices.

Let’s say I start out in the part-time program and then I decide I really want to join the full-time. Is that possible? [10:35]

That is not possible. The full-time program is exceptionally lockstep, so it’s very more rigid in terms of the sequencing. And so, while people in the full-time program could move to something more flexible like a part-time program, it’s very hard for someone to jump out of a very flexible program into a very lockstep program. And the programs really, I would say, are pretty different in terms of how they’re structured.

Our programs are really structured based upon different people with different objectives should use different programs. So, the full-time program is a great program if you want to be immersed fully in the MBA experience and if you want to make a significant transition either in your career, whether it’s industry function or both, because that also has a designated portion for summer internships, which are critical for a lot of transitions people look to make. And it also has a much more regimented career services program basically lined up for those summer internship experiences.

Whereas the part-time program is terrific for people who are enjoying their industries and functions, want to advance their careers and are just really feeling like they need the educational experience in particular to make them more effective. So again, most of the time people really, one program fits their needs best and that’s really what they should do.

Experiential education, experiential learning is a hallmark of the full-time program at Stern. Do part-timers have those options also? And how does that work? I mean, you’re already working full-time. [11:53]

Yeah, they absolutely do. A lot of our experiential programs are set up as courses, so there’s an actual classroom component as well. So, they do have to have some flexibility if there are certain parts of the course that would need to happen during working hours. But we try to make things as available for part-time students as we can.

Other experiential things that are in place that they can do that sometimes surprise our part-time students are things like the short study immersion trips. So we have one week and two weeks study abroad trips. We call them Doing Business In or DBIs. And a lot of part-time students participate in that. Instead of taking a week of vacation, they choose to take a week in another location, but as part of their education. So, that’s something that a lot of people do.

If they go on these Doing Business In programs, are they doing a consulting project typically or are they taking classes? What does that look like? [12:49]

Yeah, they take classes at a university located elsewhere, one of our partner schools. And they also spend a certain amount of time learning about business in that country, government. There’s also social activities, so they would have to take the week off from work to do that because it’s an all day and even parts of the evening experience. But it’s just a really great way to get an incredibly immersive experience, global education, working with other people.

And those courses, interestingly, that a lot of our elective courses are mixed where we have full-time students and part-time students participating. So sometimes, part-time students want to know, “Oh, how do I meet more of the full-time students, expand my network?” And there’s nothing like taking a trip for a week or two weeks, which is mixed between part-time and full-time students, to really get to know a lot of people and form bonds. So that’s an incredibly popular option.

And are there other opportunities for the part-timers to meet with full-time students? [13:46]

Definitely. In addition to the elective courses, we also have a number of student organizations and clubs. So we have clubs that are more professionally-based, like a finance club, consulting club. We have ones that are more sports-based, like softball or volleyball, soccer. We have ones that are very social, like the Stern Wine Cellar Club is very social.

So, we have a number of different options and part-time students definitely get involved in that, as well as there’s a number of activities done by the student government, whether they’re social events and things like that. And for the part-time students, we wind up having a networking happy hour pretty much every day that there’s class. So, those are also very well attended. And I guess what I would say is our part-time students I think are always surprised by how much social activity and networking is possible, and it just comes down to how much time they have or want to invest in that. For some, they get incredibly involved, they take positions in student government or clubs. For others, the experience is more educationally focused, based upon their priorities. And the nice thing is they have all these options available to them and they can adjust and change over time as they want. So, it’s all there and it’s just a question of how much they want or how much they want to leverage.

What about career services? The website is very clear and you’ve been very clear that the part-time program is not really ideal for career changers. Does that mean that part-time MBA students while in the program have only partial access to the career center? I know they have that tremendous benefit that you described earlier after they leave, but what about while they’re in the program? [15:02]

Sure. Our career center. We have different professionals for the full-time students and different professionals for the working professionals. And so, they’re really focused on exactly what their needs might be at that time. So, while the part-time MBA students don’t have the summer internship recruiting type things, there are still things to help people in terms of networking, in terms of updating the resume, interviewing, there are job postings, there are listings for more experienced hires. So, a part-time person who’s working in finance who wants to transition to another finance organization might be able to do that pretty readily.

So they have access to the job boards? [15:59]

Yes, but they don’t have access to some of the specific on-campus recruiting pieces.

Got it. [16:08]

I mean, it really wouldn’t make a lot of sense for somebody in a part-time program to quit their job and pursue a summer internship. It just doesn’t make sense in terms of-

Doesn’t make sense at all. [16:15]

And their graduation dates wouldn’t line up. And so, when you’re thinking about industries or functions like management consulting and investment banking, those types of … and there’s others too, marketing organizations that have really, really structured recruiting programs with summer internships, and that’s how everything’s driven. For those fields and functions in particular, full-time programs are really the optimal way to get there. That said, in the part-time space, there are some fields and functions which might be equivalent.

So if you were working in … Let’s say you really were interested in the startup space, Startup firms often are looking for one or two hires and they usually have immediate need. So, a full-time student might have a lot more difficulty pursuing that because they’re doing a full-time program, whereas a part-time student might be able to switch functions immediately and not have any interruption in their MBA experience. So, for some fields and functions, the flexibility is better with part-time, they can keep working while they’re doing it. And some of these industries, organizations and firms aren’t looking to hire whole MBA classes, if you will. So, there are some of those types of things. But again, a lot of people when they’re looking to make that big transition into banking or consulting, full-time programs are really … that’s the engine and a lot of that is driven by the recruiters and their preference in terms of how they want to do things.

So, we really want to position people for success and their goals. And so, the full-time program’s really designed for those types of goals. And if people really want to have the best outcome, that’s the best program.

Do you ever review an application and think, “This person’s applying for the full-time program, but I think they’d be better off at the part-time program?” Or do you ever get an application for the part-time program and think they would be better off at the full-time program, but really like the applicant, do you ever suggest that they switch? [17:47]

We have a couple options in that case. So, if someone applies to the part-time program and we think full-time may make a lot more sense, we have the option to basically invite the person in for an interview. Or we set up a time to have a conversation with them just to better understand their goals and objectives and why they’ve elected with those objectives to pursue a part-time program.

In some cases, yeah, we might tell them that a full-time program might be better for those goals. We want people to be successful. So we do try and do that. If someone applies to the full-time program and we think part-time is better for them, and we do see that what we do is towards the end of the cycle or after the cycle, we do reach out to some people who apply to the full-time program, basically talk with them about part-time and what that opportunity might be and why we saw strengths and why we think it might be a good fit.

And in some cases, the people are delighted because they’re not really necessarily expecting that. But again, when you see good talented people and you feel like you’ve got an option for them that could really help them get to their dream, why wouldn’t we reach out and just give them the information and let them make a decision? So, we have seen that and we’ve been doing that a bit more over the last few years with a number of success cases. People who are actually like, “Wow, now that you’ve explained to me, actually part-time is probably a much better choice for me given what I’m doing and what I want to be doing. And I also can keep my income going while that’s happening, which puts me in a better financial position long term.” So, we’ve had a number of people who’ve actually been really thrilled at being contacted and being thought of that way.

I would assume it would be really appreciated that you took the time to reach out. Obviously, you reviewed the application in depth. You thought about it, not you individually, but NYU thought about it and it took the time to reach out, as opposed to just rejecting them or doing whatever they would do. They took the time and took the interest. 

Moving on, what’s the difference between the part-time MBA and the Executive MBA program at NYU Stern? Because they’re both part-time? [19:29]

Right, and this is one of those ones where the industry is a bit blurred. You have these flex programs, working professional programs, zigzag programs, part-time programs. For us, we are a school that actually has both, not all schools have both. And our Executive program is really targeted for working professionals who have more work experience, who are further along in their careers.

Much? [20:22]

Yeah, significantly. You’re talking about people who probably have an average of about 15 years of work experience. Versus a part-time program, you’re talking about people who have three to seven years typically. And so what they do in the executive program is it’s a much smaller cohort. They have a much more lockstep program so that they can really bond and build a strong networking cohort. Because there’s so much work experience there, it’s very nice for them to be very tight.

The New York Executive MBA program is on Saturday, Sunday. Some people are traveling to that. Often they have very busy careers where an evening program would not be feasible, given their responsibilities. And we also handpick the professors in that program who have a lot of work experience, practical experience, and are very used to working with a cohort of students who have a tremendous amount of work experience. So, it’s really hand-chosen faculty to really optimize the education for someone at that point in their career.

So, you’re with students who are at that point in career, you’re with faculty who are really picked for that point in your career. The curriculum is again, modified slightly for people at that level. Because it really is very different when you’re at that point versus early in your career. So, that’s why we do it the way we do it rather than sort of mix everybody together.

That said, there are sometimes people with a lot of working experience, who do elect to pursue a part-time program who it does make sense for and that’s their choice. So, we don’t necessarily rule people out, it’s just more unusual.

I noticed that 44% of the class in the part-time program met test waiver requirements and were admitted without a test score. That’s almost half the class. Can you review the waiver requirements? [21:43]

Sure, we have a few. We have one for NYU undergrads and that’s more if they graduated NYU undergrad, they had a certain GPA. We obviously feel very strongly about the education we provide at NYU, so we feel pretty comfortable that they’ll be fine with the academics in the program.

The more common one is the undergraduate major test waiver. And what we did was we identified, and we did a lot of research on this, we looked at people’s past performance, who had certain majors and certain GPAs. And essentially if someone went to a US-based four-year program that’s on the 4.0 GPA scale, very typical. And they pursued a business degree, it could be finance, it could be economics, it could be business administration, we have a whole list of all the different majors. And they had a certain GPA 3.40 GPA or better, we feel confident that they’ll be okay academically.

So in those cases, we feel fine with them waiving the test. If they want to take a test in addition, that’s up to them, but it’s certainly not necessary. And again, we have a long track record of data points in history that indicate that that is a good predictor of future success. So, that’s really why we do the tests, is to just make sure that people will do well in the classroom. It’s a rigorous academic program, so if we have a different data point that provides the same information, why wouldn’t we use it? And it’s certainly appreciated by a lot of applicants. Tests are not always the highest thing on their list of things they want to go do and study for.

Is there any type of applicant you would recommend to take the test? [23:23]

If they could meet the waiver, I would say definitely do that, you know?

Sure. [23:29]

I can’t really think of a situation where the test would be necessary in that case.

Any tips for addressing the three questions on the part-time MBA application, which are a little different from the questions for the full-time? I have them there. They’re pretty straightforward. 

Number one, what are your short and long-term goals? How will the part-time MBA help you achieve them, 350 words.

If you do not live in New York City, tell us about your plans to pursue the program, number two. 

Person, place, thing. I’m going to let you actually describe that. Please share three images. 

And then the optional essay. Please provide any additional information that you would like to bring to the attention of the admissions committee. [23:34]

Sure. Yeah, they are pretty straightforward. The first question is primarily why do you want to get an MBA. And in the part-time program, what we see primarily is, “I like my career, I like my job, want some additional skills to continue to perform better, advance.” And then the specifics are obviously related to their case, what’s related to that. So, it’s pretty straightforward and that’s usually what we hear.

We do ask a little bit if they are outside of New York, what their plan is. Do they plan to do the online modulars? Some people are planning to relocate, some people would like to do the Saturdays, but we just want to see that they have a thought process if they are a little further out of New York because coming to New York and doing some of the program in New York is a requirement no matter what. We’d like to just understand what their approach is going to be.

So that one’s very straightforward and there’s really … There’s no tricks, there’s no nothing real special about it.  It’s just help us understand exactly how we fit into your plan.

The second essay, the person, place and thing is really a chance to get to know the person a bit more as an individual. So, they submit an image of a person, an image of a place, an image of a thing that’s important for us in terms of understanding them and a short description and caption about that. Most of the applicants really enjoy it. They enjoy a chance to tell us a bit more about who they are as a person. And a lot of times people are wondering like, “Well, how do I stand out in the application or how do I get across the unique aspects I bring to the school?” And this is a really great way for people to showcase that. So, it’s generally pretty enjoyable. It’s not incredibly arduous and most people have a million photos on their phones and otherwise, and so it’s pretty easy to select an image and we don’t require a lot of words, just enough to understand it.

The optional essay is used like most schools would use an optional essay: if there’s something that is important to their case that they really don’t feel like is covered elsewhere, something unique or something that’s going on. If someone plans to retake a test, they could tell us there. Things like that. So, it’s up to the judgment of the applicant. It’s certainly not required, it’s truly optional. And it’s really more just short descriptions if there’s unique aspects that they think are important for the committee to know.

Or maybe context for a blemish or something like that, right? [26:11]

Sure, yeah. If they had one poor year-

Bad semester. [26:18]

… academically in undergraduate for a specific reason, they could highlight that.

Do you see ChatGPT as a problem in the application process, specifically in connection with the essays? [26:23]

I don’t, and especially when you’re talking about part-time. Again, like I said, it’s a pretty straightforward case and a lot of it relates to your unique circumstance. So I mean, could you ask ChatGP to write me an application to “why I want to do part time?” I guess. But it’s probably going to say exactly what I just said, which is I like my career, I like my function, I want some skills.

Once we get the transcript up, it’ll say exactly what you just said. [26:49]

Yeah, I mean, that’s usually the basic thread for most people. It’s not overly complicated. I think for full-time, sometimes it does become more complicated, but with part-time, it’s usually more straightforward. It’s usually more straightforward. And the specifics, I mean, I don’t know how ChatGPT would fill all those in, but I don’t know if-

The specifics are what’s going to make it or break it. [27:08]

Yeah, write an essay as to why my mother’s important and you put a photo up of her, I don’t know. I guess you could, but it’s not really that arduous. And ultimately, we tell people that they should be writing their own material for this. So yeah, it’ll be interesting to see how things like that and AI continue to impact a lot of industries and functions and fields over time.

What makes an application and an applicant come alive for you when you’re reviewing applications? [27:33]

Mostly it comes down to, has the person really thought about … done the self-reflection, thought about themselves, thought about their goals, have a good plan in place? A lot of it’s just about the specifics to their unique situation. And so, the more that someone really has demonstrated their thought process and has really brought their specific case to life, that’s what really resonates with us is, “Oh, this person really has thought about it and they have really figured it out.” Sometimes people really talk about like, “Oh, I’m looking forward to taking this course or this professor, or this experience, and this is why I’m really excited about the flexibility of the part-time program or what it offers.” And it just shows that the person’s really done some really significant research.

This is a big investment, coming back to the ROI piece. And the more that people think about how they want to leverage this for their own unique case, the more return they’re going to get. And that comes back to things like what courses am I taking? What specializations? Am I going to participate in experiential learning? Am I going to be involved in clubs? How am I going to maximize the total experience for myself? And they can direct a lot of that. So, it’s nice to see that type of research and thought at the front end.

That’s a great answer, thank you. Is an interview part of the admissions process for the part-time MBA program at Stern? [28:43]

Typically it’s not, but we have the option to offer it. Again, I think one of the unique pieces of part-time versus full-time, for full-time, we have people applying from all over the world and they have very different backgrounds, very different career objectives. And so, it’s pretty important to really have a deep conversation about exactly where they’re coming from, where they want to go.

With the part-time program, again, the majority of people tend to be based in the New York region. They’re usually very successful professionals. We’re obviously in a business capital of the world, and so they’re usually extremely strong applicants. And again, their cases tend to be, again, fairly straightforward in terms of what they’re looking for and why. So, there’s just a lot less variability that you see in part-time versus full-time, in terms of the range of factors. That said there sometimes are, and when are, we always have that conversation, but for the most part there’s a lot less variables to have to isolate through an interview process.

Do you have many students who are not based in New York? And here, obviously for the online program, I assume that’s much more common, that would make sense. But for either the Saturday program … it would probably have to be the Saturday or Sunday program. [29:49]

For the Saturday option we historically have seen people up and down the East Coast, in that Boston and DC range, but even there, a significant portion of them tend to be actually much more local. And for online modular, it’s a mix between people who are closer and people who are further away. We have some people in Chicago or California, et cetera, pursuing it.

And again, that’s why we had that question. If you’re not in New York, how are you planning to do this? How does it fit into the plan? And most of the time they can explain it pretty clearly for us in those essays. And so, it’s not necessary to go as deep into the interview process. But again, where there are questions, we want to have the conversation and want to make sure that everything is really clear.

Now, this episode is supposed to air in early December, which considering that your first deadline for the fall 2024 matriculating class is February 15th, is fantastic timing. About two months in advance. What suggestions do you have for anyone wanting to matriculate in the next fall? In other words, starting their applications before that first round deadline. What tips would you have for them? They have time now, right? They can go for that first deadline, they can go for a later deadline. What would you advise them to do? [30:43]

Yeah, I mean there’s a few things. I mean, the first and foremost, it always comes back to make sure that an MBA is right for you and make sure that you’re choosing the right program for your objectives. I think sometimes we do have people who would really prefer or want a full-time program, but because they’re concerned about finances, they think a part-time program might be a better option. But given their goals, full-time program is really going to get them where they want to go in a better way.

So, you have to make hard choices in life and you have to choose the right thing for your goals and objectives. And sometimes that involves a bit more investment in terms of foregone income. So, that’s I think, the most important is do your homework, do your research, make sure you’re applying for what you want.

And then the second thing would be getting your materials together. So, if somebody needs to take a test, obviously study for the test, prepare for it and those types of things. Updating their resume is always key. People sometimes let that get a little bit out of date, so update the resume.

Or they keep it too technical? [32:14]

Yeah, sometimes. And also order your college transcripts if you don’t have them, make sure you get them in order. I would also say start having conversations with your manager about the fact that you want to pursue an MBA, how it’ll benefit the organization. So that way, when it comes time to do the recommendation, it’s a much easier conversation, much more straightforward.

I think most people are a little concerned about having the chat with their managers, but for a part-time program, I mean, you’re not leaving your job, you’re just going to become better at it. So, most of the time people are incredibly supportive that people want to continue to invest. I think those are some things.

I’d also note that for people preparing for the test, we do try to provide some free test prep webinars. So, we do have those available. People can sign up on our website and we try and do them typically between cycles. We know that for some people, it’s very difficult to spend additional money in the process to do test prep. So, that’s why we offer some free webinars and that. We want things to be as accessible as possible and as straightforward as possible. So, we try and do that as well.

And that’s the other thing I would say, is start participating in these events, join our mailing list, start getting information, reviewing the website, join our webinars, things like that. We also have a call counseling program, so anyone who wants can set up a one-on-one conversation with an admissions representative. Those are phone calls. They’re typically 20-25 in length and you can just really talk about your specific situation. You can talk about specific things in the admissions process. You can ask questions about specific items in the program. Again, we really want to try and provide good advice, good information, be as transparent as possible so people can make good decisions and have the best outcome.

Well, that’s exactly what you’ve been doing since we started this conversation, providing good advice. So, just continue with it. Okay, what question would you like to answer that I haven’t asked? [33:49]

I guess one of the things that is sort of like for someone who’s on the fence and thinking, “Should I apply, shouldn’t I apply?” That’s the question that I think is important. And so, the question is should they apply? And I would say yes. Why not? Even if you’re not entirely sure, why not create the option? See if you get in. And then once you get in, you have the choice as to whether you want to pursue that or not. But don’t take an option off the table before it’s an option. Create the option, then make the decision.

And some people are also worried about the timing. “Oh, I’m not sure if it’s now or … ” We have applications in fall and spring. There are some people who apply for one cycle and then for whatever reason, the next cycle may make more sense. They can always write into us and request, “Can I get early admission to the next cycle?” We look at those case by case. So, better to create the option early in case you decide the timing is better now than later. So, I think that’s the thing I would tell people, is don’t assume you don’t have the chance or don’t question it. Believe in yourself, take the chance, apply, create the options, and then make decisions as you have more information later. So, I would just be very encouraging people to create possibilities for themselves.

Okay, great. Thank you very much. [35:19]

Sure.

Isser, this has been wonderful. Thank you for joining me today. I’ve enjoyed chatting with you about NYU Stern’s part-time options and the return on investment question that we started with. [35:20]

Relevant Links:

• NYU Stern Part-time MBA Admissions
• MBA ROI Quiz

Related shows:

• How to Get Accepted to NYU Stern, podcast Episode 525
• What’s New at NYU Stern’s Online Masters of Science in Quantitative Management, podcast Episode 447
• How to Get an MBA at Columbia Business School, podcast Episode 528
• How to Get into Dartmouth Tuck, podcast Episode 514

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The post ROI and NYU’s Part-time MBA [Episode 552] appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

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Show Summary

In this episode of Admissions Straight Talk, host Linda Abraham interviews Dean Robert Salomon, the inaugural Dean of Stern at NYU Abu Dhabi. They discuss NYU Stern’s groundbreaking one-year MBA program in Abu Dhabi. The program is open to applicants from around the world, but it is particularly aimed at those interested in building a career in the Middle East. The program will offer the same core courses as NYU Stern’s MBA program in New York, and students will have the opportunity to study in both Abu Dhabi and New York City. The program also includes an experiential component, with students working on live projects for local companies. Dean Salomon emphasizes the growing entrepreneurial ecosystem in Abu Dhabi and the opportunities for students to engage with start-ups and gain hands-on experience. He also discusses the importance of diversity in the student body and the availability of merit-based scholarships. The episode concludes with Dean Salomon discussing the reasons behind choosing Abu Dhabi as the location for the program and the opportunities it offers for students to be part of the region’s transition to a knowledge-based economy.

Show Notes

Are you interested in doing business in the Middle East but want an MBA from a top US business school? And would you prefer a one-year program? Today’s episode is all about NYU Stern’s groundbreaking one-year MBA program in the UAE’s Abu Dhabi.

Welcome to the 548th episode of Admissions Straight Talk, Accepted’s podcast. 

Sometimes I’m asked, is the MBA worth it? And my answer is, it depends on your individual circumstances, but I’ve got good news. We’ve developed a tool, the MBA ROI calculator that will help you evaluate whether an MBA is worth it for you and your individual circumstances and by how much. And using the tool won’t set you back even one cent. Use of the tool is free. 

It gives me great pleasure to have for the first time on Admissions Straight Talk, Dean Robert Salomon. Dean Salomon earned his bachelor’s from Michigan Ross and then moved to NYU Stern, which has been his home almost ever since. He earned his master’s in PhD in strategy and international business there and has been a professor of management at Stern since 2005. Dean Salomon will lead the NYU program in Abu Dhabi and will actually be the inaugural Dean of Stern at NYU Abu Dhabi. 

Dean Salomon, welcome to Admissions Straight Talk. [1:49]

Thanks for having me.

I’m so glad you can join me. As we were talking about before, it’s morning for me, night for you. It’s amazing that we can… I think you’re 12 hours ahead of me, right? [1:53]

11 this time of year. Once you change your clocks, I think it’ll be 12.

So we’re literally on other sides of the world and yet we can still have this delightful conversation. Let’s start with an overview of NYU’s Abu Dhabi MBA program. Can you please provide us with one? [2:07]

Sure. So we are opening here a full-time MBA program. It’s going to be a 12-month, accelerated MBA program that will run from January through December, and the first class will start in January of 2025.

So you’re really just getting going. You’re not going to have a class this year, you’re just getting going for the following year, really? [2:36]

We’ll start a year from January, although the website is now live, the application is available, it can be downloaded, people can start it, and we are accepting applications now. The first deadline comes up January 15th, but people can start applying now.

It takes a while to put together a good application, so that makes a lot of sense. [3:00]

Yeah.

Is this program for people in the Middle East who want a US MBA or is it for people anywhere in the world who want to focus on business in the Middle East? What’s the goal of the program? [3:06]

So the program is for anybody in the world, and what we would like however, is that people who are interested in the region, people who are interested in the potential of building a career in Abu Dhabi, in the UAE, places like Dubai or the broader region. So we’re happy to consider applications from anybody anywhere, but we are hopefully going to be preparing people for careers in the region. Now that said, what people get in the classroom here isn’t going to be very different from what they get in the classroom in New York or in MBA programs elsewhere. They’re going to be prepared to be business leaders and business managers, so they’re going to get the same kinds of core courses that they get in New York. We are bringing the same robust MBA program that we offer in New York here to Abu Dhabi, and we hope that this program will be appealing to people the world over, not just in the region, but also beyond.

Will the professors be traveling from New York City to Abu Dhabi or will there be online courses? Part of the robustness of the NYU program is the faculty. [4:15]

Yeah, and this will be an in-person program, so at the moment we don’t have any plans for online content. And just as we have a top-notch faculty, world-class faculty in New York, we will be building a faculty here in Abu Dhabi as well. So we will be hiring to the standards that we have in New York, the kind of faculty that we have in New York. Now saying that, there is from time to time, every once in a while faculty might come over here and there to teach a specific course if they have a specific expertise and they will offer that course here in Abu Dhabi. In addition to that, we also have a module of the entire program. One module or about two and a half months of the program will take place in New York City. So students will be in New York during the summer months. I think it’s from the end of May to mid-August, they’ll be taking classes in New York and they will be taught by our faculty, our renowned faculty in New York City.

We’ll get to that part of the program in a minute too. Will the program focus at all on the business of energy since it’s going to be located in the Middle East and specifically in the Persian Gulf? [5:27]

That won’t be a specific focus of this program. We will have several specializations in this program. So the specializations we intend to offer at the beginning include finance, leadership and strategy, technology innovation and entrepreneurship, marketing, and potentially we’re also considering sustainability. So if anything, yeah, I mean, there might be sort of a slight energy focus, but on the next wave of energy is sort of how do we transition into the next energy regime away from fossil fuels, away from petroleum-based energy.

Thank you for that answer. It kind of fits with what I understand the Persian Gulf is trying to do, whether it’s Saudi Arabia or Abu Dhabi or any of them, the UAE, they’re all trying to prepare for a non-fossil fuel based world. [6:15]

Yeah, they’re preparing for future without oil, without fossil fuels, and they are diversifying their economy now in order so that once that day arrives when the last barrel of oil rolls off the assembly line or however we want to describe that analogy, that they have other industries that are here and vibrant that can sustain the economy.

I noticed that you mentioned just a minute ago that there’s going to be roughly three months or two modules of the program in New York City. Can I ask why? [6:54]

Well, we are-

What’s the purpose of it? [7:06]

We are an NYU program. We are NYU Stern as well, and one of the reasons that we want to bring students to New York City is so that they get to know and make connections to the home university. So that’s part of it. So they get to know New York, they get to know NYU, they get to know NYU Stern. The other piece of this is that this is a global degree program. This is a program that is preparing students to participate in the global economy, and what better way than to have them learn about the global economy than to be not just in one singular place, but to also have a global experience?

And for those in this program, that means not just being in Abu Dhabi, but also going somewhere else. And we just so happen to have a campus in New York with an outstanding faculty, a world-class faculty there. So why not bring the students there? And that’s part of, if you look at many of our other programs at NYU Stern, they also have global components, and those global components are meant to prepare people for the realities, the business realities of the world that they live in.

Also, New York City is one of the capitals of business in the world. [8:13]

Yeah, absolutely.

It may no longer be the capital, but it is certainly one of the capitals of business in the world. [8:19]

It’s funny, we’re fond of saying that NYU is in and of the city, in and of New York, and when I think about Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi is increasingly becoming a world capital as well. I mean, it is a world capital, but it’s increasingly becoming more and more connected to other world capitals with each passing day. And so now sort of with this program, we’re not only in and of New York and in and of the city, but we’re also now in and of Abu Dhabi and in and of the city because Abu Dhabi itself is a vibrant global city.

On one hand, NYU Abu Dhabi has the benefit of a one-year structure, which means lower opportunity cost, less time out of the workforce and the working world. On the other hand, applicants sometimes worry that a one-year program will limit the educational and networking opportunities or benefits of the MBA. Could it also hamper the possibility of getting an internship and possibly a career change? Could you address those concerns? [8:52]

Yeah, and there’s a lot in there in that question to unpack.

There is, I realize. [9:24]

Let me try and address a few of those issues and then I’ll come back. Keep me honest. If I don’t touch on some of the issues, questions that you ask, just remind me and I’ll come back to it.

So with respect to the one-year program, I mean, certainly it’s shorter than the standard traditional two-year program, and we often hear from our students, or at least people who are thinking about applying that two years now is a long time to be out of the workforce. So it’s not just, well, a one-year program costs less in actual terms. From a monetary standpoint, it’s less expensive than a two-year program. But also from an opportunity cost standpoint, it’s also you’re not out of the workforce for two years where you could be earning money. You’re only out of the workforce for one. Now, does that mean that they’ll have a lesser or a less than experience? I don’t think so, and we have experience with this format also in New York.

What we find is in our various one-year programs, because of the intensity of the program, that intensity creates connection. It creates networks, it creates opportunities for students to become closer and tighter knit with each other because they actually spend more time with each other, they spend more time with each other in a compressed period of time. So they do develop those relationships.

You asked about internships, and this program does not have a traditional internship in the two-year MBA sense where people go away in May when the program is finished after their first year, they work for the summer and then they come back in September. But it does have an internship that’s built into the program. It has a novel internship, it’s an experiential internship. It’s actually part of the curriculum. So students will be doing internships as they go through the program during that one-year. So they will be working on live projects for corporations operating in the area to perform those projects as they go through the program. And this provides several benefits. For the companies that sponsor the projects, and we’re already working with several companies that have agreed to sponsor those projects, but for the companies that are sponsoring those projects, they get to evaluate and see the talent that is in our MBA class.

And for the people who are in our MBA class, the students, they get to evaluate those companies and assess, is this the kind of company that I would want to work for? And in some sense, they get two opportunities to do that because they’ll have one of these variational learning courses from January to May in Abu Dhabi, and they’ll have another one, a second opportunity, so almost like a second internship from September to December. So we’ve designed the curriculum in a way so that they almost get two internship-like opportunities. And they could do a consulting-based internship, say in the January to May period, and they might decide, I didn’t really like the consulting one so much. Maybe next time I’ll try the finance one, or I’ll try one with a consumer packaged goods company, or I’ll try one with a government agency that’s aligned with the kind of work that I want to do after I graduate. So there will be different kinds of internship opportunities than what exists in the traditional MBA program.

I think you’ve addressed two of the three possible side effects, but the one part that I think you didn’t address fully was the career change aspect. A lot of one-year programs are quite clear, they say, don’t come to us if you want to change careers. [12:45]

We have no explicit policy in that respect. I’m sure there will be people who come to the program who are sponsored by their companies who say, “Hey, you can take a year off and then come back when you’re done and come back and plug right back into where you were, but now you have an MBA.” But there are those who will come to our program and will come and be a full-time MBA student. They will not be working for any company. They will not be sponsored by any company, and they might want a career change, and that’s perfectly okay too. They come in, they do the one-year MBA, and then they switch to a career that aligns more with their interests. We’re not making any warrants or representations about what students should or shouldn’t be doing before they come into the program and after they leave.

Will there be career support at NYUAD? [13:46]

Absolutely.

There’ll be much parallel to what’s offered at NYU in New York? [13:51]

Yeah, very high touch career services offering that we have here that will guide students through the job search process.

You’ve touched on, and this NYUAD site emphasizes experiential components of the NYUAD program. Can you go into it a little bit more? Is it going to be cases, is it going to be consulting projects, startups, and running a business or a fund? How do you see that part of the program playing out? [14:02]

So there are two principal components of the experiential piece. The first one I talked about a little bit before when I talked about those experiential internships that the students will be doing. So they will be attached to a particular project for a local company that is a live project that the companies want them to complete. So that is very hands-on. They’re going to take what they learn in the classroom and apply it outside the classroom on these projects with these companies. So that’s one element of the experiential component.

The other piece is when we are in New York City, there will be a course that is called Doing Business In or Doing Business in New York City that will engage local companies in New York City. Students will go on onsite visits to go visit local companies in New York. They will hear from managers at companies in New York that will come to their classroom to speak with them and engage them. And we will have cultural elements for them to engage with as well, because part of learning is not just about what happens inside the classroom, it’s about part of your experiences outside the classroom too. And we have a healthy, robust cultural program for the students as well.

And that actually leads to a question I meant to ask earlier and that is, are there any language requirements for NYUAD? Is Arabic something that’s encouraged or required? [15:32]

No. Look, I think languages are encouraged, all languages are encouraged. I think if you have the opportunity to learn another language, the answer should always be yes. I mean, that’s an amazing gift and an amazing thing to be able to speak multiple languages, but there is no requirement at Stern, at NYU Abu Dhabi for people to speak anything other than English and English is spoken widely here in the UAE. Just about everybody speaks English, all the signs are in English, and the classes will be in English as well.

I noticed that NYUAD, like NYU Stern in New York City, NYU Stern in Abu Dhabi accepts many tests and also offers a test waiver option. Who should seek a test waiver and who shouldn’t seek a test waiver in your opinion? I mean, you’re going to be processing applications very soon. [16:11]

Yeah, I mean, I personally won’t be processing applications and I have to-

I didn’t mean you personally. I meant the- [16:36]

I know what you meant, but I wanted to preface it this way because when it comes to sort of admissions, I’m not an expert. I come from the program side. So I’ve been a scholar, I’m a professor, I’m a researcher, that’s my background, and I’ve come from running programs. I’ve been running different kinds of MBA programs for Stern and master’s programs and executive programs for Stern for quite a while. So I’m really familiar with the programmatic side. I’m less knowledgeable when it comes to admissions kinds of things, but let me just try and answer the question as best I can with the caveat that I may not… I mean, generally I think the answer I’m going to give you is accurate, but I want to just caveat it with that I might be making some mistakes on the margins. So when it comes to test waivers, the kinds of folks who should be seeking test waivers, I would say are those who feel like they are well-equipped in the areas that are associated with an MBA degree, and what areas are those?

I would say if you have a STEM degree, if you already have a degree in engineering where you can demonstrate and you did very, very well in school in your engineering program, and you can demonstrate that you performed very well, especially in your math classes, that would be the kind of individual who might want to request a test waiver. If you went to an undergraduate business program and you’ve already demonstrated through your completion of that program that you can handle the rigors of an MBA program because you already have the qualifications and you did very, very well in your undergraduate business program, those are the kinds of folks that should or could potentially be requesting a test waiver or might be granted a test waiver. So basically, if you have a STEM-y background and your degree is from a widely respected accredited university, and you’ve performed very, very well in the classroom, especially in your math-based classes, those are the kinds of folks who typically qualify for test waivers.

You did a great job. [18:37]

Thanks. I might be slightly off a little bit, but that’s the general idea.

I think you’re right on. Obviously as a professor, you want people in class who can perform, and I think it’s the job of the admissions office to provide you with people who can perform. [18:43]

And one of the things I want to be clear about too, and this made me think about it, the question that you asked, is that not only are we building a world-class faculty here at Stern at NYUAD, and we have the benefits of tapping into the NYU Stern faculty in New York, but we also will be building a class that meets typical NYU Stern standards. So on the student side, our goal is to maintain the highest quality student body that is on par with the student body that we have at NYU Stern in New York.

How many people do you anticipate enrolling in the first class? [19:24]

The first class will be probably around 50 students.

And then do you want to grow it from there if possible? [19:31]

Yeah, depending on the reception, and we’re hoping for a solid reception, I don’t see why we couldn’t grow it. And in an ideal world, about 100 to 120 students per year, but it’ll probably take us a few years to build to that. [19:34]

You also mentioned a little bit earlier the entrepreneurial aspect of the program. Can you touch on that? I mean, the Persian Gulf is maybe incorrectly, but it’s not known for being an entrepreneurial hotbed. San Francisco is, Boston is, New York City is, Abu Dhabi is I think more known for financial and obviously the energy industry, but is there really an entrepreneurial ecosystem there? [19:52]

Believe it or not, this is becoming more and more of an entrepreneurial center.

That’s why I want to ask the question. [20:25]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. There was a book written a few years ago called Startup Rising that talks about the ecosystem that is developing in this region and the kinds of companies that are coming out of that ecosystem. And so yes, there is a bit of it. There is still a need to grow it more. So it’s still early days, I would say, and we are hoping to be a part of that ecosystem. And the question is how? I guess what we hope to do there is an entrepreneurship center here at NYU Abu Dhabi. It’s called startAD, and we are hoping that our students will be able to tap into the resources offered by startAD.

And startAD, you could think about it as sort of like a kind of accelerator-ish program, but our long-term goal, what we’re hoping to do is in New York, at NYU Stern in New York, we have a program called the Endless Frontier Labs, and the Endless Frontier Labs, insofar as I’m concerned, is a best in class accelerator program that brings about 75 ventures into the lab every single year. And each one of those companies gets paired with a student group that provides consulting services to that venture, a VC mentor who’s attached to that program, and a subject matter expert, typically a faculty member who knows about the area that the venture or the science behind the venture itself. And so all of those create this fantastic ecosystem. We’re hoping that we’ll be able to replicate that here, but in the meantime, we have startAD, which is an accelerator located right here on campus.

What advice would you give to someone, again, you have a background as a professor, you have obviously program design and you’re now a dean. What advice would you give to someone aiming to send an application for the January, 2025 inaugural class? The first deadline, as you mentioned, is January 15th, and there are three more on March 11th, June 10th, and August 12th. I mean, maybe I should ask the question differently, who would you like to see in your classes that you might… Are you going to be teaching any classes or are you going to be strictly an administrative position? [22:09]

For now, I’m going to be an administrator. I’m hoping to get back into the classroom sometime soon, because I love teaching. I love being in the classroom, but even if I’m not teaching, the students will probably get sick of me after a while because I’ll be around and I’ll be around to bother them. So that’s-

Who would you like to be able to bother? [22:59]

The best and the brightest, that’s who I’d like to be able to bother and from all over the world. We really do want a mix of students from different nationalities from different places in the world. Now, I think you asked about recommendations for those who are applying, and the one thing that I would say is that we do have merit-based scholarships available, and so the one piece of advice that I would offer is, I would encourage people to apply early, because the earlier people apply, the more likely it is that they-

No money is available. [23:34]

The bigger pool we have available, once we start granting those merit-based scholarships, the pool gets a little bit smaller. So the earlier you apply at some level, the better.

This is a question I’m asking everybody. Are you at all concerned about the use or possible abuse of ChatGPT among applicants or students in your classes? [23:44]

The short answer is yes and no. As a teacher, it bothers me a little bit that students might rely on ChatGPT and not hand in their own original work, that they use it as a crutch. Especially those who sort of use it when they’re short for time; they’re being a little lazy. They were like, oh, well, I’ll just have this program do it. So that bothers me a little bit. But I think now the onus, again, as an educator, the onus then is on us to create assignments that maybe leverage the benefits of ChatGPT and bring it as a tool to help enhance learning. So we’re all still trying to figure it out together. In the meantime though, we can’t have students just using it to copy and paste to their assignments, and we have a policy against that.

On the applicant side, we do have a policy. One of the things that we ask our students is to verify that they have not received any outside support in preparing their essays and their application. And that students who are found to have gamed the system and to have used outside support, we can revoke their admissions. So we do have those policies, but again, the onus is on us to create prompts that make it difficult to use things like ChatGPT. On the admission side, we want to know who the students are, and we don’t want to know what ChatGPT thinks, we want to know what you think. And in the classroom, we want you to learn. We want you to push yourself, we want you to enhance your capabilities, and you can only do that if you really are putting in the effort and not relying on an outside tool to do it for you.

I think there’s also a difference between using an outside tool and relying on an outside tool. [25:41]

Yeah, I don’t mind them using outside tools. And I’ve been designing a little bit assignments that leverage ChatGPT in a way to help students learn versus-

Would you be willing to share an example? [26:01]

Yeah. One example could be you actually put the prompt in ChatGPT that you want students to answer, and then you ask them to critique the response from ChatGPT.

Clever. [26:18]

What did ChatGPT get right? What did ChatGPT get wrong and why? Another thing that I do in my classes is I have students work together in class and I go from group to group. We have discussions in small groups, and they have to think on their feet, so they’re not prompts. The discussions that we have are not prompts that ChatGPT would know how to answer. So those are the ways that I approach it. But yeah, I mean, you’re exactly right, we want students to use it as a tool. We don’t want students to rely on it to do their work for them.

A wonderful answer. Thank you. What would you have liked me to ask you? [26:52]

So I think one of the questions that I was thinking about in preparation for this is why here and why now?

Go for it. It’s a great question. [27:05]

Why Abu Dhabi and why-

Great question. Why didn’t I think of that one? [27:05]

I mean, I think part of it is that if you think about Abu Dhabi, and again, going back to something that I mentioned before, Abu Dhabi is increasingly becoming a world capital that’s connected to other world capitals and it’s connected to other world capitals more each and every day. It’s becoming more, as you mentioned, it’s becoming more of a finance capital. It’s becoming more of a sustainability capital. It’s becoming more of a business capital. It’s becoming more of a consumer products capital. It’s becoming a technology capital. It’s becoming a FinTech capital. All of these things that the UAE and Abu Dhabi in particular are investing in because they see the need to diversify their economy away from fossil fuels and towards a more knowledge-based, services-based economy. For us, when we were researching and thinking about this as a location, when you speak to companies and you talk to them and you say, what is it that you need in order to accomplish these goals that you have? We hear the same answers over and over and over again, which is, we need people who have managerial skills.

You talk to even private or public employers here in the region, they say there is a need for people with managerial skills to help us with that transition, to be a part of that, to help propel it. Ultimately, these are the folks who are going to become the leaders in this region, and they are going to be a part of that transition away from an energy fossil fuels based economy towards this new knowledge based services based economy. So when we were thinking about it, what better location than to do that right here? We already have a campus here. We’ve already built a stellar faculty here. We’ve been operating here for more than a decade. We know the market, and so we feel like now is the right time to be the first ones, the first top US business school to offer a full-time MBA in the region.

There’s tremendous talent here too. There’s a lot of young people who have an incredible desire to upskill too. So that was also part of it. So the employers are asking for it on the demand side for our graduates and on the supply side, the prospective applicants, the students really want it because they see the need to upskill as well.

Spoken like a true economist, supply and demand. Thank you again for the question and the answer. Thank you for the entire interview. It’s been wonderful. Thank you for joining me today, Dean Salomon. [29:29]

Relevant Links:

• Stern at NYUAD One-year Full-time MBA
• MBA ROI Calculator
• NYU Essay Tips

Relevant shows:

• How to Get Accepted to NYU Stern, podcast Episode 525
• Get Into INSEAD, the Business School for the World, podcast Episode 520  
• How to Get an MBA at Columbia Business School, podcast Episode 528
• Empowering International Students with the Financing for Grad Ed, podcast Episode 475

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The post Stern at NYU Abu Dhabi: A Full-Time MBA in the Middle East [Episode 549] appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

Our consultants receive a lot of questions from clients about applying to MBA programs through The Consortium for Graduate Study in Management. I’ve heard myths that suggest that applying to one (or more) of the 22 Consortium schools through The Consortium’s application is disadvantageous. But as the former director at two Consortium schools, I can assure you that nothing could be further from the truth — provided you meet The Consortium’s minimum qualifications.

Though the requirements, participating schools, and corporate partners have changed over The Consortium’s 57-year history, not only is the organization the best deal in town but it also gives its members an alumni network that extends throughout the 22 member schools.

The Consortium history and mission

Initially, The Consortium provided opportunities for young African-American men to have a fair chance at rising up the corporate ladder via the MBA. Later, The Consortium added Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, and women to its mix. Membership came along with the fellowship.

However, after the Supreme Court decided the Gratz v. Bollinger and Grutter v. Bollinger cases, The Consortium opened its doors to offer membership to selected applicants that further The Consortium’s mission to promote the “inclusion in global business education and leadership . . . of African Americans, Hispanic Americans and Native Americans.” Members do not need to belong to one of these groups but must demonstrate the mission through community and professional action and impact. Thus, membership is no longer race based but rather mission driven. Applicants must also demonstrate the ability to succeed in a Consortium member school’s MBA program.

Consortium member benefits

Like the undergraduate Common App, candidates can apply to up to six schools with only one application for a fraction of the cost that the candidate would incur by applying to each school separately. The Consortium membership grants the candidate access to the orientation and corporate partners. Many members receive internship offers before the start of school.

To summarize the benefits:

1. Applicants can use a single application for up to six schools at one low cost.
   
2. Members gain access to a vast alumni network of 22 schools, including mentorship from among the approximately 9,000 Consortium alumni (formal or informal).
   
3. Students gain access to corporate sponsors at orientation if selected as a member.
   
4. If selected as a fellow, students receive full tuition and a stipend.

READ: The Consortium Application: Tips for Your CGSM Essays >>

Consortium member schools

* School’s class profile presents a score/GPA range rather than an average.

To learn more about applying through The Consortium, please contact me for a consultation.

By Natalie Grinblatt, the former admissions dean/director at three top business schools. Natalie has reviewed more than 70,000 applications, interviewed more than 2,500 candidates, and trained nearly 700 admissions directors and alumni volunteers to select outstanding candidates for admission. Her clients gain admission to top programs, including those at Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, MIT, Cornell, Columbia, Berkeley, Chicago, Northwestern, and NYU. Natalie holds an MBA from Michigan Ross. Want Natalie to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch!

Related Resources:

• Top MBA Application Essay Questions: How to Answer Them Right
• The Consortium Application: Tips for Your CGSM Essays [2022 – 2023]
• What the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management Can Do for MBA Applicants – podcast episode 395

Can the Consortium Help You Get Accepted and Fund Your MBA? [Episode 532]

[powerpress]

In this episode, the Director of Recruiting at CGSM details the benefits – and opportunities! – available to Consortium members, what it takes to become a member, and why applying in Round One may not always be an applicant’s best strategy.  [SHOW SUMMARY]

There’s an organization that can help U.S. citizens and permanent residents get accepted to top MBA programs, fund their MBA, and even provide career support post-MBA – provided the applicants support the organization’s mission. Let’s learn all about it from the Consortium for the Graduate Study of Management’s (CGSM) Director of Recruiting.

An interview with Bianca Keys, director of recruiting at the Consortium for the Graduate Study of Management. [Show Notes]

Welcome to the 532nd episode of Admissions Straight Talk. Thanks for joining me. 

Sometimes I’m asked, is the MBA worth it? And my answer is, it depends on your individual circumstances. But I’ve got good news. We’ve developed a tool that will help you evaluate whether an MBA is worth it for you and your individual circumstances and by how much. Just go to accepted.com/mbaroi and check how much you’re likely to benefit, or not, from earning an MBA. And using it won’t set you back even one cent, it’s free. 

I’m delighted for the first time on Admissions Straight Talk to talk with Bianca Keys, Director of Recruiting at the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management. Bianca earned her bachelor’s degree from Lindenwood University and her master’s in Business Management and Leadership from Webster University. She has worked in enrollment management, DEI training, and admissions in different capacities since 2008. She became CGSM’s Director of Recruiting in September 2022. 

Bianca, welcome to Admissions Straight Talk. [1:53]

Thank you. Thank you for having me.

I’m delighted to do so. Now let’s start with something really, really basic. What is the Consortium? [1:59]

All right. So, the Consortium, we are pretty much an alliance of top graduate business programs and also top corporate partners, and we’re supported by alumni and students. We were founded in 1966 by Washington University’s professor, Sterling Schoen. And his one driven mission was actually inspired by him noticing a lack of African American men in leadership in American corporations.

So, with the partnerships of some corporate partners and some founding schools, they were able to pretty much create this alliance to give African American men the business skills to be able to secure positions in American corporations. So, now we’ve grown.

And I assume it’s no longer limited to African American men. It’s now African American men and women, right? [2:59]

Yes, men and women. And our target pops are African American men, Native American and Hispanic American, but our applications are open to all.

How does one become a CGSM member? [3:16]

In order to become a member, you would have to, of course, apply. And three of our requirements are that you must be a U.S. citizen or U.S. permanent resident of any race or ethnicity, you must demonstrate a commitment to our Consortium’s mission, and hold a four-year bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in the U.S. or equivalent. So, to be approved for Consortium membership, an applicant must demonstrate the commitment through their resume, our essay, and their letter of recommendation.

I have in front of me your mission, so I’m just going to read it off. “The mission of the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management, an alliance of leading American business schools and some of our country’s top corporations, is to enhance diversity in business education and leadership by helping to reduce the serious underrepresentation of African Americans, Hispanic Americans and Native Americans in both the member schools’ enrollments and the ranks of management.” 

So, again, there’s no racial requirement in terms of membership as long as you support and identify with and support and have supported that mission in the past. [3:59]

Yeah.

All right. So, one of CGSM’S benefits is the ability to apply through CGSM and pay one application fee, and I think it goes to a maximum of six schools, correct? [4:33]

There’s no max anymore.

There’s no max anymore, ooh! [4:44]

So, two things, two updates. We’ve removed rankings. So, there are no rankings, and you can apply to as many member schools as you would like. So, from one to two schools is $150, up to six schools which is $300, but each additional program is $25. Yeah, so they can apply…

And so, in the past with our ranking system, the top ranking school, they were the only school that was able to offer a fellowship opportunity. And now if you applied to all six schools or more, they have the opportunity to offer you… they each have an opportunity to offer you a fellowship. And we empower the student to be able to make the better choice of what school best fits them.

Wow, that’s a big change. When did this change take place, like last year? [5:38]

This last application.

Last cycle. Should’ve interviewed you then. No, I’m teasing. That’s great news. I somehow missed that announcement. Okay, good to know. Good to know. So, there’s no more ranking and there’s no more maximum, and multiple schools could offer a fellowship. [5:43]

Yes.

Now you apply for membership at the same time that you submit your application, correct? [6:00]

Yes. It’s a one stop shop,

It’s a one-stop deal, one application. So, it is possible to use the CGSM application process and ultimately not be approved for CGSM membership, is that correct? [6:09]

Yes, that is possible. But the application is still considered an application, so you won’t get rejected from the member school just because you didn’t get membership. They still go through their standard process of admissions. And a lot of times they’ll offer you other fellowship opportunities or scholarship opportunities that they may have available at the schools.

And the schools don’t even see your decision in terms of CGSM membership. They don’t see the membership essay, correct, the membership application essay? [6:46]

They don’t see any of the membership application essays or letters of recommendation. All they see is the decision once we’ve made it.

Now I saw on your website that Stanford partnered with CGSM last year and became the 22nd school to become a partner school. Have any other schools partnered since then? [7:02]

Yes, I’m excited to say that…

Well, you got lots of news today. [7:17]

Yeah, I do. I do. Northwestern Kellogg School of Management, they are our newest, our 23rd school, which we are so excited to have them. They will begin July 1st, actually, and they will be on our application this upcoming cycle. And this upcoming cycle is for students fall 2024, that will begin fall 2024.

What is the benefit of applying through CGSM as opposed to just using the school’s portal? Portals, I should say. [7:45]

We, one, save you money. An average application for any grad program can be up to about $300 for one application, where six applications is $300 applying through us. So, it’s definitely a win for the students. Whether they get membership or not, it’s saving them money and they are allowed to go by our application deadlines as well. So, if maybe Columbia or one of the schools, maybe their application deadline may be September 15th, they still would recognize the application on our deadline, which our Round One is October 15th.

And I believe it’s also easier to apply. Aren’t there fewer essays required or is it pretty much the same at this point? [8:50]

Right, so it is the core essay which asks the applicants to discuss their MBA goals, and then there’s a second core essay that the applicants are able to detail any additional information that they may want to add that they weren’t able to explain in the application.

Right. And is there typically a supplemental per school essay, or do the schools ask for their own essays in addition to the Consortium essay? [9:20]

Sometimes they ask for their own supplementals that are added in addition. We are going through that process of application updates as we speak.

But it’s not all schools that do that? [9:38]

No, no. No, no.

Usually the student has the mission essay and then the two GMAC format essays.

Are you worried about CGSM’s applicants using ChatGPT and preparing their essays? [9:51]

Oh, the ChatGPT.

You got it. I’m asking everybody this question. [10:03]

And that’s a good question. So, with it being such a newer phenomenon right now, I just want applicants and students to be mindful that there are advantages and disadvantages to using ChatGPT, because what we’re looking for is consistency in their demonstrated commitment to the mission. And I doubt it if they’ll be able to convey that in an interview based off of a ChatGPT essay.

So, a lot of the admissions advisors and committees, they’re looking for authenticity. They’re looking for unique perspectives and their applicant’s ability to be able to express themselves. So, I don’t know if they can… It probably is a good tool to help guide them in forming their essay, but I don’t think it should be something that can express exactly your commitment.

I’ve played with it a little bit, and sometimes there are outright errors in it. It’s wrong. [11:09]

Right, right.

And other times it’s just very generic, and it has to be generic. You’re not going to get a lot of authenticity. But it does sometimes help. [11:17]

Yeah, yeah.

But to rely on it blindly I think is a big mistake. [11:28]

Yeah. Yeah. Especially if you don’t check.

Absolutely. Absolutely. [11:35]

Attention to detail.

Are there other elements to the CGSM application? We discussed you pay a fee. You have the core essays. You might have supplemental essays. Are there short answer essays or anything like that or is it pretty straightforward? [11:40]

Yeah, it’s pretty straightforward. If the school has any changes or supplements to each essay, that may be the different shift or change. But pretty much transcripts, resume. We always advise students to make sure that your experience, if you’re a part of organizations like Forte or MLT, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Teach for America, making sure that that’s actually on your resume. That definitely helps. Your test scores, GRE, GMAT or Executive assessment, letters of recommendation. One for the mission, and then there are two for the schools. Yes. And making sure you get the right recommender.

What makes a right recommender? [12:41]

Someone who can explicitly… Especially for the Consortium mission letter of recommendation, somebody who can explicitly pretty much show your demonstrated commitment to our mission and they know about that.

They’ve observed it. [13:01]

Yeah, they’ve observed it, and they can actually speak to it. And they’re not saying, “Well, I don’t know about their demonstrated commitment, but Jane is a great person and we love her personality. She’s very professional.” It’s like, what?

That’s not the question. [13:17]

So, definitely communicate with your recommender about expectations. And with us, it doesn’t have to be your supervisor with the Consortium mission letter of recommendation. It can be as long as it’s not a family member. It could be anyone who can speak to it.

That you’ve somehow supported that mission. Makes sense [13:40.

Yes.

What are the non-admissions benefits of being a CGSM member or fellow, and what is the difference between being a CGSM member and fellow? So, there’s really two questions there. Why don’t we start with the non-admissions benefits of membership, and then we’ll get to the difference between being a member and a fellow. [13:46]

So, the non-admission benefits are pretty much the early access to corporate partners. A lot of our students, we just had OP, our orientation program this past June, and it was amazing. It was amazing.

I know you’re working very hard on it. [14:20]

Yeah. Oh man, it was definitely a job, but it’s worth it. And just to see all of the students that we worked with from the beginning up until that point, from all their stress points, their pain points, to see them, they made it, and they’re at the orientation program. So, them having early access to our corporate partners.

They also have access to our system that is… We have a platform that is called Hello Fellow that allows them to join different groups that are industry groups. And our corporate partners have access to them as well, and they’re able to apply to positions that are open to those corporate partners.

Also, at our orientation program, we had a corporate open house that’s not like your traditional job fair. All of our corporate partners actually already had our students’ resumes, they already had a student look book, they’ve already seen the students and they already know the students prior to them even coming to the expo.

So, they definitely have a great advantage by being a Consortium fellow. And then the camaraderie, the support that they have with each other, there’s nothing like it. I love how each campus had… they call themselves CFAM.

Campus family, yeah. [15:53]

Yes. Each campus, each Consortium cohort on each campus, they’re so close. A lot of our alumni mention that the connection, that’s like a trending thing with us here at the Consortium is connection. Being able to connect students with not only each other, but also with our corporate partners and with our top MBA programs.

So, they have lifelong connections with all three of those different entities, and they enjoy being able to talk with someone who understands them, someone who may be going through the same even issues at their jobs or anything like that, and that connection. And if there’s a job loss or anything like that, we do provide the support to help those students to be able to reconnect with corporate partners and find another opportunity.

So, just to clarify, the orientation program is open to all Consortium members, not just fellows, correct? [16:54]

So, Consortium fellows, you’re applying for membership, but the membership allows you to become a Consortium fellow. So, whether you received a fellowship or not, you are considered a Consortium fellow.

So, you’re a Consortium fellow whether you get a scholarship or not? [17:16]

Right.

Got it. And all the fellows/members can go to the orientation program. How long is the orientation program? [17:26]

So, it’s a four-day conference, and it consists of a lot of hands-on career development. We have diversity theater, which is amazing. A lot of our corporate partners, they have private interviews with a lot of the students. So, a big portion of our students leave with internships or career opportunities.

For next year, for next summer, or for this summer? For next summer? [17:56]

Yes. For this upcoming year –

For summer 2024, let’s say? [18:03]

Yes.

And what is diversity theater? [18:06]

Oh my goodness, diversity theater. This was actually my first year to experience it. Hearing it from other coworkers and staff was not the same as experiencing and seeing those difficult conversations displayed on stage.

So, there’s actors that are on stage, and they may act out a scene where some coworkers that may deal with microaggressions or different challenges that you may face at work and how to address that, and just having those conversations amongst your peers. And it really was eye opening for not only the students, but for staff, for a lot of our corporate partners and admissions representatives as well. So, it was pretty amazing, and we have it annually as well.

And it seems like the orientation program is very much career oriented. Is there any prep for the actual study of the MBA, or is that assumed that the schools will handle that? [19:09]

So, the schools, the admissions representatives and career services representatives are present. So, they do have an advising session that they get to work with them and meet with them one-on-one for prep with the corporate partners, but also any questions that they have about the upcoming program that they’re about to start in the fall. They have all of that one-on-one time, a lot more one-on-one time than they would normally get during the school year.

Sounds like a very busy four days, very full. [19:54]

Yeah, it is very full.

Okay. How does CGSM help its fellows in career placement, both during and after the MBA? [20:00]

So, during the MBA, again, we have the Hello Fellow and our annual program, our annual orientation program and career forum. Like I mentioned before, they have the opportunity to interact with the corporate partners. The corporate partners get to review their resumes and their backgrounds early on before even meeting them face-to-face. Our alumni network, our Hello Fellow system, allows them to, again, engage with these corporate partners.

And then our student and alumni relations department, they are amazing with connecting with the students. They engage with student liaisons as well in providing that support that they may need throughout the year. And if there’s a student, like we just had tech layoffs recently. And our alumni development department, they were able to help and assist with reengaging with those students or those alumni to be able to help them to get placed in other career opportunities.

A few weeks ago you had the OP. It was mostly geared towards people starting the MBA in 2023, but it also had people who started the MBA in 2022. Is that correct? [21:18]

We had some second year. Like if something happened last year, I know dealing with the pandemic and other issues, some students were not able to attend last year, and so they were given the opportunity to attend this year.

But it’s usually just for the people about to start the MBA, the OP? [21:48]

Right, it’s usually first year students.

What do you see coming down the pike for the Consortium? [21:54]

Oh my goodness. Continued growth, continued engagement with a lot of the students. We’re working on increasing our exposure and engaging. This year we shared a lot of our OP activities on our social media and got a lot of good feedback and engagement. So, definitely I think we have a good momentum right now to be able to get all of the good things that we do at the Consortium out to the public and to the world.

What advice would you give to someone applying to apply via the Consortium in this, the 2023-2024 application cycle? [22:34]

Definitely begin your MBA journey. And beginning your MBA journey does not start with the application. It starts with the preparation.

Yes, that’s right. [23:13]

Definitely starts with the preparation. So, researching a lot of the schools that you’re interested in, finding out if you’re interested in the Consortium, finding out what that Consortium culture looks like on each campus to see what best fits you. Also, looking into preparation for GRE, GMAT, or the Executive Assessment and finding out what the class profiles are for each school that you’re interested in so you can have a good idea of where you stand. And don’t rush your application. Don’t rush it.

Yay! [23:54]

I always have some overzealous students that want to, “I’m getting it in for Round One.” Wait a minute. Make sure that you’re submitting the strongest application and that this is the right time for you to start a program. There’s no rush. There’s no rush. There’s no rush. Make sure you have the strongest application. Utilize all resources that you need to support you through your application process.

We always advise students to attend our events. We have member school webinars that are… We actually have one coming up on July 10th, which will have Washington University, University of Rochester Simon, and UCLA Anderson. And they will be talking about their MBA programs, but also talking about their Consortium cohorts on their campus as well.

And we also have our MBA application preparation seminars, which is MAPS, which will be in person this year. So, we will be in New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, and DC.

Wow. You’re getting around. [25:16]

Yes.

Not all Consortium schools require a test score. Does the Consortium require a test score even if the school does not? [25:21]

So, for membership we don’t require a test score. But if you are applying and they offer a test waiver, we would need to have that test waiver submitted, or you would need to submit that in the application. And then we just confirm it with the member school whether that test waiver was actually approved. Yeah. And then if it wasn’t approved, then they would have to submit a test score.

Are any of the programs or any of the partner schools entirely test optional? Do you know off the top of your head? I wasn’t sure as I was thinking about it. [26:03]

I don’t think so. Well, it depends on the school and what policies they have in place this upcoming school year.

I think most of them have a test waiver option, and I also would have to go through each one. [26:19]

Yeah. I always advise students to talk with them early about it, because last year I ran into the issue of students who just missed it. It was like they just missed the test waiver window. So, definitely talk with your school of interest to find out when that test waiver timeframe is and get that in if that’s an option for you.

Wonderful advice even if you’re not applying through CGSM, by the way. [26:51]

Right, absolutely.

What would you have liked me to ask you? [26:56]

These were all great questions.

What would you like to share that I haven’t asked? [27:02]

I would like to share just my… In my position as Director of Recruiting, what my passion and desire and vision is for the Consortium moving forward is to be able to expand our exposure to those who definitely need the opportunity, to be able to expand our exposure to those areas, because sometimes we are in this collegiate bubble.

Aacademia. [27:37]

Yeah, absolutely. And to be able to… We do so many great things.

You do. [27:45]

And just being able to see just the energy that I get from the students, just being around them, and just the positive nature of it all, being able to give that to others who don’t know about the Consortium. So, that’s my mission and goal is to increase exposure and to really share about the great things we’re doing here at the Consortium.

Well, today in this podcast, you did it. [28:14]

Thank you. Thank you, Linda.

You’re very welcome. Bianca, I want to thank you so much for joining me today. Where can listeners and potential applicants learn more about CGSM? [28:21]

They can check us online at www.cgsm.org or on our LinkedIn page and our Instagram page and on Twitter.

Relevant Links:

• The Consortium for the Graduate Study of Management
• Applying For Your MBA Through The Consortium: Best Deal In Town
• MBA ROI Calculator   

Relevant shows:

• How to Get an MBA at Columbia Business School – a podcast Episode 528
• How to Get Accepted to NYU Stern – a podcast Episode 525
• How to Get into Dartmouth Tuck – a podcast Episode 514
• How to Get Into Georgetown McDonough’s MBA Program – a podcast Episode 512
• How to Get Accepted to UNC Kenan-Flagler Full-Time MBA Program – a podcast Episode 496

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The post Applying for Your MBA Through The Consortium [Episode 532] appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

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In this episode, the Senior Associate Dean for Enrollment Management at Columbia Business School explains why there isn’t one right answer to the application essay – but there is a true answer.  [SHOW SUMMARY]

Are you interested in an MBA that has the goal of preparing you for a career in innovation and entrepreneurship? With a record of excellence and a powerful alumni network? Columbia Business School is known for its cluster system of classes that fosters innovation amongst students. Sounds interesting? Listen to this episode where CBS’ Senior Associate Dean for Enrollment Management provides insight on how to get accepted to its elite MBA programs. 

An interview with Clare Norton, Columbia Business School’s Senior Associate Dean for Enrollment Management. [Show Notes]

Welcome to the 528th episode of Admissions Straight Talk. Thanks for joining me. Are you ready to apply to your dream MBA programs? Are you competitive at your target schools? Accepted’s MBA admissions quiz can give you a quick reality check. Complete the quiz, and you’ll not only get an assessment of your chances, but tips on how to improve them. Plus it’s all free. 

It gives me great pleasure to have for the first time on a Admissions Straight Talk, Clare Norton, Senior Associate Dean for Enrollment Management at Columbia Business School. After earning her bachelor’s at Notre Dame in Indiana, Clare became a New Yorker through and through. She started her career as a trader with Citigroup and then moved into admissions first at Hunter College and then at CUNY and Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health. Along the way, she also earned her master’s in higher education administration from Baruch College. She joined Columbia Business School in January as Senior Associate Dean for Enrollment Management.

Congratulations on your new position and welcome, Clare,  to Admissions Straight Talk. [1:48]

Thank you. Thanks for having me. I’m excited to be here.

Can you provide an overview of Columbia’s MBA program for listeners who may not be that familiar with it? [1:59]

I think to me, the key point about the Columbia MBA program is actually the flexibility, is that we do really think of it as something that can be crafted and changed to meet the needs of individual students. I think that that’s part of what makes it so exciting is the opportunity to understand about yourself, what your gaps are and what your strengths are, and to really craft an experience that is personalized to get you where you’d like to go.

We, or Columbia, have several different kinds of entry points to that MBA.  So we have a full-time MBA entry in August. We have a full-time MBA entry in January, and then we also have a number of Executive MBA programs. EMBA programs on both a Friday-Saturday, a Saturday, and a global program that’s a dual degree with London School of Business. So a lot of opportunities to come in and do the MBA.

This year we have also created a brand new program called MBAxMS, which is a dual degree program with our School of Engineering. So our first cohort will start with us this August.

What’s new at Columbia Business School in terms of the program changes to the program, innovations to the program, you mentioned, the MBAxMS; anything else you’d like to highlight? [3:23]

I’d like to share a little more, about XMS than what I said, which is that it’s really a program that equips students with both the management skills and the science and technology core that should enable them to move seamlessly from classroom to product development to large scale innovation, and ultimately help create and grow companies and drive change.

So it’s really something that covers those core engineering courses in the curriculum on the areas of tough tech, applied science foundations, but also the essential business courses in leadership and strategy, finance, economics, marketing. So I think it’s a really exciting program, and it’s one that’s been in the works for quite a while, but I think when you recognize what’s happening in the world at the moment, you get just a small insight into the forethought and the innovative culture and nature that is Columbia Business School.

So everybody now is talking about the importance of these roles and the impact of AI and all those kinds of things, but we’ve really been working in this direction for quite a while. So that’s something that’s new, but also I think really representative of what’s great about Columbia Business School.

How long is the dual degree program? [4:47]

It’s still a two-year program.

But I assume it’s probably fewer electives. [4:56]

Yes, a bit fewer electives. Not no electives. There are electives in the program, but fewer, and students start with the engineering coursework and then move on to focusing more on the MBA.

Where are CBS MBAs finding jobs in terms of geography, industry and function? [5:12]

So I think it’s easier to say where CBS graduates are not finding jobs. Truly everywhere, and in everything they’re finding jobs. Again, what’s of note maybe is that our alumni continue to be involved in all the traditional sectors, but seeing lots of folks still in financial services, in investment banking, in consulting, but also a real growth in students who are focused on more entrepreneurial tracks, students who are focused on more tech oriented tracks, students who are really interested in roles that involve sustainability, which is something that they really get an opportunity to have exposure to here at Columbia Business School and truly all around the globe. There’s nothing I can really think of that you could want to do that you don’t get good preparation for here.

Sometimes I hear from applicants, or potential applicants, that while New York City provides fantastic opportunities, it’s also replete with distractions, and those distractions can hinder the formation of some of the close ties that some other business school communities have. How would you respond to that concern? [6:14]

I’ll say it just has not been my observation. So as you noted, I’m still relatively new, but even in my time, I have gotten to know so many students just in the hallways, attending events, who I then see day after day around campus who are saying hello and popping in to check on things. When I talked to students about the experience, which I did, I just attended our graduation ceremonies, and they were just full of recollections of the exciting engagements that they participated in with their student colleagues.

They are very, very connected to their cluster. So their CBS cluster is something they, I think, take with them forever as a point of pride. But the involvement in student clubs, I had the opportunity to attend our January Club Fair, which is really targeted more at our January incoming term, and that’s a smaller student cohort.

When I tell you that the space was packed not only with new students who wanted to learn more, but actually all of the students representing the various organizations, there were many folks deep to make sure that everybody knew what exciting things they had going on. And I think it’s just representative of how connected and involved they really are. Our beautiful new campus I think really draws folks to be here and to stay around and hang out.

So we do, of course, have the connection with New York City, and that’s amazing, and it allows students to have that coffee meeting in the middle of the week with a remarkable alum or participate in a semester internship because they can get back and forth. But I don’t think that it in any way detracts from the connection that they feel to the campus to one another, to our leadership, to the broader Columbia community. I think there’s really a very strong tie there and so it is honestly the best of both worlds.

Now let’s move to admissions, and you were kind enough to tell me that Columbia has moved to rounds. Columbia historically has always had rolling admissions, and this year it now has rounds. So what are the deadlines? How many rounds? When are they and why? [8:39]

Yes. So for our January entry, we’ll continue to be rolling at least for this January entry, partially because we consider folks from that August and January entry to all be part of the same graduating cohort. And so we wanted to use the same process there. So if you’re interested in January 2024, then the application deadline will be September 13th, but rolling until then. So encourage folks to do sooner rather than later if that’s something that interests you.

For August of 2024, we’re planning three rounds. So our first round will also have a September 13th deadline. And then the second one will be a January 5th deadline and followed by our final round, which will be an April 3rd deadline. We really felt like this was just an opportunity to rethink some of what we’ve been doing and to align with peer schools, I think it can sometimes be additionally stressful and complicating for students that we weren’t necessarily aligned with many of our peer schools and places that they were also looking at and I think led to some anxiety about how were they supposed to approach those rounds as compared to the rolling admissions?

So we really felt that it would be helpful to our prospective students to get a little more aligned and to be able to speak in the same terminology that others are using and give folks an opportunity to really know what the timeline will look like and plan for that. So those were the why.

Previously, Columbia had a fellowship deadline or the scholarship deadline consideration was the January date. Is the round two deadline going to be the scholarship consideration deadline also, or no? [10:36]

We are encouraging folks to apply in rounds one or two who are really hoping for scholarship and fellowship consideration. There won’t be the same deadline like the one we had in the past because of the rolling process. But certainly there will be a benefit from a consideration for financial support perspective to being in those first couple rounds.

That’s definitely news. [11:18]

Yes. Hopefully it will be received happily by folks. It really was our intention to try to make things simpler and more streamlined.

I know there were some changes to the essays, and we’re going to get to that in a second, but do you see any changes coming in terms of the test policy Columbia has? In the past required the GMAT, the GRE or the EA, any changes there? Are they going to be required? Are other tests going to be accepted? [11:42]

So certainly we’ll continue to accept those three. Planning still at the moment to require some tests. And so one of those. Obviously, there’s some additional new tests coming into the offering both in the GMAT and the GRE space. So we’ll be taking a look at those. But for now, we’re planning to accept those that have traditionally been offered and looking for folks to have at least one of those as part of their application.

You did make some changes to the essays. Could you review those? [12:28]

Sure. So we have always been interested in learning from students. What is it that they are planning to do that has encouraged them to want to pursue an MBA and how do they really feel that Columbia fits into that plan for them? And so that question remains as it always has, as does why Columbia Business School? Where we’re really looking for students to help us understand why we’re a fit for them and why they’re a fit for us.

So really what is it about our programs, our curriculum, our student organizations, our faculty, the variety of opportunities that exist here that are unique to our particular school and experience and how does that really fit? I think those two, I mentioned them together because I think there’s a thread there. So ideally, we’re looking for someone who, in that why Columbia Business School can take further the information that they’ve presented in that first question and really make it clear to us how the various opportunities and supports and things that exist here are going to be influential for them in achieving the goals that they see for themselves.

We know that people are going to come and have experiences and some of that is going to change and we’re happy to have that be the case, but we really just want to understand – 

They’re not signing a contract? [14:01]

Correct. Yes. No, no commitment required to the plans that you’ve put forward. But I think we just want to really get a sense of thought process. And again, why does this feel like something you want to do, and why does this feel like someplace that you want to do that? It’s a major investment you make going to graduate school. And so we want to understand how you’ve come to the decision that that’s an investment that you want to make.

We’re then adding back in a question this year that we have used in previous years that speaks to our inclusive leadership interest at the school and understanding how folks have been able to address challenges in one of a variety of areas that are highlighted in our PPIL program. So we’re excited to bring that one back. I think it’s something that provides insight into what we value.

So it’s partially there to have folks really engage with what are the pillars that we’re looking at in a program like that and what is it that we hope to be able to develop in leaders that are graduating from Columbia Business School and how can they share with us some of the ways that they’ve engaged with some of those topics in the past. So that’s why we’ve decided to add that one. We have enjoyed over the last number of years the opportunity to hear from folks about their favorite books and all of that, but we felt that this was maybe more representative of what’s important to us and the special opportunities that we think students have in the classroom here.

And then the optional essay, there’s also that, right? [15:49]

Right, yes. So yes, still an optional essay and it’s always really helpful. I tell students all the time that if you step back and look at the things that you’ve presented in your application and there’s something that you recognize that we should know, but it’s not in there, that absolutely is a place for you to take advantage of that. Whether that’s had some kind of challenge academically, historically that maybe you feel your GPA or test scores are not reflective of your potential or whether that you have had an opportunity to be engaged in some kind of activity that’s quite meaningful to you, that is only mentioned briefly in your resume.

That’s a place where anything that’s really an important part of who you are and that you think we need to understand about you as a candidate, that’s absolutely the place to use it. And so I encourage folks to do so if they feel that they can identify those gaps in their application.

What makes an application, or more specifically, what makes an applicant come alive for you? [16:58]

So I mean, I think it’s funny, and you and I were together with some other colleagues having a conversation around this same topic recently. I think it really is about being true to yourself, trying to… I think often in life we are nervous that we should be trying to tell someone what they want to hear, and that this is absolutely not a place to do that. That reads quite generic and not at all in the truly personable kind of way that was is what we want to see.

So I think it’s really important to say, “Whatever I’m writing here, do I feel like if I put this in front of somebody who knew me but they didn’t know it was mine, could they read it and recognize me? Can they see my personality, my motivations, my growth over time? Are those things really there?”

There’s not a right answer to the questions we’ve asked, right? There’s a true answer and applications that have the true answer always stand out as compared to those that are, I think trying to answer what they think is what folks might want to hear in response to those questions.

Do you see ChatGPT as a problem in the application process, specifically regarding the essays? [18:25]

So I don’t. I mean, I think ChatGPT is a tool, and there are many, many tools that we have now that we did not once have. Right? At some point in time we thought to ourselves, if people use a calculator, will they understand math? Yes, they do still understand math and in fact probably higher level math than they understood before that was utilized broadly.

I suspect ChatGPT will be quite similar. We’ve made it very clear to students in our application process that it’s a tool that can be utilized, but generative AI is not something that can write the whole answer. It’s the kind of thing that could do some editing for you or provide you with some ideas to make sure that you’ve touched upon, but that the work must be your own.

So from that perspective, I think we’re quite clear. But also I think actually back to what we were just talking about, the best applications are reflective, truly of the individual. And our essay questions in particular. We are really asking you to say for you personally, what is it about this that is going to connect, assist you, help your growth, engage you in new ways? Generative AI is not capable of saying that in a way that is authentic. So that’s really what we’ll be looking for. So I think, again, it’s nice to have something, maybe check your grammar, right?

It’s there for those kinds of things, but it’s never going to give an answer that can tie together across the application.

I have a daughter who loves to bake. Packaged cookies just don’t taste as good as her fresh-made cookies, out-of-the-oven bread, or whatever it is that she likes to bake. [20:18]

Yeah. There’s a little bit of her in that recipe that just can’t be replicated. So same for this. So I think it’ll actually be exciting to see what it does. We as a school are, obviously, as I mentioned earlier, thinking about what kind of training do our students need and how do we engage with it as a tool and make sure that they know how to engage with it as a tool and think about what kind of management is required and what data is missing from the data sets that these kinds of tools are drawing upon.

So there are lots of great and important questions for us to engage in the classroom. So we’re certainly not shying away from it. It’s something we think is important, but I think it won’t be problematic from an admissions perspective, given again, the fact that A, we’re letting people know what our honor code is and how we expect them to utilize it, and that we also really are looking for personal insights in our essays.

What can an interviewee, somebody lucky enough to be invited to interview at Columbia Business School, expect if invited to interview? Are they virtual or in person at this point? [21:26]

So they will be virtual this season. They have been both in the last several years, but again, we’re thinking that it’s a nice idea to be able to offer a standard experience for folks. So we’ll be doing that in that way across the board this year. It’s a great opportunity I think, to engage with our alum. Our interviews are mostly led by our alumni. Although in some programs, some others of us are participating. I realize now that when I was talking about entering our MBA, I didn’t mention our DEP program, which is obviously another fabulous road into Columbia Business School and one where you might see an admissions officer in the interview as well.

But I think how to behave and what to expect are very much the same kinds of things that we were just talking about for the essay. We want to see that authenticity again. You want to be prepared to talk about why you feel that this place is a fit for you and what your aspirations are for yourself. I think it’s a great idea to think to yourself and what’s the one or two key things that you might want to find out from someone who’s had the experience.

Obviously, the interview hopefully is not the only place that our prospective student is interacting with members of our community. Hopefully, you’ve come to some events, and you’ve had the opportunity to see some student panels and engage with faculty and all the different folks who make our community so special. But this is another one of those opportunities. So I think it’s also important not to forget that you should also be interrogating still like what is it about this that’s going to be special and is it the right fit for you and that this is an opportunity to do so by asking that person one or two key things that might be quite important to you.

Is the interview blind? [23:29]

Yes, it is.

So they only see the resume, right? [23:32]

They only see the resume. That’s correct.

Sometimes people don’t get in the first time, they might have to reapply. Do you have any suggestions for re-applicants since it’s that time of year also where I think the re-applicants are around more. [23:40]

True. I’ll open by saying we love re-applicants. Often, it’s that it’s just not the right moment either for the person for some reason or in our process or given our class and how it looks. It doesn’t mean that we can’t imagine that that person would be a great part of our community and a great contributor to our community. We look highly upon folks who take a step back, consider their options again, and say, “You know what I really do feel that this is the right place for me and here’s why.”

I think it’s important, again, in those moments to just say, “Is there anything that you may not have conveyed?” That question from the beginning about the optional essays and the places that your application might not show all the parts of you. That’s another moment to say, “Okay. Well, obviously this process is time-consuming and folks are juggling their lives at the same time that they’re applying.”

Sometimes you probably take a little bit of a shortcut or maybe don’t give your very best effort at doing these really finer point things of taking a step back and really taking a look at the application and making sure that we’re really able to understand you in a holistic and comprehensive way. So I recommend you have a little more time now. You’ve done all those other parts. You’ve already asked recommenders to write for you, and you’ve already put together essays, and now you can look at it with a fresh eye and say, “What might be missing from this application?”

Every so often I’ll talk to an applicant, a re-applicant and they’ll say, “My GMAT was low. I retook the GMAT and this time I got a 740. But I don’t really want to change the essays. I don’t want to have to rewrite them. I don’t want to get new letters.” What would you say to that applicant? [25:29]

There’s a lot of questions actually that I would sort of ask them. I would say, “Well, how long has it been since they applied? Is it a very short window in which case, maybe that’s more applicable?

It’s a year ago. [26:00]

So I mean, I think sometimes then there really might be pieces of information that were not true about you a year ago that are true now and that are not reflected in that. So I think it’s absolutely worth reconsidering what you’ve submitted and taking a look at that, at least again, with an eye to edit. Maybe you’re not starting from zero as you had to the first time around, but at least to be sure that what you’re submitting you really feel is your best effort and most representative of you and how you connect with and respond to the questions that are posed throughout our application, not just even in the essay, but all throughout.

So I think you do have to be willing to do some of that. Again, this is a really major commitment that you’re making to yourself and a major investment that you’re making in yourself. So you want to do that quite seriously. So if it feels too hard to take half an hour to look through this, then I think, you want to wonder if a two-year investment or a 18-month investment is something that you really want to make at this point in your life, in your career.

So I think that’s a good gut check for you is if you’re not willing to even take a look again and interrogate, what have you put in there and are there ways that you might communicate it better. Then maybe now is not the moment.

What I typically tell applicants is, A) you can’t be sure that your essays didn’t have any influence on the rejection, and B) Even if you applied a year ago and you used the exact same essays and the exact same resume except maybe changing the date, then you’re not showing any growth in the last year. [27:35]

Right. Absolutely. Totally agree. I think you make an excellent point, which is it’s a holistic process. So students regularly will say, or applicants regularly will say, “Oh, well I know that it was this thing.” And sometimes you look back at the file and you think to yourself, “No, that is not the thing.” You actually got a really strong rating in that area. The place where we didn’t see it was over here. Right?

So I just would caution people to presume that any part of their application was the “decision maker” because it really is a whole holistic process. And again, it’s not only a holistic process for you as an individual applicant, but it’s a holistic process of building a class, right? So what are the interests of the students around you? What are the things happening? So it’s more even than just what you yourself can contribute.

So yes, you should never assume that you’ve figured out what that one data point is, and that doesn’t mean I encourage people who feel that they have an opportunity to do better on any part of their application to do that. So if that happens to be testing and that’s a place that you think makes sense for you, then go for it. But don’t hang your hat on that.

Applicants now have about two and a half months, a little more than two and a half months until your first round deadline and maybe a little less than six months until the second round deadline. What should they be doing? [29:19]

I mean, the essay prompts are posted already. So while we have not yet opened our application, those are there, and you should absolutely start taking a look at those to pull that together. You should absolutely be thinking about who your recommender will be and making that ask so that someone has a lot of time to prepare.

Just one recommendation? [29:55]

Just one for us, yeah. So you want to really think about who’s going to be able to add something to your application. And this is a little bit of an aside, but it’s common for folks to ask, “Should I have the CEO who I sort of know, or this other person who I’ve worked quite closely with?” In that scenario, I would always say, “Go with that other person. We want someone who’s going to be able to really provide details.”

We’re not looking for there to be a connection to someone “important”. We’re looking for somebody to be able to talk to us about how you collaborate with others, what your learning style is, how you engage in a community? What motivates you? Who you are as a person. And so if that other person can’t say that about you, then that’s not going to be a great recommendation that adds a lot to your application. So start really thinking about those questions and providing folks with plenty of time to get those things in because you will have to have all the supporting documentation into your application by the deadline or else you get moved to the next round for consideration. So that includes that recommendation letter.

But also take advantage of the fact that we’re on the road all over the place. Tomorrow, I’m in London and Thursday I’m in Amsterdam, and we have folks all around the world in the next several days, weeks, months. So take advantage of that. Take advantage of the opportunities to visit us on campus. There’s opportunities to sit in on classes, and there’s so many events happening all the time. So everything doesn’t even have to be an admission event, but an opportunity to really understand the community and get a better sense for how are you going to choose to engage with that community. How are you going to choose to engage with those resources and opportunities?

So do that as well. Obviously, if you still have tests to take, then you have some studying to do, but I think those other parts are the more important, honestly, in terms of making sure that you’re going to be ready to put together a great application.

You touched on the deferred admissions program at Columbia and the advice for college students interested in Columbia’s deferred admissions program. Who is it really geared for? [32:12]

Yeah. I love the deferred admission program. I have worked in other schools and places as you mentioned, and I think that this is honestly a really remarkable opportunity that’s not available in a lot of other fields. I think that one misconception is maybe that it’s for students who are already in business whereas I would say it’s for students who recognize that leadership is going to be important in their lives down the road and who want to be somewhere where inclusive leadership and socially responsible leadership are some of the kinds of things that are going to be a focus.

Innovative leadership that’s aware of all these changes that we’re seeing in the world and preparing for those things. So I think it’s a much broader swath of individuals than maybe sometimes undergraduates think. But we do want someone who, again, has an idea of why this is eventually going to be useful to them.

As I said earlier, even more so with this population, we recognize that that will very likely change. You’re going to graduate from your undergraduate program and get into the working world and have some different experiences and meet more folks and be asked to do things in your professional life that are going to stretch you in different directions and open you up to new possibilities. But we at least want to see that, you recognize why this is going to be valuable to you professionally down the line, even if not in a very specific end goal kind of role, but just how do you see it? What are you going to be doing or what do you hope to be doing when you first finish up your undergraduate degree?

How can you imagine that that might roll out? How are things going to change for you as you start to have those experiences and where do you see an MBA program eventually adding value for you and being the right next step? So folks who can start to imagine and think about those things are the folks for whom this is a great program.

Would you be interested in a humanities or science or social science, liberal arts kind of person, not a math quant type of person? [34:29]

We absolutely would. Listen, we’re going to need to see that you have some strength in those areas. And so for students who don’t have any of it on their transcript, it’ll be important how they bring to life, the ways that they’ve utilized it, maybe outside of the classroom to the extent that you’ve done anything where you’ve been engaged with quant-like projects. And then obviously that’s also why we offer the opportunity for folks to test because it gives us a different input than the course trajectory that you happen to have been on. Different schools require different coursework of students or don’t require specific courseworks of students, and we don’t want whatever that early academic advisement was that matched the goals that you had at that point in time to deter you from being able to do something that you feel is a fit now. So that’s really where that piece of information can come in as quite helpful.

But I think there certainly are students who have lots of different kinds of backgrounds who already have been part of our DEP program, and it’s been sort of a hallmark of the MBA program always. We actually joke around that students will sometimes say to us, “I’m a non-traditional MBA student.” And we say, “Everybody is a non-traditional MBA student, or everybody is a traditional MBA student.” So there’s always folks. There’s always a dancer. There’s always an opera singer. There’s always a nurse.

Sports athlete. [36:25]

Right. There’s always a former lawyer. There’s always someone who’s only worked at their family business. There’s always someone who has lots of experience in scientific research. When you walk around in the classes, there is all this representation in every class. Folks with military experience. All different kinds of things. And that is the richness that we’re looking for.

I mean, that’s one part of the diversity that is part of the experience that we really value. So we don’t want everyone to have had all the same coursework and have all the same career goals. That’s not the idea. You have to take this MBA and use it in the world. And if you’re going to do that, you’re going to interact with a lot of different people with a lot of different perspectives, a lot of different ways of thinking about things, a lot of different ways of bringing those things to fruition.

So we want that to be the students in the classroom. So I absolutely want, as I said, anybody who can understand why this educational opportunity is going to be the right path for them to consider that.

What question would you have liked to answer that I didn’t ask? [37:43]

Good question. So I think what I would like to answer that you didn’t ask is, or I guess you did ask it, but maybe I went a different way, but what’s exciting at CBS now?

Okay. Go ahead. [38:01]

I think the answer to that is how much this place continues to evolve. We have a dean who is really excited by, and believes in, disruption and innovation, and I think our vision follows suit. So when you look at the coursework that we offer now and the coursework that we offered five, 10 years ago, the number of new courses is kind of mind-blowing to me in all of these. In entrepreneurship, in environmental, 50% of our students are taking at least some coursework with an environmental focus.

That was not true at some point in time and it’s a critical part of what businesses will be trying to address regardless of the area of business that someone becomes involved in. So I think you really see that happening, and I would expect to see new CBS developments, some of which have already launched or sort of underway, but in entrepreneurship, in digital future, in 21st century finance, in climate and sustainability and in business and society. I think those are really the areas that we think are going to be important for folks over the course of the next many years.

We’re really investing there to make sure that our students will be able to think in a proactive kind of way about where things are likely to be down the road and how they can help to develop solutions and organizations that will be successful in those environments.

Thank you very much for adding that. Where can listeners learn more about the CBS MBA? [39:36]

Yes, so gsb.columbia.edu. All our great insights will be there and all the information about deadlines and programs and how to get in touch with us, how to visit. So please head there and find out more.

Relevant Links:

• Columbia MBA Admissions
• MBA Admissions Quiz
• Columbia MBA Essay Tips

Related shows:

• How to Get into Dartmouth Tuck [Episode 514]
• How to Get Into Georgetown McDonough’s MBA Program [Episode 512]
• The Questions You SHOULD Be Asking – ANSWERED! [Episode 500]
• How to Get Accepted to MIT Sloan MBA [Episode 498]
• How to Get Accepted to Cornell Johnson MBA [Episode 488]
• Approaching Your MBA Application [Episode 487]

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The post How to Get an MBA at Columbia Business School [Episode 528] appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

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In this episode, the Executive Director for MBA Admissions at NYU Stern explains Stern’s Change Studio and Frontier Labs, explores what it means to be a Sternie, and gives advice to reapplicants. [SHOW SUMMARY]

Are you interested in an MBA that has the goal of preparing you to lead in an ever-changing world? Are you considering one- or two-year options? Does being in New York City with all that it offers, appeal to you? Then today’s episode is for you, the new Executive Director for MBA Admissions at NYU Stern is our guest.

An interview with Lindsay Loyd, the new Executive Director for MBA Admissions at NYU Stern. [Show Notes]

Welcome to the 525th episode of Admissions Straight Talk. Thanks for joining me. Are you ready to apply to your dream MBA programs? Are you competitive at your target schools? Accepted’s MBA admissions quiz can give you a quick reality check. Complete the quiz and you’ll not only get an assessment, but tips on how to actually improve your profile and qualifications and it’s all free.

It gives me great pleasure to have for the first time on Admissions Straight Talk, Lindsey Lloyd, Executive Director for MBA Admissions at NYU Stern. Lindsey leads the recruiting and admissions efforts for Stern’s full-time MBA programs, including the two-year, full-time MBA, the focused one-year MBAs, which are the Andre KooTechnology and Entrepreneurship MBA and the Fashion and Luxury MBA. Lindsay has a BA in economics from Washington State University and an MBA from Chicago Booth. Before joining NYU Stern, she had a 13-year career at American Express, where she ultimately became the Vice President of Strategic Engagement Global Commercial Services. She joined NYU Stern in January, 2023. 

Lindsey, congratulations on your new role and welcome to Admissions Straight Talk. [2:05]

Thanks, Linda. Great to be here.

Can you provide an overview of NYU Stern’s full-time, two-year MBA program? [2:17]

So NYU’s two year program, full-time, it’s the classic program that you think of when you hear “MBA.” It is a graduate management education that delivers on both breadth and depth. Year one, you’re going to jump in with launch orientation and then focus on the core requirements, both the required and some picks from our menu. Then have a summer internship, followed by your second year, when you really jump into electives and your specializations. 

There are three things that I’d highlight that make Stern special. Firstly being access, and really this is, we are located in the heart of New York City and we fully take advantage of that. We are so connected across businesses and industries, from FinTech to fashion, from media to marketing, you name it, we’ve got Stern alumni there and the beauty is, they’re just a subway right away. So we really are in the heart of the city and take advantage of it.

The next thing that I’d highlight is Stern’s Solutions. So this is our experiential learning opportunities for students, where they’re really jumping in and participating in live business challenges in the moment. This is something that Stern launched in the early two thousands, so this is two decades worth of experience and expansion and development. And lastly, I think Stern MBAs really have the opportunity to customize their experience. So I mentioned specializations earlier, you can pick three from over 20. There are more than 200 electives to choose from, and there are opportunities to study abroad, whether that’s for a semester or for one to two weeks, on a Doing Business In (DBI) international intensive.

The second year is entirely elective, isn’t it? [4:19]

Yes, it is.

Since it’s their five year anniversary and there’s increasing interest in one-year MBA programs, can you also provide an overview of the two focused, one-year MBA programs: the Tech MBA and the Luxury and Fashion MBA programs? [4:25]

Right. Quite a milestone for those programs.

They are fast, immersive, and indeed, very focused. They run May to May and it’s a lockstep, 52 credit curriculum. It includes a general business core, a specialized industry core, and then Stern Solutions, experiential learning projects that are really geared towards either tech or fashion and luxury. Starting with the tech program, which isSTEM designated, there’s a West Coast immersion experience and there’s a tech advisory board that connects students with prominent professionals and firms and industry. A couple of highlights here. So we’ve seen 120% growth in applications for the tech program since its inception. Another awesome stat is that, most cohorts in this program now, are at or near gender parity, and our 2022 class had 100% employment, three months post-graduation. So really awesome results happening in the tech program.

Similarly, the Fashion and Luxury Program also has an immersion experience. They go to Europe, and past trips have included stops at places like Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Prada. This program also has a council of industry leaders that connect students, because we know that mentorship and networking is really crucial, particularly in these industries. This program has a real small, deeply connected cohort. They all know, love each other, take care of each other,, and it’s a really special thing to see. Their employment rates have also been improving. And in 2022, that class hit 94% employment in three months, post-graduation. So, a high watermark there, as well.

What is the employment rate for the two year MBA? [6:26]

98%.

That’s also a really impressive number. [6:39]

Immediately versus three months, I’m not sure, but it’s very, very high.

The last entering class had the highest GMAT ever, and the last graduating class had the highest average total compensation ever. Correct? [6:51]

That is correct.

What do you attribute that to? [7:00]

So first, all credit goes to my predecessor in admissions, Lisa Rios, for recruiting a stellar class that is strong, not just on GMAT, but across all dimensions. As part of our holistic evaluation process, we’re test agnostic, so we accept the GMAT, GRE, EA, MCAT, LSAT, and we also offer a test waiver process. So I think a contributing factor to this high average GMAT is that candidates are figuring out which test works best for them and putting that best foot forward, which I think is a great strategy. We want candidates to submit their strongest application. On the graduate compensation front, I’ve got to tip my hat to my fellow Amex alum and the Head of Career Development at Stern, Brian Ruggiero, for just incredible placement outcomes, amidst the challenges of the pandemic.

As I’ve onboarded at Stern, it’s clear that that team on the employer relation front is incredibly strong, manages and builds great relationships there. And then on the career coaching front, they are incredible and do such a great job of preparing Sternies for all things recruiting. I’ve also been really impressed with the student-led industry groups and the Stern Pay it Forward ethos, part of that IQ+EQ vibe we’ve got going. The second years do so much to help the first years prepare for networking, case interviews, the whole thing, and it’s really incredible to see it in action.

Can you touch on Change Studio? What is it and how do students take advantage of it? [8:29]

Yeah, change is really the one constant in life.

And as such, it’s Stern’s mission to prepare our students to embrace change, to dare it, dream it, drive it, as the tagline says. And this mission is really foundational. It’s built into all aspects of the Stern program, from launch, to core and on through to electives. Change Studio is really an umbrella concept that encapsulates the many different co-curricular opportunities that Sternies can take advantage of during their time here, whether that’s through Stern’s Solutions, opportunities through the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, you name it. And these things, in the spirit of change, are constantly evolving based on student demand and market interest.

Is it a class? Is it an ethos? Is it an opportunity? Is it experiential learning? [9:47]

I would say, it’s not one particular course or one particular prescriptive set of courses, but it’s a buffet of opportunities that are available for Sternies to choose from.

Any examples you can give me? [10:08]

So I would say, Launch would be one of those. I would say, the Consulting Labs. I would say-

Entrepreneurship? [10:17]

Yes, Endless Frontier Labs and some of the entrepreneurship opportunities. I would say, Leadership Accelerator, there’s a whole host to choose from. And like I said, this is something, that new programs are evolving all the time.

Where are Stern MBAs finding jobs, in terms of geography and industry, function, all three? [10:33]

All three. So I’ll take those from the top.

Geography, it should come as no surprise given our location, that we have very strong placement in New York City and the Northeast. We have candidates that are placed Coast to Coast in the US and also beyond the rest of the world, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Industry-wise, it’s got about a third that go into consulting and a third that go into some kind of broader, diversified financial services, and then good chunks go into tech, healthcare, entertainment, sports and media, CPG and real estate. Functionally, we’ve kind of already accounted for that third, going into consulting, so same story there. A third going into finance functional roles and accounting type functional roles and then the rest, product management, marketing, general management, data analytics, operations. Really, if people are interested in the details, I strongly recommend you go to our website and the employment reports. We post them for both the full-time two year program and the two, one year focus programs.

What does Stern offer want-to-be entrepreneurs? I know you mentioned Frontier Labs. Can you go into that a little bit? [11:49]

Stern is a great place for current entrepreneurs and flowering entrepreneurs. We’ve got some excellent elective coursework to choose from, applications and entrepreneurial finance, marketing for entrepreneurs, managing growing companies, and a host more. Endless Frontier Labs specifically, is NYU Stern’s hub for massively scalable tech and life science startups from around the world. These aren’t necessarily Stern startups, they don’t have to be associated with Stern. That program runs from October through May and Stern MBA students have the opportunity to get involved through a companion course that they take, then that allows them to work closely with the EFL founders on business development support. And some actually, have placed into full-time jobs in those companies, after graduation.

Other things that I’d highlight, the Berkeley Center offers startup advising to students and also runs the Annual Entrepreneur’s Challenge that has competitions for seed funding. We also have a program called Stern Works, it’s a fund that supports students who are seeking internships with startups and nonprofits. And then finally, I’ll highlight that we have student-led groups like the Entrepreneurship and Startup Association.

And New York City’s a great place to be an entrepreneur.

What don’t people know about NYU Stern that you would like them to know? What’s a common myth you’d like to bust or something that people just don’t know? [13:23]

Yeah, and it came up recently at preview weekend for our next admitted class, but I think upon first glance, it’s really easy to write off IQ+EQ as a marketing phrase, but I’m telling you, it’s the real deal. While I’m new to Stern, I’m not new to working with Sternies. During my tenure at American Express, I worked with and for many, many Stern graduates, both Amex colleagues of mine and also with folks I was sitting across the table from, and Sternies that worked at partners of Amex’s, like Delta Airlines. All of the Sternies I worked with were incredibly smart, when it came to numbers and business strategy and also very people smart. They were generally very kind and humble leaders. They care deeply about leveling up everyone around them and very much, were strongly committed to doing the right thing by people, whether that was colleagues or customers. And that was one of the many reasons that I was really excited to come work at Stern.

Do you see any changes coming to NYU Stern’s application requirements in the upcoming cycle? Let’s break it down a little bit. You already mentioned that Stern will accept whatever test you feel best represents you, and you also offer waivers. Do you plan to change the test policy, allowing all, and what about waivers? [14:43]

No change is being made on that front.

What about the waiver option? [15:03]

Going to keep it.

What about changes to the essays? [15:08]

We changed those not that long ago, and as I’ve onboarded and talked to the team and gotten familiar with the reading process and that kind of thing, we really like our questions. And the sense is, it really helps you understand and get to know an applicant and they lend themselves well to differentiating between an okay application, a good application, and a great application. So we really like our essay questions.

It’s nice when schools have some signature questions that also reflect the culture. [15:39]

Exactly.

Do you see ChatGPT as a problem in the application process, specifically regarding the essays? Now I realize yours are a little different because you also have a visual component, at least to one, but how do you view that? [15:46]

So ChatGPT is interesting. Amongst my fellow Stern grad program administrators, the Dean of Students who’s a Stern alum, Connor Grennan, has become kind of our Obi-Wan Kenobi of ChatGPT.

He’s a really fun follow on LinkedIn right now, I highly recommend it. He’s always sharing interesting use cases. This functionality is so new and it’s so rapidly changing every day. I will say, I plugged in our change essay prompt to ChatGPT to see what it produced. My conclusion is, I don’t think it’s a good strategy for an applicant looking to put their best forward, to outsource their application essays to ChatGPT. It can create a passable but very generic essay without much in the way of personality. And I think a winning essay is one that’s infused with personality and shows what you uniquely bring to the table.

The one sort of analogy that I’ve heard kicked around, is that ChatGPT is to writing what a calculator is to math and so I think in that vein. Maybe it’s a bit like, I would compare it to bouncing your essays off a friend or maybe an admissions consultant for feedback or using spell check or Grammarly to make sure that you’re not missing any errors. That’s all fine to use those tools, but you still got to do the heavy lifting at the end of the day.

You still have to think. [17:35]

Do the self-reflection, do the research and do the thoughtful composition, if you want your essays to be yours.

I was kind of thinking about homemade, baked products, versus a store bought one. [17:44]

Yeah. Right, it’s not going to taste the same.

But I have no interest in trying to detect who has used it or not. We’ll see. I mean, there’s also AI that is for image generation. So if someone creates something in Mid Journey and includes it in their pick six, that could be interesting.

I’d be curious to know what prompt to use?

Apparently, maybe ChatGPT has its own style and it’ll be in its own way, detectable, not necessarily by a machine, but by human beings. 

Conversely, what makes an applicant in an application come alive for you? [18:22]

Yeah, I think an application really shines when every piece of it comes together to tell a cohesive narrative and it shows us three main things. Firstly, the applicant has done deep reflection on their values, on what they’re good at and what they maybe have room for improvement. Secondly, they’ve really researched their intended career path, and they can connect the dots from where they’ve been, to what they hope to experience at Stern and where they hope to be after Stern. And then lastly, shows us. How are you going to contribute and be a part of the Stern community, right? When we’re crafting this class, it’s a mosaic; we want to make sure that that Stern Pay it Forward ethos is really running throughout. So we’re curious as to what your contribution is going to be?

What stone are you going to be in that mosaic? [19:28]

Exactly. Exactly.

What about the EQ endorsement? How is that different from a letter of recommendation? [19:49]

Yeah, I mean, it’s similar, but I think it adds a layer, it adds another dimension. It’s not just the task that you’ve completed or the results that you’ve delivered at work, but this gets into how you did those things? Are you leading with empathy? Are you communicating thoughtfully? Interpersonal skills are just as important as intellectual skills. And we’re looking for exceptional individuals that are self-aware, that are naturally curious, and they’re always working to improve themselves. And I think the EQ endorsement gives us a window into that.

What can an interviewee to NYU Stern expect during the interview? [20:32]

Yeah, I think one of the things the pandemic allowed us to do was innovate on how we interview. All of our interviews are 30 minutes in length, conducted via Zoom with members of the admission staff. So it’s not an alumni, not a current student, it’s a member of my staff. So we are delivering, and we like this because it delivers a consistent, equitable candidate experience. And on the flip side, we get consistent and equitable interview reports from it. In terms of expectations, the interview isn’t blind. The person who’s interviewing you is a staff member who will have reviewed your application and your resume. So it’s really going to be a 30-minute conversation to get to know you better, get a sense of your communication style, and understand how a Stern MBA fits into your career journey at this time. And likewise, it’s an opportunity for you to get to know Stern better, that you should take advantage of and ask questions and help us give you more insight into Stern, as a possible avenue for you.

So you would definitely recommend that an applicant invited to interview prepare some questions. [21:41]

Absolutely.

And I assume that those questions should not be answered on the second page of the website? [21:46]

Ideally. They peel back the onion a bit further than that, yes.

What suggestions would you have for re-applicants to Stern? [21:58]

So when I’m thinking about someone who’s reapplying to Stern, and I’m thinking even if I was in their shoes, I’d be most curious to know, what did they learn about themselves through that application process that didn’t result in what they were hoping for? I think it’s also beneficial to take a real critical look at your last application. Where are the areas that you felt were not as strong as they could have been? How can you tell a stronger story this time around? What’s changed since you last applied?

Those are the questions that I would be asking.

And how did you address those weaknesses? [22:53]

Exactly.

Every so often we are asked, “I know it was my test score, or I know I didn’t have enough experience, but my essays are really good. Can I just resubmit the same essays?” How would you respond to that? [22:57]

I mean, you can.

I don’t know if that’s the best course of action. I think you’d probably have something different to say with another year’s worth of experience. So you would be doing yourself a disservice by just submitting the same application essays. I would really think about what has changed and how could you reflect that?

I was just having this discussion with somebody and he says, “Well, I took some classes, I got some A’s, that’s really what’s changed, and my essays were really, really good.” And I said, “There are very few people who can’t improve their writing a year later when they look back at it, number one. Number two, if you want to telegraph that the only thing you’ve done in the last year is take a few classes and earned A’s in them, then go ahead. But maybe you want to show that you’ve done other things too, or grown in other ways.” [23:38]

Right.

I don’t think part of what a re-applicant should do is, okay, so they analyzed the weakness, they saw that it was grades or test score or whatever the weakness was, and they addressed it, but they don’t want to be otherwise stagnant. They don’t want to come across as stagnant. [24:09]

You want to come to a place where we’re all about change. Right? What have you learned?

What about first time applicants? They haven’t been rejected previously, they haven’t applied previously. How can applicants prepare to apply successfully to NYU Stern? [24:43]

I’m sure at that moment, and I’ve been there myself many moons ago, but it can be very overwhelming. Firstly, I’d say, don’t fuss too much about meeting any one particular deadline versus another. We don’t want you to rush an application. We want to see your application, when you’re ready to submit the best application you can submit. We were talking about test options earlier, do some research, give it some prep, and give it a go as soon as you can. I think you’d want to allow yourself time to see how that score came back, retest or try another test, if you feel like it wasn’t reflective of your capabilities. And then I will also say, please don’t be put off by the high average scores. Keep in mind that averages are not minimums. Take a look at our class profile, we publish our 80% and 100% ranges, and just remember that, we evaluate applications holistically. The test score is only one data point amongst the bigger picture of you, that is the application.

And when we’re talking about tips and the tests, who should apply for a waiver? [25:58]

I’d say, if you feel that the test really isn’t reflective or you’re not in a space where you can take a certain test, we’re looking for folks who have past experience in quantitative courses. Right? You’ve got transcripts supporting that you know will be able to come in and hit the ground running and do well in statistics and financial accounting in that first semester at school. So looking for either transcript evidence or folks who have had significant work experience that’s quantitatively supported. Maybe you have your CPA or your CFA, these are all other proof points that you’re going to do well. But I strongly encourage you to take a test and submit a score because it is a helpful data point. But those are the type of things that we’d be evaluating when assessing for granting a waiver.

What question would you have liked to answer that I didn’t ask? [26:59]

So the one cool thing, and I think I mentioned it earlier as part of the Change Studio, but I really want to highlight it, is Leadership Accelerator, because it is the coolest thing that I’ve learned about at Stern.

What’s the coolest thing I didn’t ask about? [27:18]

Yeah. So this is taking case method learning to a whole other level. They have taken it off the paper and Leadership Accelerator is an opportunity for students to spend a full day living in a case. We bring in professional actors that play business roles, that are live in real-time, throwing twists and turns at the students that they’re responding to in real-time. And it’s an amazing opportunity for practical application of theory and gives them an opportunity to learn leadership agility and reacting to these things in real-time.

What’s the title? [28:05]

Leadership Accelerator.

Professor Nate Petit is the Director of the Leadership Accelerator. He developed this live case method along with Stern colleague Hannah Levinson. So it’s super cool. And one sort of tangential plug for Nate Petit, this is a podcast, so I assume that people listening, like podcasts as a format for consuming content. Nate is also the Faculty Advisor for Stern Chats. And Stern Chats is a podcast that is entirely MBA student run, and it’s a great opportunity to hear about Stern from Sternies.

Thank you for that plug and thank you for explaining it. It sounds really cool. [28:47]

It’s really cool.

So basically, they show up and they’re given a situation and actors act parts and they kind of – [28:52]

Yeah. The students are in roles, you’re in a boardroom and you’re debating a strategy and then a crisis comes in and how do you respond to these things?

So picture reading an HBS case, but then living it in real-time. Right?

That does sound really cool. [29:15]

How people always lay out the scenario. 

I want to thank you so much for joining me today. I’ve enjoyed chatting with you about NYU Stern’s three full-time MBA programs. Can you provide a URL for our listeners? [29:22]

Yeah, everything you can find is at https://www.stern.nyu.edu/ and there’s pages for the full-time two year program that we talked about and for the one year focus programs.

Relevant Links:

• NYU Stern MBA Admissions
• MBA Admissions Quiz
• NYU Stern MBA Essay Tips
• NYU Stern Executive MBA Essay Tips and Deadlines
• NYU Part-Time MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines

Related shows:

• What’s New at NYU Stern’s Online Masters of Science in Quantitative Management [Episode 447]
• How to Get into Dartmouth Tuck [Episode 514]
• How to Get Into Georgetown McDonough’s MBA Program [Episode 512] 
• The Questions You SHOULD Be Asking – ANSWERED! [Episode 500]
• How to Get Accepted to MIT Sloan MBA [Episode 498]
• How to Get Accepted to Cornell Johnson MBA [Episode 488]

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The post How to Get Accepted to NYU Stern [Episode 525] appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

U.S. STEM MBA Programs: An Overview

STEM certification programs have proven application bonanzas for top business schools. STEM certification may have begun pre-pandemic as a way to alleviate uncertainty in the visa process, but the programs have proven to be a robust inducement for MBA applicants, particularly from foreign countries. According to Poets & Quants, “At Cornell University’s Johnson Graduate School of Management, the move to designate its entire MBA program STEM in early 2021 paid dividends this year. . . Its applications rose by an incredible 21%, an increase of 450 to 2,555, even though Cornell presumably felt the same domestic squeeze as its peer schools.”

[List of top STEM OPT U.S. Business Schools >>]

Cornell’s new MBA class has students from 43 countries, a dramatic rise from 30 countries from 2021. Cornell is receiving roughly double the number of international applications as domestic applications. Poets & Quants also reported strong upticks in foreign student enrollment among 27 B-schools surveyed: “In the top 10, the average gain was 10.2 percentage points, or 36.6%, with Dartmouth College Tuck School of Business the biggest by points — 18, or 72%, to 43% — and the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania the biggest by percentage: 84.2%, or 16 points, to 35%.

“Across all 27 schools, the average gain from 2020 to 2022 was 14.6 percentage points, or 69%. The biggest gain was at CMU Tepper, which doubled its total from 28% to 56%; notably, UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School gained 23.5 points, or more than 200%, to 35%. Three other B-schools more than doubled their international ranks in two years.”

Are you an international MBA applicant? We’ve helped hundreds of applicants get accepted to top MBA programs! CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT HOW WE CAN HELP YOU GET ACCEPTED >>

The GMAC’s survey from 2019 was the first to inquire about a program’s STEM-certification, and found that these programs were more likely to report growth in international applicants. A total of 195 of the 804 U.S. programs responding reported that their programs were STEM-certified (24%). Among them, the most common program types were Master of Data Analytics (28%); Master of Finance (22%); and Master of Information Technology (14%). And while a majority of both STEM-certified (53%) and non-STEM (57%) programs reported declines in total applications during this period, STEM-certified programs fared better among international applicants. In the 2019-2020 academic year, 43% of STEM-certified programs grew their international applications, compared with 26% of non-STEM programs.

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Given ongoing concerns over visa status and one’s ability to work in the U.S. after business school, programs that are STEM-certified are sure to be more appealing to this applicant pool.

While some MBA programs – such as Chicago Booth, Wharton, Virginia Darden – now offer specific concentrations that qualify international students for STEM OPT, others – such as Berkeley Haas, Carnegie Mellon Tepper, and Rochester Simon – qualify MBA graduates of all majors in their MBA programs for this extension.

During 2021, MBA programs have seen a rebound in international applicants, and many schools (NYU Stern, Darden, and Yale) are touting this return. Still, they are maintaining their STEM certifications because it will pave the way for their graduates to get jobs and stay in the U.S. long enough to pay off or pay down their loans. Despite its cost, the MBA degree continues to pay robust dividends right off the bat. According to a recent Wall Street Journal article: “At about 98% of universities that offer master’s of business administration programs, graduates typically made more money two years out of school than they had borrowed, a Wall Street Journal analysis of federal student loan data for nearly 600 programs found.”

STEM MBA Programs

Name of MBA Program	Majors That Are STEM Designated	MBA Essay Tips
Arizona State Carey	All MBA Platforms	Tips
Babson MBA	1) Business Analytics and Machine Learning 2) Quantitative Finance	Tips
Berkeley Haas	All Majors	Tips
Brigham Young Marriott	Management Science and Quantitative Methods	Tips
Carnegie Mellon	All Majors	Tips
Chicago Booth	All MBA programs	Tips
Columbia Business School	MBA and EMBA programs	Tips
Cornell Johnson	1) Two-Year Management Science MBA 2) One-Year Management Science MBA 3) Tech MBA 4) MPS in Management 5) MPS in Management - Accounting Specialization	Tips
Dartmouth Tuck	STEM track	Tips
Duke Fuqua	Second Major in Management Science and Technology Management (MSTeM)	Tips
Georgetown McDonough	Management Science major	Tips
Harvard Business School	Management Science track	Tips
Indiana Kelley	Accounting, Business Analytics, Finance, Marketing or Supply Chain and Operations	Tips
Lehigh University College of Business	Business Analytics (a concentration within 1-MBA)	Tips
Michigan Ross	STEM track	Tips
MIT Sloan	MBAn	Tips
New York University	Tech MBA Two-year full-time MBA	Tips
Northwestern Kellogg	Management Science MMM Program for Dual Engineering/MBA Degrees	Tips
Notre Dame Mendoza	MBA/Master of Science in Business Analytics Dual Degree	Tips
Pace University	MBA in Information Systems	Tips
Purdue Krannert	MBA-STEM	Tips
Rice Jones	All MBA Programs	Tips
Rochester Simon	All Specializations	Tips
Rutgers	STEM designation	Tips
Stanford GSB	1) All MBA majors 2) MSx	Tips
Syracuse	FT MBA, M.S. in Business Analytics, MS in Finance, MS in Marketing and MS in Supply Chain Management	Tips
Texas McCombs	14 of the 22 concentrations for the full-time MBA program	Tips
University of California, Davis	All Majors	Tips
University of California, Irvine	Analytics in Digital Leadership concentration	Tips
University of California, Los Angeles	All Specializations	Tips
University of California, Riverside	All MBA Programs	Tips
University of California, San Diego	1) Full-time MBA 2) FlexEvening 3) FlexWeekend	Tips
University of California San Francisco	1) Financial Analysis, MS 2) Information Systems, MS 3) Full-Time MBA 4) Marketing Intelligence, MS 5) Energy Systems Management & MBA 6) Environmental Management & MBA (4+1), BS/MBA 7) Financial Analysis & MBA (4+1), BSBA/MS	Tips
University of Connecticut	1) Business Analytics 2) Digital Marketing Strategy 3) Financial Analysis and Investments	Tips
University of Delaware Lerner	Major in Business Analytics	Tips
University of Georgia Terry	Only open to U. of Georgia undergraduates; includes 45 majors	Tips
University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler	All MBA Programs	Tips
University of North Texas Ryan	MBA in Business Analytics	Tips
University of Washington Foster	Management Science	Tips
University of Wisconsin - Madison	1) Specialization in Operations and Technology Management 2) Supply Chain Management	Tips
USC Marshall	Specialization in Management Science	Tips
Vanderbilt Owen	Finance Concentration	Tips
Wharton	1) Business Analytics 2) Business, Economics & Public Policy (BEPP) 3) Business, Energy, Environment & Sustainability (BEES) 4) Operations, Information & Decisions (OID) 5) Quantitative Finance 6) Statistics	Tips
Washington University in St. Louis (Olin)	Full-time MBA	Tips

We’re going to do our best to keep this table current. However, please do not rely on this table; confirm the STEM designation yourself to make sure that the MBA programs you apply to really have that designation. And if you find out a school has attained STEM certification and is not on the list, please let us know by emailing blog@accepted.com.

If you would like to learn how to get into top MBA programs that offer STEM OPT eligibility and are a good fit for you, register for a free consultation with me. 

At Accepted, we’ve helped hundreds of applicants get accepted to top MBA programs and look forward to helping you too! CLICK HERE TO GET STARTED.

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By Jennifer Bloom, admissions consultant at Accepted for 20 years and Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW). She is an expert at guiding you to produce application materials that truly differentiate you from the rest of the driven applicant pool. If you would like help with your application, Jennifer can suggest a number of options that work with any budget. Want Jennifer to help you get accepted? Click here to get in touch!

Related Resources:

• STEM Applicants: Why Your Statement of Purpose is So Important
• Top MBA Application Essays: How to Answer Them Right (school-specific essay tips)
• The Questions You SHOULD Be Asking – ANSWERED!, a podcast episode

The post Top STEM MBA Programs: A Comprehensive STEM-OPT Eligible List appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

NYU’s Stern Langone part-time MBA requires just one short essay: a straightforward goals essay. It also requires a less conventional “getting-to-know-you as a person” photographic essay. These two items, together, create a succinct but vivid portrait of your candidacy. NYU likes candidates who can be both efficient and creative with their messaging and communication. Perhaps keep that duality on the radar as you prepare these items.

NYU Stern part-time MBA 2023 application

NYU part-time MBA essay question #1 (Professional aspirations)

(350 word maximum)

• What are your short- and long-term career goals?
• How will the part-time MBA help you achieve them?

If you do not live in the NYC metro area, tell us your plans to pursue the program. If you are planning to relocate, indicate your plans for employment in the NYC area.

You may start by succinctly mentioning your current career situation to set the context. (Warning: Don’t repeat your resume, but rather make this opening highlight some relevant or interesting aspect of your industry and/or function, as it is an important part of what you’ll bring to the table in a part-time program). Then move on to discuss your short-term goals. Give solid details: position, company, scope of accountability, what you want to accomplish, and how you hope to grow. If you have a formal development program that these goals are based on, it’s good to mention it. To make your goals meaningful and engaging, briefly explain WHY you want to take these steps, what excites and engages you about this anticipated path. Your longer-term goal needs less detail and should of course reflect some reasonable trajectory from the earlier role. These more distant goals could reflect a broader career “vision” in terms of the footprint you want your career to have.

In discussing how the MBA will enable you to achieve your stated goals, describe what new skills and knowledge you need in order to pursue your goals, and how the part-time MBA meets those needs.

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NYU part-time MBA essay question #2 (Person, Place & Thing)

• Please share three images – one of a person, one of a place and one of a thing – that will help the Admissions Committee get to know you. These selections should help provide insight into your personal characteristics and the qualities you would bring to the Stern community.
  
  
• For each image you will be able to add a short paragraph explaining what your person, place & thing says about you (each paragraph should be no more than 150 words).
  
  
• Your document of three images must be uploaded as a single PDF (they cannot be sent in physical form or be linked to a website).

NYU is always interested in you holistically, and they like people who are engaged in dimensions of life beyond business and work. This dual-medium (pictures and words) “essay” allows you to convey a vivid picture of a unique individual. Think about what aspects of your life and experience are important, relevant, and so-far unrepresented in the application. You might select photos based on ideas generated by this question.

There are different options in terms of approach. It would be fine, and could work well, to either a) select 3 things that are related in some way thematically to create a coherent picture of a passion or deeply meaningful aspect of your life, or b) select 3 unrelated things, each of which reflects a different and important facet of your life. 

The key to making this essay work is to feel some excitement and enjoyment in conceiving and preparing the presentation. That positive energy will come through and invigorate the essay.

(Additional information – optional)

(250 word maximum)

This essay is truly optional – it is an opportunity to provide any additional information that you feel is important in assessing your candidacy. This may include significant current or past gaps in employment, further explanation of your undergraduate record or self-reported academic transcript(s), plans to retake the GMAT, GRE, EA, IELTS, Duolingo or TOEFL, or any other relevant information. This information may be just a few short sentences, it doesn’t need to be a full essay.

These instructions don’t explicitly limit the essay to extenuating circumstances or application-specific issues, but the topics Stern suggests are just such issues. Moreover, the phrase “bring to the attention of” doesn’t really invite you to continue marketing yourself. I therefore recommend addressing the types of issues the question presents if needed, and/or present other information only that has a direct bearing on the adcom’s ability to understand your candidacy.

You’ve worked so hard to get to where you are in life. Now that you’re ready for your next achievement, make sure you know how to present yourself to maximum advantage in your NYU Langone application. In a hotly competitive season, you’ll want a member of Team Accepted in your corner, guiding you with expertise tailored specifically for you. Check out our flexible consulting packages today!

NYU part-time MBA (Langone) 2023 application deadlines

Source: NYU Stern website

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Related Resources:

• Why MBA?, a guide to acing the MBA goals essay question
• Are You Interested in NYU Stern?, a podcast episode
• NYU Stern Announces New Part-Time Online/Modular Program

The post NYU Part-Time MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines [2022 – 2023] appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

Distance learning and unstable market conditions due to the Covid pandemic have not hurt the fortunes of MBA grads from top programs. The 2022 employment reports released in recent weeks from top schools, including NYU Stern School of Business, University of Michigan Ross School of Business, UC-Berkeley Haas School of Business, MIT Sloan, Harvard, and other peer programs have all announced record-breaking starting salaries for grads. 

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NYU Stern MBA Salaries Soar

Median base salaries for NYU Stern were $170,000–the highest ever–up $15,000 from the previous year. Median signing bonuses of $35,000 were on par with 2021, and average total compensation rose by $14,340 to an unprecedented $196,143. 

Within three months of graduation, 94.1 percent of Stern graduates had accepted job offers; 86.6% had accepted job offers by graduation. Top hiring industries remained consistent: consulting (31.2 percent), investment banking (27.2 percent) and tech (17.0 percent). 

Brian Ruggiero, Associate Dean of Career Services, boasted that the Class of 2022, which had begun their MBA studies during the pandemic, “adapted quickly to the resulting paradigm shifts. The demand for these skills is clear,” he said, pointing to the high acceptance rates for jobs three months after graduation being on par with pre-pandemic levels, as well as the highest compensation on record. Early data for the Class of 2023 also show “strong demand for Stern talent,” he added, evidenced by a 100% success rate among seekers of internships. 

Michigan Ross MBA Class of 2022 Almost at 100% Employment

Similarly, University of Michigan Ross School of Business reported that an eye-popping 99% percent of their 2022 grads were offered jobs within three months of graduation, landing median salaries of $165,000 and a $192,270 median salary package. Both salary figures reflect a $21,000 increase over the previous year.

The B-School Selectivity Index:
Are You Competitive at Your Dream School? >>

UC Berkeley Haas, Dartmouth Tuck, and Georgetown McDonough Report Great Employment Outcomes

On the West Coast, the 2022 class at UC-Berkeley Haas School of Business had a 93.8% job offer rate, up 4% from the prior year, returning that figure to among the highest of the pre-pandemic years. The median base salary for Haas MBAs was $155,000, up by 3.7% from the previous year.

Dartmouth Tuck’s employment data released November 22 for the Class of 2022 showed that 98% of Tuck grads had job offers within three months of graduation, with median base salaries rising by 16.7% to $175,000 from $150,000 in 2021. Ninety-three percent of grads received a median signing bonus of $30,000, bumping median total compensation to $202,900, up more than 15% from last year.

Georgetown MBAs enjoyed average base salaries of $138,552, up from $126,107 last year, and an average signing bonus of $36,342. A statement from their website noted that “96% of students received a job offer within three months of graduation and 95% accepted their offers – tying last year’s placement records as the highest levels ever achieved by Full-time MBA graduates. The record-setting average salary marks a 10% increase from 2021, with bonuses increasing by 6%. 

“The outcomes presented in this report are a testament to the extraordinary talent in the Class of 2022,” said Christy Murray, associate dean and managing director of career services at Georgetown McDonough. “These students began their MBA journey amid ongoing disruptions and uncertainty from the global pandemic, yet through their hard work, perseverance, and commitment to excellence, they were well positioned to secure impactful roles in business across a wide range of industries and sectors.” 

Wharton MBAs pocketed their highest-ever median base salary of $175,000, a jump of 12.9 %. Salaries had been flat at $150,000 in 2019 and 2020, rising only to $155,000 in 2021. Within three months of graduation, 98.7% of Wharton’s MBAs seeking jobs received offers. Wharton’s 20222 employment report, released November 17, also revealed that more grads than ever found jobs in tech, despite the current flurry of layoffs and hiring freezes at tech giants Meta, Amazon, and Twitter. 

However, an article in Poets&Quants cautioned that Wharton’s impressive results in landing tech jobs may be a bit of an outlier: 

“. . . techies should be wary of seeing Wharton’s success in tech as a sign of rebound. While the raw number of Wharton MBAs finding jobs in tech is higher than ever, the percentage of the class in the industry is down slightly, as the number of job-seeking graduates in 2022 (633) is 8.2% more than in 2021 (585) as a result of Wharton enrolling larger classes at the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Moreover, Whartonites’ success in landing tech gigs runs counter to many of their peer schools, where tech hiring is down — and in some cases down big — and likely points to a very different tech landscape graduates faced this summer as they rounded out their offers.”

Other MBA 2022 Jobs and Salary Stats

The following data is from Poets&Quants and underscores that whatever hardships and uncertainties students experienced while applying and earning MBAs during such a volatile period, their investments are paying off handsomely now.

• Harvard Business School grads saw a 16.3% year-to-year increase in median salary to $175,000 and median performance bonuses increase to $40,000 powered a leap in total median compensation to $223,100, a one-year jump of 17.5%.
  
  
• Virginia Darden School of Business MBAs made a median $175,000, up 21% from the Class of 2021;
  
  
• At MIT Sloan School of Management, average base salary increased 7.6% from the previous year, to $159,391, and median base salary grew 10% to $165,000; total median compensation was $204,700, up 4.7% from $195,600 last year;
  
  
• At Northwestern Kellogg School of Management, median salary for the class jumped $15,000, to $165,000, and is up 18% since the last pre-pandemic graduating class in 2019; bonuses stayed at a median $30,000, and with 87% receiving them, median total pay came out to $191,100, up 8.7% from $175,800 last year.

Soaring MBA Salaries’ Significance for Applicants

These stats reflect several factors: 

1. The enduring value of the full-time two-year MBA degree from top MBA programs.
   
   
2. Inflation, which increases salaries and will allow most of those who borrowed their tuition to pay off their debt with cheaper dollars.
   
   
3. A tight labor market in which businesses – even if we are in a recession – are willing to pay for top talent.

Many of the 2022 MBA grads applied to business school in winter and spring 2020 at the height of COVID lock-downs, social isolation, and distance learning. Unemployment hit 14.8% in April, 2020 and remained above pre-COVID levels until Fall 2021. These grads looked at the dismal events of the time, swallowed hard, and concluded that the environment is paving the way for them to obtain their MBA. As you consider whether to apply at a time of rising layoffs, possible recession, and general instability, consider the payoff that these grads have experienced by taking the plunge when they did.

Are you considering an MBA to maximize your earning potential? The stats show that the investment is worth it, but it takes an outstanding application to impress the elite schools. Our experienced MBA admissions consultants work with you one-on-one, throughout the process, to help you get ACCEPTED!

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For 25 years, Accepted has helped business school applicants gain acceptance to top programs. Our outstanding team of MBA admissions consultants features former business school admissions directors and professional writers who have guided our clients to admission at top MBA, EMBA, and other graduate business programs worldwide including Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Booth, INSEAD, London Business School, and many more. Want an MBA admissions expert to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch!

Related resources:

• Starting Salaries for MBA Grads Climbing
• M7 MBA Programs: Everything You Need to Know in 2022
• Is an MBA Worth It, or Is the Sky Falling Down on the MBA Degree?, a podcast episode

The post Class of 2022 MBAs Earn Bullish Starting Salaries appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

If you are a recently laid off and otherwise competitive applicant, MBA programs want YOU!

Are you a tech worker who just got laid off from Meta, Twitter, Facebook, Stripe, or a similar company? Were you thinking of getting an MBA before and/or since the layoff? Well, what started as a trickle with Northwestern University–Kellogg School of Management and MIT Sloan has turned into a river, and may turn into a flood.

Here is a list of the changes full-time MBA programs are making to accommodate and attract recently laid off workers.

MBA Programs Seek Laid-Off Workers

School	Who's Eligible	Accommodation
Cornell MBA & Johnson Cornell Tech MBA	Qualified candidates who have recently been laid off by a U.S. company, applying for the January 2023 MBA deadlines	Application fee waiver & GRE/GMAT test waiver
Dartmouth Tuck	Any worker laid off since Aug. 1, 2022. For more info visit tuck.dartmouth.edu	Can request a GMAT/GRE test waiver. Deadline: March 1, 2023
Duke Fuqua	All applicants	Added new round with Feb. 13, 2023 deadline -- Can take test for this deadline prior to Feb. 28
Georgia Tech Scheller	Professionals who have been affected by recent layoffs, applying to the full-time program	A select number of designated fellowships, application fee waiver & test waiver
Indiana Kelley	Laid-off tech employees	Application fee waiver & GRE/GMAT test waiver
MIT Sloan	Laid-off workers	Extend its Round 2 deadline to Feb 23, 2023
Northwestern Kellogg	Employees who were laid off this quarter at a company in the tech sector and are applying to full-time graduate degrees, including the two-year M.B.A., by a mid-January deadline.	Waive GMAT/GRE
NYU's Andre Koo Technology and Entrepreneurship MBA	Class entering in May 2023 (applying either to its Jan.15 or final Feb. 15 deadline)	Waive entrance exams
Rice University Jones Graduate School of Business	Open to U.S. citizens, U.S. permanent residents, or those who currently reside in North America	Round 4 added with a deadline of May 1
SCU Leavey School of Business	Those who work in the technology industry, especially those affected by recent layoffs, applying to the following on-campus graduate programs: • Part-time Evening MBA • Executive MBA • MS Business Analytics • MS Finance and Analytics • MS in Information Systems	1) Waive application fees 2) Lift GMAT/GRE requirement for those with tech backgrounds 3) Award scholarships of at least $3,000 4) Accept applications for the Spring Evening MBA through January 20, 2023
UC Berkeley Haas	Prospective candidates who have been laid off between June 1, 2022 to Feb. 2, 2023 , applying to the full-time MBA program	Application fee waiver & deadline extension to Feb. 2, 2023
UCLA Anderson	Recently laid off due to a organizational restructuring or downsizing and apply by R2 Jan. 4, 2023 deadline	1) Can submit test scores and recommendations by Feb. 4. 2) Application fee waivers. 3) If admitted through this process and later find new employment, may be eligible to switch to Anderson’s part-time fully employed MBA program.

* If you know of other schools that are taking special steps to attract laid off workers this cycle, please email blog@accepted.com and let us know.

Here’s the background.

Kellogg Waives GMAT/GRE for Sub-set of Applicants

On November 14, 2022, Lindsay Ellis of the The Wall Street Journal broke the news that Kellogg is waiving its test requirement for “employees who were laid off this quarter at a company in the tech sector and are applying to full-time graduate degrees, including the two-year M.B.A., by a mid-January deadline.”

Kellogg, like many top MBA programs, experienced a surge in applications when COVID hit due the soaring unemployment rate. At the same time, and due mostly to difficulties in accessing a test, it waived its test requirement. That year, applications to Kellogg and other top-ranking M.B.A. programs, including University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, Columbia Business School and MIT Sloan School of Management, rose significantly.

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Since then Kellogg restored the test requirement and unemployment took a deep dive. This past cycle, like many other top MBA programs, it experienced a drop in applications. With a very tight labor market and the test requirement back in place, Kellogg experienced an 18% plunge in application volume last year. Many in admissions expect either flat application volume this cycle or a further drop depending again on the economy.

Quoting the WSJ article, “Accustomed to jobs with six-figure salaries, big equity packages and other perks, many tech workers have had a particular incentive to stay on the job in recent years.” Now, with tech workers losing their jobs by the thousands, MBA programs are seizing the opportunity to recruit students from an already talented pool of candidates. 

Kellogg’s associate dean of degree programs, Greg Haniffee, said that the school decided to waive tests earlier in November after Twitter began cutting its workforce in half. Again from the article: “These folks were high performers and are now at a pivot point in their life,” he said. “If they’re considering business school, removing this barrier could benefit them.”

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Kellogg’s offer to waive the GRE or GMAT requirement for applicants recently laid off from the tech sector is open to Kellogg’s Round 2 applications for full-time and part-time programs. In a blog post from November 14, Hanifee wrote that these newly available candidates “can apply to Kellogg by providing their transcripts, resume and application which will also include a brief essay on their work experience and most recent role as well as what they hope their transformation will be and how it will advance them. . . We hope this offer will allow some people to speed up their career transformation process.”

Unlike in 2020, when Kellogg waived the test requirement for all applicants, Kellogg is treading more carefully now by targeting a select applicant pool with proven capabilities who will be competitive job seekers. These recently laid-off workers had demanding roles until just a few weeks ago, and their skills, when combined with an MBA, will probably be in demand. It’s understandable that Kellogg is comfortable relying on their transcript as evidence of academic ability (or lack thereof). They probably don’t need the test score. 

Kellogg’s move presents an opportunity for laid-off tech talent who would do well to consider what may be a rare and perhaps fleeting offer. Kellogg is already a techie haven, with seventeen percent of its newest MBA class coming from tech, and one-fifth of its 2022 graduating class having gone into the sector.

As Accepted founder and CEO Linda Abraham noted in Poets and Quant’s “For these recently laid-off workers, who until the last few weeks had positions that were demanding and whose skills when combined with an MBA will probably be in demand, Kellogg is comfortable relying on their transcript as evidence of academic ability (or lack thereof). They don’t need the test score. Getting these kinds of jobs is in and of itself a test.”

With this move, Kellogg is hoping to boost its pool of qualified applicants while easing the decline in application volume.

MIT Sloan has its own approach to attracting and accommodating recently laid off workers.

Work with a seasoned consultant to polish the presentation of your work experience and your entire application >>

MIT Sloan Offers Later Round 2 Deadline to Laid-Off Workers

In an interview on November 17 with Linda Abraham, who is also the host of the Admission Straight Talk podcast, MIT Sloan’s Assistant Dean of Admissions, Dawna Levenson announced that MIT Sloan will extend its Round 2 deadline to Feb 23, 2023 for laid off workers. The move gives potential applicants who were not anticipating a layoff and are interested in the MBA time to prepare for the GRE or GMAT, take the test, and submit an excellent application this cycle.

In addition to having the data point that the test score provides, MIT Sloan may also be attempting to avoid the criticism that Kellogg received for its test waiver. In a lively discussion on LinkedIn about Kellogg’s move, many felt that it is unfair to require the test for some applicants and not for others. People who worked or work at those same companies and applied for Round 1 must take the test. Employees of those firms who were not laid off still must take the test. With its extended deadline, MIT Sloan is getting the data it values, showing understanding for recently laid off workers, and probably increasing its applicant pool.

The complete interview with Dawna Levenson aired on November 29.

With so many changes in the world of MBA Admissions, why not get expert guidance that is tailor-made for you? Our consultants have helped thousands of applicants get ACCEPTED to top MBA schools–and they can do the same for you. Check out our menu of MBA services to pick the one that is just right for you! We’re here to help you GET ACCEPTED.

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For 25 years, Accepted has helped business school applicants gain acceptance to top programs. Our outstanding team of MBA admissions consultants features former business school admissions directors and professional writers who have guided our clients to admission at top MBA, EMBA, and other graduate business programs worldwide including Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Booth, INSEAD, London Business School, and many more. Want an MBA admissions expert to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch!

Related resources:

• Why MBA? The Winning Ingredients of a Dynamic MBA Goals Essay
• Northwestern Kellogg 2022-23 MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines
• From Example to Exemplary, a free guide to writing outstanding admissions essays
• 5 Fatal Flaws to Avoid in Your MBA Application Essays, a free guide

The post MBA Programs Seek Recently Laid Off Tech Workers appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

Reflecting the character of the university at large, NYU Stern has always sought applicants who bring not just requisite accomplishment, but also intellectual energy and engagement with the world – people who have a point of view and are willing to express it. Stern’s EMBA essay questions are consistent with these values. While they cover the standard concerns, they also draw out your ability to self-reflect and to understand yourself in relation to others and to the world. The key to acing these essays is to present a point of view, a message, a distinctive perspective that will enrich the EMBA community at NYU Stern.

NYU Stern Executive MBA application essays

Applicants are required to respond to essay prompts 1 and 2. The essay questions give you the opportunity to more fully present yourself to the Admissions Committee and to provide insight into your experiences, goals, and thought processes. Your essays should be written entirely by you. There is an optional essay if you wish to provide additional information.

All essays have a 500 word limit, double spaced. Word limits apply to the total essay question. For example, your response to Essay 2 should answer all parts.

NYU Stern EMBA essay #1

Describe your short- and long-term career goals and how the NYU Stern Executive MBA program will help you accomplish them.

One simple, straightforward, and effective way to structure this essay is to start with a recent achievement that reflects where you are in your career now. This opening sets the context and conveys a bit about your current situation, emphasizing what is impressive and/or distinctive about it. Then discuss how the EMBA education will enable you to achieve your immediate goals in your current role and later your intermediate and longer-term goals, which should logically build on this present role.

In describing your goals, clarify why you want to take that step or assume that role. Add more detail for your short-term and intermediate goals. In discussing how the program will benefit you, describe the skills and knowledge you need to acquire and how the program provides them. Also refer to the structure, curriculum, and/or special features of the program, noting how you will benefit from them. Finally, resist the temptation to detail your career progress — limit yourself to points relevant to your goals.

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NYU Stern EMBA essay #2

NYU Stern is committed to helping students develop a deeper set of professional skills, and a broader perspective of the role of business in the world.

a. What is a significant contemporary issue on which you, as a business leader, would like to have an impact?

b. Why is it important to you?

c. How could you leverage your skills and resources to address the issue?

The most important advice here: select an issue that you truly care about (and are knowledgeable about). You may research some fine points, but responses to this question that are entirely constructed of research on a topic will seem like an academic exercise rather than an expression of engagement.

A simple and effective strategy for this essay is to follow the a-b-c structure set out in the question. First talk about the issue in personal as well as objective terms, i.e., how you came to learn and/or care about it, perhaps what experience you’ve had with it if relevant – make it anecdotal if possible. Take a stand; avoid being bland or abstract. Then describe how as a business leader you can address this issue in concrete terms. This last part will vary greatly from person to person – for some your work will directly address this issue; for others work will be divorced from it, and you will indirectly use your business leadership role as a bully pulpit, as a prominent and influential community leader/volunteer, etc. However, don’t make the mistake of just talking about your ideas and plans. Take this opportunity to weave in some actual experiences here to make or substantiate your points.

NYU Stern EMBA essay #3 (optional)

Provide any additional information for the Admissions Committee. This may include additional details on your academic/quantitative preparation for MBA coursework through educational or professional experience, further explanation of academic history, current or past gaps in employment, or any other information relevant to your application.

This question’s wording indicates that you can use it not just to explain a problem but also to present new material that you think will enhance your application. However, if you are making the adcom read more than is required, there should be a darn good reason – not just a nice-to-know.

First, succinctly explain any points that need explaining. Then, if there is something you feel is important that you haven’t had a chance to discuss elsewhere, write about it, noting why it’s essential to a full understanding of your candidacy.

For expert guidance with your NYU Stern Executive MBA application, check out Accepted’s MBA Application Packages, which include comprehensive guidance from an experienced admissions consultant. We’ve helped hundreds of applicants get accepted to NYU Stern’s Executive MBA program and look forward to helping you too!

NYU Stern Executive MBA application deadlines for 2022 – 2023

Rolling admissions:

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis once they are complete. Candidates should ensure that the Admissions Committee has received all parts of their application by the earliest possible deadline.

Source: NYU Stern website

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Related resources:

• Top Executive MBA Essay Questions: How to Answer Them Right, a free guide
• EMBA: The Ultimate Guide for Applicants
• Executive MBA Essays: How to Make an Impact [With Sample Essay]

The post NYU Stern Executive MBA Essay Tips and Deadlines [2022 – 2023] appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

Chicago Booth and Wharton (University of Pennsylvania) share the #1 spotlight in U.S. News’ Best Business Schools of 2023 rankings, released March 29.

The metrics for the rankings are based on career placement success, student excellence and qualitative assessments by experts. MBA rankings are studied voraciously by applicants, students, and alumni but remain controversial. 

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Notable changes this year

• Chicago Booth’s rise reflected improvements on several metrics: a class GMAT score up by six points to 730; an acceptance that fell by five points to 22.6%; a higher score by corporate recruiters that now matches Harvard and Wharton; and a spike in average salary and sign-on bonus for last year’s MBA grads of $7,300 to a record $180,144–the second-highest of any business school. (NYU Stern had the highest of all schools at $181,803.) Placement for the Class of 2021 jumped five points three months after graduation, at 96.4%. 
  
  
• Wharton’s acceptance rate dropped by 4.9 percentage points to 18.2% and their average GMAT score rose by one point. Wharton MBAs enjoyed a jump in average salary and signing bonuses by $6,600 to $179,692, the second-highest of all schools behind only Booth. Job placement three months after commencement moved up by 3.3 percentage points to 96.8%.
  
  
• Top-ranked schools continued to jostle for position, with some flagship programs rising and others falling. Stanford’s GSB dropped by three notches, tying with Kellogg (Northwestern) for #3. Harvard and MIT Sloan remain tied at #5–no change from last year. Yale University’s SOM notched its highest ranking ever at #7, with Columbia and Haas (UC Berkeley) nipping at its heels, sharing the #8 ranking. Yale’s rise stemmed from a six-point rise in its average GMAT score to 726; a drop of six percentage points on its acceptance rate to 23.6%; and a dramatic 8.8 percentage improvement on its placement rate three months after graduation to 94.1%.
  
  
• Harvard Business School’s fifth-place showing reflects a surprisingly low employment at graduation of 69.0%, lower than any other Top 10 school. Its placement rate three months after graduation was 92.3%, the second-lowest for a Top 10 program. And the average salary and bonus for Harvard’s MBAs last year was $172,774, lower than seven other U.S. business schools. Harvard lost out on other metrics as well, including a higher admit rate of 12.5%, up from 9.2% last year, and average GMAT and undergrad GPAs that were lower than many other competitors. 
  
  
• Ross (University of Michigan) ascended into the Top 10 from #13, while Tuck (Dartmouth College) dropped to #11. Stern (NYU) and Fuqua (Duke University) share the #12 spot. Many other programs in the top 25 leaped forward, including Emory University’s Goizueta Business School, rising five places to #21 and Mendoza College of Business (Notre Dame) gaining 11 places to rank 25th. 
  
  
• Outside the Top 25, Washington University’s Olin Business School in St. Louis rose seven spots to #29 and the University of South Carolina’s Moore School of Business rose eight positions to place #47.

While U.S. News had dropped standardized test scores from its online MBA ranking earlier this year, it kept the average class GMAT and GRE scores in its formula for the full-time program rankings. 

The rankings were based on a survey of all 493 institutions with master’s-level business programs in the U.S. accredited by AACSB International. A total of 363 survey recipients responded; the final rankings are based on 134 business schools that provided enough data on their full-time MBA programs and had large enough 2021 graduating classes seeking employment for valid comparisons. The rankings also include some programs conferring degrees such as Master of Science in Management and Master of Science in Industrial Administration.

U.S. News 2023 Top 10 Full-Time MBA Programs

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U.S. News 2023 Top 10 Part-Time MBA Programs

Hoping to start business school in 2023 at one of these top-ranked programs? Check out our MBA Admissions Consulting & Editing Services and work one-on-one with an expert consultant to create an application that will get you ACCEPTED!

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Related Resources:

• Do MBA Rankings Matter?
• Top 10 or Bust: Dispelling 2 MBA Myths
• Is an MBA Worth It, or Is the Sky Falling Down on the MBA Degree?
• Financial Times Ranks Wharton as #1
• M7 MBA Programs: Everything You Need to Know

The post U.S. News MBA Rankings 2023 [Full-Time & Part-Time] appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

The Financial Times has released its global rankings of the best MBA programs and has considerably shuffled the deck. Several top-ranked programs fell several notches, while others rose considerably. For the first time since 2011, Wharton has returned to its status as #1 in FT’s list. 

Other programs that made giant strides in the rankings include Columbia Business School (ranked 8th in 2020), and Kellogg (Northwestern), now #5 (11th place in 2020). One reason for such huge fluctuations was that five of the top U.S. programs (Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, MIT, and Columbia) were not listed at all last year at all, skewing that year’s results. 

Other highly rated programs that suffered serious tumbles in the rankings include London Business School, Tuck (Dartmouth), and UVA Darden. In fact, 69 of the 91 schools ranked fell in the rankings, many of them by double digits.  

Compared with last year, many of these schools’ rankings looked like riders on a roller coaster, with some plunging far below and others rising by as much as 20 points to unprecedented heights. 

As we have cautioned before, it’s vital to keep these rankings in perspective. They are based on many variables that have little or nothing to do with the quality of the curricula per se.

Do you see yourself in one of these top programs? Find out how working one-on-one with one of our Admissions Consultants can help get you ACCEPTED!

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Related Resources:

• Top 10 or Bust: Dispelling 2 MBA Myths
• Top MBA Programs Get STEM-Certified to Attract Int’l Students
• B-School Selectivity Index: Discover the Schools Where You are a Competitive Applicant

The post Financial Times Ranks Wharton as #1 in 2022 Rankings appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

Looking for the best possible admissions advice?

How about admissions advice from the admission committee members themselves?

Linda Abraham, founder of Accepted and host of the Admissions Straight Talk Podcast has a collection of highly enlightening interviews with directors of admissions and adcom members of top business schools!

Listen in as Linda asks her adcom guests pointed and to-the-point questions about the schools, the admissions process, how to get in, and…how to get rejected.

Listen, enjoy, and apply successfully!

For a varied menu of thought-provoking and informative conversations with business leaders, entrepreneurs, MBA students, and more, check out the Admissions Straight Talk Podcast:

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The post From the Mouths of MBA Adcom Members: How to Get Accepted appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

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It’s a busy time of year now. We here at Accepted are busy helping applicants with the end-of-the-year application crunch and enjoying the company of family.

Perhaps adding to your happiness, you are planning a move to a new location after an acceptance. Or perhaps you’re not yet at that happy stage; you’re knee-deep in essay writing because your applications are due in January. Or maybe you are wisely planning ahead for a 2022 application with the intention to matriculate in 2023 – you’re preparing for your aptitude test and working to raise your GPA or get relevant experience.

Wherever you are in the application process, now is a great time for an encore show. Since it was one of the most popular MBA admissions interviews of 2021, I decided to replay the excellent interview provided by Lisa Rios, Assistant Dean of MBA Admissions at NYU Stern School of Business.

I want to take this opportunity to thank you for listening week in and week out, or whenever you find a show you like.

I also want to wish you a wonderful holiday season and a happy, healthy and prosperous new year, filled with the realization of your educational and professional dreams, and of course acceptances.

For the complete show notes, check out the original blog post.

Related links:

• NYU Stern’s website
• NYU Stern MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines [2021-2022] & Class Profile
• Top STEM MBA Programs: A Comprehensive List and Overview of STEM-OPT Eligible B-Schools
• Why MBA? a free guide
• Accepted’s MBA Admissions Consulting Services

Related shows:

• An Interview with Dartmouth Tuck’s Former Admissions Director, Luke Pena
• NYU Stern: An Insider’s Perspective on Getting Accepted
• How to Get a CMU Tepper MBA
• All About Becoming a Georgetown McDonough MBA
• Wake Up to Your Amazing Career Possibilities
• NYU Stern’s New Online Masters in Quantitative Management

Subscribe:

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The post Encore: Are You Interested in NYU Stern? [Episode 449] appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

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Thinking of applying to NYU Stern’s Online MSQM program? [Show summary]

Launched right before the pandemic, NYU Stern’s online MSQM program offers a unique blend of business management foundations, leadership and analytics to (mostly) young professionals. NYU Stern’s Vice Dean for online learning, Dr. Kim Corfman, joins us to share details about the program.

Interview with NYU Stern’s Vice Dean for Online Learning Dr. Kim Corfman [Show notes]

Welcome to the 447th episode of Admissions Straight Talk, thanks for joining me. Before we dive into today’s interview, I want to mention an Accepted resource that can help you prepare your statement of purpose to the MSQM, to a data analytics program, or a master’s in management, as well as to other graduate programs. Download Five Fatal Flaws To Avoid In Your Grad School Statement of Purpose to learn how to avoid the five most common mistakes we see in grad school statements of purpose. You’ll also learn how to write an SOP that makes your story memorable and highlights your qualifications for your target program. Download this valuable, free resource at accepted.com/447download. 

Our guest today is Dr. Kim Corfman. She is a professor of Marketing at NYU Stern and Vice Dean for online learning. She has served as Vice Dean for MBA programs, Academic Director of the Langone Part-time MBA program, and Coordinator of the Doctoral Program in Marketing. Needless to say, she knows a ton about management education and NYU Stern specifically. As I mentioned today, we’re going to talk about Stern’s fairly new MS in Quantitative Management program. 

What is the Master’s in Quantitative Management at NYU Stern? Can you provide an overview? [2:22]

The MSQM provides business basics, essentially, the MBA core plus analytics courses. The combination is designed to help students become data-literate managers and leaders. That’s the really short headline about it. 

It’s 20 months from start to finish and it’s lock-step, so there are no electives. Students take one course at a time for three to three and a half weeks per course. They come one right on top of the next and are pretty intense, but we’ve calibrated them so they are manageable for motivated students.

What kind of academic background are you looking for? [3:16]

We welcome applicants with any undergraduate major and we have a wide variety. We do have some undergraduate business students. We even have some people who got MBAs already. Lawyers. A couple of doctors. It’s quite diverse, which is really fun. 

The other part of that is submitting a standardized test score is optional. Something we want to make very sure applicants understand that if they choose not to send us a test score, we do need to see strong evidence of the quantitative, verbal, and reasoning abilities that are necessary to be successful in this kind of program. They do need some math and reasoning ability. They need to be able to write and we need to be able to see that.

What would be the minimum level of math that you would like to see? [4:12]

Some calculus and a lot of the basic maths that leads up to that. On our website, we very clearly lay out exactly what prerequisites they should have.

What type of students are you attracting to the program in terms of experience? Is there a maximum amount of work experience that you consider? Do you require full-time work experience? I recall, we spoke two and a half years ago, you were really aiming it at early-experience or even pre-experience students. [4:29]

We originally thought that would be the population that found it most appealing, but we’ve ended up seeing that even though we get a fair number of applicants right out of undergrad, most of them are in the typical MBA applicant age-range, and we have a whole bunch that are considerably more senior – they’ve already had very successful careers and they’re looking to refresh. Or they never got an MBA and this looks like something that they could fit into their lives and would suit their needs.

Is there a preference in terms of experience level? [5:19]

Not really. It’s just important that applicants understand that there will be this big diversity in the kinds and amounts of experience. That has to be something that they consider a plus, which we certainly do. It creates a great environment in the classroom.

What else are you looking for in the admissions process? [5:44]

Two that come to mind right now, because I’ve just been looking at some applications, are applicants who do their homework and understand what the program is really about and can tell us how it fits into their vision for their career. We’re looking for people who are committed to the challenge of making it work with their professional life and their personal lives. It’s a demanding academic program. We need people who are realistic about that.

Are you really looking for people who outlined in the application how they’re going to handle work and whatever the responsibilities they have, as well as the MSQM? [6:14]

We’ve never gotten that but that would be really interesting. It’s mostly a commitment to doing the program. If they exhibit that they understand what the program is about and say, “Yes, this is really for me” and explain why in terms of it fitting with their career, that will suffice.

Can you describe the application process for the MSQM? [6:42]

There are a lot of the things you would normally expect, like an essay. We have one required essay, which is where we detect whether people know what the program’s about and why it’s a fit for them. It’s also a way of seeing whether someone can put together a case that is persuasive.

We request two recommendations, we prefer that one be professional and the other one can be academic, but we want at least one professional reference. There is a second essay that is required if you are not going to submit a test score. That’s where you make your case, that you have the prerequisite knowledge and abilities. 

Are you looking for teamwork? Leadership? All of the above? [7:31]

All of the above along with diversity. Not everybody is going to be the supreme leader. Everybody has to be able to work on a team though, I do have to say that.

It struck me as you’re talking that in both essay questions, you’re asking applicants to make a case. I would think that a lot of that, certainly, the data analytics portion of the program would be about using data to make a case, is that correct? Is the parallel there? [7:45]

Before I launch into this, I should point out for your listeners that this is not a specialized Masters in Business Analytics. It’s absolutely not that. You’re not going to come out of it being highly technical, but you will come out of it being able to use data to make decisions, to ask people for the kinds of data that will help you make decisions, and help you make cases for the things that you want to do. In the application, we’re not expecting them to analyze data sets but the logic is exactly the same here. You’re absolutely right.

If you’re not taking the test, what’s the case for your qualifications? Is an interview required? If so, what can the interviewee expect? [9:18]

Interviews are not required. We do interviews when your application leaves us with some questions and we want to talk more about it. Sometimes, if it’s someone who’s very senior, for example, we want to make sure that the applicant understands that they’re going to have a broad range of students. Sometimes, we’re not entirely clear on the background knowledge or experience.

We will invite you to interview if we feel a need, but we love to talk to you. Our admissions counselors love to talk to applicants. I encourage everybody to have a conversation with an admissions counselor because that can really help you understand the fit between what you want and where you’re going and ultimately decide whether you should be applying at all and then make your application more effective.

I assume any interviews would be virtual, right? [10:16]

Yes. 

I’m going to also guess that as an online program, the MSQM basically sailed through the last year and a half of COVID restrictions. How would you respond to that? [10:23]

Well, in many ways we did sail through but the pandemic did have an impact, especially on the in-person component, which I think you were going to ask me about at some point because it’s one of our greater parts.

We have these two residencies. One is right at the beginning of the program and the other is a year in. They are four days during a long weekend in August. The first one has lots of orientation-type activities, alumni panels, welcomes, career workshops, those kinds of things. Plenty of opportunities for students to get to know each other, network with the class before because they’re there at the same time. They also take parts of their classes. During the program, there are three courses that have in-person components that take place during the residencies.

A year ago, during summer 2020, we couldn’t hold our residency in-person. We tried to delay until January and still couldn’t do it in person so we did it virtually. Fortunately, we’ve gotten pretty good at doing lots of things virtually. The students found it reasonably satisfying, but they were so happy that they could come back in person this last August. We had an in-person residency, I’d say about a quarter of the students, international students couldn’t get visas to come. It had to be blended, which is challenging as the whole education industry has been discussing for a couple of years now. But students tell us that they found it rewarding and satisfying. They wish they could have been here and hope they can come next year. 

Do you plan to continue this component in person? [12:32]

Yes. In addition, we usually have panels of speakers of alumni who have gone on with the knowledge they gained in MSQM and used their ability to be data-savvy in their careers and career workshops. We tell students about the resources we have available to them to help them progress with their current employer or switch if that’s what they want to do. It’s a very, very full four days.

Is there any hope or intention to expand the in person component at all? [13:18]

It’s tough for students to come from all over the world for longer than a long weekend. It is interesting though, we found that students who live near each other discover that very quickly and they get together in person.

You indicated a minute ago that the MSQM is not the same as an MS in Business Analytics. How does it differ from an MBA with the focus on data analytics, other than the fact that it’s online? [13:43]

Well, it’s half the length. You don’t get an MBA, that’s the obvious one. It’s basically the MBA core plus a few courses. It’s like if you did your MBA core and then took three or four electives in analytics, that’s what it would look like. It’s really more like a Master’s in Management with a focus on analytics and being intelligent users of data.

One option offered at NYU Stern is to start with the MSQM and then transfer into the Langone Part-time MBA program. Can you discuss that option? [14:43]

Absolutely. It’s a very interesting week for us to be having this conversation because some of your listeners may have seen the articles in Fortune and Poets&Quants about the online modular option within the Langone Part-time MBA that was just announced a couple of days ago.

First, I’ll talk about sort of the current situation. Currently, students who are in good standing can apply to transfer to the Langone Part-time MBA program which is in-person. They don’t get their MSQM, but the MSQM courses they have taken count as their core and then they go on and take roughly the second half of the MBA program in Langone in Washington Square.

This new announcement means that not immediately but soon, students who don’t live in the area can now participate. The transfer option has really only been for people who can get here during the week. This means that students, who live further away or don’t want to move, will have the option to finish their MBA by taking week-long modules and combination with online electives.

The week-long modules are in-person at Stern? [16:08]

They are. There will be a reasonably large assortment of online electives that can be taken in combination. A student who is finishing the MSQM, because they’re more than halfway through the MBA program, would probably have to come to campus a couple of times to finish the whole degree. 

Then they would end up with an MBA and the MSQM? [16:37]

No, just the MBA because we can’t double-count.

When we last spoke, you were admitting the inaugural class and planning for about 50 students. How many students are you planning for the class that will matriculate in 2022? How many applications did you receive this year? [16:54]

We have pretty much determined that our sweet spot is 100 students. We had about 80 last year. This year, we had closer to 100. One of the things we like a lot about the program is how strong the cohort experience is. We know how to do it at that size. We’re not sure what would happen if we made the program bigger.

Right now, we’re thinking that the 100 is about right. It’s two blocks and they elect block leaders, they arrange social events for themselves and study groups. They advocate for the class with us. It’s a very nice atmosphere.

There’s no thought at the moment of having another cohort of 100 start in January? [17:56]

Not at this point. Part of the reason is we really like doing the first residency at the beginning of the program and asking people to come to New York City in January for a week – I can’t imagine all the flights that wouldn’t make it through. So, that’s one of the reasons we start the program in August because the weather is hot, but at least you can travel. Right now, we’re sticking at a hundred. 

The other thing is we’ve introduced with this new Langone option, we didn’t talk about the asynchronous nature of the courses in the MSQM, but there is now a synchronous meeting with professors and classmates every week, which is great because students get to interact live. That’s very different from the way the Langone online modular one will be. It will be, at least at the beginning every week, your class will meet 7:00 to 9:00. If you can’t be in class 7:00 to 9:00 that is not an option for you.

From the feedback that you get from students, what do they like best about the program? [19:52]

They love being together so they love the residencies. They think those are just great.

Are you adding more to the residencies? [20:01]

One possibility is to add optional additional time, but we require the residencies. To ask students in Singapore or Portugal to come to New York City, more than twice over a year and a half is kind of a tough ask.

Other things our students like are the live online meetups, the weekly class meetings because they get to interact with their professors and their classmates. They also like the flexibility of the asynchronous content and the fact that it’s designed well. It’s not just you go home, watch interminable videos and read lots of books. It is very carefully designed video snippets with enlists and questions and maybe a small reading and then a problem set and check questions with immediate answers. You can go back and check it. It’s much more interactive and dynamic. They like that as well.

What percentage of the students are outside of North America? [23:18]

About a quarter of our students are international. Some of them are here and some of our U.S. citizens are elsewhere, but it’s roughly the same proportion. They move around a lot too. One of our big challenges is keeping track of where they are. These are very mobile people. One of the reasons why they choose the program is it doesn’t matter where they live or work.

What jobs are graduates getting after they complete the program? How does NYU Stern help them find those jobs? Is there career support? [23:49]

We have an institution called the Career Center for Working Professionals, which serves all of our working professional students while they’re here and then all of Stern’s alumni after they graduate and for the rest of their lives. They have career services forever. The way we roll it out to MSQM students is, because enough of them are very early career, we start them out with a full array of online resources and some career workshops. Then, in their last semester in the program, they get the rest of the suite of services, like career coaching, access to job boards, and things like that. We’re a new program, as you know, we just graduated our first class in May. We don’t have a lot of information on our alumni because there was a small class but we have heard anecdotally from students who have gotten promotions based on the things that they were learning and able to do, or because their employers were saying, “Oh, you’re getting a business degree from Stern. You look like you’ve got more potential.” So, they’re aiding promotion. Some of them have changed jobs. We’d like to take all the credit, probably we can’t take all of it, but it’s working for them.

What advice would you have for those planning to apply? How could they prepare? [25:41]

Well, first they need to make sure this is the program they should be in. It’s a little surprising the number of applicants who haven’t really done their homework, and it wouldn’t be good for them to be in the program without knowing what it was or if it wasn’t a good fit. Make sure it really is, and then make sure you’re comfortable with the evidence you can provide that you’re prepared for it. That could mean if you were a liberal arts undergrad and never took any math, you probably need to take a math course.

You can show us, unless you’re going to take the GMAT or the GRE or the Executive Assessment, any of those are fine because we can tell that way, but you would actually have to learn math first before you took those courses. Math is the toughest one. There are easier ways of showing evidence of your reasoning ability and ability to communicate, at least in writing. 

We always recommend applying earlier rather than later, because even though it’s an online program, we’ve limited the number of seats we want to fill, but don’t apply until you’re ready, much better to have a stronger application later in the process.

In terms of the math and taking coursework for your liberal arts graduate or somebody who just hasn’t had much math recently or perhaps didn’t do so well in it, do you care if they take accredited courses from a university or Coursera courses or HBS Online? [27:24]

Not really, as long as the argument can be made that it was high-enough quality and there’s evidence that you learned something. Just because you don’t have transcripts, because some of these courses don’t provide them, doesn’t mean we won’t believe you, but we also have conditional admissions for people who can’t make the case, but it sounds like maybe they’re prepared.

Any thoughts about having your own test to see if applicants are ready? [28:22]

That’s come up periodically. It might be time for us to think of it again. We used to have a sample test like a self-test people could take which we had for the MBA program. It might be time to resurrect that just so people can do a check to see whether they need to take a course.

What question would you have liked me to answer that I didn’t ask? [28:58]

You are pretty thorough. I guess the only thing I would say is that something that people find surprising to hear about the program is how bonded the students are with each other. Part of it is because they travel through as a cohort, they’re taking every course together in lock-step and they communicate so much both in class and outside of class. They feel really committed to the program, to each other, and to the school, which is not what comes to mind when you think of online programs. That’s something I like to mention since we’ve heard that so much from students.

Related links:

• NYU Stern MS in Quantitative Management
• Accepted’s Admissions Consulting Services

Related shows:

• Are You Interested in NYU Stern?
• What It’s Like to Apply for a Master’s in Finance or MBA in 2021
• All About the Kellogg MBAi, for Students Passionate About Business and Technology 
• Focus on Fit in Admissions

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The post What’s New at NYU Stern’s Online Masters of Science in Quantitative Management [Episode 447] appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

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Get to know NYU Stern’s top-notch MBA programs, and find out what Stern adcom looks for in applicants [Show summary]

Lisa Rios, NYU Stern’s newly appointed Assistant Dean of MBA Admissions, describes NYU’s innovative MBA program and the COVID adaptations that have been made to elements of the program and its application process. 

Interview with Lisa Rios, Assistant Dean of MBA Admissions at NYU Stern [Show notes]

Are you interested in NYU Stern? Well, today we’re interviewing the brand new assistant dean of MBA admissions at NYU Stern so tune in.

Welcome to the 431st episode of Admissions Straight Talk, Accepted’s podcast. Thanks for joining us. 

Are you ready to apply to your dream business school? Are you competitive at your target programs? Accepted MBA admissions calculator can give you a quick reality check, just go to accepted.com/mbaquiz, complete the quiz, and you’ll not only get an assessment but tips on how to improve your chances of acceptance — plus it’s all free. Again, use the calculator at accepted.com/mbaquiz, and you can obtain your free assessment right there. 

It gives me great pleasure to have on Admissions Straight Talk for the first time Lisa Rios, Assistant Dean of MBA Admissions at NYU Stern. Lisa has been a member of the admissions team since 2008 and leads admissions for the full-time MBA programs. She has evaluated nearly 50,000 MBA applications and seen nearly 5,000 new full-time MBA students start their MBA journey during her time at Stern.

According to Lisa, the best part of her role is that it does not feel like a job; she loves what she does. The biggest reason for this is the Sternies she works with every day. The second is the fast pace at which Stern innovates and challenges its people, including the admissions team, to ideate, try new things and continue to learn. Lisa also enjoys the travel that is part of her job, at least before COVID, and the chance to explore other cultures that comes along with it. Bombay, London, Istanbul, Tokyo, Toronto, and Beijing, are just a few of her recruiting stops, and the places that she doesn’t get to visit in person, especially during the last year, she experiences through applicants’ vivid images and descriptions in their “Pick Six” visual personal expression admissions essays. Lisa, welcome to Admissions Straight Talk and congratulations on your recent promotion to Assistant Dean.

Stern has a pretty impressive menu of MBA options. I think that’s part of its innovative nature, can you give an overview of the different options? [2:43]

Absolutely. Thank you for asking. So you’re right, Stern does have a large portfolio of MBA program options available to prospective students. It runs the gamut from executive MBA, including a TRIUM program that partners with two schools on the other side of the globe to give a global experience to our students, as well as a part-time MBA program. And the areas that fall under my purview are the full-time MBA programs, which include the two year full-time MBA as well as two focused MBA programs, one in tech and one in fashion and luxury.

Can you give an overview of the full-time program focusing on the more distinctive elements? [3:49]

So the two-year, full-time MBA program is really geared towards helping folks make a transition in their career and helping elevate them to that next phase of their professional life. For some folks it’s a career pivot, and then for others, it’s folks that are looking to build out a skill set so that they can continue to move up the proverbial ladder, as I’m sure you’ve seen as you’re connecting with prospective students. 

The thing that I love about Stern is the experiential components of the program: the fact that the students have the opportunity to put into action what they’re learning in the classroom with real problems and providing solutions for real organizations. You’ll see this through our experiential learning suite of options. I know you spoke with us last year when we launched our Change:Studio which has a number of opportunities for students to put some solutions into practice for real organizations.

This comes across through projects such as our Endless Frontier Labs where students will partner with organizations that are trying to fund tech and science startups so that they can grow and go from small startups to much larger organizations. We met with the faculty member who’s leading that project a couple of months ago to hear what was going on. We heard three examples, and of those three examples I was jumping out of my seat for two of them because they spoke to me personally, I was like, “I could use those in my everyday life!”

May I ask what they were? I’m curious. [5:40]

One was geared toward testing related to the EKG process to make it simpler. I don’t know if you’ve ever had to do one of those but when my children were younger they had to have that test done for other reasons, and it was intense. Connecting all those tubes onto your head, it was a very intense process so they were simplifying it. They were simplifying it so that it wasn’t so tedious which spoke to me as a mother. And then the other test was related to diabetes which I think many people unfortunately in the United States can relate to.

You mentioned Change:Studio which was inaugurated a couple of years ago. Can you tell us a bit about what it is? You mentioned that it provides experiential learning opportunities. How has it evolved? NYU Stern is all about change; I’m sure it’s not the same as it was and originally conceived. [6:20]

Absolutely. So let me take a step back for those that aren’t familiar with Change:Studio yet. We launched a new brand call to action in fall 2019 around the idea of change, and I promise that we had no premonitions of what was to come in 2020 but already we had seen for years at this point how quickly things were evolving and changing and not only how quickly Stern had to change but how quickly our students needed to be able to change as well. So part of that was to launch a co-curricular offering for our students called Change:Studio which helped guide their experiences at Stern to be able to enhance and further develop these skills that many of them frankly had, already coming into the program.

But now they’re moving up to that next level so that when they graduate and continue on their professional journey, they have these skill sets that are going to help them navigate, deal with, create, engage with, whatever verb you want, with Change. And it’s broken up across three different areas: we have one that’s called Dare it, one Dream it and one Drive it, and they have different focus within each of those areas. 

The new element that I’m excited to talk about today within Change:Studio is our Leadership Accelerator. This is our suite of leadership development offerings at Stern, some of them are more one-on-one options and then others are more broader scale that have a number of students involved. I would say one of the overarching ethos behind this program is that practice, practice, practice makes us better and talking about leadership theories and reading about it in a book is not as valuable as experiencing it. So they were super-excited this year to launch their inaugural live case where they had students come together in a group without much advanced information about what they were going to embark on and participate in this simulation of a business case. They hired actors from NYU Steinhardt to be the board of trustees, the CEO, and all these different members of this case who had to change the way they reacted or responded to certain situations based on what the students were doing so they really were experiencing things in a live real time way to get a sense of what it’s like to be in the real world as a leader.

Stern in the past has offered a lot of global study opportunities and obviously you as an admissions officer were traveling the world as well. COVID probably has hampered those opportunities. What’s come in its place? Any plans to reinstate some of the global treks and opportunities or is it just virtual at this point? [10:03]

You’re right. Like the rest of the world and the rest of the institutions, NYU did have a travel ban, and we’re still holding the travel ban at this point in time. We are hopeful that soon we’ll be able to lift it, and our offices are planning to put together a Doing Business In program for our graduating class of 2021. It’s in the works, they’re still figuring out the details of timing and all of that but they are hoping to still be able to offer that for our alumni who didn’t have that chance when they were here at Stern.

Our Doing Business In is typically about 10 days to two weeks long. In addition to getting to explore a new place, it also has four credit courses. Depending on where you go the focus of the course will vary. We have one typically that goes to Costa Rica, it focuses on sustainability, we have one that typically goes to Milan, focuses on luxury, and then there are others that are more general strategy-based courses. Hopefully we’ll be able to offer that to those alumni and they also get to experience that really cool, rich opportunity. Because we weren’t able to travel this year, we were able to create a new program called Tech Solutions, which took place in the winter break which is typically when our DBIs run. It was similar to the Google sprint approach to developing solutions. Our students teamed up with a faculty member as well as with Rocket Mortgage and Dow Jones to work on problems that they had and they had to very quickly come up with solutions and test them. It was a short intensive course and it was a great way to get them involved in a new opportunity, get them in front of new companies, work on real problems and flex their muscles while they were on winter break and couldn’t travel to Costa Rica or Australia.

Is there some misconception about NYU Stern that you’d like to dispel? Or is there something that people don’t usually think of or know about NYU Stern that you think they should know? [12:42]

It’s surprising to me Linda, time and time again the current students will say to me, “I know you told us when we were applying how awesome this community was but I didn’t really believe it or I couldn’t feel it until I was here and it is incredible.” I think New York City and NYU in particular because we don’t have a traditional campus, can be perceived as perhaps not having this type of community. But our students are so tight and so engaged in the experience of Stern and so connected with one another and with the school, with the administrators, with the faculty. It’s kind of incredible and frankly, it’s one of the reasons that I’ve been here for as long as I have been. It’s because of the people at Stern. There’s countless stories of the students during this past year and a half reaching out and trying to be helpful. I had students email me directly saying, “I know you have young kids and I’m not at high risk, can I help you? I can babysit.” Isn’t that so sweet?

I encourage anyone who’s interested in an MBA, if they’re already into Stern, great, if they know they want to apply, wonderful. But reach out, get to know the students, get to know the alumni, because I think that will just help them understand if this is the place that they want to spend the next few years of their life.

You know what I thought you were going to say? I think what you said is great, don’t misunderstand me. I thought you were going to say that people think NYU Stern is just for those who want to work on Wall Street. [15:04]

I think I could also have said that. I mean, we’re what? 25 blocks away so that certainly can come up. And look, we have a great reputation in finance. We have incredible faculty in this space; we have students who want to work there, but there are so many other offerings at Stern as well that we see students going into all different spaces, whether it’s consulting or tech or entertainment and media. We just have so much to offer. And with a school like NYU behind us and the opportunity to take electives at any of the other graduate schools, our students can really end up anywhere after they graduate, every industry needs a manager, right?

Let’s turn to the application. Stern requires a test score – almost any grad test score, but it is required. Is there any thought to offer test waivers going forward or going test optional? [16:07]

We actually have an exciting update this year. So we just launched our application at the end of June, and we have continued our test waiver option from last year. We understand that last year many folks couldn’t even access a test because of the ongoing pandemic, and this year we know that many folks didn’t feel like they could prepare for whatever reason because of the pandemic. Because of that, we want people to feel like they could still apply and they could still put their best foot forward. So anyone who’s in this camp has the opportunity to request a test waiver and they can do so by submitting a form online and then also presenting their case and tell us why they think that they’re able to perform well in the classroom and that they’re ready for the academic rigors of the program.

There are a couple of things they have to submit like their undergraduate transcripts or their resume but then if there’s anything else that could support their case, they’re welcome to upload that and share that with us as well. We don’t suspect that a lot of people will take us up on this offer, last year with the option the majority of folks still applied with a test and those that are in the class many of them still have a test. But we wanted to be able to continue the flexibility that we had with the other testing options that we had offered through the years. We were one of the first schools to offer the GRE many years ago, we started taking the Executive Assessment and so now this is a continuation of it and we’ll see where it goes.

Stern has two required essay questions, an optional question and a short goals question. Can you touch on the purpose behind these different questions? [18:13]

Yes. So the first question is our short-term goals question and that is essentially asking, “What are you hoping to do post MBA? Once you graduate, what’s that first step you’re going to take in your career?” And then there’s space to elaborate a little bit beyond that if the candidate feels like they would like to use that space to do so. 

The optional essay, it really is optional. I feel like some people get stressed about the fact that there is an option and should I submit something because it’s there, I don’t really have anything to say. It’s absolutely optional, and candidates should use that to elaborate or clarify something in their application that they feel like we might have a question about. Some common things might be, a gap in their employment and they didn’t have a space to do it so they can do that there. Or if they didn’t do as well in undergrad for a semester or in a particular course, they can add some context there. It doesn’t have to be long, it doesn’t have to be a formal written piece of art, it can be bullet points if they want. But not everyone needs to submit it, not everyone does, but it’s certainly there if people need some extra space.

[Click here to read our NYU Stern application essay tips]

In terms of the Personal Expression essay, that’s kind of Stern’s signature unique question, do you have a favorite example? Can you think of one? [19:59]

That’s a tough one. Our Pick Six is so fun because, one, folks can use images, which is the trend these days, less words, more pictures for everything, right? And so I think our candidates feel that they can express themselves better through images, it could be a photo, it could be an emoji, it could be charts, drawings. I don’t know if there’s one in particular that stands out, but I love any of them that feel genuine, like I’m getting to see the real them; it’s fun. Candidates also often open up to us in a way that I don’t know they really do with other people. So I have to remind myself when I meet them in the elevator for the first time or in class not to jump out and start talking about their Pick Six.

What’s the most common mistake that you see applicants making in their application? [21:10]

I think the most common mistake would be to try and be something they’re not, to try and put something on paper that they think the admissions committee wants to see but they don’t actually mean or it isn’t actually true for them. Because the MBA has become a degree that can be used across so many industries and functions, candidates should really feel comfortable being themselves and putting their true selves on paper because it comes across so much stronger than trying to be something that they’re not.

Some applicants have specific elements of their background that give them grave concern, and there are different kinds of areas of concern. The first one is, somebody who had a dip in grades or perhaps a gap in unemployment due to mental health issue: a depressive episode or some other emotional issue. How do you view that candidate? [22:06]

I would say for any candidate who feels like they have one piece of their application that isn’t as strong as something else, to take a step back and remember that our process is holistic, that we use a wide variety of components in the application to determine someone’s candidacy for the program. So we look at three different areas. The first is academic potential – are they going to be able to handle the academic rigors of the program? We’ll look at undergrad but that’s not the only piece. You also have the standardized tests and oftentimes you can look at someone’s work experience to see how they handle certain elements of their job responsibilities which could translate to the classroom as well. If there’s one piece in that puzzle that doesn’t feel 100% or they wish it could have been better, then they can focus on those other elements to make their application strong.

I also think that in those scenarios, time helps heal and can add context. Even if in that moment the candidate doesn’t feel like they were able to move above or move through their challenges, two, three, four years later they might be able to look back at it and say, “I recognize what was going on, this is how I’ve changed or this is how I’ve built my skill sets to be able to navigate this when I’m experiencing stress or difficulties or challenges.” It might be in the moment that they develop these skill sets, or it could be a couple of years later.

A different type of area of grave concern from applicants would be an academic infraction or a misdemeanor on their record; a criminal record, basically. How do you view that? [24:44]

Similarly, it’s one piece of the application and that optional essay could be a great place to add context, whether that context is what happened in that circumstance or that context is: “Here’s what happened, I recognize what happened, here’s how I moved through it or here’s where I am today as it relates to that.” I think how they speak to it and how they’re able to have perspective today versus whenever this challenge or infraction happened is valuable for the committee to see.

What candidates do you not see enough of or would you like to see more of in the applicant pool? [25:34]

I would love candidates to know – and we touched upon this a little bit earlier, Linda – the MBA has become a degree that is useful in so many different spaces. You talked about Wall Street earlier, and yes, historically the MBA was for many a degree for folks on Wall Street, but it’s so much more than that now. So for anyone out there who is wondering if they should consider this degree, then they should explore it because it can take you into so many different spaces. We see folks going into the public sector, whether it’s working in higher education or working for the city of New York or the federal government or in education. We also see folks that are going into marketing or into tech. I mean, you yourself have probably seen so many evolutions of where students are taking their degrees, it’s pretty incredible.

Do you have any specific advice for applicants who want to join the class of 2024? [27:21]

So I’ll give three and even though it might sound like a lot, I could give a 100 tips but I won’t share all those with you.

So first I would just reiterate to be genuine, be yourself, and like you said, that’ll make the process much simpler for them. It’ll make it easier for us to see their strengths and what they’re capable of. 

The second thing I would share is, apply when they’re ready. So Stern has four application deadlines, the first being September 15th and the last being March 15th. I know candidates worry about which one they should apply for to have the best chance of getting into the program. I always joke, it would be really mean of us to have four deadlines and to not have spaces available at all of them. But in all seriousness, they should apply when they’re ready, when they feel like they have the best application to put forth and go ahead and submit them. For Stern if that is between deadlines, if it’s on September 16th, go ahead and submit, we’ll review applications as they come in, we won’t set them aside and ignore them until the next deadline, so that’s sometimes something that I think surprises candidates.

My third piece of advice would be, get to know us. We have tons of events that are happening, whether it’s with the admissions committee or alumni or current students. Definitely get to know us, come to our events, ask questions, we’re here, we’re happy to chat. The students and the alumni love sharing their stories and experiences, and they want to be helpful in bringing in the next class at Stern. So definitely take a moment to say hello and ask them questions.

What advice would you have for someone thinking ahead to a Fall 2022 application or later and considering Stern? [29:39]

I would say that I’m impressed by them – they’re thinking in advance, which is wonderful. They have more time to get to know the different programs and to really figure out what they want to do. They could start studying early for the standardized tests; for folks that have been out of school for a while that can be a bit of a hurdle getting used to testing again so take the time to start preparing now. Also think about what they really want to get out of the MBA experience and start building their networks because they don’t have to wait until the program starts to start exploring their future career possibilities.

What would you have liked me to ask you? What would you like to answer? [30:28]

I realized that I left out one of our essays, and this actually goes along nicely with what I would also share. Our newest essay this year is in line with our brand call to action that we talked about and our brand call to action is called Change, Dare it. Dream it. Drive it. So our essay question is asking candidates to tell us what their verb is, so it’s Change, _____ it. Mine is Change, Do it, and it may sound a little bit cheesy but I really do think that actions speak louder than words and so in my opinion, just try it, explore it, do it, if it’s a mistake you can change course and try something else but you’ll never know unless you do it.

Where can listeners and potential applicants learn more about NYU Stern’s MBA programs? [32:40]

They can check us out at www.stern.nyu.edu/programs-admissions, and you can find all of our programs there as well as anything you could want to know about how to apply, when to apply and how to get in.

Related links:

• NYU Stern’s website
• NYU Stern MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines [2021-2022]
• NYU Stern Class of 2022 Profile
• Why MBA? a free guide
• Accepted’s MBA Admissions Consulting Services

Related shows:

• An Interview with Dartmouth Tuck’s Former Admissions Director, Luke Pena
• NYU Stern: An Insider’s Perspective on Getting Accepted
• How to Get a CMU Tepper MBA
• All About Becoming a Georgetown McDonough MBA
• Wake Up to Your Amazing Career Possibilities
• NYU Stern’s New Online Masters in Quantitative Management

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The post Are You Interested in NYU Stern? [Episode 431] appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.