Admitted Student Online Chat

Thursday, April 19, 2012 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.

admissions_ashley(P) Welcome everyone to the Class of 2014 Admitted Student

Online Chat!

admissions_ashley(P) Please see our current student chatters bios:

admissions_ashley(P) Maureen Trantham is a first-year Stern MBA student

specializing in Strategy and Finance. She is spending her

summer in management consulting as part of the Organization,

Change and Leadership practice at Booz & Co. in New York. At

Stern, Maureen is VP of External Affairs for the Management

Consulting Association and a VP of the Stern Cellar. Prior to

attending Stern, Maureen served as the Acting Executive

Director for Partnership for Learning, a statewide education

advocacy nonprofit in Washington, and worked as an

international journalist for newspapers in Thailand and China.

Maureen is from Seattle, Washington and graduated from the

University of Washington with a dual degree in Journalism and

the Comparative History of Ideas.

admissions_ashley(P) Asha Shivaji is a second-year Stern MBA student specializing in

Marketing and Strategy. During the fall semester of last year she

interned for L'Oreal within the Luxury Brands division and

during the spring semester, she interned for Moet Hennessy on

the Ruinart brand. She spent her summer internship as a

Presidential Management Associate (PMA) intern within the

Beauty Bank division at the Estee Lauder Companies and she

will be returning to the Estee Lauder Companies as a full-time

PMA after graduation. At Stern, Asha is the VP of Knowledge

Management for the Graduate Marketing Association and the VP

of Marketing for the Stern Women in Business Club. Prior to

attending Stern, she worked in digital marketing for both Apple

and Disney. Asha is from Los Gatos, California and graduated

from UCLA with a double major in Economics and Political

Science.

admissions_ashley(P) Daniel Saat is a student in the dual MBA/MPA program at NYU

Stern and NYU Wagner’s School of Public Service. Last

summer, Daniel worked at The Reut Institute, a premier Israeli

public policy strategy group based in Tel Aviv where he worked

on strategic finance and impact measurement systems. This

summer he'll be based in Beijing, China working with a micro-

credit and financial services company called CreditEase. At

Stern, Daniel is a Co-President of the Social Enterprise

Association. Prior to coming to NYU, Daniel worked as a Senior

Financial Analyst at Tides—a dynamic social enterprise that

provides infrastructure services to a network of thousands of

nonprofits, philanthropists, activists, and social entrepreneurs.

Daniel grew up in Rochester, NY and did his undergraduate

work at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.

admissions_ashley(P) Juston Payne is a second year Stern MBA Student specializing

in Digital Marketing, Strategy and Leadership. Last Summer,

Juston worked at Google where he will return in May to work in

product strategy. During his 2nd year of business school, Juston

has been interning at Foursquare where he manages brand and

media partnerships. Prior to business school, he led the online

advertising group at John Wiley & Sons, where he spearheaded

the company's transition from offline to online advertising. He

also writes about social media and technology at DVWLR.com.

Juston graduated from Colgate University. Follow him on

Twitter @justonpayne.

admissions_ashley(P) Linz Shelton is a second-year Stern MBA student specializing in

Luxury Marketing & Finance. She spent her summer at Professor

Galloway's firm, L2 Think Tank in Digital & Social Media

Strategy, and will be returning full-time after graduation. At

Stern, Linz is Co-President of the Luxury & Retail Club and VP

of Events for OutClass. She is also an active member of the

Social Enterprise Association. Prior to Stern, she founded, ran,

and sold her own fashion startup, CUFFZ by Linz. She attended

University of London and UCLA.

admissions_ashley(P) Pete Decareau is a second-year Stern MBA student specializing

in Corporate Finance and Accounting. He spent his summer

internship in investment banking as part of the Financial

Sponsors Group at Credit Suisse and will be returning there as a

full-time associate after graduation. At Stern, Pete is Co-

President of the Military Veterans Club. Prior to attending Stern,

he served as a U.S. Army Officer. Pete is from Burlington,

Massachusetts and graduated from West Point with a degree in

Management.

Please feel free to begin asking questions at any time!

Admissions_Lauren(P) Hi, this is Lauren Levine, Senior Associate Director of MBA

Admissions. Happy to answer any questions.

OCD_Beth(P) Hi! This is Beth from the Office of Career Development!

OCD_Mike(P) Hello. My name is Mike and I am from the Office of Career

Development (OCD). Happy to answer questions related to your

career paths.

rohangupta(Q) Hi guys. I was wondering how easy/difficult it is to follow a

consulting and finance path. I’m not sure which field I want to

work in yet!

current_student_pete(A) Once recruiting starts in early October it will be difficult to

recruit for both consulting and banking as many of the events

will overlap. Once you complete your internship you will have

the opportunity in the fall to change fields by leveraging your

offer in one field to secure an offer in the other field.

Foster(C) Stern's Website reports the top hiring firms (3 or more). Will

OCD share the actual numbers with admitted students?

OCD_Mike(P) Unfortunately, OCD cannot directly provide that information

prior to the Fall, but once you arrive at Stern, you have access to

the Summer Internship Directory of the rising MBA2 students,

Stern LinkedIn and Stern Connect. All of those resources provide

you with great alumni contacts that are likely at your target

firms.

Sol(Q) Hey all, I'm Rotem originally from Israel, currently residing in

Ithaca. I'm interested in pre-MBA internships possibilities

specifically in Tech.

OCD_Mike(A) Hi Rotem. We have had students in the past that have reached

out to their personal contacts in technology firms prior to

beginning their MBA to work on specifics projects. There is not

a formal process to get pre-mba internships, but many firms

would happily take the help if you reach out and leverage the fact

that you are starting business school.

jacques_uy(Q) Is there anybody speaking or it's going to be just a written chat?

admissions_ashley(A) Hi Jaques. Current students and OCD representatives will answer

your questions via the online chat. Please feel free to ask any

questions.

westvillage444(Q) Hi Linz, do most students interested in luxury do internships

during the school year?

current_student_linz(A) Hi there! Yes, many do. You have quite a few options though.

You can find internships at brands / firms that interest you

through your own networking (with strong support from the

Luxury & Retail Club.) You can also do an internship-type

consulting engagement through the Luxury & Retail Consulting

Corps - we have a very exciting partnership with the CFDA

currently, and have worked with quite a few phenomenal brands

in the past.

westvillage444(Q) Thanks Linz. Can you talk more about CFDA? What does the

project entail and how much time does it take during the

semester?

current_student_linz(A) I can do better than that :-) There is a great blog entry from

Emily Cangie (current MBA 2 and a great friend of mine) at

blogs.stern.nyu.edu - just search CFDA and it will pop up. Emily

is having a ball with her engagement and she speaks about it in

detail there. It's about 7-10 hours per week (which of course can

vary based on deliverable schedule, client needs, exam

schedules, etc.) Quite a few Luxury & Retail Club members have

participated, the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive

from everyone involved.

scarlette(Q) Linz, can you elaborate on how one can get involved in the

CFDA? Is it a semester long or a year- long commitment? When

does it start, etc?

current_student_linz(A) Hi Scarlette, I believe the original engagements were a semester

long, but I believe some students have chosen to stay with their

clients for follow-on work. I know in the first semester of the

partnership (Fall of this year) it was not open to first year MBA's

- this may change though.

Sean(Q) What are the exact dates of Launch?

Admissions_Lauren(A) Launch 2012 will be held from August 20-30, 2012. Your

presence for the entire schedule of Launch is required.

hmarshall(Q) Hi! Is there anything that you might recommend a person do now

(prior to school starting) for someone looking to follow the

finance track?

current_student_pete(A) It would definitely be helpful to begin looking over some

accounting and finance material before starting in the fall.

Additionally, it would be helpful to start reading about different

finance positions to narrow down what you want to do in that

field.

Raaya_Lewis(Q) Hello. I am interested in pre-MBA brand management camps.

What resources does OCD offer to help students prepare for

these interviews?

OCD_Beth(A) You can learn about pre-MBA brand management camp

opportunities through the Admitted Student Website (ASW). The

ASW also includes resources to help you to prepare for potential

interviews including a Stern resume template and how to

position your experience and transferable skills for interviews.

KJ2014(Q) Hi Daniel, did you ever consider doing the MBA on its own and

simply supplementing it with Wagner courses?

current_student_daniel(A) Yes, I considered doing the MBA and the MPA or MPP

separately. Ultimately I really wanted to have both communities

to weave, challenge, and take the best of both worlds. Having a

third year allows me to go deeper and broader in and out of the

classroom, which has been really valuable for me. That being

said, there are a lot of opportunities to engage business and

society through the MBA alone. Many students engage with

other schools and New York City as well.

Katey_H(Q) Hello, question for Asha. I see that you held an internship during

your first year at Stern- how was this experience, given the first

year workload?

current_student_asha(A) Hi Katey- The first year work load is definitely a lot, but I was

able to manage interning while also being involved in clubs and

the Stern Consulting Corps. I knew I wanted to transition into

luxury marketing and didn't have any luxury experience on my

resume so I really saw it as a priority to intern during my first

year which is possible because of the location of the school.

Many people interned their second semester; the school

discourages interning fall semester because of the work load.

tater(Q) Hello everbody! Thanks for scheduling this. I have a question

regarding loans. How long does the process with FAFSA and

private loans normally take?

Admissions_Lauren(A) It takes about 10 days for Stern to receive your FAFSA

information after you complete it. Be sure that NYU Stern is

listed as a recipient on the form. Typically new students get their

financial aid package information via email (to your Stern email)

by mid-June. (Summer Start students should receive information

a bit earlier.) Private loans usually take 2 -3 weeks to get

approved after applying, but this can depend on the loan

provider.

westvillage444(Q) To any students, I don’t have a quant background. How can I

prepare for stats and accounting? Should I take a class over the

summer or is there support?

current_student_pete(A) I wouldn't worry too much about not having a quant background,

but the more you can do to prepare the easier time you will have

in the fall. If you could take some classes prior to starting or just

read up on the material it would be helpful. When you are here in

the fall there will be Teaching Fellows who can help you out

along with classmates in your study group.

Lisa(Q) Hi Daniel, can you tell me more about the internship search with

the dual degree program?

current_student_daniel(A) The internship search is pretty similar both years, we just do it

twice! That said, we're only allowed to do official on campus

recruiting for one summer. Those positions are less appealing to

me, so for both internships I pursued a more individualized path.

Leveraging my internal networks at NYU, as well as those

external, I spoke with as many folks as I could in the fields I was

interested in. That leads to more conversations and ideas, which

hopefully leads to a position for the summer. That said, in order

to do work abroad I'm a full believer in getting on the ground -

so I went to both Israel and China in my past two spring breaks

to meet with people in person.

westvillage444(Q) Dear OCD, how should students interested in consulting prepare

for the recruiting process? What profiles are consulting firms

looking for?

OCD_Beth(A) Over the summer it is a good idea to start preparing for case

interviews. We recommend using Case in Point as a starting

resource. Consulting firms are looking for people from a variety

of backgrounds. It is great to have experience in a particular

industry and to be able to demonstrate strategic and analytical

skills. You can start to put together your skills by moving your

resume into the Stern template on the Admitted Students

Website. Think about positioning your experience as Situation--

Tactics/Actions -- Results.

rohangupta(Q) I recently submitted a summer start app, and I’m hopeful of

making it through. Do people who submit essays make it or are

the participants largely invited students?

Admissions_Lauren(A) Most Summer Start students were invited to interview for the

program directly. However, we do save a small number of spots

for fall admits who apply to switch to summer.

Julia27(Q) Also Asha, Can you speak about your experience with Estee

Lauder PMA? What type of divisions did you work with and

what was the nature of your responsibilities?

current_student_asha(A) The Estee Lauder PMA program is a rotational program where

you do one rotation during your summer internship and then if

hired for the full time position you will rotate across 4 brands

and functions over a two year period at the end of which you

become a Director. It's really a great program because you are

exposed to different brands and work in a way employees who

have been at the company for their entire careers have not. For

my summer rotation I was in the Beauty Bank which is the new

business development division. I wrote the business plan for a

new Estee Lauder Companies brand that will be launching in

China in 2014. Upon graduation I will begin my rotations in

either corporate strategy or brand marketing.

Deeps315(Q) Do admitted students get health insurance and do we have to pay

for it or is it a part of the fees? Also, is insurance available for

family?

Admissions_Lauren(A) As a student you can sign up for health insurance as part of the

registration process. There are options for including dependents.

Please check with NYU Student Health Services for the details.

tater(Q) When do students normally move to NYC to secure housing and

such? With Launch starting on 8/20, will two weeks be

sufficient?

current_student_daniel(A) Hi Tater, yes I would say two weeks is sufficient. Finding your

first apartment in NYC is a pain, but doable. Be ready to pound

the pavement, work craigslist, and see as many spots as you can,

and then to jump on a place that meets the majority of your

requirements. Having a sense of which neighborhoods you're

targeting, your budget, etc. will be really helpful narrowing

things down. I found a place within 10 days.

jacques_uy(Q) Ok. I will be a Summer Start student and would like to know if

Career Services may help finding a part-time position while

studying.

OCD_Beth(A) Many students take semester-based internships to gain

experience in a new area; however, we recommend that students

do not take an internship in the fall as there are so many things

happening as a new student.

Sean(Q) Can you register for a Stern email without the background

check? I haven't given notice to my current employer which is

holding up the background check.

Admissions_Lauren(A) Yes you can.

KJ2014(Q) Hi Maureen, as a first-year student, what was your strategy for

pursuing club leadership positions? Do you have to start that

process early?

current_student_Maureen(A) Hi there! The clubs have a pretty structured process for

interviewing students who are interested in leadership positions.

The process starts a few weeks after the beginning of the school

year. You usually spend the first year under an MBA2 learning

the ropes of the club and then assume their role in your second

year of MBA. That said, there is completely the opportunity to

change leadership positions in clubs in your second year. I

focused on networking with MBA2s to make sure the role and

leadership in the club was the right fit for me.

Jocelyn(Q) I have very little quant background. I'm curious if you (or your

friends) were in that position pre-Stern and whether it was

overwhelming.

current_student_pete(A) I wouldn't worry too much about not having a quant background,

but preparing before you arrive would definitely be helpful. You

will have a good support network here of professors, Teaching

Fellows, and classmates to help you with any issues you may

have in some of the more quant heavy classes.

peeyushagarwal(Q) So Asha, one can do an internship in the first/second semesters

as well apart from the regular summer internship?

current_student_asha(A) Yes, you can intern throughout the year and this was one of the

biggest determining factors to me when choosing Stern. Because

of the close proximity to so many great companies, it makes it

possible to do this. I was transitioning into the luxury industry

and had no luxury experience so I felt it was important to get as

much luxury experience on my resume as possible and it really

helped me to garner my summer internship.

KJ2014(Q) Hi Juston- what is the course selection like in Digital Marketing?

Do you have any specific recommendations of favorite

profs/courses?

current_student_Juston(A) It's a new specialization this year and is being built out quickly.

Check Stern's website for the full course list. In terms of

professor recommendations, I have to say I've had phenomenal

experiences across the board. However, you won't want to miss

Brand Strategy with Professor Galloway (Twitter -

@profgalloway) and Digital Media Management with Professor

Greg Coleman.

VRK(Q) Hi, given the current economic scenario is it tough for somebody

like me coming from a consulting background to break into

banking?

OCD_Beth(A) Hi there, historically we have seen many students successfully

make the transition from consulting to banking. You will want to

think about your transferable skills -- analytical skills, teamwork,

client skills, etc. And, begin to think through why banking is the

right fit for you.

peeyushagarwal(Q) On the same subject, I don’t really know much about New York.

What are the good areas to look for apartments which would be

convenient for commuting?

current_student_pete(A) People live all over the city, but the most convenient locations to

live would be the West Village, East Village, Union Square, or

Gramercy.

Julia27(Q) Asha, were you able to find your fall internship through Stern?

current_student_asha(A) I found the fall semester internship through my personal

network, but it would be possible to find a fall semester

internship through the clubs at school.

Kevin(Q) Can you tell me more about teaching and graduate assistantships

at Stern?

Admissions_Lauren(A) These are a great way to get involved in the school while getting

some tuition remission. After completing 9 credits, you are

eligible to apply for these positions. There are Teaching Fellow

positions available with professors - for example if you do well

in one of your classes you may want to apply to be a Teaching

Fellow for that class in a subsequent semester. You could end up

grading for the professor and holding office hours. There are

many Graduate Assistantship positions which are typically with

administrative offices at Stern. You can work with Admissions

and help market the program to prospective students, act as a

career coach with the Office of Career Development or help in

other offices.

s_kay(Q) How can we find more about Teaching and Graduate student

assistantships?

Admissions_Lauren(A) You can find more information on the Financial Aid Website at:

http://www.stern.nyu.edu/portal-partners/financial-

aid/scholarships-fellowships/teaching-fellowships-graduate-

assistantships/index.htm

Maria(Q) Can you tell me about your housing searches, for those of you

who moved from outside of NY?

current_student_asha(A) Hi, I moved from California and I acquired a broker. I flew out

to New York one month prior to starting school and looked at

apartments for a day and found a great place. I also know people

who used the admitted students weekend and website to find

roommates as well.

rohangupta(Q) Hi guys. What are the chances of landing an internship abroad?

The opportunity to work outside of the US/NYC is something I

am keen on.

current_student_daniel(A) Hi Rohan, I did an internship last summer in Israel and will be

doing one this summer in Beijing. Stern, NYU, and New York

are wonderful places to build out your global perspective. I know

that OCD will have formal recruiting opportunities with firms

working abroad, but if there's a country/industry/firm that you're

most interested in, I think it's very doable to make it happen

independently. Professors, alumni, current students, and others

will all be there to help you along your way.

KJ2014(Q) Can anyone comment on the interaction with professors and to

what extent they are involved with students outside of the

classroom as mentors?

current_student_linz(A) I can! I interned with Prof Scott Galloway's firm, L2 Think Tank

(I stayed on through the year part time and will be going back

full time after graduation.) Professor Galloway is great about

taking meetings with current students and alumni - he stays very

engaged (sends out a monthly email to all of his past students

with inside industry info that they may find useful, including

exclusive job postings, access to events they might not otherwise

be able to attend, etc.) Other professors (e.g. Profs Murphy,

Damodaran, Okun ... the all-stars!) are always happy to chat with

students, receive articles/info, hear career updates, etc.)

Sean(Q) What's a typical day of classes like (how many, times, length,

etc.)? And what is the general policy of attendance? I ask

because of a wedding commitment.

current_student_Maureen(A) Hi Sean, thanks for the question. Classes are Monday-Thursday,

and take place either in 1 hour & 20 minute or 3-hour chunks.

Most of my days start at either 9 a.m. or 10:30 a.m. and end

around 3 p.m. You generally don't want to miss classes because

most courses move quickly. I would definitely not miss a 3 hour

class (because they tend to only meet once a week), but

professors are understanding and you can always email them to

state your case and catch up when you return. Also, the majority

of classes are video-taped at Stern, so you can watch the video

later to catch up.

westvillage444(Q) OCD-do most students find jobs through the career recruiting

process or through the alumni network?

OCD_Beth(A) Hi there, it is really a mix. Many students find jobs through the

on-campus recruiting process. This process often involves

alumni who are part of the Stern teams at our partner companies.

In addition, our strong alumni network has opened many doors

for our students apart from on-campus recruiting. Our most

successful students take advantage of the on-campus

opportunities and augment this by working with our alumni.

mb505(Q) Hi all, I am interested in Sports Operations/Management. Is

anyone familiar with resources available at NYU or this

untraditional recruiting path?

OCD_Mike(A) Hi mb505. There are other students at Stern that have this same

career goal, and although most sports related internships do not

recruit for talent in the same way as some of the other industries,

there are resources provided through the Office of Career

Development and the student professional clubs that will help

you in your search.

ElyssaDole(Q) I noticed on the Admitted Student Website that for students who

are interested in improving their math skills, NYU offers a

course. When will that be?

Admissions_Lauren(A) We don't have the final details on that yet, but typically the

course is offered in August. We hope to be able to post more info

on the Admitted Student Website soon. You can also email

admits@stern.nyu.edu if you need details earlier.

yfoss(Q) Advice on steps to take while we are still working, before

coming to Stern i.e. collecting portfolio of work done? Acquiring

list of contacts? etc.?

current_student_Juston(A) Write down as many accomplishments for which you can take

ownership. These come up in a lot of different forms during

interviews and it's easy to forget once you're back at school. To

your point about acquiring contacts, definitely do that for people

both inside and outside of your organization. And, on that note,

connect with all of those people online (LinkedIn and Twitter).

westvillage444(Q) To any student, which professor and class is a must to take while

at Stern?

current_student_Maureen(A) I loved Prof. Marciano's Strategy Class and I'm really digging

Prof. Juran's Decision Models class this semester. Next year, I

am really excited to take courses from Prof. Okun's Managing

Growing Companies and Prof. Galloway's Brand Strategy. Also,

excited to take Game Theory with Adam Brandenburger. Prof.

Damodaran's Corporate Finance class is basically a requirement.

current_student_Juston(P) westvillage444: I'd add that Prof. Kabisawaren's classes "Power

and Politics" and "Leadership Models" are outstanding.

Julia27(Q) Thank you for taking the time to meet with us. Asha, at L'Oreal,

are there opportunities for internships during the fall semester?

current_student_asha(A) Different companies will have different opportunities at different

times. L'Oreal had something available my fall semester, but as I

mentioned this was through my personal network, so I don't

know if this was typical. Whether it's L'Oreal, Lauder, a smaller

beauty company or any other company, there are plenty of

opportunities to intern during the year at great brands. Right now

for example, I have friends interning at Tiffany, Mattel, and I'm

at Moet Hennessy again, so there are constantly great

opportunities.

tater(Q) I will be financing my MBA primarily via loans. Will that be a

problem while finding housing in NYC? Will I need a co-signer?

Admissions_Lauren(A) I would suggest looking at the NYU Off Campus Housing

website (http://www.nyu.edu/housing/offcampus/) for advice. It

can of course vary based on the land lord or realty group. In

general though it's helpful to have extra funds when seeking

housing. They often require a security deposit and a broker’s fee

up front.

Julia27(Q) Asha, which classes were most beneficial to prepare you for your

Full-Time position at Estee? Also, how much is there analysis vs.

marketing related work?

current_student_asha(A) The classes I found best prepared me were Advanced Marketing

Plans, Brand Strategy, Competitive Strategy, and Implementing

Strategy. Analysis vs. marketing work will vary depending on

the rotation and depending on your interests. You can work with

the team at Lauder to have rotations and projects that are

more/less heavy in each. They do have you do certain rotations

through corporate strategy, brand marketing, and digital

marketing to prepare you with the skills to become a director at

the company, but there is some flexibility as to what your project

will be in each group.

ines22(Q) Hi! Can you elaborate on the process for consulting recruiting?

In terms of dates, when do case interviews start for the summer

positions?

OCD_Beth(A) Hi there -- Through our Management Consulting Association

(MCA) you can start to participate in casing "bootcamp" in

September. Throughout the fall you'll gain exposure to the

management consulting firms through corporate presentations.

The actual case interviews occur in the middle to the end of

January. Hope this helps!

ElyssaDole(Q) Has anyone started a new club? If so, what was your experience

like?

current_student_daniel(A) Hi Elyssa, I haven't personally started a club but have worked

with a few groups who have. Starting an official club through

Student Activities has a defined process, much like starting a

new business. However, other students come together more

informally to organize events and share information - a great

example this year was a group of students passionate about

education reform. Sternies for Ed Reform - they started a

facebook group, share leading edge thinking, and do events and

site visits around NYC. Really cool stuff.

westvillage444(Q) How many students work abroad for their summer and what

resources are there for students who want to work in Europe or

Asia?

OCD_Mike(A) About 13% of the class of 2012 worked abroad for their summer

internship. The Office of Career Development has many

resources, including a career counselor focused on international

students and opportunities that can help in your search for an

internship in Europe. There are also career treks that visit

London and Hong Kong for students interested in pursuing

internships in those areas.

scarlette(Q) If I am interested in taking a language class, would I be able to

take that on top of the normal course load?

current_student_linz(A) Sure. I know a few students who have done language programs

in preparation for a DBi (Doing Business In) program or to brush

up for a job after graduation. I'd recommend 1) not doing that

first semester of your first year (you will never sleep!) and 2)

finding a program that works with your schedule and is flexible

so you can learn at your own pace and take time off when you

need to prioritize regular school work. Also LABA (Latin

American Business Asssociation) did something really fun this

year and offered Spanish / Portuguese classes - very casual and

tons of fun - taught by current students. You could pick your

level and go practice with your classmates.

Admissions_Lauren(A) You can also take language classes at the NYU School of

Continuing and Professional Studies. Please note that language

classes are not offered as part of the MBA and cannot count as

credits toward the MBA.

LaurenZ23(Q) I am from Los Angeles and wish to return here upon graduation.

Have any of you attempted to move west/how is recruiting/how

is the alumni network?

current_student_asha(A) I'm from the west coast too. Many of my friends at Stern are as

well and some people are going back right after school and some

of us plan to a little later. It is absolutely possible to recruit in

California. Many people interned there last summer, the clubs at

school do formal recruiting "treks" out there. You can absolutely

leverage the alumni network and there are ton of alums out there,

and California companies recruit at stern. I recruited for both

California and NYC opportunities, ended up staying in NY for

now, but had plenty of opportunities there as well.

Jillian_Smith(Q) Is there a real benefit/advantage to a pre-MBA internship or

would it be better to continue working?

OCD_Mike(A) This is all based on each person's individual career path and

interests. If you are making a significant career change, a pre-

MBA internship in the industry you are looking to move into

could provide you with good experience and expand your

professional network in that space. That is not to suggest that a

pre-MBA internship is necessary to make a career change, but I

would recommend it be a targeted one if you decided to pursue

that option.

jkelton(Q) Maureen - in what ways does participation in the Management

Consulting Association help students prepare for a career in the

consulting industry?

current_student_Maureen(A) MCA has a lot of great resources for students interested in

transitioning into consulting. In the fall, during consulting

recruiting, we run a casing bootcamp that takes students through

the entire consulting interview process in order to ensure

students are prepared to rock their interviews in January. The

MCA also runs a mentorship program for MBA1s who can work

with MBA2s to practice casing their interview stories and ask

questions about the process. I transitioned to consulting from a

career in journalism and the nonprofit sector and felt the

combination of resources from MCA and OCD were very helpful

throughout the process. Finally, I can speak personally, we have

a really strong group of MBA1s who will be running the MCA

next year and can't wait to work with you!

alr32(Q) Asha, is it normal for students to do outside internships during

the school year?

current_student_asha(A) It is. It is a lot to take on fall semester your first year, but some

people do it. Many people intern during the school year

beginning second semester, first year. It's a great way to get more

experience on your resume. One of the huge benefits of going to

Stern is that you are so close to great companies.

s_kay(Q) Just repeating a question that was asked before- can we get the

full list of employers and how many of them recruited once we

are enrolled?

OCD_Beth(A) Once enrolled, you will have access to our full-time and summer

internship directories. You will be able to see where students

went for their summer internships and where alumni accepted

jobs after graduation. You will see the breadth of employers

where Stern students have been placed for the summer and for

full time.

mona1980(Q) Do most students study abroad? What are the most popular

locations?

current_student_daniel(A) There are a few ways to answer your question, as there are lots of

ways to "study abroad". I would say that most students do at

least a trek, DBI in a foreign country, or work abroad during the

summer. That all happens all over the world really. In terms of

spending a semester abroad, I'd say a smaller group of students

take advantage of that, most popularly in London or Barcelona.

Sean(Q) Will a transcript of this chat be available afterwards?

admissions_ashley(A) Hi Sean. A transcript of this chat will be available on the

Admitted Student Website soon.

peeyushagarwal(Q) About donor scholarships in year-2: are they typically given to

students who got scholarships in year-1 as well, or are they given

independently?

Admissions_Lauren(A) Donor scholarships are given independently of the 1st year. They

depend on the specific donor award. You can read more here:

http://www.stern.nyu.edu/portal-partners/financial-

aid/scholarships-fellowships/donor-awards/index.htm

agrumney(Q) Is there an official recruiting process for commercial banking /

MBA Level commercial bank training program at the larger

banks?

OCD_Mike(A) Stern has many relationships with multiple financial services

firms and some of them are looking for MBAs for their

commercial banking programs. More often these are

management rotational programs and we partner with firms like

JP Morgan and Citi (and others) that have and recruit for these

programs.

mona1980(Q) Hi students, did any of you participate in the Stern Consulting

Corps? Does that take away from studying time?

current_student_Maureen(A) I am doing the Stern Consulting Corps right now with Booz &

Co. and the Clinton Foundation. It is time-consuming, but really

rewarding and a great chance to apply the skills you are learning

in your courses. Also, my project has allowed me to interact with

some amazing people in the Community Development Finance

Space--from the CEO of ACCION to the head of the Opportunity

Finance Network. You definitely have to manage your time

effectively to ensure you have the bandwidth to deliver on your

project, but I would say, particularly if you're interested in going

into consulting and interested in nonprofit work, it is a very

valuable experience, strong resume-builder, and a key

differentiator for Stern.

Julia27(Q) Asha, what was your experience prior to Stern? How did you

know you wanted to switch into Luxury & Marketing? Any

materials that you read prior?

current_student_asha(A) I worked in digital marketing prior to stern for Apple and Disney

and based on my experience at Apple I knew I liked lifestyle

marketing. I felt that luxury brands were the best lifestyle

marketers, which attracted me to the industry. For the luxury

industry I would recommend reading WWD, a book called

Deluxe is a great industry overview, and Luxury Daily.

peeyushagarwal(Q) Is there a list of schools which are recognized by Stern for a

semester exchange?

Admissions_Lauren(A) Yes. Please see more info at

http://www.stern.nyu.edu/AcademicAffairs/International/Outgoi

ngExchange/index.htm

ElyssaDole(Q) I am interested in the mentoring initiative program, but I have a

nontraditional interest - the performing arts. Any advice?

current_student_Juston(A) The key is to cultivate a network that will allow you to get real-

world experience and advice throughout your MBA program so

that you can tailor your MBA experience to your goals. I'm

interested in technology and, while Stern has more official

channels into that industry, I still found it useful to keep personal

contacts in the space and to intern throughout my second year at

foursquare.

JohnDorost(Q) Hi, is there a certain number of available housing spots reserved

for MBA1s vs. MBA2s at the Palladium, or is it all first come

first serve?

Admissions_Lauren(A) It is first come, first serve. If interested in the Palladium, we

recommend applying as soon as possible.

ElyssaDole(Q) Are significant others able to come on Stern "treks"?

current_student_Juston(A) It depends on whether there's space. Priority is given to students

and, after demand has been satisfied; significant others are more

than welcome.

Whitney(Q) Asha, how many hours per week were your school year

internships and did you feel like you were able to keep up with

classes, clubs, social life, etc?

current_student_asha(A) Both semesters I was working 20 hours a week, which is a lot. I

think 15 hours a week would be healthier and that's what I'm

currently doing at Moet Hennessy. I was absolutely able to keep

up with classes, clubs, and social life. It was a lot to take on fall

semester. I'm glad I did it because it opened doors for me, but it

was stressful. Second semester gets much easier and it was easy

to manage then, but I never sacrificed grades or socializing

because of these internships. I just didn't get to sleep in as late

and had to be more productive on the weekends.

rohangupta(Q) What are the opportunities to study abroad? Is this looked upon

favorably by recruiters?

OCD_Mike(A) There are many opportunities to study abroad. Options from one

to two week international classes to full semester programs. The

timing of when you go abroad has the largest impact on your

recruiting process. A lot of recruiting during your second year

happens in the Fall (depending on the industry you are pursuing)

and many students choose to not go abroad at that time.

Jocelyn(Q) For students interested in ultimately starting a business post-

graduation, what summer opportunities geared towards

entrepreneurship are offered?

current_student_linz(A) You could absolutely jump in and work on your own business

over the summer if you were so inclined - many students have,

and many have gone on to be quite successful! The best route

(my opinion only) would be to enter your idea in the Berkeley

Center's Business Plan Competition in the Fall - pull together

your team (can include non-Stern members.) Use the resources

from the Berkeley Center and the competition (free legal advice,

pitch prep, etc.) to fine-tune your plan. You can even use your

classes (e.g. Foundations of Entrepreneurship, New Product

Marketing and Design) to work your own idea. Come summer,

find office space (can be a stern study room!) and GO. :-) You

will have tons of support from the Berkeley Center, your fellow

students, alumni, professors, and even folks in the NYC startup

scene if you play your networking cards right. But there are

many rock star startups coming out of Stern right now - check

out: oGolf, Life Dots, the taxi cab vending machine company

(that's getting a ton of press) who are all Sternies.

DJ(Q) What is the extent of health care coverage for families? Does it

cover pre and post natal care as well as delivery?

Admissions_Lauren(A) Hi DJ. Please refer to the NYU Student Health website for this

information at http://www.nyu.edu/shc/.

The_Turk(Q) Regarding waiving out of core classes, some said that the

refreshers were useful in MBA context and others said they were

not. Could someone chime in?

current_student_Juston(A) This is very idiosyncratic. If you feel that you're very

experienced in a subject, you can find that it's not a great use of

your time to review what might feel like the basics. However, if

you have knowledge of an area but think you have some gaps to

fill, and you think that subject will be useful in your career, then

it can be great to take a refresher. I personally did not waive out

of any courses and am glad I didn't, but I also didn't consider

myself an expert in any particular area.

yfoss(Q) Hi. Any personal budget advice for those on a tight budget? How

to have fun with your new classmates and still be able to eat? :)

current_student_daniel(A) There are a lot of great happy hours and cheap sandwiches near

campus. Try to bring your lunch every day if you can. Definitely

think about where you choose to live - that's a major expense.

Brooklyn and Queens will be more affordable. Overall though,

think of these few years as a long term investment, so if you take

out a little more in loans it'll be worth it in the long run.

VRK(Q) What is the typical attire for a Stern MBA class? Is it bus casual?

current_student_pete(A) During the first semester many people will end up dressing more

formally because of corporate presentations and recruiting

events. Normally people just dress casually.

VRK(Q) Since Palladium housing is available only in the last week of

August, do we need to book hotels for the first week of Launch?

Admissions_Lauren(A) If you secure a spot in the Palladium as an MBA1 you can move

in prior to Launch.

kmb648(Q) Hi all. For career-changers, are there resources available early in

the semester for resume/interview prep for your target industry?

OCD_Beth(A) Hi there -- for all first-year students there is a comprehensive

resume review that will happen beginning the first week of

September. You will work with an MBA2 industry-specific

career coach to get tailored feedback. After this review, you will

work with a Career Counselor in OCD for a second review to

ensure that your resume is targeted towards your selected

industry. The same is true for interview preparation. OCD will

hold an interview workshop in September which will be

followed by industry-specific Job Search Strategy Groups where

you will work in a small group with an MBA2 career coach to

review interview questions by industry. There are many

resources available to support you in your career transition.

scarlette(Q) For those interested in luxury retail, can you recommend some

books we can read that you found to be very helpful?

current_student_asha(A) Deluxe is a great overview of the industry. I read WWD and

Luxury Daily to stay on top of trends.

Sol(Q) Juston - can you share a bit of your Google experience and how

you chose the specific department you interned in?

current_student_Juston(A) My Google experience was incredibly positive. Their culture is

remarkable in that they're simultaneously very supportive while

also giving employees a lot of latitude to be creative and to leave

their mark. My project, which focused on finding a strategy and

proposing tactics to help an AdWords vertical grow more

quickly, was substantive and it's clear the company genuinely

cared about my proposals. In terms of being placed within the

company, Google's HR has the final say in that.

SLIN(Q) Hi there - thanks for being here. Is it disadvantageous to study

abroad if you ultimately want to work in the States?

OCD_Mike(A) Working in the states post graduation and studying abroad are

not necessarily correlated. If you have a target firm in the states,

being around to network and research that firm will help you in

the long run, but going abroad will not make you a less attractive

candidate to states based firms. Many of them appreciate an

international experience.

jgondo(Q) Hi! Regarding the VC career path, what activities/courses would

you recommend to do/take?

current_student_linz(A) Off the top of my head (and there are tons!) take Foundations of

Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurial Finance, Managing Growing

Companies, New Product Strategies, Brand Strategy / Digital

everything . You'll also want to leverage the resources of the

Entrepreneur’s Exchange Club also known as EEX (knowledge

management sessions, boot camps, panels, etc.). And I can't say

it enough: enter the Business Plan Comp. It's amazing for

distilling your idea. You want to use your time at Stern to build

your skills as an entrepreneur, and back it with strong

quant/finance, but the most important thing for a career in VC is

to get what it's like to be the startup guy you're investing in.

JudyH(Q) What is your recommendation about having a part-time job (20

hrs) first semester?

current_student_Juston(A) I think it would be challenging. First semester can be

overwhelming (courses + recruiting + clubs + socializing), but

time tends to open up second semester. I didn't feel like I had

much spare time first semester and I did not have an internship.

This year (2nd) has been much more open and I've been working

at foursquare.

tater(Q) Is there a drop dead deadline by which I need file my FAFSA

application?

Admissions_Lauren(A) It's recommended that you file it as soon as possible. Since

financial aid information goes out around mid-June, you should

file it no later than mid-May.

mb505(Q) Is the OCD or any student professional clubs able to assist

incoming students in searching for pre-mba internship

opportunities?

OCD_Beth(A) There will be some information about pre-MBA internship

opportunities through the Admitted Student Website. In general,

incoming students who complete pre-MBA internships find these

through their personal networks. There will be resources to assist

you with semester-based internships once you are enrolled at

Stern.

Sol(Q) Thanks Juston, Did Google come to Stern to recruit?

current_student_Juston(A) Yes, Google recruited on campus this year.

mona1980(Q) Which organizations participate in the Board Fellows program?

current_student_daniel(A) Hi Mona, There are lots of cool organizations in NYC that we

work with, such as ACCION, a renowned microfinance agency.

VRK(Q) What are some of the things I can do prior to starting at Stern to

make the consulting to banking switch easier?

current_student_pete(A) It would be helpful to look over some accounting and finance

material to help prepare you for the fall semester.

rohangupta(Q) Speaking of the Palladium, what is the policy on guests? What

about people who stay for a few days?

Admissions_Lauren(A) Students must register guests in advance with their RA. You can

view more information about their policies here:

http://www.nyu.edu/life/living-at-nyu/on-campus-living/explore-

the-residencehalls/Palladium-Hall/Features-and-Services.html

peeyushagarwal(Q) Does Stern provide any "on-campus" housing options for people

coming with significant others?

Admissions_Lauren(A) Unfortunately, we do not currently offer any on-campus housing

for students with significant others.

ElyssaDole(Q) Maureen, what kind of projects are you working on with the

Clinton Foundation? Sounds like a great opportunity!

current_student_Maureen(A) I am helping the Clinton Foundation in reimagining their strategy

for improving the Community Development Finance space in

order to empower American small business and create jobs

(similar to Starbucks current "Jobs for America" campaign). It’s

a very high-level strategy project that is challenging, but very

rewarding. I knew absolutely nothing about community

development finance before starting the project, but it has

become a really strong interest of mine from an economic

development perspective. Also, we've received amazing

exposure to both Clinton Foundation staff and Booz consultants.

Another group working with the Clinton Foundation is working

on a strategy to bring high-tech jobs back to the United States.

Overall, it’s just an incredible opportunity to wrestle with

interesting interdisciplinary problems that put your MBA

education to the test.

mona1980(Q) Did any students participate in the leadership development

program? What is the process like and is it for two years or just

your first year?

current_student_linz(A) Hi Mona. I participated. It's over the course of both years, with

the most activity in the first year (or at least it was for me.) The

most valuable components (my opinion only) were the 360

degree evaluation, where your past managers, peers,

subordinates, clients/customers, etc. give you detailed and honest

feedback through a survey. It's a great benchmark to figure out

where your strengths are so you can play to them, and where

your weaknesses are so you can smooth them out. The

Responsible Leadership Project - RLP - is an opportunity to

work on a project for social good. I did mine through the Social

Entrepreneurship Incubator and spent a month in India working

on a company idea that would empower women artisans to better

their economic situations. It was an incredible experience!

Daniel(Q) Do you know of some of the real estate career opportunities that

are available? Summer internships, post-mba jobs, etc...?

OCD_Beth(A) Hi Daniel. Each year there are a number of students who find

internships and full-time jobs in the real estate space. Stern

recently launched a new Real Estate Center and there is the Real

Estate student club. More specifically, we have strong ties to

Related Properties and Tischman Speyer and have alumni at

many real estate companies in NYC.

alr32(Q) Can someone share advice on what they wish they had known

before going to business school that they know now?

current_student_pete(A) The one thing that took me by surprise when I came to Stern was

the rigor of the fall recruiting schedule. It is important to really

think about what you want to do before recruiting begins.

Julia27(Q) Is the Stern Consulting Corps (SCC) a semester long

engagement? Do we get assigned to one project or multiple

based on Maureen's answer above?

current_student_Maureen(A) It is a semester long engagement, but some students do it for

multiple semesters or as a summer internship. You apply and

interview for SCC and then rank the projects you are interested

in. Then you are offered a project based on your preferences and

relevant experiences to each of the different projects. There are

many more projects available beyond the Clinton Foundation--

UNICEF, ACCION, the Alzheimer's Association, etc.

jandrews1985(Q) Since classes are only Monday through Thursday, what do

students typically do on Fridays (besides homework)?

current_student_Juston(A) There's a great range of answers to that. When it's nice out, it's

common for students to organize trips to Central Park and such.

Many other students use the free day to intern. It's also a popular

day for group meetings (Stern has a lot of group work --

Collaborative Culture!). And then, as you correctly said, there's

always work that needs to be done.

mona1980(Q) How involved are the alumni? Do they return to campus?

current_student_daniel(A) One thing that's unique about Stern is how centrally located we

are relative to our alumni. So many of them are in NYC or come

to NYC, and so getting face time with them is always possible. I

have found our alumni community to be incredibly supportive,

connected, and engaged. Through the Social Enterprise

Association, we try to work as much as possible with our alumni

community to keep them engaged and invested in the future of

the school. We haven't found a single person who isn't willing to

give our members a few minutes of their time for an

informational interview, or to show up for an event or speaking

opportunity.

SLIN(Q) What's the best way to prep for consulting case interviews? Are

there mock interviews that we can sign up for?

current_student_Maureen(A) Start Now! (I'm only partially kidding) The Management

Consulting Association (MCA) runs a boot camp for all MBA1s

recruiting for consulting, which will help give you the tools to

succeed in casing. That said, practice makes perfect. MCA offers

mock-casing sessions with MBA2s and OCD offers mock-casing

resources as well. Your greatest resource, however, is your

fellow classmates. In my class, we formed casing groups that met

weekly to practice cases and different case components. This was

very helpful. I would also recommend doing research into the

firms you are interested in and looking into the mock cases that

are available on their websites.

mona1980(Q) Do all students who want to participate in DBi get a chance to?

What are the most popular destinations?

current_student_linz(A) Crowd-sourcing this answer from the other students on the chat:

favorites seem to be Australia, Brazil, Budapest, Hong Kong,

Argentina, Milan…they're all great though. The students who get

on the DBi's are picked through a lottery - and the later you are

in your degree progress the more weight you have in the lottery.

E.g. if you are a second year about to graduate, and you haven't

done a DBi yet, you're more likely to get on the trip than a first

year who has more time left to get to go. I would still

recommend placing your DBi choice as your #1 course choice

when you register for classes - people who rank it as their #1

choice are more likely to get it than those who rank it lower

priority. Make sense? It sounds more confusing than it is,

promise!

mona1980(Q) Can you speak a little bit about Launch? What are some of the

topics covered during the summit orientation?

current_student_Maureen(A) Launch is an amazing experience. You should be getting more

information closer to the start of the school year.

mona1980(Q) Can you talk about some of the events put on by the clubs? I

know they do conferences, but what other events are hosted?

current_student_asha(A) There are professional, community and social clubs. An example

of a prof club is the Luxury & Retail Club. Aside from

conferences, they put on alumni events to network with alums

and educational events. Retail consultants took us to J. Crew to

analyze the store and teach us how to analyze a retail

environment. The Grad. Marketing Assoc. has corporate

networking events, knowledge mgmt. sessions and alumni

events. A social club like Wine Cellar plans wine tastings and

education events. We even took a trip to Napa Valley to taste and

learn about wine. The clubs bring in a lot of great speakers and

host the majority of social events at school.

wtng12(Q) Pete - can you provide more detail on what the fall recruiting

schedule looked like for you?

current_student_pete(A) Sure, once the corporate presentations began in October I was at

a bank or two everyday for the corporate presentations,

informational interviews, or other recruiting events (happy hours,

dinners, etc) nearly every day until December. As the season

moves towards December, the banks will whittle down the list of

applicants until they put together their interview list for summer

internship interviews in January.

Sean(Q) Any recommendations of literature to read to get more familiar

with iBanking/Asset Management industries?

current_student_pete(A) The Vault guides are helpful to give an overview of the

industries and what the day to day life is like.

rohangupta(Q) Do you get any free time to yourself during the first year? I mean

with all the classes, clubs, recruitment, networking and

homework?

current_student_linz(A) Well, "free time" is a funny concept. Yes, you can certainly

balance your fitness routine, your relationship with your

significant other, your friendships ... but only to a degree. The

people in your life will really have to be understanding that you

are making a huge investment in yourself and your future, and

cut you slack while you "go dark" every once in a while to study,

finish a group project, sleep, etc. A lot of your social life will be

club activities, school events, etc. where you will be having a ton

of fun WHILE doing school stuff. Your social life will blend

into your Stern life- so it won't feel like you're working 24/7 in

isolation.

jandrews1985(Q) How many specializations do most students take on?

current_student_linz(A)

I have 2 and among my group of friends that's about the average,

but you will often fall into a specialization without intending to

(e.g. I took classes I thought would be interesting and found

myself with a specialization in finance without even meaning

to!). Other times, you won't get an official specialization on your

degree, but you'll have plenty of opportunities to dive into the

subjects you want. I've taken a ton of digital coursework, but

won't get the official specialization.

admissions_ashley(P) Thank you for joining our Class of 2014 Admitted Student

Online Chat! The chat is now closed. We will respond to the

questions we have already received. If you have any additional

questions, please feel free to email admits@stern.nyu.edu