Meet NYU Stern’s MBA Class Of 2022

P&Q: You talk about the IQ + EQ Difference. What exactly does this mean? How does NYU Stern apply that in acceptance decisions? How is this philosophy integrated into your programming?

Eggers: “One of the unique factors at Stern is our culture. And culture begins and ends with people. For Stern, this means building a community of students with strong academic potential who also possess outstanding interpersonal strengths. We call it IQ + EQ. Through the years, we continued to evolve our admissions process in support of this by adding an EQ Endorsement and a visual Pick Six essay that gives us a chance to get to know applicants on many levels. And of course, we interview everyone we admit.  The IQ + EQ mindset is also a significant part of the foundation for Stern’s new Leadership Accelerator, which I mentioned above.”

P&Q: This fall, Stern is launching a new core curriculum. What does it involve? How is this approach different than other MBA programs and how does it better prepare students for their post-MBA careers?

Eggers: “As Stern, we have focused on constant curricular evolution, as opposed to a single massive overhaul. This year, the evolution has manifested in two ways. First, we are introducing a new core MBA class in Business Analytics, on top of the existing course in Statistics. As the use of data and data-driven tools to make business and strategic decisions continues to shape how business functions, the need for a managerially-relevant business analytics foundation is essential for success. This course focuses on that foundation that all business leaders need.

Second, we are offering a new MBA specialization in Tech Product Management starting this fall that involves developing the ability to create, test and deploy innovative ideas in technology-enabled businesses. The specialization emphasizes data-driven decision making, a focus on innovation and an entrepreneurial mindset. It will prepare students for careers as product managers, as well as those that interact with product managers – product marketing, technology development, and technology strategy.  Given the insatiable demand for product management skills – both in technology companies and in more traditional businesses – this specialization will help continue Stern’s push into the innovation and technology space. I will be serving as the Academic Director and will be teaching as well.”

5 ADVANTAGES TO NYU STERN

What do current students and alumni have to say about the Stern MBA? Here are some additional benefits of the MBA program:

1) IQ+EQ: After visiting different schools and talking to professors and alumni, I felt that Stern really cared about the person vs. just their accomplishments. Even through Stern’s application questions, it was obvious that they wanted leaders who cared about the world and wanted to make it better. Stern also continually jumps in ranking which was exciting too.”
Brittany Bui (’22)

2) New York City: “Stern’s strong finance reputation as well as its unique location in the heart of the world’s financial center gave me confidence that I would learn a great deal in the classroom while having direct access to most of the industry’s top firms.”
Wyatt Kimble (’22)

“I chose Stern for two main reasons. First, the community. Stern prides itself on “IQ + EQ” and I was drawn to a school that emphasized the human side of business as well as its technical aspects. Secondly, I wanted to stay in the Northeast. Living in NYC before business school, I knew how much the city had to offer in terms of access to companies and events. Stern does a fantastic job of connecting students with the city, and I’ve really enjoyed being able to visit companies in person and get involved in experiential learning projects in the city.”
Allie Kornstein (’20)

3) Luxury Marketing: Luxury: “Stern’s strength in luxury marketing is what made the school stand out in my search. I initially considered the focused Fashion & Luxury MBA, but eventually decided to pursue the two-year program to take advantage of the summer internship. Nicholas

Attending the 2019 Luxury & Retail Conference was what sealed the deal. After seeing the extensive list of sponsors and hearing from keynote speaker, Nicolas Hieronimus, Deputy CEO of L’Oréal, I knew Stern was the best business school to achieve my goal of moving into the beauty industry.”
Myryah Nicholas (’20)

4) Entrepreneurship: “Moving from Pakistan to New York was an invaluable experience on a personal level as well as for ONE432. There is no substitute for the energy and the drive that you feel by being in one of the world’s cultural and financial epicenters. The Stern MBA experience provided a phenomenal community of professors and students to vet our assumptions, discuss strategies, and get fresh perspectives every step of the way.

The entrepreneurial network and infrastructure at NYU Stern has also been a huge boost for the company. We were accepted into the flagship accelerator at NYU Stern, The $300K Entrepreneurs Challenge, which we deferred to participate in to 2021 because of COVID. We were also selected in the Stern Venture Fellowship (SVF) for the summer of 2020. The SVF gives us access to $15,000 in grants to attempt new initiatives and a tremendous amount of exposure. More importantly, the program pairs us with a dream team of coaches who are industry leaders and provides us a structure over 12 weeks that keeps us focused on achieving our milestones while giving us the flexibility to be creative.”
Umar Belal (’20)

5) Tech and the City: “Stern offers unique experiential learning opportunities which expose students to the vast array of business and social challenges being tackled by NYC’s companies. One of these is Tech and the City, where students work with founders and investors at different New York City-based tech startups to understand business models, impact, growth, and funding. As a person interested in social entrepreneurship and product, I know this is a must for my MBA experience.”
Raquel Aurelia Rodriguez (’22)

ADMISSIONS ADVICE TO FUTURE APPLICANTS

Looking to land a spot at Stern in the coming year or two? This is how you can boost your chances according to alumni and experts.

1) Be You: “Share your personality in your application in addition to career and academic information. Stern cares about the whole person, which I think is especially illustrated through the “Pick Six” personal expression photo essay. Prospective students are asked to share six photos and Instagram-esque captions that share a bit more about who they are. Many applicants I’ve talked to find this the most daunting part of the application, but there really are no wrong answers. It’s a way for the admissions committee to see the person behind the application and brings your personality to life.”
Rebecca Dewey (’20)

2) Understand What Makes Stern Tick: “Stern is differentiated in three ways: it’s in the heart of New York City, it focuses heavily on emotional intelligence, and it’s a tight-knit community. By focusing on how each of these resonates with you and articulating how you will become a valuable asset to the class, you will be one step closer to success.”
Ari Schiff (’20)

3) Convey What You’ll Bring to the Community of Sternies: “From the moment you set foot on campus, you’ll witness firsthand how the Stern students and faculty are approachable and collaborative. This sense of community is often noted by students and alumni in testimonials. “Sternies” are ingrained with a sense a responsibility to help each other throughout their MBA, constantly developing new resources for knowledge sharing and interpersonal development.

A big part of the Stern experience involves extracurricular activities, which include professional groups as well as recreational clubs. MBA students run the campus clubs and select the next generation of leaders in each incoming class. Whether you have a talent in music or sports or just have a desire to learn something new, the committee is interested in hearing what you can contribute to the Stern community.”
Trisha Nussbaum, Fortuna Admissions

What led the Class of 2022 to pursue an MBA? What was the toughest question they were asked during the application process? What other schools did they consider? Check out the student profiles below for answers to questions and many more. 

MBA Student	Hometown	Undergrad Alma Mater	Last Employer
Marilia Bagatini	Porto Alegre, Brazil	Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul	General Electric
Brittany Bui	Laguna Beach, CA	Chapman University	Nasdaq
Rachel Chanen	Phoenix, AZ	Harvard University	The Trevor Project
El Houssain El Marabti	Marrakech, Morocco	Carnegie Mellon University	Bain & Company
Josue Gonzalez	Queens, NY	United States Military Academy	U.S. Army
Wyatt Kimble	Linwood, CA	Villanova University	UBS
Myryah Nicholas	Bowie, MD	Spelman College	Perrigo Pharmaceuticals
John Neufeld	Doylestown, PA	Bates College	IDEXX Laboratories
Raquel Aurelia Rodriguez	New York City, NY	Columbia University	Code and Theory
Ishan Taneja	Gurgaon, India	St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University	PwC
Shien-Yin Teo	Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia	University of Southern California	Accenture