Meet NYU Stern’s MBA Class Of 2025

P&Q: What are some key elements in your teaching of leadership? What types of options does your school offer that deepens student experience with leadership and makes them more competitive in the marketplace?

Eggers: “My colleague, Professor Nate Pettit, Founding Director of Stern’s Leadership Accelerator, argues that leadership development is not a passive process. Our philosophy is built on this premise: that leadership development requires students to repeatedly put themselves outside their comfort zone, to take risks and fail, and to learn from these experiences through skillful reflection. Think of it as building leadership agility! So it’s no surprise that Stern takes an unconventional approach, including taking the traditional case study method off the page and into real life with its first in-person “live case” held this past spring. To picture it, envision a day-long live Broadway production, but without a script! With more than 30 professional actors, as well as Stern administrators and alumni, playing parts, more than 60 MBA students were assigned teams and executive roles for the day to manage a business crisis. The intention was to immerse students in the kind of difficult experience they will face in the business world.”

P&Q: Two years ago, P&Q asked you to share how you’ve integrated AI, STEM, analytics, and digital disruption into your programming. Since then, what types of enhancements have you made in these areas?

Eggers: “In another pioneering moment for Stern, we secured the STEM designation for both the Andre Koo Tech MBA (in 2019) and the two-year Full-time MBA (in 2020), and we were one of the first top business schools to do so. In part this designation stemmed from our decision to include Business Analytics – above and beyond Statistics – as a core course in the two-year Full-time MBA curriculum. Stern was already a trailblazer in the area of Business Analytics, having had an MBA specialization in place for many years. Stern was also one of the first to offer coursework (followed by an MBA specialization and also a dedicated MS) in Fintech. Today, we also offer multiple AI-specific classes in new specializations such as Tech Product Management and Healthcare. Finally, we recently established GenerativeAI@Stern, established to train students, faculty, and administration on best practices for generative AI. It’s run by Conor Grennan, Dean of MBA Students and LinkedIn Learning Instructor for AI for Business, and Sarah Ryan, Senior Associate Director, Experiential Education, for the one-year Andre Koo Technology and Entrepreneurship MBA Program.”

P&Q: How many courses outside the business school can MBAs take during your program? To what extent has your business school embraced coursework from other schools and departments at your university? Are students from other schools and departments at the university allowed to take MBA electives?

Eggers: “Stern MBAs benefit from a breadth of course offerings at the school along with the flexibility to take up to 25 percent of courses at other NYU graduate schools or partner institutions. For the Andre Koo Tech MBA, two grad-level courses in Computer Science – offered by faculty at the famous Courant Institute for Mathematical Sciences – are part of the core curriculum. Stern also offers a number of dual degree MBA programs with its NYU partners, such as the JD/MBA with NYU Law and the MBA/MFA with Tisch Kanbar. Masters students from across NYU seek to come to Stern for some of our electives, especially our Technology offerings, and we offer joint courses with students from Law, Public Policy, and Engineering.”

P&Q: What is your biggest student-run event of the year and what does it reflect about your school?

Eggers: “I would have to say International Passport Day, hosted each spring by MBA students on our plaza. It’s a festive celebration in which students share in each other’s heritage, including getting the chance to taste cuisines from around the world. It’s a wonderful moment to experience the authenticity of the Stern community in action.”

5 REASONS TO CONSIDER NYU STERN

1) Diverse Offerings: “Diversity – between the two-year Full-Time, Langone Part-time, Andre Koo Tech, and Fashion & Luxury MBA Programs, Stern is full of students coming from different walks of life. Stern’s Fertitta Veterans MBA Program caters specifically to Veterans and active-duty students. It acknowledges our unique experiences and supports our transition to business school, including a summer session with early access to coursework to assist us in refreshing or building some of the quantitative fundamentals. No other schools I was interested in matched this opportunity”
Erik Peterson

2) Flexibility: “Apart from the prestige, rankings, career outcomes, and location, I was inspired to join Stern for its flexible curriculum. There are opportunities to take electives from several other New York University schools and waive off core courses if one has prior expertise and take electives instead. A cherry on the cake is that one gets to learn directly from rockstar Professors that need no introduction such as Scott Galloway and Aswath Damodaran.”
Gandharv Mahajan

3) DBI: “The experiential learning and “DBi (Doing Business in…)” courses offered at NYU Stern really drew me in. One thing I loved about my undergraduate years at NYU was my semester abroad, and I was really excited to learn that I’d continue to have options to learn abroad through Stern’s one or two-week DBi courses. Travel is a huge interest of mine largely due to the way it expands my worldview. Having the opportunity to travel, learn, and bond with my Stern community all at once couldn’t make for a better combination!”
Marcia Hu

4) Tech In The City: “My favorite course was “Tech and the City,” a Stern Solutions experiential course where students consulted for startups under Union Square Ventures’ portfolio. Working in small groups and identifying opportunities for ever-changing business models came with challenges, and I learned a lot about what it takes to support a founder.”
Julie Tzeng (’23)

5) New York City: “First, while I have worked extensively with clients outside of India (where I was born and raised), I have unfortunately not had the opportunity to experience living abroad. New York City, a melting pot of cultures and ideas, will provide me with a unique opportunity to interact with people from various backgrounds. I believe that these interactions will enrich my learning experience by challenging my assumptions and encouraging me to think globally.

Second, New York City is a global financial hub, home to numerous multinational corporations and innovative startups. Being surrounded by this thriving business ecosystem will undoubtedly create an immersive learning environment. I look forward to accessing a plethora of networking opportunities, internships, and industry events, allowing me to apply classroom knowledge to real-world situations and gain practical insights from successful professionals.

Beyond the professional aspects, New York City’s vibrant cultural scene and numerous recreational activities are incredibly appealing. Engaging with the arts, attending various comedy/music events, and exploring the city’s diverse neighborhoods will not only provide a balance to the program’s rigor but also foster creativity and a broader worldview.”
Gandharv Mahajan

ADVICE TO PROSPECTIVE APPLICANTS

“Be fearlessly authentic. Every time you catch yourself saying, “I shouldn’t show that side of myself to a business school,” chances are that Stern wants to see it and would probably consider it your superpower.”
Aishani Majumdar

“Join the mailing list and sign up for events as soon as they go live! Stern keeps an updated calendar of in-person and virtual events, so definitely sign up for several as they were how I witnessed Stern’s EQ + IQ philosophy in action. Last September, I attended their “Discover Stern” event, which was a personal favorite that allowed me to sit inside a classroom, participate in an elevator pitch writing workshop, and ask TONS of existing MBA students my true and unfiltered questions (“Is an MBA worth it? How confident are you in finding a job post-grad? Are you pivoting careers like I want to, too?”). During these events, I was able to envision my future at Stern, which was critical in expressing “Why Stern?” in my application materials.”
Marcia Hu

“Be interesting. Don’t just try to look interesting (adcom will know!), be interesting. That’s what classmates are looking forward to and that’s what our co-workers want when stuck at the airport. Furthermore, chasing this goal will inevitably help in developing a holistic personality with varied interests, all of which are valuable assets not just in gaining an admission, but also in life in general.”
Gandharv Mahajan

MBA Student	Hometown	Undergraduate Alma Mater	Last Employer
Rashauna David	Washington, D.C.	Hampton University	Deloitte
Marcia Hu	Flushing, NY	New York University	AE3 Pharmacy
Gandharv Mahajan	New Delhi, India	Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University	Deloitte
Aishani Majumdar	Delhi, India	University of California, Berkeley	Rodan + Fields
Tal Moriah	Plainview, NY	Cornell University	American Express
Erik Peterson	Spokane, WA	United States Military Academy	U.S. Army
Jasmin Rainbow	Cambridge, UK	University of Cambridge	Invenia Labs
Deion Ramsey	Buffalo, NY	Howard University	Carters, Inc.
Denisse Rebolledo	Panama City, Panama	Northeastern University	International Finance Corporation (World Bank Group)
David B. Ritter	New York City, NY	University at Buffalo	Pratt & Whitney