True to its reputation, NYU Stern attracted the most offers in the Financial Services industry (35.3%) with Investment Banking (28.2%) the most popular sub-group in the industry. Consulting was the second most popular industry (28.5%) while for the third position it is a close race between Consumer Packaged Goods and Technology/Telecommunication, both attracting 8-9% of the class. Candidates followed the post-MBA salary, as is evident from the total salary where Consulting ($166,904) and Financial Services ($166,707) fetched the best pay. As expected, the lowest paid industry was non-profit ($92,500 – total salary). However, other industries crossed the $100,000 total salary but surprisingly the median base salary for Media/Entertainment was $95,000 despite New York’s stronghold as a media hub. The transition from traditional to social media is evident from the lower demand and compensation in the media industry. 
Finance was the most popular job function with a total salary of $161,767 with a large percentage opting for Investment Banking that attracted over $172,000 in total salary.
Consulting, the second most popular job function (33.8%) was mostly offered in Management Consulting (24.3%) with total salary crossing $164,000. Operations/Logistics and Technology/Data Analytics were the least popular job function while Marketing/Sales completed the top three with a total salary of $126,249.
Reference: NYU Stern MBA Employment Report
Short Answer: What are your short-term career goals?
Question 1: Change: _________ it (350 word maximum, double-spaced, 12-point font)
In today’s global business environment, the only constant is change. Using NYU Stern’s brand call to action, we want to know how you view change. Change: _____ it. Fill in the blank with a word of your choice. Why does this word resonate with you?
How will you embrace your own personal tagline while at Stern? Examples:
• Change: Dare it.
• Change: Dream it.
• Change: Drive it.
• Change: Empower it.
• Change: Manifest it.
• Change: [Any word of your choice] it.
Question 2: Personal Expression (a.k.a. "Pick Six")
About the Author
I am Atul Jose, Founding Consultant of F1GMAT, an MBA admissions consultancy that has worked with applicants since 2009.
For the past 15 years I have edited the application files of admits to the M7 programs: Harvard Business School, Stanford Graduate School of Business, the Wharton School, MIT Sloan, Chicago Booth, Kellogg School of Management, and Columbia Business School, together with admits to Berkeley Haas, Yale School of Management, NYU Stern, Michigan Ross, Duke Fuqua, Darden, Tuck, IMD, London Business School, INSEAD, SDA Bocconi, IESE Business School, HEC Paris, McCombs, and Tepper, plus other programs inside the global top 30.
My work covers the full MBA application deliverable: career planning and profile evaluation, application essay editing, recommendation letter editing, mock interviews and interview preparation, scholarship and fellowship essay editing, and cover letter editing for funding applications. Full bio with credentials and admit history is here.
I am the author of the Winning MBA Essay Guide, the best-selling essay guide covering M7 MBA programs. I have written and updated the guide annually since 2013, which makes the 2026 edition the thirteenth.
The reason I still write and edit essays every cycle: a good MBA essay carries a real applicant's voice. Writing essays for F1GMAT's Books and Editing essays weekly is how I stay calibrated to what current admissions committees respond to.
Contact me for school selection, career planning, essay strategy, narrative development, essay editing, interview preparation, scholarship essay editing, or guidance documents for recommendation letters.