Meet NYU’s Incoming Stern Class of 2017

FAR MORE THAN A PREP SCHOOL FOR INVESTMENT BANKERS

Stern has a reputation for being a “finance school” – and not without merit. In a 2014 Poets&Quants study of which MBA programs were the top feeders to leading financials, NYU MBAs topped the employment rolls at Goldman Sachs, Citi, Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan, Credit Suisse, UBS, and Deutsche.

Not surprisingly, Stern is a magnet for quants. Some 24% of the Class of 2017 completed business-related majors as undergrads, while another 21% majored in economics. Similarly, 21% of new enrollees had previous experience in financial services (and another 9% in banking).

But don’t assume the Class of 2017 is simply a collection of investment bankers-in-waiting. Some 35% of the class majored in social sciences, humanities and the arts (with the remaining 20% holding STEM degrees). Beyond financial services, the second largest industry represented by the 2017 class is entertainment, media and technology (with Stern’s connections to leading entertainment conglomerates being another benefit of its Manhattan locale). Another 10% of this Stern class came from consulting. In fact, Stern has emerged consulting mecca, with 28% of its 2014 class hired by consulting firms – the only time that consulting had topped investment banking as students’ industry of choice in the past five years (with New York City’s burgeoning startup scene likely to draw future Stern grads to tech).

And this diversity is reflected heavily in the Class of 2017, says Isser Gallogly, the assistant dean of MBA admissions at Stern. “We are excited to welcome an exceptional incoming class to NYU Stern,” he tells Poets&Quants. “The full-time MBA Class of 2017 includes students from more than 60 different countries and with experience that ranges from entrepreneurs to doctors, bankers to teachers, and military veterans to film producers. As diverse as they are individually, what they all share in common is what we call IQ + EQ; they possess both intellectual and interpersonal strengths. We screen for this winning combination of qualities during the admissions process.  We know these students will turn ideas into action, inspire others to their cause, and make their mark on the Stern community.”

A DIVERSE CLASS RANGES FROM A MARINE TO A PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEER 

Indeed, the “possibilities” for this class are endless. Just imagine sitting in this fall’s core Financial Accounting & Reporting course. You might debate cash flow strategies with Charles Walker, a Peace Corps veteran who has successfully managed sanitation and agribusiness projects in Panama and Ethiopia. Or maybe you’ll work in a group project with Ashley Toscano, a Texan who studied neuroscience as an undergrad before moving to Indonesia to teach English, computer skills, and health to underprivileged children. Your tutor for bond pricing might be Bryan Coughlin, a former Marine Corps infantry officer who recently completed a corporate derivatives marketing internship with JP Morgan Chase. If you’re uncertain about your legal options after a financial misstatement or fraud, sit down with Dwane Omar Jones, an attorney who was once a trustee in the liquidation of Lehman Brothers. And make sure you get to know Sabrina Yurkofsky too. She was brainy enough to get accepted into Stern right out of undergraduate school.

This year’s class was attracted to Stern for a number of reasons. As you’d expect, Stern’s locale was a headline attraction. “The location of NYU will give me significant exposure to top companies domestically and internationally, writes Toscano. “As someone who has a fascination with learning about other cultures, New York was the perfect place for this next chapter.” Walker seconded Toscano, branding New York City as “the epicenter of business.” However, Walker adds that the school’s philosophy really made a difference to him. “I really appreciated Stern’s desire to nurture interpersonal skills as much as intellectual intelligence—Stern calls it EQ + IQ.”

Despite b-school critics dismissing academics as a commodity, Stern’s curriculum helped to “seal the deal” with several members of the Class of 2017. For Coughlin, it was the program’s concentrations. ”I needed to attend a quantitatively challenging school with a strong finance network to help me transition into business,” he admits. “NYU Stern will provide me with a world class and experienced faculty as well as full immersion in the finance industry.” Toscano echoed Coughlin’s sentiments. “Coming from a non-business undergraduate background, it was important for me to choose a program that had a very strong curriculum and that I could ensure would properly prepare me for the business world as a career switcher.”

Like most first-years, Stern’s 2017 class is determined to seize the opportunity and leave a legacy. “My goal is to make my mark in this program,” explains Toscano. “I do not want these two years to pass without me pushing myself to make a positive change for this community.” “My goal is to take advantage of all that a school like Stern has to offer,” adds Yurkofsky. “I just want to make the most of the next two years.”

To read profiles of incoming Stern students – along with their advice on tackling GMAT, applications, and interviews – click on the student profile links below.

Sarada Anne / Hyderabad, India 

Bryan Coughlin / Brooklyn, NY 

Dwane Omar Jones / Kingston, Jamaica and Brooklyn, NY 

Ashley Toscano / Austin, TX 

Charles Walker / Ashland, OR 

Sabrina Yurkofsky / Wayland, WA

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