The NYU Stern MBA interview is an essential component of the admissions process, designed to assess both your intellectual capabilities and emotional intelligence (IQ+EQ).
In this in-depth NYU Stern MBA Interview Tips, we cover:
• Format
• Duration
• Style
• Location
• Decision
• Do’s
• Don’ts
• Interview Questions
Format
NYU Stern MBA interviews are conducted by trained Admissions Committee members who have thoroughly reviewed your application.
Duration
The duration of the interview is approximately 30 minutes
Style
The style of the interview is conversational, behavior-based, and application-specific
Location
The interview is virtual – mostly through Zoom. Even if the interview is virtual, formal business attire is recommended to convey professionalism.
Decision
The decision of the interview is communicated within three weeks, with three possible outcomes - admissions offer, waitlist, or denial.
Do's
Clearly Articulate 'Why NYU Stern'
This is arguably the most important question in your Stern interview.
The Admissions Committee expects a deep, well-researched response that connects your career goals, values, and personality with what Stern uniquely offers.
Stern’s mission focuses on "developing leaders who create value for business and society" and emphasizes IQ + EQ, a blend of intellectual and emotional intelligence.
So, your answer must go beyond ranking or brand name and reflect how Stern is a deliberate and meaningful choice for you.
To strengthen your answer, consider including:
• NYC as a Learning Lab: Stern’s location in downtown Manhattan is not just about proximity to Wall Street. The school offers hands-on experiences like the NYC Immersion Program, Tech and Media Immersion Treks, and close access to global headquarters of firms across finance, tech, luxury, and healthcare.
• Specialized Tracks: Highlight concentrations that align with your goals, like Finance, Entertainment, Technology & Media (ETM), Fintech, or Sustainability, and programs like the Andre Koo Tech MBA and Fashion & Luxury MBA that cater to niche industries.
• Experiential Learning: Mention courses like Stern Solutions, Endless Frontier Labs, and the Board Fellows Program that immerse students in real-world problem solving with startups, nonprofits, and corporations.
• EQ Orientation: Show how Stern’s focus on EQ has influenced your application. For example, its Leadership Accelerator emphasizes self-awareness, emotional regulation, and interpersonal agility, skills Stern sees as critical for leadership in volatile business environments.
• Collaborative Community: Talk about Stern’s culture of inclusion, diverse backgrounds, and student-led clubs. Programs like C-Suite Conversations, Stern Women in Business (SWIB), and the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee are key community drivers.
This question is a test of authenticity, curiosity, and strategic thinking.
Stern wants to know: Have you done the hard work of knowing who we are and how you will thrive here?
Demonstrate Alignment with Stern’s Core Values
Stern doesn’t just seek smart professionals. It wants value-driven leaders who align with its six brand callings: IQ + EQ, Collaborative Community, Impact, Innovation (Spike), Craft, Bridge, and Urgency.
During the interview, your stories should reflect how you live these values:
• IQ + EQ: Share experiences that highlight both strategic thinking and emotional intelligence. For example, explain the strategies you employed to navigate a complex work challenge with empathy, or the interpersonal conflict you managed while meeting business goals.
• Spike (Innovation): Stern values “spikes” - unique, sharp skills or perspectives that set you apart. This could be a deep knowledge in fintech, experience building a community in underrepresented spaces, or even a nontraditional background.
• Craft: Show your commitment to mastery and continuous learning. Stern wants to see a growth mindset and genuine curiosity.
• Bridge: Highlight your ability to integrate diverse ideas or build cross-cultural teams, a key skill at Stern’s highly global and interdisciplinary classrooms.
By internalizing these values and reflecting them in your stories, you show the interviewer that you’re not just a good applicant, you’re a good fit for Stern.
Use the SETAR Method to Structure Behavioral Responses
NYU Stern interviews are behavioral in nature. That is, they assess how you act in real-world settings.
The SETAR method (Situation, Empathy, Task, Action, Result) helps you tell complete, coherent stories that demonstrate key competencies: decision-making, resilience, leadership, and EQ.
The school places a premium on authentic leadership, how you respond under pressure, handle ambiguity, and work with others.
Behavioral stories allow Stern to measure how well you’ve embodied the qualities you claim in your resume or essays.
Examples:
• Use SETAR to explain how you influenced stakeholders across departments (Communication).
• Narrate from each stakeholder’s perspective on what was important and how you found a middle ground (Empathy)
• Show how you solved a resource challenge under a tight deadline (Goal Oriented).
• Reflect on a time when you learned from failure and came back stronger (leadership).
The key is to go beyond the action, show your thought process, emotional reactions, and what you learned.
Stern interviews are looking for evidence of growth, maturity, and reflection.
Be Prepared to Discuss Your ‘Pick Six’ Essay in Detail
The “Pick Six” essay is one of Stern’s most distinctive application features, and yes, interviewers often ask about it. The goal is not to test your artistic ability, but to assess your self-awareness, creativity, and how well you communicate who you are beyond your resume.
During the interview, be ready to explain:
• Why did you choose each image
• What each photo says about your values, personality, and life experiences
• How does the collection contribute to the narrative you’re building in your application
This is your chance to show Stern that you’re not just professionally accomplished, but also introspective, expressive, and emotionally intelligent.
For instance, if one photo shows a community service project, connect it to your belief in inclusive leadership (EQ + Impact).
If you included a snapshot from a team offsite, share how that reflects your collaborative approach.
Stern is looking for multidimensional individuals.
Don’t just describe the photo, tell the story behind it.
Research and Reference Specific Stern Resources Aligned With Your Goals
Stern expects you to have done your homework.
Vague statements like “I’m excited to take finance classes” won’t cut it. Instead, show that you’ve explored specific offerings that support your goals and demonstrate long-term thinking.
For example:
• Mention the W. R. Berkley Innovation Labs, Stern Ventures, or Tech and Entrepreneurship Club if your interest lies in Entrepreneurship.
• Refer to the C. W. Kim Center for Financial Institutions, Michael Price Student Investment Fund, or Finance & Risk Engineering electives if you have a clear finance career planned.
• Talk about the Center for Sustainable Business, Sustainable Business and Innovation specialization, or the Impact Investing Fund if you believe that sustainability is a core strategy for all businesses in the future.
When your career goals align directly with Stern’s programs and culture, you show that you’ve thought deeply about your MBA experience, and you’re ready to take full advantage of it.
Stern wants students who come with a purpose.
Showcase a Clear Career Vision and How Stern Fits into It
The Admissions Committee will almost always ask about your short- and long-term career goals. They’re not just checking your ambition, they want to know: how Stern fits into your career trajectory?
Are your goals feasible, and are you self-aware about your skill gaps?
Here’s how to structure a strong answer:
• Short-term: Be specific about role, industry, and geography
For example, “Post-MBA, I aim to pivot into product management within a fintech firm in NYC, leveraging my pre-MBA experience in financial services.”
• Long-term: Show thoughtfulness and vision.
For example, “I ultimately want to lead digital transformation strategies at a legacy financial institution, bridging technology and regulatory policy.”
• Why Stern: Explain how Stern will help you get there through electives, immersion programs, alumni mentorship, career services, or location-based internships.
Stern wants to admit candidates who are ready to take ownership of their career journey, not those using the MBA to “explore.”
Even if you're pivoting, be clear about what you want and how you’ll use Stern to get it.
Treat the Interview as a Two-Way Conversation
Stern emphasizes emotional intelligence (EQ), and one of the key signs of high EQ is being an active, engaged conversationalist. That means the interview should feel like a two-way dialogue, not a Q&A.
You can demonstrate this by:
• Picking up on cues from the interviewer’s tone or interests
• Sharing genuine reactions and reflections, not rehearsed lines
• Asking thoughtful, specific questions at the end (e.g., “What has surprised you most about the Stern community?”)
The interview is your chance to reflect that vibe. Show that you’re someone who listens, thinks, and builds rapport, the kind of classmate others would want to work with.
Send a Prompt, Thoughtful Thank-You Note
After your interview, always send a thank-you email within 24 hours. But don’t send a template.
Your note should:
• Reference specific parts of your conversation
• Reiterate one or two key reasons Stern is your top choice
• Show enthusiasm and gratitude
This simple gesture is a final opportunity to reinforce your EQ and commitment.
At Stern, small signals like this matter; they speak to your professionalism, appreciation of time, and attention to relationships. These are all qualities the school values in future business leaders.
Don’ts
Don’t Give Generic Answers, Especially to “Why Stern”
This is the most common and fatal mistake.
NYU Stern’s Admissions Committee interviews hundreds of applicants annually, and they immediately recognize canned responses like “I want to be in New York” or “Stern is a top-ranked school.” These statements show shallow research and imply you’ve applied broadly without genuine intent.
Why does this matter to Stern?
The school emphasizes intentionality. Its brand callings include “Craft” and “Urgency,” both of which reflect a candidate’s commitment to building a meaningful, deliberate path.
Instead of name-dropping, rankings, or geography, focus on:
• Courses and experiences only Stern offers (e.g., NYC immersion, Stern Solutions)
• Specific faculty or research centers relevant to your goals (e.g., Fubon Center for Technology, Business and Innovation)
• Clubs and communities you’re excited to contribute to
Failing to be specific shows the admissions team you haven’t done the work to see whether Stern is the right fit, and that's a red flag.
Don’t Rehash Your Resume Word-for-Word
Your interviewer has already reviewed your resume.
If you simply repeat bullet points or titles without offering any new depth or perspective, you miss a key opportunity to bring your personality, motivations, and growth mindset into focus.
Why does this matter to Stern? The school values emotional intelligence and reflection. They want to see how your past shaped your thinking, not just what you did.
Instead of saying, “I worked at Deloitte for three years,” say something like:
“At Deloitte, I realized I was most excited when helping clients through digital transformation. It’s what sparked my interest in product strategy and why I’m now pivoting towards a PM role post-MBA.”
This shift moves you from informational to intentional, a key sign that you’re ready for Stern’s introspective, purpose-driven environment.
Don’t Dodge Questions About Weaknesses or Failures
Many applicants try to gloss over low GPAs, employment gaps, or difficult experiences with vague or overly positive spin. At Stern, this can backfire. The Admissions Committee values transparency, humility, and self-awareness, not perfection.
One of its signature programs at Stern is the Leadership Accelerator, which is built on the idea that great leaders confront their blind spots. If you can’t talk about setbacks with honesty and insight, it signals a lack of readiness for personal growth.
When asked about a weakness or failure:
Example: GPA
• Choose a real example, not something safe like “I leaned into extra-curricular in college and it affected my grades”
• Reflect on what you learned and how you’ve improved, even if the time invested in extra-curricular activities impacted your grades. Schools want to evaluate your academic readiness.
• Show a growth mindset.
One mock interview client that we worked on shared how changing her mindset from Statistics as a course to the application of Statistics in trading transformed her interest in the subject.
Parts 2 and 3 of the course in later semesters demonstrated the shift.
If you have a corrective transcript with improved performance in Statistics or Calculus, share the strategies that changed your mindset. Use elements of storytelling in interviews.
An honest evaluation of your weakness doesn’t affect your admission chances, provided you include a strategy in the story that supported the comeback journey.
Don’t Be Overly Polished
Stern's culture is collaborative, down-to-earth, and community-driven. If you come across as too rehearsed, too perfect, or as if you’re reading from a script, it creates distance and undermines Stern’s expectation that students will bring genuine curiosity and openness to the classroom.
Why does this matter to Stern? The Admissions Committee is assessing how you’ll interact with peers, professors, and project teams. Can you connect with others? Do you listen? Are you present in the conversation?
Tips:
• Practice your answers, but don’t memorize them word-for-word. If you have a great script and want to narrate word by word, work on your delivery.
Some of the best actors have mastered the art of ‘delivery’.
Learn to deliver lines with authenticity.
Tone, pause, pacing, and strategic eye contact are the key.
• Allow moments of reflection and honesty
• Focus on being real over being flawless
A sincere, slightly imperfect conversation is far more effective than a robotic performance.
Don’t Avoid Talking About Impact
Stern doesn’t just want high performers. It wants change agents.
Whether it’s social impact, team leadership, process improvements, or mentoring others, the Admissions Committee is actively looking for evidence that you’ve made a difference.
“Impact” is one of its core brand values at Stern.
The school wants graduates who will improve business and society, not just advance their own careers.
So, in your stories:
• Show how your actions changed a community (even if the change is incremental)
• Talk about how you influenced others or drove results
• Reflect on why that impact mattered to you personally
Without this, your stories risk sounding transactional, and that’s not what Stern is looking for.
Don’t Give Vague or Unrealistic Career Goals
Some applicants say they’re interested in “consulting” or “social impact” without clarity. Others aim for impossible transitions (e.g., from HR to hedge funds) without any understanding of the skill bridges required.
Stern wants ambition, but also realism.
The school invests in your career success from day one.
The Office of Career Development (OCD) and alumni network are highly engaged, but they can’t help you if your goals are ill-defined or disconnected from your background.
A vague answer suggests:
• You haven’t researched the market
• You haven’t thought seriously about how Stern fits into your plan
• You may struggle to take full advantage of Stern’s recruiting ecosystem
Instead, present a clear, feasible path, and highlight how Stern will enable the pivot through its specializations, clubs, alumni, and immersive opportunities.
Don’t Ask Basic or Easily Googleable Questions
The interview is also a test of your curiosity and preparation.
One of the school’s core values is Craft, the idea that students thoughtfully and deliberately shape their path. That begins with how well you understand the school.
Instead:
• Ask your interviewer about their personal Stern experience
• Inquire about evolving aspects of the curriculum (e.g., climate finance, tech entrepreneurship)
• Ask how the school supports student initiatives or innovation
Make your questions thoughtful and unique. You’ll come across as someone who truly wants to be part of this community, not just someone checking boxes.
Don’t Ignore the Importance of Fit and Culture
Finally, some applicants make the mistake of treating the interview as just a test of competence. But at Stern, fit is equally important. If you ignore questions about teamwork, community involvement, or what kind of classmate you’d be, you’re missing half the interview.
With a close-knit student body, strong emphasis on clubs, and collaborative classroom dynamics, cultural contribution is a key admissions criterion.
The Pick Six essay and EQ focus in the application are both designed to test your social self-awareness.
So in your responses:
• Emphasize how you build community and relationships
• Share what excites you about being in a team-based environment
• Talk about how you’ve supported others, and how you hope to do the same at Stern
If you come off as someone who’s only focused on personal achievement, it can signal a mismatch with Stern’s community-driven ethos.
Interview Questions
Personal and Motivational
1. Tell me about yourself.
2. Why did you choose your undergraduate institution?
3. What are your short-term and long-term career goals?
4. Why do you want an MBA, and why now?
5. Why NYU Stern?
6. How do you plan to leverage Stern's resources for your career aspirations?
7. What clubs or organizations are you interested in joining at Stern?
8. How do you align with Stern's mission to use business for good?
Behavioral and Situational
9. Describe a time when you faced a significant challenge at work.
10. Tell me about a time you led a team.
11. Share an experience where you had to work with a difficult colleague.
12. Discuss a failure and what you learned from it.
13. How do you handle stress and pressure?
14. Provide an example of a time you had to persuade others to see things your way.
Leadership and Teamwork
15. What is your leadership style?
16. How do you build relationships within a team?
17. Describe a successful team project you've been part of.
18. How do you handle conflicts within a team?
19. What role do you typically play in group settings?
Self-Awareness and Personal Development
20. What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?
21. How would your colleagues describe you?
22. What feedback have you received that was difficult to hear, and how did you respond?
23. How have you grown professionally over the past few years?
Closing Questions
24. Is there anything else you would like us to know about you?
25. Do you have any questions for me?