UPDATE: This article was originally posted on August 14, 2020. It has been updated with new information and tips below.
Located at the center of a major business hub and offering specialized 1-year programs in tech and fashion, NYU Stern is at the top of the list for a growing number of both US-based and international MBA applicants.
However, with impressive recruiting statistics and its new Change: Studio program, the competition to join Stern’s elite MBA is more difficult than ever.
That’s why we’ve prepared this guide to help you use your Stern essays to stand out. We’ve rounded up our best tips and links to NYU Stern MBA sample essays to ensure you give your Haas application your best shot.
1. Who is Stern Looking for?
(Photo courtesy of @nyustern on Instagram)
“We look for people who share our values, and understand who we are and what we are about. EQ is something we have always looked for. We want people who want to be part of the NYC landscape, our urban advantage. We look for those with an understanding of what good business can do for society, not just looking at the bottom line.” Rabia Ahmed, Executive Director of Strategic Marketing and Admissions at NYU Stern School of Business
Every year, NYU Stern reviews thousands of applicants from outstanding professionals in order to determine who to admit to its class of full-time MBA students. Find complete class profile stats here.
Beyond the impressive statistics, though, Stern is looking for candidates who want to make a positive impact on the world through their careers. That’s why, in addition to strong academic performance (demonstrated through test scores and university grades), Stern seeks candidates who possess the following qualities:
If this sounds like a community in which you’d be right at home, you’ll first have to prove you’ve got what it takes by successfully answering Stern’s challenging admissions essay questions.
2. How should I answer the essay question?
2.1. Essay 1 Tips
What are your short-term career goals? Why is the Stern MBA the necessary next chapter in your professional story? Please be specific. (500 word maximum, double-spaced, 12-point font)
Unlike many schools, NYU Stern has actually increased the length of this essay, taking it from what was a short answer to a full-blown essay. As such, you want to approach this like you would any other goals essay.
In this essay, you have a big task. In 550 words, you need to discuss:
- Context for your goals
- Your specific short-term MBA goals and why you are pursuing them at this moment
- Why you believe an MBA is necessary to reach these goals
- How a Stern MBA will help you reach these goals
Each of these elements must be included and must build off of each other.
First of all, many candidates think they do not need to specifically state their goals, or that it’s better to leave “their options open.” If you are applying to elite business schools, however, you must have and present absolute clarity about your goals.
TOP TIP: If you’re having trouble figuring out what your post-MBA goals are, we’ve prepared this post to help you decipher this essential part of the application process!
However, goals without context can be a little confusing to decipher or understand (or they can just seem a bit lackluster). For this reason, we suggest starting your essay with context.
For example, a client last year initially started his essay by saying:
“I want to become a Business Development Director at a Brazilian company.”
While interesting, it’s better to give a little bit of context to help these goals come to life. Check out the final version of the same essay’s introduction:
“In the 1970s, the phrase “think global, act local” came into use, suggesting that to have global impact, one must be active locally. With this mindset, I focused my career on Brazilian multinational companies to start creating global change at home. While at Company 1, I led a diverse global team, which showed me that clear communication is essential. I later accepted a finance position at a real estate company where I learned how new technologies can impact traditional local industries and that leaders must adapt to these trends to maintain competitiveness. Most recently, I joined Company 2 to participate in its daring globalization plan. At Company 2, I have learned how challenging it is to formulate effective global strategies to thrive in diverse markets. I have also developed management skills since becoming Financial Coordinator, learning how important establishing a culture of collaboration is to providing stability for organizations.
I now seek to take the next step to becoming a “global” leader by becoming Business Development Director at a Brazilian company pursuing globalization, giving me the experience to assume my long-term goal of CEO of one such company.”
Second, you should clearly demonstrate why you need an MBA.
An MBA is not a catch-all degree that serves a purpose for all career paths. As such, you need to demonstrate that the goals you have set for yourself require the additional training an MBA can provide.
Be thoughtful about this particular section. If you don’t need to improve in any meaningful way, you might be presenting the argument the admissions committee needs for why you can’t actually benefit from an MBA.
Furthermore, if you show fluffy or unsupported reasons you need to hone your skills, you’ll also likely see your application tossed aside in favor of an applicant who was able to clearly demonstrate how they plan to leverage their time at business school.
Third, add how NYU can specifically help you grow in the areas you’ve identified. Mentioning that you want to go to Stern because of its ranking will not cut it here.
Instead, show that you understand the unique offerings NYU Stern’s curriculum provides (I highly suggest you mention the pathway or major you’re interested in) and have done significant, thoughtful research into how the opportunities both inside and outside of the classroom can help you grow.
Then, if you have space, choose 1-2 ways you can contribute to the community, either based on your background, experience, or skills. Make sure you connect it with specific elements at Stern, like a club, conference, or specific class you want to take. Saying things like, “I’m from Korea, so I’m looking forward to bringing an Asian perspective to campus” isn’t going to cut it here. Specifics matter.
End with a winning conclusion statement that reinforces your personal brand and ties the whole essay together.
2.2. Essay 2 Tips
Introduce yourself to the Admissions Committee and to your future classmates using six images and corresponding captions. The Pick Six is a way to share more about the qualities you will bring to the Stern community, beyond your professional and academic achievements. 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 be linked to a website.
For many years, MBA applications have focused on your CV and your goals to get a very concrete picture of what you bring to the table as an applicant. In recent years, however, we’ve seen a greater move towards questions that get to know the person behind the accomplishments. This is exactly the mission of this essay, which NYU Stern has retained as part of its application for the past several years.
However, given the extremely open format of this essay, applicants often find themselves panicking when starting to craft their NYU Stern essays. We’re here to tell you that this essay can actually be a very enjoyable experience that highlights your creativity and unique life story!
When starting out, we recommend that you first think back to your personal brand and the list of achievements and life experiences you compiled during this process. Now, thinking about the fact that you have already had the chance to highlight aspects of your career in the goals essay, what do you believe is still important to include in your application in order to convey the full picture of what you could contribute to the Stern community
Though you might be tempted to target funny or quirky elements of your profile, we suggest you think more strategically about what NYU Stern is looking for in a candidate and how each image and caption you choose will work to demonstrate your fit with their program.
For example, perhaps you have a long track record of giving back to the community and want to share a photo from one of your volunteer projects. Or, perhaps you conducted a project in a foreign country and want to share an image of a meeting or cultural event you attended while there and how this encounter shaped your mindset.
You can also choose to include one or two “lighter” photos that demonstrate interests and hobbies you have actively pursued but make sure these add value. Showing off a meal you ate at a fancy restaurant (unless perhaps you’re like our client Martha and have a thriving food blog with 100k+ subscribers), won’t do much to prove you’re an interesting, dynamic, well-rounded addition to the NYU Stern class.
After selecting the stories/images you want to use, it’s time to craft your captions. Though you may be tempted to quickly write a description of the photo, remember that the caption is where you are able to demonstrate what you want the admissions committee to learn about you. Since you are limited to a single sentence for each image, concision is key, but make sure that the sentence clearly articulates the experience/value/achievement you want to convey.
For example, last year, our client Kelsey used a photograph of newspaper article on her handball team’s championship win. Her caption brought in what this meant to her in terms of developing her leadership style, stating: “My first ever leadership position has a huge space in my heart: being captain of my handball team taught me not only the power of commitment, discipline, and teamwork but also of having the sharp emotional intelligence to face my most challenging opponent – myself.”
This is an excellent caption, in our opinion, as it demonstrates a connection with NYU’s focus on emotional intelligence, demonstrates a relevant leadership insight, and includes the right measure of creativity by using a sports metaphor directly linked to her photo.
Top tip: though you can choose to use photographs for all 6 images, things like charts, PowerPoint slides, paintings, drawings, etc. are all fair game.
2.3. Optional Essay Tips
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 the GMAT, GRE, Executive Assessment, IELTS or TOEFL, or any other relevant information. (500 word maximum, double-spaced, 12-point font)
This is not a place for you to retell your life story or sum up your interest in Stern or need for an MBA. It is also not a place to copy and paste a strong essay you wrote for another school. Make sure you focus only on weak spots and also discuss what steps you have taken or took to rectify the weaknesses.
Find additional tips and tricks to help you master the optional essay here.
If you’re a reapplicant, check out these tips.
3. Everyone’s Talking. We Help You Get Heard
The hardest part of MBA essays isn’t finding stories to tell. Instead, it’s finding the right stories and shaping them into something that matters. It’s the gap between the messy, complicated truth of your experience and the clear, compelling narrative that admissions committees need to understand who you are. That’s where most applicants get stuck because they’re too close to their own story to see what’s working and what’s noise.
The right essay support doesn’t just polish your grammar. It helps you find the beating heart of your narrative and bring it to the surface. Leland connects you with vetted essay coaches who do exactly that, from former admissions officers who’ve read thousands of applications and know what creates impact, to experienced consultants who specialize in turning raw ideas into compelling stories, to current students who just went through this and can help you see what your schools are actually looking for. You can work with them however you need: one session to brainstorm your approach, multiple rounds of editing and refinement, or just a sanity check before you hit submit.
Getting feedback from someone who understands your goals, your schools, and how to make every word count makes all the difference in standing out at top MBA programs and landing a spot at your dream school.
We earn a small commission when you book coaching through our link, which helps support the free resources we create.
4. Deadlines
The deadlines for the 2026-2027 season are below. You can access the NYU Stern application here.
NYU Stern Round 1 Deadlines (Full-time MBA)
Application Deadline: September 15, 2026
Initial Notification by*: December 1, 2026
*You will receive one of three initial notifications: invitation to interview, waitlist offer, or denial of admission
NYU Stern Round 2 Deadlines (Full-time MBA)
Application Deadline: October 15, 2026
Initial Notification by*: January 1, 2027
*You will receive one of three initial notifications: invitation to interview, waitlist offer, or denial of admission
NYU Stern Round 3 Deadlines (Full-time MBA)
Application Deadline: January 15, 2027
Initial Notification by*: April 1, 2027
*You will receive one of three initial notifications: invitation to interview, waitlist offer, or denial of admission
NYU Stern Round 4 Deadlines (Full-time MBA)
Application Deadline: April 15, 2027
Initial Notification by*: Ongoing
*You will receive one of three initial notifications: invitation to interview, waitlist offer, or denial of admission
