I am planning to apply to NYU as an international student in a few days. I wanted to know a few things about Stern, BPE, and BTE—ideally from current students or those who have experience with them.
My Interests:
Learning about international business.
Understanding geopolitics and being able to apply it to diplomacy and business.
Working in a position at a good company where they would send me to different countries for around 6 months at a time (so that I can enjoy traveling).
In the future, I have a desire to start my own business or work as a country diplomat.
I prefer job switching or flexibility.
After graduation, I plan to work for a few years and then pursue an MBA.
My Dislikes:
I absolutely do not like highly bookish subjects like LAW.
Does BPE not offer STEM OPT extension?
I do not like hard work in fields like finance.
My Questions:
Would BPE be better for me, or Stern (majoring in Marketing, Management, or something else without Finance), or should I look into some other subject?
How are the recruiting opportunities and starting salaries for BPE vs. Stern?
Which path would be better for my future goals?
What is the friend circle/peer environment like in each program?
I would be highly grateful for some realistic advice.
You’re probably not going to like this, but in terms of:
You would well be placed to look at what the degree means back home, as well as or rather than for the US. Any longer-term work plans (beyond OPT) would require H1B, and the new rules and the proposals for salary requirements mean that newer employees are heavily disadvantaged compared to more experienced ones, and may even be shut out entirely due to their salary not meeting the minimum required. And even if you get past the minimum, it’s still a lottery (again, one that favors employees with higher salaries at up to a 4:1 ratio compared to newer ones).
Can you be more specific about what you mean by “hard work” here? Any NYU degree is going to require hard work. Or by “hard” do you mean something like the quantitative component of any degree?
In terms of your interests, it sounds like BPE likely is the most suitable course. BPE is currently eligible for STEM-OPT extension.
Not wanting “hard” courses suggests that international diplomacy is not for you.
Take a look at the NYU course requirements….I am not sure any of the programs you mention align with your interests.
I am not aware of any MBA program in the US that does not have a finance requirement. Moreover, the rigorous programs require both micro and macro AFTER either placing out of calculus or taking it as a non-credit pre-req. If you think Finance is hard, hello grad school level Econ!!!
Any HS kid who wants Stern (or equivalent) and then an MBA who also wants to avoid taking finance needs a bit of a reset to understand the curriculum and what’s required.
By ‘hard work’, I mean the professional and academic life in finance. It involves spending hours on end doing computer-based tasks, which can be far more tedious and boring compared to practical, real-world experiences.
I think you don’t know much about working in finance in the real world, tbh, particularly once you get past entry-level roles (which can often be tedious regardless of industry). That’s a very limited view of one aspect of it.
I didn’t comment on this initially, but if you think you’re going to get this from any company in a junior role, you’re likely to be sorely disappointed:
(And let me tell you that the notion of frequent business travel as somehow glamorous and enjoyable wears off very quickly.)
There is not a lot of theory in finance- it is intensely practical and real-world. There IS a lot of theory in Econ, but the two disciplines- while related ,are not the same.
And neither BPE or Stern will prepare you for an academic career in finance. These are pre-professional programs which will prepare you for a career working in the real world.
So let’s dial it back- what is it about finance in general and Stern (or BPE) in particular that interests you? If you are interested in diplomacy, have you looked at Tufts, Georgetown (and many others) with specific programs in this area? Why study finance and not history, geopolitics, international relations???
To be honest, as an international student, I am feeling quite directionless and overwhelmed, and I am truly grateful for your guidance. I am looking for a solid path forward. While it is true that I have a keen interest in diplomacy, I want to start my career in business. I am not entirely certain if I will transition into diplomacy later in my career; as of now, diplomacy is simply something I am passionate about.
Right now, I am deeply concerned about two options: should I pursue the general program at NYU Stern, or should I opt for the BPE (Business, Technology, and Entrepreneurship / Business and Political Economy) program? (I am also considering International Relations—is it possible to take it as a minor or integrate it in some other way?)
From what I know about BPE, it used to be a non-STEM program (though NYU’s website currently states it is STEM-designated). I’ve heard that students previously faced various challenges regarding its study abroad component, especially since US immigration law states that staying abroad for more than 5 months can invalidate an F-1 visa. I am not sure how these issues are being handled now. Furthermore, finding a job after graduating from BPE is said to be quite challenging. Despite these concerns, BPE aligns closely with my personal interests and goals.
On the other hand, I am very interested in Stern because I love business, and its concentrations are generally STEM-designated. Landing a job after graduating from here is relatively easier. However, looking at the long term, doing a business degree for both undergraduate and master’s feels somewhat rigid and less smart. I want a career and life filled with diversity, varied experiences, and broad knowledge. I desire the kind of knowledge and experience that will make me versatile, not just in my professional career but also in my personal life.
I am at a crossroads and really don’t know what I should do. I hope you can suggest a practical and realistic way forward for me.
What other colleges are on your list, both within and outside the US? Stern has a less than 5% admit rate (will be lower for internationals). It should be considered a reach for anyone regardless of their academics.
I have a few other US colleges on my list with similar acceptance rates or profiles (like UPenn Wharton, UC Berkeley, Michigan Ross, and others). However, my true desire is to study at Stern because it’s located in a city like NYC. I am thinking of applying to NYU through Early Decision. Could you give me an idea of how right or strategic this decision would be?
If it’s undoubtedly your top choice then ED makes sense. But bear in mind it’s still far from a sure thing ..even if it doubles your chances of acceptance that still leaves it in single digits.
But do you have any schools on your list that are not reaches? Do you have somewhere in your home country as backup?
In my own country, the highest-ranking university is Dhaka University, which is probably ranked between 600 and 700. I am planning not to apply to any universities outside the US because I have some acquaintances there. However, I still have to do my own struggle. Since I have never been to the USA, I don’t really know about the internal matters, such as what the hidden problems might actually be there or what things need to be maintained during the application process. That is why I am trying to seek your advice.
In that case, you need to consider what we call matches and safeties as well. If you only apply to highly competitive colleges/programs you run the risk of not getting into any of them.
What is your budget? Can you afford to be full pay (could be over $100k a year at places like NYU, excluding the flights to the US) or do you need aid?
My family’s annual income is around $45,000, so I will definitely need financial aid. My main goal is to get a full tuition fee waiver. I can only afford my living and food expenses, which I plan to cover through a part-time job in the US. If I ever face any financial emergency, my family will be there to support me.
As a first-generation student, can I get funding at NYU? Also, I heard they have a scholarship called ‘The NYU Promise’ that offers a full tuition waiver for students whose family income is under $100k. Is that true?
Ok, so if you need aid it makes it even harder as many schools are need-aware for international students, meaning they look at your finances as part of the decision. You’ll have to take Berkeley off your list - no aid for out of state/international students so the approx $85k a year will be unaffordable, and Michigan is highly unlikely (very limited international scholarships and unlikely to be enough for you even if you manage to get one). The NYU promise does apply to internationals but they are need-aware for internationals so your chances of admission reduce even further.
First-gen is meaningless to US colleges if you are not a domestic student.
Nope. You cannot rely on work in the US to fund yourself in terms of visa requirements, and anyway work is limited on a student visa to 20 hours of on campus work a week. That’s not nearly enough to cover living expenses.
Many internationals face the reality that if they want substantial financial aid they need to go to “lesser” names. Some of the ivies are both need blind and meet full need for internationals but you basically need to be among the best students in your country to be admitted there. Does that describe you?
Adding one more expense to the above excellent post…OP, you must purchase US health insurance from the college you choose to attend. NYU’s base student plan was $4.5K this year.
Beyond considering schools that are less selective than NYU, you might consider schools that are not in large, expensive cities. Even then though, working 20 hours per week during school won’t cover room, board, health insurance, incidentals, travel, etc.
To be fair, most colleges include health insurance in the cost of attendance figures. OP does however have to add flights in. And given that colleges mostly start term during high season summer travel period and that you cannot enter the US more than a month before the start date of the first semester the visa is valid for - so you can’t really time entry for cheaper flight season- that’s probably another couple of thousand dollars (Dhaka to NYC as an example). And probably add it for each year, because air fare going home for summer is going to be cheaper than finding somewhere to rent for 3 months between semesters in NYC - dorms at NYU and I think many other colleges basically have to be vacated as soon as final exams are done. As mentioned, a city with a cheaper cost of living could help, but I can’t see it changing the overall picture that much.
Added to above, note this requirement among the documentation required to get a student visa in Bangladesh (I assumed BD as you mentioned Dhaka above) :
Financial and any other documents you believe will support your application and which give credible evidence that you have enough readily-available funds to meet all expenses for the first year of study and that you have access to funds sufficient to cover all expenses while you remain in the United States.