A Picture Could be Worth a Thousand Words at NYU Stern

The admissions essay has been a staple of business school applications for decades. But MBA candidates applying to NYU Stern may need to dust off their Polaroids.

The New York-based school has for 15 years required MBA applicants to write a creative essay in any means they see fit. This year, the school is taking that a step further by requiring them to submit six images, which could be pictures, charts infographics or artwork, along with six short captions to try and express who they are to the MBA admissions committee.

The goal is to provide additional direction to applicants and create more consistency in the evaluation process, without compromising freedom of expression.

In another change to its admissions process, NYU Stern unveiled a new EQ, or emotional intelligence, endorsement — a testimonial provided by an advocate of the applicant that illustrates a specific example of demonstrated EQ. Unlike typical recommendations, which are frequently restricted to supervisors, the EQ endorsement can come from a team member, colleague or peer, for instance.

Going beyond traditional measures in the MBA admissions process

The changes at NYU Stern follow the trend of business schools looking beyond traditional measures, such as the GMAT and years of work experience, to evaluate candidates. Yale School of Management, for example, began testing MBA applicants on their ability to understand and manage emotions. Dartmouth Tuck School of Business, meanwhile, asks those recommending applicants to score the candidate on their ability to cope under pressure and their intellectual curiosity.

It also highlights the growing innovation inside MBA admissions committees. Applicants are now expected, in some instances, to prepare Tweet-length descriptions of themselves and video essays, as the emphasis begins to move away from the traditional, written essay.

NYU Stern’s associate dean of MBA admissions Isser Gallogly, said: “We believe these changes will help applicants more effectively communicate to the committee who they are as a person, which programs best suit their goals and how they demonstrate EQ. 

“Additionally, these changes are much more in keeping with the ‘social media’ style of communication of today’s applicant. Applicants communicate with much more than words these days and visual elements now play a dominant role.”

• Read more about NYU Stern’s MBA admissions process in this interview with Isser Gallogly on TopMBA.com