NYU Stern
Essays are typed in 12-point font, double spaced.
The "Pick 6" essay uses visuals and captions, and is submitted as a PDF.
Essay: Professional Aspirations
Prompt: What are your short-term career goals? (500 words maximum)
You have a whopping 500 words to talk about your immediate post-MBA career goals, the ones that would be the logical outcome of pursuing the MBA at NYU Stern.
This would be 1) a specific job role or position and 2) the industry you choose pursue. In addition, describe your larger MBA goals, including 3) how you want to change yourself to prepare for your career goals, and/or 4) how you want to change a certain role or a certain industry.
This essay should provide a complete picture of your career aspirations and the motivations behind them. Provide them with the "Why" you have an interest in your goals, and the "How" you have the skills to achieve your goals. You might also provide them with the "Why Now" in order to demonstrate the introspection and intentionality of your goal-setting.
- Do offer some points from your professional and/or personal background to give context to your goals.
- Don't just repeat your resume, which they have.
- Map your motivations from your past experience to your future goals, in order to convince your reader that your goals are achievable.
- Be ambitious, but realistic. But also, ambitious.
Part of your essay should include "Why Stern" will also help you achieve your short-term career goals. Demonstrate your research and understanding of what Stern has to offer, and what you as an individual will gain from, for example, a specific course, the curriculum, a specialization, a specific experiential learning opportunities, a global program, or a student organization. Don't just write a long list of things. Pick 1-3 things that will specifically assist you towards your goal. A good way to make your picks is to ask yourself "Why Stern and Only Stern?"
Finally, the length of the essay indicates that Stern is also looking for your fit with the school's vision and values. Review your career aspirations and motivations, and think about how they fit with the Stern Values:
- Excellence, Unbounded by Tradition - "a school rooted in rigor, yet on the cutting edge"
- IQ + EQ - "an environment where all voices are heard and each member thrives"
- Radically Responsible - "the unequivocable belief in the power of business to improve society"
- Uncommonly Connected - "our NYC location and access to NYU’s global network"
This is a part of your "Why Stern" answer - how Stern's culture, environment, beliefs, and location will help you reach your post-MBA goals.
Essay: Pick 6
Prompt: Describe yourself to the Admissions Committee and to your future classmates using six images and corresponding captions. Your uploaded PDF should contain all of the following elements:
- A brief introduction or overview of your "Pick Six" (no more than 3 sentences).
- Six images that help illustrate who you are - photos, infographics, drawings, or any other images.
- A one-sentence caption for each of the six images that helps explain why they were selected and are significant to you.
Choose six aspects of your personality, character, interests, family, background, job, and hobbies and interests to showcase, and find those pictures. It's important to consider how to bring your personality to life, and also:
- Show them something that might surprise them about you.
- Show them something "off-resume."
- Provide new context to what is on your resume.
Important: Formatting is important. You are sharing personal details, but keeping it professional.
Optional Essay
Prompt: 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. (500 words maximum)
This may include important aspects of yourself not otherwise apparent in your application, and/or the following:
- hardships that you have encountered
- current or past gaps in employment
- further explanation of your undergraduate record or self-reported academic transcript(s)
- plans to retake the GMAT, GRE, Executive Assessment, IELTS or TOEFL
- any other relevant information
Clients have also used the essay to explain the following:
- why your current direct supervisor is not writing your recommendation
- interruptions in academic career
- encounters with the law (e.g., Driving Under the Influence or other types of arrests)
- areas of weakness (e.g., less than five years work experience - why you are not waiting to apply)
Use this essay to turn a potential weakness into a strength. Tell the Admissions Committee what happened and why it happened. Be honest in your self-evaluation. Most importantly, tell them what you have learned from a negative experience, and how this learning has influenced future actions.