NYU’s Stern Langone part-time MBA requires just one short essay: a straightforward goals essay. It also requires a less conventional “getting-to-know-you as a person” photographic essay. These two items, together, create a succinct but vivid portrait of your candidacy. NYU likes candidates who can be both efficient and creative with their messaging and communication. Perhaps keep that duality on the radar as you prepare these items.

NYU Stern part-time MBA 2023 application

NYU part-time MBA essay question #1 (Professional aspirations)

(350 word maximum)

• What are your short- and long-term career goals?
• How will the part-time MBA help you achieve them?

If you do not live in the NYC metro area, tell us your plans to pursue the program. If you are planning to relocate, indicate your plans for employment in the NYC area.

You may start by succinctly mentioning your current career situation to set the context. (Warning: Don’t repeat your resume, but rather make this opening highlight some relevant or interesting aspect of your industry and/or function, as it is an important part of what you’ll bring to the table in a part-time program). Then move on to discuss your short-term goals. Give solid details: position, company, scope of accountability, what you want to accomplish, and how you hope to grow. If you have a formal development program that these goals are based on, it’s good to mention it. To make your goals meaningful and engaging, briefly explain WHY you want to take these steps, what excites and engages you about this anticipated path. Your longer-term goal needs less detail and should of course reflect some reasonable trajectory from the earlier role. These more distant goals could reflect a broader career “vision” in terms of the footprint you want your career to have.

In discussing how the MBA will enable you to achieve your stated goals, describe what new skills and knowledge you need in order to pursue your goals, and how the part-time MBA meets those needs.

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NYU part-time MBA essay question #2 (Person, Place & Thing)

• Please share three images – one of a person, one of a place and one of a thing – that will help the Admissions Committee get to know you. These selections should help provide insight into your personal characteristics and the qualities you would bring to the Stern community.
  
  
• For each image you will be able to add a short paragraph explaining what your person, place & thing says about you (each paragraph should be no more than 150 words).
  
  
• Your document of three images must be uploaded as a single PDF (they cannot be sent in physical form or be linked to a website).

NYU is always interested in you holistically, and they like people who are engaged in dimensions of life beyond business and work. This dual-medium (pictures and words) “essay” allows you to convey a vivid picture of a unique individual. Think about what aspects of your life and experience are important, relevant, and so-far unrepresented in the application. You might select photos based on ideas generated by this question.

There are different options in terms of approach. It would be fine, and could work well, to either a) select 3 things that are related in some way thematically to create a coherent picture of a passion or deeply meaningful aspect of your life, or b) select 3 unrelated things, each of which reflects a different and important facet of your life. 

The key to making this essay work is to feel some excitement and enjoyment in conceiving and preparing the presentation. That positive energy will come through and invigorate the essay.

(Additional information – optional)

(250 word maximum)

This essay is truly optional – it is an opportunity to provide any additional information that you feel is important in assessing your candidacy. This may include significant current or past gaps in employment, further explanation of your undergraduate record or self-reported academic transcript(s), plans to retake the GMAT, GRE, EA, IELTS, Duolingo or TOEFL, or any other relevant information. This information may be just a few short sentences, it doesn’t need to be a full essay.

These instructions don’t explicitly limit the essay to extenuating circumstances or application-specific issues, but the topics Stern suggests are just such issues. Moreover, the phrase “bring to the attention of” doesn’t really invite you to continue marketing yourself. I therefore recommend addressing the types of issues the question presents if needed, and/or present other information only that has a direct bearing on the adcom’s ability to understand your candidacy.

You’ve worked so hard to get to where you are in life. Now that you’re ready for your next achievement, make sure you know how to present yourself to maximum advantage in your NYU Langone application. In a hotly competitive season, you’ll want a member of Team Accepted in your corner, guiding you with expertise tailored specifically for you. Check out our flexible consulting packages today!

NYU part-time MBA (Langone) 2023 application deadlines

1st Deadline	February 15, 2023
2nd Deadline	April 1, 2023
3rd Deadline	May 15, 2023

Source: NYU Stern website

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Related Resources:

• Why MBA?, a guide to acing the MBA goals essay question
• Are You Interested in NYU Stern?, a podcast episode
• NYU Stern Announces New Part-Time Online/Modular Program