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A Taste of the Fashion & Luxury (FLux) Curriculum

*NYU Stern’s Fashion & Luxury MBA program was renamed to the Luxury & Retail MBA program.*

Rose Soiffer-Kosins Headshot

Rose Soiffer-Kosins is a current Fashion & Luxury MBA student, specializing in Digital Strategy and Luxury Marketing. Prior to Stern, Rose worked in merchandise planning at Issey Miyake and styling at Nordstrom. Outside of work and school, Rose loves collecting vintage clothing and exploring Prospect Park.

My FLUX classes so far have covered a diverse range of topics, from Finance and Accounting to Marketing and Strategy. As someone from a more creative background and a tendency to avoid math at all costs, I have surprised myself with what I have been able to accomplish (like learning how to prepare an income statement). Much of this success is a result of coaching from quality professors who have demonstrated an unprecedented interest in my personal and professional development. Here are two classes that have impacted me the most so far: 

Becoming You: Crafting the Authentic Career You Want and Need with Professor Suzy Welch

I was lucky enough to be the first class of students to take “Becoming You” with Suzy Welch, and would highly recommend this elective to any incoming Stern students. Professor Welch, a bestselling author, Harvard Business Review editor, Today Show contributor, and wife of General Electric CEO Jack Welch, thoughtfully guided her first class of Stern students through a career coaching journey. Suzy provided valuable career-building insights through personal anecdotes, speakers (including the Editor in Chief of Linkedin!), and coaching exercises. My friends knew this class as my Tuesday morning “therapy” because every time I walked out the door I would be gushing about a new career epiphany. Although most of my classes so far have been focussed on learning specific business skills, Becoming You allowed me to step back and think more deeply about how to shape the rest of my Stern experience to align with my future goals. Stern’s student-run podcast, Stern Chats, recently featured Suzy on their podcast – I encourage you to listen!

Retail Strategy & Analytics with Professor Jack Hanlon

Retail Strategy & Analytics was a Tuesday evening favorite amongst my peers and I. 

Professor Hanlon, current VP of Data at Reddit, brought his impressive retail expertise to our case study discussions and accompanying lectures. Although this core course was a class of 50 (FLUX, Full-time, and Part-time MBA students combined), Professor Hanlon provided individualized feedback on every assignment. He emphasized the importance of learning from our peers, and encouraged us to share experiences from our previous positions. Although I have learned so much from my FLUX classmates, learning from non-FLUX students helped me to develop cross-industry perspectives. With guidance from Jack, our class unpacked cases from companies like Zappos, Home Depot, and Starbucks. Some companies persevered while others floundered. By the end of the course, I developed a playbook of strategies to solve a wide variety of challenges that any business may encounter, regardless of industry. 

These are just two of the many transformative courses I have taken during the past two semesters. Although it is bittersweet, I am looking forward to my final semester as a FLUX student. I will continue to expand my quantitative skillset through a Data Driven Decision Making course with Professor Xiao Liu, and will further prepare myself for my post-graduate career in a Luxury Marketing course with Professor Thomai Serdari. Although the FLUX curriculum is certainly not easy, it has been incredibly rewarding, and I feel confident that I am prepared to enter the workforce with more expertise than when I left it! 

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Learning About the Fashion & Luxury MBA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jennifer Rice comes to NYU Stern with over six years of experience as a Design Director in sustainability and performance brands. After working as a designer for shoes and ready-to-wear at Zero + Maria Cornejo, she went on to start up her own consulting company in 2021, aligning new and established brands with partners across the east coast for brand development and production services. Jennifer is a Graduate Ambassador, AVP of Admissions for SISA, and admissions committee member for SWIB. Aside from work and school, you can find Jennifer at Washington Square Park dog run with her roommates, Meredith and Elizabeth, and their dog, Stella. 

Being a Graduate Ambassador, we get loads of questions surrounding the F&L MBA. My parents always told me to live by the mantra to be curious from every angle. I.e. go down the path of research that will fulfill the questions most important to you, personally. Investigating is encouraged when looking at any MBA program you may be interested in applying to, as each program will offer a different set of unique characteristics and offerings that are catered to different candidates. So while there’s no one clear answer, I’m going to do my best to lay out the system I made for myself during my era of MBA research that helped me make my decision!

1. Attend.

Sadly, I don’t mean attending actual Stern quite yet! I mean going on our school’s website (click here) to sign up for “Ask me Anything” sessions with current students (“AMAs”), Info Sessions, and any other school sponsored events. Typically, these sessions are led by students currently in the program, Admissions Members, and sometimes even Professors teaching mock classes! You will not only understand through the presentations what Stern and the Fashion & Luxury program is all about, but you’ll also gain insight to the vibe of the community. For me, this was really important for myself to understand that if Stern was an environment I would not only be successful as a student, but also successful in feeling I could give back to the community. 

The AMA’s are great for those burning questions you may have on the student experience and what the course load looks and feels like. You are free to ask questions to a current student and hear the questions from other prospective students as well (this is something I appreciated, as I didn’t always know what to ask, so I liked the opportunity to hear other insightful questions!). 

Info Sessions are hosted by an Admissions Member and a Graduate Ambassador. This is great to understand the course schedule, recruitment opportunities, and more information on our immersion programs. Additionally, the Admissions Member will walk you through the application and its requirements. I think every applicant should attend at least one of these sessions for further insight in applying and attending the Fashion & Luxury MBA at Stern.

2. Read, listen, and investigate.

I cannot emphasize this step enough. Read these awesome Fashion & Luxury blog posts, go on other MBA news coverage websites, and watch videos posted by Stern about the program! A lot of times we get questions Stern has already answered (and answered even better than I ever could have) about the culture, scheduling, and opportunities during and after the program. When I was trying to visualize myself in the program, I took to reading about the program from other forums and news outlets to really understand the professors (and their classes offered) and the community Stern encompasses. The videos of students speaking about the International Immersion and the career placement opportunities were a quick google away (and also on the website!) and got me thinking about my own career ambitions post graduation. Just getting back from our Immersion trip in January, my experience was filled with not only meeting with inspiring international industry leaders, but also learning about craftsmanship and luxury supply chain processes. 

3. Reach out!

After you’ve done steps 1 & 2, it’s time to reach out to us! (click here). Hot tip: It’s always so impressive when it’s clear a prospective student has done their research before contacting current students. It’s clear through your thoughtful questions that you’re genuinely interested in the program, which makes our time to speak with you that much more helpful! We will always do our best to answer your questions, and can segue to our fellow incredible classmates that may be better suited to answer your questions. This is a great opportunity to get that next level of understanding of the program and professionals it attracts– fulfilling that final piece of the puzzle in your journey of understanding if Stern’s Fashion & Luxury MBA program is right for you.

4. Write it out.

Finally, after all the investigating, I took to writing out my thoughts. I weighed out themes based on how important it was to my MBA experience (i.e. Location: NYC, Score: A+, Importance: 5/5). I know, I know, this might seem excessive to some, but it helped me make my decision that much easier and feel that much more logical because I was able to balance the qualitative and quantitative aspects for choosing the perfect MBA culture for me. As I said in the beginning of this blog post, there really is no perfect way to learn more about a program, as long as you make sure you investigate from every angle, giving you the confidence in making a decision for the next chapter of your career!

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Choosing Between the Two-Year and the Fashion & Luxury MBA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cecilia Marmolejos is a current Fashion and Luxury MBA student, specializing in Luxury Marketing. Prior to Stern, Cecilia worked at Wayfair as a Site merchandiser, and as a merchant. Post-MBA, she plans to pursue a career in brand management. At Stern, she is involved in the luxury retail club, and Stern Women in Business. 

Deciding which MBA program to pursue is a big decision, especially with unique offerings like NYU Stern’s one-year Fashion & Luxury MBA. After I had decided to pursue an MBA, I began my research, looking into top schools across the country. One thing I knew for sure was that I wanted to go to a school that helped me break into the beauty and fashion industry. Out of all the schools I looked at, NYU Stern had the best network in that area due to the Fashion and Luxury program. In addition to the strong network, NYU also had such passionate and welcoming students. I spoke to several alumni, in addition to current students at the time, all of whom expressed a deep appreciation for the NYU community. It became clear that NYU would give me the opportunity to receive an incredible education, and also expose me to incredible people and opportunities in beauty and fashion with the Fashion and Luxury MBA. 

While doing my research, I also came to realize there were a number of differences between our program and the traditional, two-year MBA program. The Fashion and Luxury program is unique, with NYU being one of the first schools to design this new type of MBA program. The Fashion and Luxury MBA is a focused one-year program, running from May to May. In addition to the timeline, there are several elements in which the Fashion and Luxury program differs from the 2 year MBA program, which I have outlined below. The one-year is specifically designed to expose students to core business principles, while also immersing students in the world of luxury and retail. 

Community

Other than timing, I believe one of the main components that makes the Fashion and Luxury program unique is the close knit community that NYU fosters. Our cohort this year is 23 people, whom I have had the pleasure of getting to know very well over the last 7 months. We all share a passion for the retail and luxury industry, and have been able to attend different fashion and beauty events, plan trips and share insights on the industry. I have met some incredible people, with a variety of different backgrounds, skills, and experiences, which have been able to help me advance inside and outside of the classroom. 

Curriculum

In addition to the community that this program builds, the Fashion and Luxury MBA allows students the opportunity to take courses that genuinely interest them. During this program, I have been able to take core business classes that are tweaked to incorporate language from the fashion and luxury industry. The marketing class taken during the summer semester was a great example of this – the class was made of just Fashion and Luxury students, and we were able to review cases that focused on different retail companies. We were able to have meaningful conversations, and hear not only from the professor, but I was able to learn from my classmates. One of the cases that I really enjoyed reading during Marketing was the Dolce & Gabbana case. We learned about the missteps D&G took as a brand, and how an insensitive campaign they launched impacted their sales and growth in Asia. This case sparked great conversation, and a number of my classmates shared their insights and opinions on D&G’s PR nightmare. 

Networking Opportunities

Lastly, the Fashion and Luxury MBA differs due to the variety of networking opportunities that exist. The program has a series of courses called Stern Solutions courses, which involve a number of interactive components, including different panel discussions with various industry executives, corporate presentations from various professionals, and lastly, guest lectures from experts. This course was offered exclusively to Fashion and Luxury students in the summer, and was offered to both my cohort and Full-time MBA students and in the fall. These courses expose you to different topics within the industry, and allow you to network with professionals from different areas. A speaker that comes to mind that the class really enjoyed was Lillian Tung, the owner of the wellness company Fur. She shared her story discussing how she founded the company, what it took to build her business with a partner, and engaged in a Q&A session with the class. A number of students, including myself, are interested in entrepreneurship, and this was a great opportunity to learn more about creating a business, and the difficulties associated with raising capital, and dealing with investors. 

Overall, the Fashion and Luxury MBA program gives students the opportunity to gain an MBA, while specializing in a specific industry. It has been an incredible experience, and I am excited to continue to see what comes from the remainder of the program.  

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Unparalleled Exposure to Industry Execs

Ana Laura Aguiar is a Fashion & Luxury MBA Candidate, specializing in Luxury Marketing, Strategy and Management. Ana Laura holds a BA in Fashion Design from the Istituto Europeo di Design Rome and has over eight years of experience in the fashion industry.

 

 

 

 

Learning to Network

Networking really seems to be the golden rule for a successful MBA program. However, “networking”, or “cold calling” can feel overwhelming for some of us, and I, personally, was wary of how to even start reaching out to people. Last year, alumni were advising us to have at least one coffee chat every two weeks, and during orientation we were already working on our elevator pitches. It all seemed extremely complicated, but here comes one of the most amazing things about the Fashion & Luxury program —they bring the industry to you!

From our very first day at Stern, we were immediately introduced to powerhouses in the fashion and beauty industries. I remember how exhausted I was coming home after a cocktail hour where we met the NYU Fashion & Luxury Council —these people were SO interesting, you went out of your way to speak to and learn about as many people as you possibly could. Immediately after that, when classes started, we continued to be introduced to panelists, speakers and lecturers working in our dream brands or holding our dream positions. From luxury to fashion, from marketing to buying, we were exposed to different paths, opinions, and points of view. 

C-Suite Mentorship

The mentorship through the council is a unique advantage of Stern. We were each assigned a mentor, and they were each assigned one mentee, which meant they were willing to give us all the attention we needed and to really go that extra mile to connect us with their own precious networks. My peers and I have been getting all kinds of advice from our mentors, from what career path to choose to what companies they recommend we apply to post-graduation. Getting this close and having these casual conversations with VPs, C-suite or multi-hyphenate fashion experts is an experience I had not personally ever had before.

Constant Exposure

One day, I was late to my afternoon class. I am honestly never late, but because of an allergy problem, I came in rushing to my last Accounting class of the semester. I walked into Stern and made my way to room 1-70. In front of me was my Accounting professor and another Italian man. Professor Bonacchi heard my shoes clacking on the floor and looked back, he stopped, and said “This is Ana Laura, she is Brazilian but speaks perfect Italian! She is a strong candidate for you!” That’s when I realized I was being personally introduced to the CFO of the second biggest luxury brand in the world, who happened to be the guest speaker that day. This may be a silly example, but I want to illustrate that these opportunities really come to you at Stern, and not only in conventional ways. I reached out to him, and have since spoken to his HR representative in North America.

Now, I don’t mean to say it isn’t hard work or that everything is handed to you on a silver platter, but in terms of industry exposure, this program really does make meeting and networking with industry professionals as easy as it can be. Through panels and company visits, projects where you directly work with amazing brands, professors and other Stern employees, and even through your own cohort and their extensive network, the industry is at your fingertips when you’re a Fashion & Luxury MBA student at Stern.

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Access to New York

After graduating from NYU for undergrad, Amy Lore began her career in fashion editorial working at Seventeen, Marie Claire, and ELLE Magazines before becoming the Fashion Editor at Glamour for five years. She then transitioned to lead brand partnerships across retail, DTC, and CPG companies for four years before joining the NYU Stern Fashion & Luxury Class of 2023, where she is Co-Class President and member of the Stern Women in Business and Luxury & Retail clubs. 2022 marks Amy’s tenth year living in New York City! 

As someone who attended NYU for both undergrad and grad school, I will be the first to wax poetic about the incredible access to New York that attending NYU provides. There is no doubt that New York is a hub for almost all industries – but for those interested in fashion, there is truly no better place to be! 

When I was in undergrad, I was able to supplement my studies by gaining invaluable experience interning during my junior and senior years; on days I had class in the morning, I would hop on the R train from 8th Street, hop off on 57th Street, and begin my internship at Hearst in the afternoons. The internships I had and the connections I made while I was an undergrad led to a full-time offer at my dream job just two weeks after graduation. 

Now that I am in grad school for my MBA, the ability to expand my network in-person by attending industry events, meeting for a coffee chat in between classes, and visiting the offices and showrooms of the world’s most esteemed fashion companies has been critical to my experience. Nowadays, we are lucky to have Zoom, but nothing beats being able to shake someone’s hand and create a personal connection. Because of the advantages I gained from living and studying in New York for my undergrad, I only applied to NYU’s Fashion & Luxury MBA program, knowing that for my specific goals, being in New York would be crucial. 

Professional development is just one of the privileges of being in New York – the incredible like-minded and ambitious people I have met outside of my industry constantly inspire me. The energy from being among the best and brightest individuals in the world is unmatched and, I am constantly learning new things and being exposed to new ideas. 

Lastly, there is no argument needed for the culture, social life, and convenience that being in New York brings. I mean, I watched Hamilton on Broadway last week for the third time (yes, I am a Hamilfan). From the unbelievable access to the arts, the world’s best shopping, the nightlife, to Thai food delivery to your couch, New York has so much to offer. 

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Community in the Fashion & Luxury MBA

*NYU Stern’s Fashion & Luxury MBA program was renamed to the Luxury & Retail MBA program.*

Jennifer Rice comes to NYU Stern with over six years of experience as a Design Director in sustainability and performance brands. After working as a designer for shoes and ready-to-wear at Zero + Maria Cornejo, she went on to start up her own consulting company in 2021, aligning new and established brands with partners across the east coast for brand development and production services. Jennifer is currently recruiting for Management Consulting roles and is an active member of SWIB, SISA, MCA, and Gridiron. Aside from work and school, Jennifer enjoys training for half marathons and watching Love Island.

As I climbed the famous Stern stairs on my first day of orientation, my hands were perspiring, and my mind was going a mile a minute. Filled with “what ifs,” I realized I was terrified of this new unknown I was entering. Though I prepared to get into Stern, with all the resume edits, recommendation letters, and GMAT studying, I never “prepared” for the moment I would begin my business school experience. I continued to panic inside my mind, until Joey, who would become a close friend of mine, walked right up to me on day 1 and couldn’t have been kinder and more relatable. I could feel my shakes subside as we discussed our previous careers and airline preferences. I was making my first B-school friend!

This experience I just described continued 22 more times that day and the next during orientation. It gave me comfort to realize we were, as High School Musical states “all in this together.” I can confidently say I was blown away by, and comfortable with this cohort by the time our LAUNCH orientation was completed. 

What was even more incredible was the bond we all created during the next few months of our first semester. From birthdays at TAO, to summer potluck rooftop dinners, and late-night zoom study sessions, your cohort becomes, as we’ve called it, FLUX Fam. Not understanding Statistics? You’ll have an entire army behind you ready to teach you covariance until you could lecture on it. Nervous about public speaking? You’ll receive podcasts to help boost your confidence and individuals ready to practice with you. Beyond the academic help, your fellow students will support you through life changes as well. Whether it’s a breakup, an engagement, or COVID finally knocking at your door, this group will be there with care packages and hugs (virtually, of course, if it’s COVID!). 

If you’re reading this blog post, you’re most likely familiar with all the top B-schools marketing their students’ emotional intelligence acuity. During my application process, I took it with a grain of salt. But it’s true – I never experienced this level of support and high emotional intelligence in a community prior to Stern. Being a business school student and a child who set booby traps to discover Santa Claus wasn’t real at 5 years old, I had to investigate why EQ was more than a marketing tactic at Stern. From getting to know all my fellow students in the program, we noticed we had a lot of niche aspects in common. 

  1. Empathy: we all have an exorbitantly high level of empathy for others, the majority reported this was due to life experiences. You’ll learn from your fellow students how they overcame tribulations in their life through the many conversations and late night studying during your time at Stern. 
  2. Investigative/Thinkers: When I say I learn more from my fellow students than the professors themselves, this is not to undermine the incredible education and facetime you receive with the world’s leaders who teach us. The students, though, will ask the questions you never knew to ask or even think! Your perspective on topics and concepts will quite literally expand during your time here. Pretty soon, you’ll also begin to emulate this.
  3. Diverse: In every sense of the word. Different backgrounds, upbringings, tribulations, and successes have filled this 23 student cohort. Every conversation results in a new immeasurable point of view. This aspect alone has sprouted a learning environment far beyond the classroom. . One genius professor at Stern, Dr. Jared Watson, introduced us to the Kruger-Dunning Effect: a cognitive bias in which people wrongly overestimate their knowledge or ability in a specific area. Aka, the more you know, the less your ego is on the matter. This holds true for our group, we all learn from each other, ego removed. It has resulted in incredible conversations and bonding experiences.
  4. Wise: I struggled on how to phrase this one, as I don’t mean wise as in the old man in a rocking chair sharing advice. I mean – wise in the sense that these individuals understand they have so much to learn from others, and they want to share their experiences with you to help you grow..

The community in the Fashion & Luxury MBA program has given me a network of brilliant people, future leaders, and forever friends. 

Good luck and I look forward to meeting you on Campus!

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The Difference of a One Year MBA

 

Joey Rudee is a current Fashion & Luxury MBA student specializing in Luxury Marketing, Strategy, and Business & Law. Prior to Stern, Joey worked at Nordstrom in Seattle, WA where he supported Corporate Financial Planning & Analysis and Investor Relations. Outside of work and school, Joey is an avid chef and tea drinker, amateur interior designer and event planner, and enthusiastic math tutor. 

To be honest, trying to decide what type of MBA to apply for was a challenge for me. 

On one hand, everyone I knew was doing a two-year MBA, but that didn’t feel right to me. My pre-MBA career was progressing quickly, so putting it on pause for two years felt daunting. Further, I am committed to remaining in the fashion and luxury industry, so it didn’t feel necessary to enhance my resume with a summer internship. 

 On the other hand, a part-time MBA didn’t feel right for me either. I loved that it would afford me the opportunity to continue to work and advance my career, but I knew I wanted a fully immersive experience where I could learn and build my network.

 But then I discovered Stern’s one-year focused MBAs, which gave me the opportunity of both rejoining the fashion industry quickly and a fully immersive experience, without having to compromise on my career progression, since I’d only be out of the workforce for a year. With our Stern Solutions projects, I still gain relevant and diverse industry experience while earning my MBA and making a real difference at the companies with which we work. And in a one-year program, I’m able to focus all my attention on school, building relationships, and personal growth. 

 What I didn’t realize when selecting a one-year MBA was that, more than anything else, the biggest benefit of a program like this is the people. Committing to going back to school to get your MBA takes a certain kind of person (and if you’re reading this, you’re that kind of person!), but it attracts an even more dedicated and driven person to choose to do it in one year. Every day I am impressed by my cohort. Each person is individually committed to their own personal growth and equally committed to the growth of their peers. We are universally confident in our interest in fashion and luxury, devoted to progressing our careers quickly, and enthusiastic about driving positive change within the industry, which creates a sense of community and comradery that is unmatched. While we all come from different professional backgrounds, our skill sets complement each other perfectly. Through sharing our unique perspectives and experiences, we are able to learn just as much from each other as we do from our professors. 

 After completing the  first semester, I can confidently say that choosing a one-year MBA was the right decision for me. I know I will get more out of this program than I would have in any other. I know that I will be able to launch back into my career right after graduation with more relevant experience and skills than imaginable. And I know that my classmates will be the ones who are leading this industry into the future. 

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Tips for Prospective Fashion & Luxury MBA Candidates

*NYU Stern’s Fashion & Luxury MBA program was renamed to the Luxury & Retail MBA program.*

Laura Laufer is a current Fashion & Luxury MBA student, specializing in  Luxury Marketing and Strategy. Prior to Stern, she worked at Saks Off Fifth in New York where she was working in the Buying & Planning for Fine Jewelry & Watches. Laura is passionate about data-driven decision making, the convergence of beauty and science, and innovative business practices.

It’s no secret that the MBA admissions process can be a bit intimidating. Right around this time last year, I was beginning my own journey. It’s a lot – the paperwork, the transcripts, the essay, the Pick 6. How can one possibly summarize 20+ years of education, thousands of hours of work experience, and decades worth of monumental life achievements in 150 words or less? Yeah, it’s daunting. 

Fast forward a full year later and a semester of business school officially in the books – I can confidently say that the application process is less about presenting yourself as the candidate you think admissions officers want to see, and more about presenting yourself authentically, proudly, and convincingly. Joining the Stern community has taught me that compassion weighs just as strongly as intelligence, and that asking questions makes you look wise, not weak.

That being said, here are ten tips I wish I knew when I was applying to business school: 

  1. Do your research & attend coffee chats – choosing the right MBA program for you is difficult. There are millions of factors to consider – location, class size, general vs specific programs, alumni networks, etc. If you choose to apply to the NYU Stern Fashion & Luxury MBA program, you should be prepared to explain why this program is right for you, and what you seek to get out of this very specific MBA experience. Joining NYU-hosted coffee chats is a great way to get a feel for the student body and an understanding of what the program has to offer. I attended four coffee chats last fall before submitting my application, and I learned something new in all of them!
  2. Have a vision – you don’t have to know everything, but you should have an understanding of what it is that you’re good at, what makes you happy, and what inspires you. This will help shape your questions in coffee chats, will explain why you’re targeting an MBA in the first place, and will guide your future career aspirations.
  3. Ask questions! – it’s almost annoying how often people tell you to ask questions. I’ve been there, trust me. But this is your moment to be curious, and you should capitalize upon that. After all, you’re putting your career on hold for a year, and investing in this degree. You should be as informed as you can be. No question is a stupid question!
  4. Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable – this goes hand-in-hand with asking questions. It’s okay if you don’t know what your dream job is after you graduate. You’re here to learn, to figure out what you’re good at, and to start over. If you had all the answers, you wouldn’t  be pursuing your MBA.
  5. Be your authentic self – I can’t stress this point enough. Showing up authentically is your biggest asset. A lot of people out there have impressive resumes, but none of them have your same story to tell. Be proud of your story and own your background.
  6. Focus less on what you think the admissions team will want to see, and more on what your proudest version of yourself looks like – NYU is really good at bringing diverse individuals together to create a greater community. You’re applying to get your MBA because you want to improve yourself and further your education – therefore, you’ve already proven that you’re ambitious. Speak to the moments you’re proud of, whether they’re work-related or not. What you deem to be noteworthy about yourself sheds a lot of light on who you are.
  7. What’s in it for you? While you don’t have to know what your dream job is post- MBA, you should have a fundamental understanding of why you want to be here. Is it to develop your leadership skills? Is it to practice your soft skills? Is it to join a network of esteemed professionals in New York City? Whatever it may be, you should know what you want to get out of this program before you start.
  8. What’s in it for them? As I’m sure you’ve realized in your research about NYU’s ideals, NYU cares a lot about their community and their identity. Every single student, faculty, and staff member adds to the NYU community in some way. Think about your admissions decision from Stern’s point of view. Do you add value to the NYU Stern community? Are you going to be the type of student that tries to outrank their peers, or the type of student who works well in groups? Understand what you can individually bring to the NYU Stern community, and emphasize that in your application.
  9. Be organized – There’s a lot to keep track of when applying to business school. Make sure you stay on top of your deadlines, paperwork, and letters of recommendation. Your application will be weaker without all components delivered in a timely manner.
  10. Sleep while you can! This is more applicable for the post-admissions portion of the process. Once you actually get into the MBA program, you’ll wish you would have rested during the time leading up to your first semester. Things will get intense (in a good way!) so sleep while you can 🙂

Good luck!

 

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My Decision to Apply to the Fashion & Luxury Program (from an Industry Insider)

If you would have told me when I first moved to NYC that I would still be here ten years later, I would probably be genuinely surprised. I moved here shortly after graduation, and I planned to stay no more than 2-3 years. However, when I started working in the fashion industry, no other city could compare to the resources and companies in NYC. Once I decided that I wanted to be a fashion buyer, I spent the next five years working for two major retailers – in departments ranging from color cosmetics to golf apparel – and learning as much as I could in each role.

As my career progressed, I noticed there was something missing in my plan when I would journal about my long-term career goals. On the one hand, I worked in a competitive field in my dream job. Some days I felt like Andy from Devil Wears Prada after her fashion makeover – why would I want to give that up? But on the other hand, I could feel the world around me exploding with new ideas and industries. I was less interested in next year’s fashion trends and more interested in the macro forces influencing each trend.

Following a trip to Morocco, I became fascinated with the Middle East – North African region, and my wheels were turning on how I could return there and work. How could I connect the dots and get myself from point A to point B? My deciding factor to apply to business school was when I was in a department meeting with our chief strategy officer, a business school graduate. We were discussing product inventory for an upcoming season, and he was talking about EBITDA strategy. I remember blacking out and not knowing what EBITDA meant, but I also remember that “my light bulb turned on,” and I realized that I wanted to be on the other side of the table, the side of the table making strategic decisions. I wanted to know more than my limited industry knowledge, and I wanted additional transferrable skills. The most fitting path was business school.

When I began my business school process, I knew I wanted to stay in the industry, so I only looked at programs that had a retail presence. I learned about the Fashion & Luxury Program through an admissions consultant and was instantly impressed by its focus and curriculum. I attended two in-person information sessions with current students, and although it was a new program, their excitement and passion were palpable.

The program had access to companies that I had always admired, and the Stern Solution courses (which act as in-semester internships) would allow me to work hands-on with these companies on a range of projects. The fashion & luxury retail industries are a lot about your network, and I loved that the program offered a mentorship council with industry executives. The opportunity to take classes that focused on growing concerns in the industry – like supply chain and corporate responsibility – was also really important. Furthermore, the Fashion & Luxury program is supported by Stern’s core classes and electives, so I could strengthen my quantitative and business acumen while also learning with classmates from Stern’s other MBA programs.

Choosing the Fashion & Luxury program was a great decision because it bridged my two passions: a passion for the fashion industry combined with a passion for continued learning. Although I was nervous about staying in NYC entering my 10th year here, being a student and seeing the city through the eyes of my classmates from Chicago and Israel makes it feel like Year 1 again. I always felt like an outsider in previous roles because I was interested in “the bigger picture,” but it is gratifying to be in a program with other fashion nerds who geek out on Women’s Wear Daily.

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A Designer at Business School – Why Stern? Why FLUX?

There are many posts here on this blog about why students chose Stern and this specific MBA program. Many of these stories have a few things in common about how Stern is great and the opportunities of being in New York and that is all still true even today. What these stories also have are key but subtle differences on why this was important to them. As much as a professional decision it becomes an equally personal one and, here I go adding another statistic to this long list of “Why Stern, Why FLUX.”

As a designer, in what now seems like a past life, I wasn’t thinking of applying to business school. I always knew I wanted to be in New York so my entire research was structured around being in New York. I came to New York on a holiday in 2016 years ago and was visiting design schools to look for a master’s in museum design. Through my many conversations with different schools, one thing everyone asked me was to find patterns in my background and see if there was a central anchor. When I did that self-reflection, I found that Fashion and the very concept of Luxury was something that kept coming up; in my desire to go to design school (instead of engineering or law or medicine), in my choice of studying Exhibition Design (I wanted to design Fashion Show sets and Broadway Stages), in my first job (a Set Designer for fashion events), in my choice to switch teams at Amazon (from selling books to Fashion to Luxury). It now seems obvious to look at when you write it in this sentence, but it took me a while to notice it. This is what brought me to exploring studies in Fashion & Luxury since it was evident that that is what my anchor was. I was speaking to a faculty member at FIT and she recommended I look at Stern.

“But Stern is a Business school,” I thought to myself. “Can I, as a designer really study business? Do I even have the capability to do this?” I spoke to many people, read a few blogs, and stalked LinkedIn profiles. I realized that the whole point of going to a business school is to learn how to study and apply business concepts. If you already know how to manage businesses, why would you come to business school? So, I did open up to the idea of a business school education, and what that would mean for my career. I do feel that something about getting an MBA puts people at an accelerated path on their careers, with more transferable skills, more access to opportunities, and more options. In my experience, MBAs somehow know how to navigate corporations and business structures better than those who don’t. To be honest, it meant I could be a CEO one day and I wasn’t going to let my self-doubt get in the way of that.

So, I booked an appointment at Stern with the Campus Tour group and the Admissions Ambassador took me and a group of other prospective applicants around campus. It sounds cheeky, but I do believe spaces have energies that just sometimes click for certain people. I’m as pragmatic as the next person but this is something I have come to believe. And Stern did that for me. I had been visiting so many schools in the past week but walking into the Stern building, I could see myself studying there. And when you get such a feeling, you try to not ignore it. The campus, the resources, the academic environment all of it was comforting and inspiring in a way I hadn’t expected. Which is what dropped me down a rabbit hole of New York X Stern X MBA X Fashion. I spent the next 2-3 years working on my career, building up skills, and figuring out who I needed to be then to be at Stern later. (More about my application process in a later blog post.)

 

 

This was my Why Stern, Why FLUX story. If you’ve read this far (or scrolled down) I’ll reward you with a few bullet points that convinced me that this was the right thing to do:

Why a Focused MBA? Why FLUX?

  1. Shorter – It’s a 1 Year program. You get basically the same education in 1 year instead of 2. After 8 years of working, I did not want to be a student for more than 1 year. The duration of the program was a big pull. Also, 1-year programs are cost effective! Less tuition, only 1 year of living expense, and only 1 year of not getting a salary.
  2. Specialized – It’s very focused like the name suggests. I knew I wanted to be in the Fashion or the Luxury industry and I did not want to be in a classroom studying about, for instance, petrochemical companies and their balance sheets. If I’m going to be studying accounting, it better be for Hermes. And that is exactly what the Focused MBA gives you. You are in a class of 20 other students who all have a similar interest and the professors tailor the course accordingly. If you want to be immersed in the industry you want to work in, do a focused MBA. If you are open to different industries and still exploring what you want to do, go for the 2-Year MBA.
  3. Specific – It’s all about Fashion, Luxury, and related industries. Yes, it is a business program, but it is about business in the context of Fashion and Luxury. If that’s something you want to study and do eventually, you will not find any other program in the western hemisphere like this, I guarantee it.

Why Stern?

  1. IQ + EQ – There is a general notion in the industry that Stern has the nicest, kindest, most helpful, and most collaborative geniuses you will ever come across. It seems statistically impossible, but I am experiencing it first-hand.
  2. Expertise – There is a reason Stern is consistently one of the top-ranked MBAs in the world. It’s not PR or paid advertising. It’s true. A brand name like Stern can open doors and give you access to alumni and opportunities globally and I don’t mean to say that lightly.
  3. Location – Being at the proverbial center of the world has many advantages. Stern is in the middle of the madness of New York and I say that in the best possible way. It puts you in the heart of the industry you want to be in and what more could you ask for from a school.

Why New York?

  1. Because it is the center of fashion and luxury in the Americas.
  2. Because most headquarters of most fashion/luxury brands are in New York. If you want to speak to someone from a certain organization, chances are you will find them in New York.
  3. Because it is New York

This was my story. I hope it helps you write yours!