My dream school is NYU Stern, to which I applied RD. My SAT score is high, my GPA is fine, and my essays are fine too, but I don’t have a single business EC. Which makes me wonder:
Sometimes I hear that admissions to Stern in mostly based on numbers (GPA/SAT or ACT). But other times I hear that what Stern cares most about is the applicant having business ECs.
Hi there! I got into NYU Stern ED1 just a few weeks ago. After looking at your stats (on your other thread), I think your GPA and SAT makes you gives you a strong edge in getting accepted. The fact that you don’t really have any business ec’s shouldn’t really hinder you ( I didn’t really have any business ec’s either, and I made it in ) but you should still be able to demonstrate leadership through your other activities. One of the most important things they look at in the application for Stern (imo) is the Why NYU essay. So many kids apply to stern because they hear that it’s a “prestigious b-school” without having a legit reason why they want to study at Stern. The admissions team really stressed the importance of this essay at their open house, and I think a big reason why I made it in was because my essay really focused on why Stern and not just NYU and NYC in general. Let me know If I can help you with anything else.
Their holistic admissions process means that they take everything into account, so there can’t be hindrances to one’s application, only things that boost his or her chances further.
As @adreamer22 mentioned, it’s a holistic application. You will hear stories where applicants will have stated a greater impact due to ECs or academic performance because it is often case by case and the admissions office is looking for applicants with complete skill sets and potential. Some students will have average academic performance but exceptional ECs which can make the difference in their acceptance and vice versa.
As @Fazioli also mentioned, the essay is how applicants are able to tell their holistic story. Applications obviously break out ECs, HS stats, standardized test scores, etc. into structured and digestible forms for the AOs, but the essay is what gives you your voice and opportunity to weave your application’s individual parts to tell the single story they are looking for.
What makes the essay the x variable is that it is, (after everything is all said and done and you’re completing your application), the only thing you can control. It’s difficult for me to view an essay as “fine” as you referred to your own, rather when I wrote and revised my own essay as well as others’ I either felt it was passionate, apathetic, or lacked voice. With passionate essay I developed a strong familiarity with the candidate strictly through their prose and would be able to gain a sense of their personality and application. Essays that were apathetic or lacked voice weren’t necessarily “bad” but they didn’t help myself as the reader bring in the individual parts to form a cohesive understanding of the applicant.