Meet the Class of 2026

Author: Lindsay Loyd is the Executive Director for MBA Admissions at NYU Stern. She 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. Outside of work, you can find Lindsay snowboarding with her family, baking a sweet treat, or reading a book.

Lindsay Loyd Headshot

Late summer and early fall in NYC are my absolute favorite times of the year. The weather is fantastic, and the vibes are high with back-to-school excitement. This is particularly true for MBA1s who are returning to school after time in the workforce. For the Admissions team, LAUNCH (NYU Stern’s MBA orientation) is our first chance to see 352 motivated individuals come together from all walks of life as one community, and embark upon their journey as Sternies.

Natural History Museum
Class of 2026 Sternies celebrating the start of LAUNCH at the Natural History Museum

This week, we published the class profile for the Class of 2026, which provides a statistical overview of the MBA1s. But as my team learned while reading applications and conducting interviews, each member of the class is so much more than a resume.

This class brings their knowledge from every conceivable sector of business and society: tech, finance, non-profit management, consulting, entrepreneurship, education, and the military, to name a few. But the richness of their experience goes so far beyond their resumes. We have former Division I college athletes. Accomplished marathoners, climbers, and cyclists. Content creators who’ve had videos and articles go viral. Rocket scientists, Ironman triathlon finishers, scuba divers, and volunteer coaches for the Special Olympics. Our incoming students are dedicated lifelong learners. Many have engaged in impressive pursuits, such as studying on Duolingo for over 1,000 consecutive days, earning purple belts in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and accumulating over 10,000 minutes of meditation practice since the pandemic began. We have representation from 50 countries and more than 70 languages.

They are passionate and intelligent. They are talented and ambitious. They are curious and embrace change. They are committed to improving themselves and the world around them. 

They are Sternies.

So, the Class of 2026 has arrived, and just like that, the Admissions team switches gears and begins recruiting the Class of 2027.  Our application is open and our first deadline is quickly approaching. For those of you who have already applied, thank you! Interview invitations will be sent out before you know it.

For those of you who are still considering us, take a look at the class profile and also connect with the students behind the numbers to see if NYU Stern is a place where you can see yourself grow. You can connect with our Graduate Ambassadors here

We can’t wait to meet you!