What is your personal experience with the Stern community? Describe what most excited you about stern from both an academic and extracurricular perspective. How do you anticipate making your mark on the Stern community?
Sample One
An event that initially attracted me to Stern was Professor Sheila Wellington’s speech at a prospective student luncheon I attended last fall. She made a convincing case for why an MBA is one of the most important graduate degrees to obtain for the working world today. Seeing her passion and conviction was truly a testament to the type of values that Stern’s community embodies.
Recently, I attended an on campus information session where I learned how Stern leverages its NYC location by providing numerous opportunities to work with local businesses. I also attended the annual GMA Conference- Inside Marketing at NYU Stern where I spoke with current students who share my passion for marketing and heard Chris Burggraeve, ABnBev’s CMO, share his company’s approach to marketing and reinventing consumer trust.
When speaking with several alumna, they touted Stern’s friendly, collegial, and collaborative environment. The former Co-President of the Stern Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association discussed Stern’s current pharmaceutical courses and that Stern is adding even more to address current needs.
Through all I have learned about Stern thus far, I am excited about Stern’s MBA program for several reasons. Stern’s flexible curriculum will aid me in achieving my career objective by specializing in both Marketing and Product Management, especially applicable to Pharmaceutical Marketing. Stern offers several unique educational opportunities. I look forward to pursuing The Doing Business In…program, as the hands-on experience will be invaluable to gain practical knowledge while working in the modern global business economy. To complement this experience, I plan on joining both the Stern Pharmaceutical and HealthCare Association and the Graduate Marketing Association to learn more about the industries both from companies and from other students who can speak from experience. For my career in particular, the Annual Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Symposium will be a fantastic opportunity to gain insights from and exposure to leading healthcare companies.
I anticipate making my mark on Stern both inside and outside the classroom. My leadership capability will help me successfully contribute to the team environment at Stern when working on New York City case studies. I believe I am an excellent team player honed through my work experience within advertising. I am a strong team leader as well demonstrated through my extracurricular experience initiating an office-wide volunteer program at a local soup kitchen.
Furthermore, I plan to participate in Stern Consulting Corps where I can share knowledge I learned through my involvement with Greener Path. I am also interested in securing a leadership position on the Stern Women in Business board to pay forward the inspiring experience that I had at the Opening Doors for Women annual event to prospective female students. Additionally, I look forward to participating in the Stern culture by joining the Stern Wine Club for even more education and the Stern Soccer Club for stress relief. Ultimately, I hope that my peers can learn as much from me as I will learn from them.
Sample Two
As I sat in on the Global Banking and Capital Markets class at and listened to Professor Roy Smith discuss a recent Chinese IPO, I knew that Stern was the place for me. Stern’s information session further solidified this conclusion as I felt the family-like relationship among the students. I also enjoyed reading the student blogs. Steve Armbruster’s blog gives a feel for what it’s like as a student at Stern. Community is synonymous with cooperation. My role at USB was heavily dependent on my ability to work in a team environment. I sometimes took the supportive role to motivate those around me. I know that the Stern MBA program is demanding and may be discouraging at times. My "don't quit" attitude and ability to motivate others will be an asset to my Stern classmates.
My creativity and ability to improvise will also enhance the Stern community. Two years ago, during Thanksgiving dinner, the pipe under my aunt's sink broke and water began to spray everywhere. I was able to avert disaster by using one of her dog's rubber toys and electrical tape to construct a make-shift pipe. The input of alternative ideas promotes healthy discussions and debates. I am a creative thinker who will bring a unique view to ethical and business issues confronting the Stern Community.
In researching the clubs at Stern I found the Arbitrage Analysis club to be of particular appeal given my professional interest in trading. One thing I regret about my college career is that I did not participate in some of the interesting clubs Dedham University has to offer. I spent most of my time studying, while the majority of my free time was spent involved in athletics and dealing with personal issues that involved my family. I look forward participating in extracurricular activities and joining some of the student organizations at Stern to experience the community aspects I missed in college. One thing that sets Stern apart from other MBA programs is the extremely diverse student body. I enjoy doing new things and meeting new people. Learning about new cultures is fascinating to me. I have a culturally diverse group of friends and look forward to expanding that group. I also look forward to meeting people from all over the world. I feel that there is no better way to get a global perspective on both business and culture than to interact with people that have lived abroad. The Stern community will greatly enhance my global perspective and allow me to interact with many current and future business leaders.
Learning from Stern’s prestigious faculty will give me a sizeable edge in the corporate arena. It is very important that an MBA program’s faculty members are renowned researchers. This provides real world experience along with a deep understanding of their respective fields. Professors such as Robert Engle and William Baumol are representative of the excellent faculty at Stern. Learning from some of the brightest in finance and economics fields will provide me with the foundation I need in order to excel on a professional level.
Sample Three
My primary exposure to Stern came as an analyst at JPMorgan. Soon after joining the firm, I was befriended by an NYU alumnus who convinced me to join the Stern recruiting team. In this capacity, I had the opportunity to visit campus numerous times as well as interact with and interview numerous Stern students and alumni. Through this experience, I was impressed with the diversity of the student body and the fact that, despite the distractions of New York City, students were actively involved on campus. I specifically remember a conversation with a Stern student at a recruiting event a couple years ago. When I asked what aspect of his MBA experience stood out the most, he immediately replied that his favorite aspect of Stern was the student body. We talked about how he especially enjoyed learning from other students through group projects and participation in the numerous professional and social clubs on campus.
I am excited about the opportunity to continue my formal business education at Stern. NYU’s flexible, multidisciplinary approach will allow me to seek out specific courses that will best complement my particular goals. This unique characteristic of the program will provide me the opportunity to nurture my intellectual curiosity and craft my own curriculum through combining courses in management, entrepreneurship, finance and real estate.
I will endeavor to assemble a portfolio of leadership approaches and enhance my capacity to lead cross-functional initiatives through courses such as “Managing High Performing Teams.” Through “Foundations in Entrepreneurship” I will acquire a detailed framework for understanding the challenges and risks associated with leading a startup real estate development firm through turbulent market or industry conditions. “Game Theory and Business Strategy” will provide me the tools necessary to effectively handle complex negotiations involving multiple parties, issues, and agendas—the kind I will confront daily as a real estate developer. I will bring with me a strong financial and real estate background that will help enrich my fellow students through team-based learning. Additionally, I will fine-tune my financial and analysis skills through courses such as “Entrepreneurial Finance” and “Private Equity Finance.” Also, I will draw upon my experience in both investment banking and as a hedge fund analyst to lead discussions concerning the different perspectives of buy-side and sell-side analysis.
Outside the classroom, I will take advantage of the many opportunities to delve into Stern’s exceptionally active professional and social clubs. I am looking forward to building relationships with other NYU students from day one by participating in the pre-term orientation. Additionally, I hope to revive my active involvement in student recruitment that I enjoyed as an undergraduate at Notre Dame. Through the “SCorp,” I hope give future applicants a glimpse into Stern’s culture. Also, I hope to challenge myself through a leadership role in the Real Estate Club where I can help organize the club’s activities, such as bringing alumni and real estate professionals to Stern to speak.
I am excited to have the opportunity to return to the great city that spawned my passion for urban development and to become a part of the strong academic and social community of Stern.