In this edition of our Admissions Director Q&A series, we catch up with Lindsay Loyd, Assistant Dean of MBA Admissions at NYU Stern, as the school celebrates its 125th anniversary.
Lindsay leads the recruiting and admissions efforts for Stern’s Full-time MBA Programs, including the two-year Full-time MBA and focused one-year MBAs: the Andre Koo Technology & Entrepreneurship MBA and Luxury & Retail MBA. She joined NYU Stern in 2023 after a 20-year career in financial services, serving in roles of progressive responsibility in analytics, marketing, and strategy at Capital One and American Express. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Washington State University and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
In our Q&A, she covers some highlights of the MBA program at Stern, what to expect from the application process, and some best practices for interview prep and writing compelling essays.
Clear Admit: What is the one aspect of your program that you wish applicants knew more about?
Lindsay Loyd: As we celebrate NYU Stern’s 125th anniversary this year, one theme consistently stands out and that’s our deep connection with New York City. Stern is inextricably linked with the business and culture of NYC, and we intentionally weave it into the MBA experience – from our curriculum, to internships, to careers and lifelong peer networks, students are immersed in all the city has to offer. It starts with the very first moment of the MBA journey at Stern. Launch orientation, which sets the tone for the two years and takes place on our campus in the heart of Greenwich Village, also includes gathering with new classmates in iconic venues like last year’s welcome dinner under the American Museum of Natural History’s blue whale.
At every step, New York isn’t just the backdrop – it’s core to the experience. What does this look like for students? C-suite executives regularly drop into class to share real-time industry insights because their office is just down the street. Experiential learning projects where students get hands-on experience working on real business challenges in every industry imaginable – media, healthcare, tech, finance, real estate, and more – because NYC is home to so many leading brands. The Andre Koo Technology and Entrepreneurship MBA and Luxury & Retail MBA, Stern’s focused one-year programs, both kick off with a summer NYC immersion, giving students a front row seat to how the ecosystems for each of these sectors are embedded into the city. And it doesn’t stop there. Alums are happy to meet for a coffee chat and discuss their career paths because more than half of Stern’s 114,000-strong alumni network call the tri-state area home. And not only that – students also have access to alumni who serve as dedicated Industry Advisors, to provide students with career guidance and real-world industry insights in partnership with our Career Coaching team.
Aside from these formal offerings, there are endless opportunities to connect with classmates around food, culture, history, sports, you name it.
CA: Walk us through the life of an application in your office from an operational standpoint. What happens between the time an applicant clicks “submit” and the time the committee offers a final decision?
LL: Stern’s process is a bit different than our peers, so let’s start with some basic mechanics on our approach to deadlines and the admissions cycle. It’s not a purely rolling process, nor are there structured rounds. We operate a hybrid ongoing review, structured around four submission deadlines for applicants. Each deadline has a corresponding “initial notification deadline,” which is the absolute latest date by which you’ll hear about a next step from us: invitation to interview, waitlist, or denial of admission. Many will receive notification before then, as we don’t wait for a deadline to pass to start reading applications. We try to release decisions as soon as we make them. We know the waiting part of the MBA application process can be stressful, and we make best efforts to minimize it. I encourage prospective students to submit their application whenever it’s ready. Applicants don’t have to wait until the deadline day to press submit.
It’s worth highlighting that every single application we receive is read in its entirety by multiple reviewers on the MBA Admissions team and evaluated holistically across three dimensions: academic potential, professional achievements and aspirations, and alignment with Stern core values. Our emphasis on both intellectual intelligence and emotional intelligence, what we call IQ + EQ, is top of mind throughout the reading and evaluation process. We try to exemplify it as admissions officers through all aspects of the process, and we screen for it in prospective students. We strive to build a class and community of individuals who demonstrate IQ + EQ – this is core to our culture, and recruiters seek these qualities. Our application is designed to help applicants highlight not just what they’ve done, but how they’ve done it, and how they’ve inspired others around them.
If the initial notification is “invite to interview,” an applicant will have the opportunity to get that scheduled. Once the interview has been completed, the application goes back to the committee for at least two more reads. If the decision is to admit, the application will also be reviewed for merit-based scholarship awards. After the interview is complete, we typically get back to the candidate with a decision in about three weeks. If someone is being offered a spot in the class, they get a phone call from me or someone on the Admissions Committee with the good news. These are our favorite calls to make!!
One final point for candidates to be aware of is that we offer regular “Mock Application Workshops” with Stern admissions officers via Zoom throughout the year, and they are very helpful for demystifying the process.
CA: How does your team approach the essay portion of the application specifically? What are you looking for as you read an essay? Are there common mistakes that applicants should try to avoid? What is one key thing they should keep in mind as they sit down to write?
LL: This is your chance as an applicant to tell your story. The application and all of its components, including the essays, should be a cohesive narrative of who you are, what your aspirations are, and what you are hoping to experience with your MBA. And the key word across all of that is YOU. Be authentic and be yourself! It’s really important to invest some quiet time before getting too deep into this whole process, and really think about your individual goals. Reflect on your personal values, strengths, and development areas. Spending time on this will give your research into different programs better context, which can help you narrow down your target programs, and ultimately enable you to write compelling application essays.
Regarding Stern’s essays, we know the short answer question on professional aspirations is quite short, with only 150 words allowed. This is intentional. It’s the written version of an elevator pitch. Be concise and answer what is asked: What are your short-term career goals? If you have specific functional roles and/or target companies in mind, incorporate those details into your answer.
Our “Change” and “Pick Six” essays are an opportunity for applicants to elaborate, have some fun, and introduce themselves more personally to the admissions committee. These essays are also where we are looking for your individual EQ – self-awareness, empathy, communication, resilience, openness to new ideas and diverse perspectives, etc.
For the “Change” essay, applicants pick a verb to create their own Change tagline. Applicants are free to choose from our list of suggestions, or choose any other verb that resonates with them. We aren’t making judgements based on the most unique, never-been-used-before verb, I promise! What we really want to know is: why does that Change tagline resonate with you? How has it been relevant to you, and how will you live it during your time at Stern?
The “Pick Six” is our visual essay, and a chance for applicants to express their stories using photos, infographics, drawings, or any other images. Applicants should briefly introduce their Pick Six and include a one-sentence caption for each image. If an applicant is visually impaired, they are welcome to request an alternative prompt by contacting the admissions office.
Our optional essay is truly optional. If the applicant has something to share that hasn’t been covered elsewhere in the application, this is the space to do so. If the applicant feels like they’ve covered everything already, there is no need to complete this essay.
CA: Could you tell us about your interview process? Approximately how many applicants do you interview? Who conducts the interview and what is the nature of the interview? Will your admissions interviews be in-person or virtual for the 2025-2026 admissions season?
LL: The interview is by invitation only and is required for admission. About 30 percent of applicants are invited to interview. Our interviews are 30 minutes long and conducted exclusively by admissions officers. All interviews are conducted via Zoom, so it’s a consistent and equitable experience for everyone. Importantly, the admissions officer interviewing you will have reviewed your application and resume in advance. It’s very conversational and gives us a chance to get to know an applicant beyond the application, get a sense of their communication style, and understand how a Stern MBA fits into their career journey at this time. It’s also an opportunity for candidates to ask questions and get to know Stern a little better, so come prepared!
CA: Is there anything in particular international students should keep in mind during the admissions process?
LL: Mastery of English is required for NYU Stern. If you are not a native English speaker, and if you have not completed a prior undergraduate or graduate degree taught in English, you’ll need to demonstrate language proficiency by submitting a language test score. We accept TOEFL, IELTS, and Duolingo test scores taken within two years of your application submission. There is no minimum score required, and the score will be evaluated holistically along with the rest of your application materials.
If you have been approved for a Standardized Test Waiver, that only applies to the Standardized Test Requirement. It does not waive the Language Test Score requirement. More information about test requirements and waivers can be found here.
For the one-year, specialized MBA programs in tech and entrepreneurship, and luxury and retail, respectively, that matriculate in May, the latest date by which you can apply is January 5th. For the two-year Full-time MBA Program, all deadlines are open to international students. Having said that, it’s important to be mindful of visa timelines, and I would recommend submitting your application as soon as you feel you are able to submit your strongest application.
CA: What is your favorite spot on campus?
LL: I love to grab an iced coffee (and sometimes a cookie, too) from Matto, our coffee shop in Stern’s Henry Kaufman Management Center building, and take a break to chat with Sternies right outside of the building on Gould Plaza. Whether you want to sit in the sun or grab some shade, it’s a great spot for a coffee chat. The plaza is undergoing construction and improvements this summer, and the renderings for the refreshed version look great. In the meantime, I’m enjoying coffee chats in Washington Square Park if I want high energy, or Sasaki Garden if I want a more chill vibe.
CA: Is there anything else you’d like to highlight about your MBA program or admissions process?
LL: I do want to shine a spotlight on our newly introduced Healthcare Initiative, led by Professor Michael Dickstein. The Healthcare Initiative is designed to support Stern students, faculty and alumni who are working to shape the future of business in the healthcare industry, and we’re excited to meet the demand for this sector.
One final note – I’d like to end by emphasizing the incredible community at Stern. I’ve mentioned EQ throughout this interview, and that speaks to the importance we place on this core value here at Stern. We strive to model it ourselves as Stern administrators and faculty. The people in our community are our superpower. Not only because they create a welcoming environment on campus but also because it’s their human capital that will ultimately set them apart as successful leaders of tomorrow.
