Meet NYU Stern’s MBA Class Of 2027

They call it a “New York State of Mind”. From moguls to migrants, New York City carries a similar meaning.

Picture possibilities. It is a place where you’re always doing something or meeting someone new. With every encounter, your luck can change in a New York minute. The city brings an urgency, non-stop and all-out, where standing still and playing it safe are the biggest dangers. That means you’re always hungry and hustling, forever on the lookout for opportunities to make things happen. In the process, you develop a toughness where you live life on your terms, ready for anything that comes at you.

In New York City, you don’t just dream – you live. Here, you feel anything is possible…even when you’re crammed into a studio apartment! Wall Street, Broadway, and Madison Avenue. The Charging Bull, Lady Liberty, and Strawberry Fields. Rooftop brunches, celebrity watching, and chilling in Central Park. 8-million people and 800 languages. Sure, it’s expensive and congested, but eventually you get used to the noise and the heat…and even the tourists.

AN EXTENSION OF THE CLASSROOM

There is no better place to study business than New York City too. Just ask the MBA Class of 2027 from New York University’s Stern School of Business. The city is home to 43 Fortune 500 companies and a $620-billion-dollar startup ecosystem that includes 150 active unicorns. Nearly every industry or company is represented here, not counting all the top leaders and thinkers who call the Big Apple home.

Those are a few reasons why Lilly Howes, a first-year fund manager from Connecticut, describes New York City as an “extension of the classroom,” a place where she feels energized by the ambition and innovation around her. More than a “backdrop”, says classmate Taylor Lasomser, the city is an integral part of the MBA journey. For Olivia Manousos, most recently a Deloitte consultant, that means being close to the entertainment industry year-round.

“I won’t have to wait until my summer internship to dive deep into the industry. Instead, I will be able to talk one-on-one with industry leaders and gain hands-on experience daily, helping me pinpoint exactly what parts of the industry I want to grow my career in.”

For Klara Lou, a Johns Hopkins researcher, NYC “sits at the heart of almost everything” – be it finance, fashion, arts, or the media. In many cases, the close proximity between campus and offices means MBAs can complete in-semester internships to gain experience and build networks. That was a huge attraction for Ryan Jolly, who moved to the city after serving as a rescue swimmer for the U.S. Navy.

“The ability to attend class in the morning and meet with professionals face-to-face just a subway ride away is unmatched. It creates constant exposure to real-world opportunities and builds momentum in both learning and networking.”

RIGHT IN THE HEART OF THE ACTION

It wasn’t just business that brought the MBA Class of 2027 to Lower Manhattan. Wilco Carey, an investment advisor, has found New York City to be a place where you can “grow into a greater version of yourself.” After living the regimented life of a commanding officer in the U.S. Army, Tyler McLees has enjoyed the freedom to walk his dog in the mornings, grab the subway for afternoon classes, and join his classmates for happy hour. And let’s just say Olivia Manousos won’t be shy about making her way around town.

“I am so excited to be in one of the entertainment capitals of the world,” she writes. “My favorite celebrity is on SNL this weekend? Let me just hop on the subway to 30 Rock and join the standby line to get a ticket. An artist is doing a pop-up concert in Washington Square Park? I’m there!”

Ask Stern MBA alumni and they are equally bullish on their time in New York City. Julian Sutton, a 2025 P&Q Best & Brightest MBA, admits that the city can feel “overwhelming”, but adds that it is “inspiring, terrifying, and mesmerizing all at the same time.” And it has the best pizza too! Her classmate, Adrianna Tomasello, also relishes the convenience of it all.

“With our campus nestled in lower Manhattan, most attractions are just a short walk away, allowing me to easily enjoy my favorite activities like exploring new restaurants, attending Broadway shows, and participating in talk show tapings. I especially value that the majority of my classmates plan to remain in NYC after graduation, which will strengthen our alumni network and create opportunities for in-person connections for years to come!”

TESTED AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS

Among the first-year class, Tyler McLees has gained notoriety for winning the U.S. Army’s three-day, national hand-to-hand combat tournament in 2024. However, passing the Ranger Assessment and Selection Program (RASP) and earning a spot in the 75th Ranger Regiment is his biggest achievement, he says.

“The 75th Ranger Regiment has rightfully earned the moniker as the Army’s premier Infantry Unit, and as a young military officer, every day is a proving ground. The path to selection involved graduating at the top of the initial officer training class, passing the grueling 62-day Ranger School, and earning a top evaluation after a year as a junior leader. Once accepted, you learn quickly that your past accomplishments no longer matter. The operational pace is relentless, the expectations are high, and the people are world-class. I was fortunate enough to be able to deploy to combat zones with the Ranger Regiment, where I learned about leading under pressure from those who do it best. I carry those lessons, and that standard, with me every day.”

Ryan Jolly passed an equally rigorous rite of passage when he became a lead rescue swimmer for the U.S. Navy after completing Rescue Swimmer School. “The course itself was very physically and mentally demanding, requiring relentless discipline, attention to detail, and the ability to perform under pressure,” Jolly observes. “But earning that qualification was just the beginning. As the lead swimmer for our ship, I took on responsibility not just for mission execution, but for training others and ensuring our team was always ready. It taught me how to lead by example, stay calm under pressure, and put the mission and team above all else, lessons I carry with me every day.”

Tyler Wells, an Orlando native, is an entrepreneur who launched a legaltech and fintech startup to help clients in consumer protection cases. While Hardik Arora worked in investment banking before business school, he also dabbled in entrepreneurship, co-founding India’s first undergraduate investment fund at Ashoka University.

“I sought to create a platform where students could practically apply classroom concepts to real-world investing. Starting Bodhi Capital from scratch not only transformed campus conversations around finance, but also helped peers secure roles at leading financial firms and delivered consistent returns exceeding 20% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR). More than the financial success, it showed me how leading change with the right vision can create lasting impact on a community’s culture and opportunities.”

STARTING A PRACTICE FROM SCRATCH…AT DELOITTE

In contrast, Olivia Manousos is more of an intrapreneur. At Deloitte, she built the firm’s Media & Entertainment practice from the “ground up.” “I led a team of three junior practitioners and collaborated weekly with partners across divisions, ultimately bringing together five siloed groups to present Deloitte as a unified front to clients,” Manousos tells P&Q. “Although I was just a junior practitioner, I was considered an equal part in determining the strategy and design of the practice, directly enabling me to expand the firm’s footprint in the media space and secure multiple high-impact projects for the firm.”

Manousos wasn’t alone in making a big impact with a band of true believers. At one major bank, Lilly Howes’ led a “small (but mighty)” team in delivering one of the institution’s biggest partnerships. Fast forward to Goldman Sachs, where Taylor Lasomser designed a plan to develop, test, and implement a stress loss framework. At Bank of America, Mary Nava served as a product manager for its CashPro App.

“In 2024, I worked on a year-long campaign to increase payment approvals in the CashPro App by marketing the benefits of the app to users. By the end of 2024, CashPro App exceeded $1 trillion in payments approved in the app, which was a 25% increase year-over-year compared to 2023.”

Outside business school, Nava is a runner who’ll be running her first New York Marathon next year. Perhaps she could join Lilly Howes for a run. She completed her first New York Marathon in 2021. Taylor Lasomser is a competitive bodybuilder. And Wilco Carey? Let’s just say he does a little bit of everything.

“I’ve bungee jumped over Victoria Falls, skydived on Long Island, and am excited to paraglide in South America next.”

THE EQ DIFFERENCE

What connects the Class of 2027? Think EQ – or Emotional Intelligence. Along with valuing high IQ in admissions, Stern also seeks out candidates with strong communication and interpersonal skills, along with self-awareness and self-control. The qualities are so paramount in the selection process that Stern requires two EQ endorsements. For Hardik Arora, this EQ difference ensured that he would be surrounded by team-oriented peers whose behavior would enrich – not detract from – the educational experience.

“[EQ] was important to me because it showed that the school doesn’t treat EQ as just a checkbox in the application, but rather places it at the core of its evaluation criteria,” Arora continues. “This emphasis gave me confidence that my cohort will consist of individuals whose abilities go beyond intelligence and are enhanced by their character, empathy, and collaborative mindset.”

Alas, EQ is a rather expansive term. How does the Class of 2027 define EQ – and what do they expect from themselves and their classmates? Ryan Jolly frames EQ in terms of staying poised under pressure and adapting to different personalities. For Tyler McLees, EQ means meeting people where they are, treating every situation differently…and every person compassionately. That said, EQ isn’t improvised. Instead, it is a “deliberate, practiced strength,” says Brittany Chiang, an Adobe account manager – one rooted in placing the focus on others.

“EQ stems from connecting with people,” continues Olivia Manousos. “Connecting with others requires you to be curious about other people’s experiences, build trusted, authentic, accepting environments to learn about those experiences, and understand how those experiences make people who they are.”

In Wilco Carey’s experience, that means going beyond simply ‘reading the room’. “It means seeing through the eyes of your peers, leadership, and clients. What’s important to them? What makes them tick? When you approach professional relationships with that mindset, you build trust faster, add value more effectively, and position yourself for long-term success.”

SPECIAL PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL TALENTS

Hardik Arora doesn’t just the room: he attempts to shake it up. That leads to the strength that he lends to the class: inquisitiveness. “I constantly challenge the status quo by asking questions, probing assumptions, and exploring alternative perspectives. I’m unafraid to put myself forward, spark thoughtful debates, and push conversations deeper—creating an environment where my peers and I can learn, grow, and think beyond conventional boundaries.”

After living in Brazil for over a decade after graduation, Tyler Wells believes cross-cultural fluency will be his biggest contribution to the Class of 2027. “Living and working abroad taught me to navigate different business cultures, appreciate diverse perspectives, and connect across language and cultural barriers. I’m excited to bring that global perspective to Stern and help my classmates broaden their horizons and uncover opportunities that transcend borders.”

During his military career, Tyler McLees wasn’t always the biggest, fastest, or strongest. At West Point, he walked onto the wrestling squad before eventually being named one of its captains. Even more, he says, he has often been the team leader, even when he isn’t the most knowledgeable member. As a result, McLees believes his intangibles will be his biggest legacy at Stern.

“I don’t expect to be the smartest person in the room, but I do intend to be the one who helps them click.”

A CLASS PROFILE

In recent years, NYU Stern has grown increasingly popular among MBA candidates. Just two years ago, the school netted 3,075 applications. Two years later, that number has swelled to 4,933 applications. As a whole, the MBA Class of 2027 features 336 students, with Stern accepting just a quarter of all applications.

In terms of GMAT scores, the class averaged a 737, with 595 being the low and 775 coming as the high. As a whole, 27% of the class submitted GRE scores, where the average hit 327 (164 Quant and 163 Verbal). As undergraduates, the class GPA settled in at 3.64, with 3.18 being the low.

Women account for 45% of the class, down two points from the previous year. In contrast, international students make up a 43% share, up three points from the Class of 2026. In total, you’ll find 43 countries represented in the Class of 2027. Another 10% of the class identify as LGBTQ+, while 9% possess military service.

Academically, undergraduate Business majors again make up the largest share of the class at 30%. STEM-related majors improved to 25%, followed by Economics (19%), Social Sciences (16%), and Humanities (10%). Professionally, Financial Services dominates at 31%, up 9% over the Class of 2026. That more than doubles Consulting at 15%. Another 8% of the class last worked in Technology, followed by Media and Entertainment (6%), Military and Government (5%), and Law, Nonprofits, and Healthcare (4% each).

Next Page: An interview with the vice dean and profiles of 11 members of the Class of 2027.

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