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Conquering the Pick Six

Nedjee is an Admissions Coordinator at NYU’s Stern School of Business, and has been with Stern since 2021. Outside of her role of planning admissions events, she enjoys watching basketball (Miami Heat) as well as spending quality time with her family. 

We often get questions from applicants about the Pick 6 essay and how to best use visuals to describe yourself and your experiences. This post should give you the knowledge you need and some insider tips on how this photo essay can help you deliver your story using a series of images.

The basics

Let’s start with logistics. The Pick Six Essay prompts you to introduce yourself to the Admissions Committee and to your future classmates using six images and corresponding captions. Your essay should contain all of the following elements:

  •   A brief introduction or overview of your “Pick Six” (no more than 3 sentences).
  •   Six images that help illustrate who you are.
  •   A one-sentence caption for each of the six images that helps explain why they were selected and are significant to you.

AdCom Tips 

Relay a multifaceted, confident story.

Get an idea of what photos you would like to include and why. From your first image to the very last image, you’re creating a visually dynamic story. It’s important to understand what the message behind each photo is so you can capture the narrative in your brief caption. 

The “why” means more than the “what”

This essay really gives you the opportunity to show us who you are outside of the other components of the application, so use this space to share aspects about you that we may not see otherwise on your application. This is a great way for us to learn more about what gets you out of bed in the morning, what motivates you, and what experiences have impacted you. This can be a series of connected images, or six totally unrelated images, it’s completely up to you! So whether it is a photo of your dog, favorite vacation spots, or historic landmarks, share things that are meaningful to you so we can learn more about you.

Ask for outside advice.

Share your pick six with someone who you trust and who knows you well. Show them your images and the written description of your overall story, and be open to their honest feedback. If you don’t quite have an idea of what images to include, get advice from the people who know you best, and see how their insight aligns with the message you want to convey. This is your chance to be creative however you see fit, so take advantage of it. Ultimately, you make the final selection on the images that tell your story.

Write brief captions.

Your six images should include brief captions to help describe your visual narrative. The caption should help give the Admissions Committee context about the significance of your images. Remember to keep your captions succinct.

Finally

We know the Pick 6 essay can be a little nerve-wracking to complete but it should be fun to put together! We love reviewing this essay because it helps bring the application, and the applicant to life. So, it is worth saying again – have fun putting this essay together! We can’t wait to get to know the real you!

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Jumping into the Next Stage of Your Career at Stern

Catherine is a Senior Associate Director at NYU’s Stern School of Business, and has been with Stern since 2016. Outside of recruiting the next class of Sternies, she enjoys watching football (NY Giants & Boston College) as well as working her way through her extensive list of NYC restaurants to try.

What do you want to be when you graduate business school? No matter what you are interested in, Stern has the tools to help you succeed in your career.

Historically, Stern was known as the school to go to if you wanted to become an investment banker. Nowadays, you’ll find students interested in all sorts of industries – technology, healthcare, consulting, luxury and retail … the list goes on. To dive deeper, students are able to to specialize in specific subject areas. These specializations help students become experts in the business topics of their choice. 

Aside from offering a diverse and flexible curriculum, Stern has a top-notch Office of Career Development (OCD). OCD’s main focus is to prepare students for internship and full-time employment recruitment. It all starts with IGNITE, which is a job preparation program that all Full-time MBA students complete in their first semester. Students will revise their resumes, participate in interview prep, and attend workshops to identify which industries or career paths pique their interest. Stern’s professional clubs are also a great resource to help students prepare for recruitment. MBA2s act as mentors for the MBA1s, and impart their wisdom after having gone through the recruitment process just one year before.


OCD and the professional clubs are an especially great resource for students who are not coming from a “business” background. In fact, many students pursue an MBA to make a serious career pivot, so don’t fear – you’re not the only one! Our MBA program and its career-focused resources are designed to give you the skills you need to make that career pivot. 

Once students have completed the IGNITE program, they’re ready to recruit! Stern has many companies that participate in on-campus recruiting, meaning they come to Stern to recruit our students directly. Our location in the heart of NYC makes this process even easier since companies and students don’t have to travel far to meet each other. Students are able to recruit for a variety  of industries, given NYC’s status as a hub for global business. Students also find it easy to connect with Stern alumni at companies of interest by simply hopping on the subway to meet a former Sternie for a coffee chat in a matter of minutes. For students who are interested in pursuing roles at smaller companies, or in more niche industries, OCD will help you to make the connections, find applications, and land the perfect role.

We’ve talked about career support, but where do Sternies end up? Take a look at our employment report! Each year, OCD publishes a summary of where the graduating class has accepted jobs, broken down by industry and function. The report also includes information on compensation. For example, the median salary for the Class of 2022 was $170,000. This report is a helpful tool to demonstrate the ROI of Stern’s Full-time MBA program, and highlights career possibilities for Sternies. 

Career support doesn’t stop once a Sternie graduates! Alumni have lifelong access to the Career Center for Working Professionals (CCWP). CCWP provides professional development support and coaches to help you with any career changes. Graduates also join the Stern alumni network, which is 100,000+ alumni strong. 

I hope I’ve provided more insight on how Stern can help shape your future career. The impact of a Stern MBA is something you will feel long after you’ve graduated! 

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Club Leadership at Stern

Chris Cognetta is an MBA2, specializing in Tech Product Management, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and Brand Management. Prior to Stern, Chris worked at Charles Schwab. This summer, Chris interned at FTI Consulting and is currently re-recruiting for technology. Additionally, Chris is involved in SGov, Stern Technology Association, Gaming and eSports Management Society, Stern Follies, SpeechMasters, and European Business Society.

The September at the start of your MBA is an eventful time. Between the delightful chaos of meeting all the amazing people in your class and setting up appointments with the Office of Career Development, there’s this major series of events going on: club kickoffs and applications for leadership positions. Every club at Stern is going to host their first meeting, introducing you to the club before expressing the extra positions that you can apply for.

I personally was caught off guard by how many clubs there were and how many positions were available. As an MBA1, you typically get involved as an Assistant Vice President (AVP), where you work directly with the existing club Vice Presidents on their specific verticals, such as Finance or Communications. 

There’s lots of benefits to being an AVP in your first year:

  1. It’s a great networking opportunity
    Being an AVP puts you in direct contact with an MBA2 and you will work with that person(s) on a consistent basis. Working so often with each other allows a connection to form and gives you a great relationship with a future Stern Alumnus.
  2. You gain training and experience for the role if you choose to fill it as a VP next year (or Club President)
    My MBA1 year I served as an AVP of Finance for Stern Follies (a comedy organization that puts on shows and distributes funny memes about the MBA experience throughout the academic year). Being able to train under the existing VP and Presidents, I was able to understand how they do their job and it gave me confidence to fill the role of VP as an MBA2. I’ve now selected my AVP for this year in hopes he can fill the same role once I graduate!
  3. It shows leadership experience and is a resume boost
    A subtle, yet effective way to demonstrate your passion while recruiting is to have your club leadership positions on your resume. This highlights your interests and shows that you have solid leadership experience. For example, my friends who wanted to pivot into technology capitalized on their Stern Tech Association leadership positions to demonstrate their interest and skill in the technology space. 
  4. You help plan memorable MBA events!
    For me personally, there’s no greater feeling than when you spend hours and weeks planning an event that your classmates really enjoy. Being able to plan events like STA Tech Talks or the Stern Follies production were amazing feelings – they were so well received, provided benefit for my class, and introduced me to so many new people. Having my name out in the community helped me to build friendships and connections with people I didn’t know before.

As with most things in business school,  the Club Leadership process can be challenging and break you out of your comfort zone – trying to become an AVP can feel just as intimidating as a job interview. Some clubs will have you submit your resume, you are scheduled for an interview, and then you have to await the decision. It can hurt to get rejected from a position you were excited about. And in all honesty, that’s what happened to me. Almost every club leadership position I had applied for I was rejected my first year. I only served on one club board my MBA1 year. But that didn’t stop me and shouldn’t stop you either. I attended events, showed my passion, and come spring semester, I applied to fill vacant VP positions within various clubs, getting most of the positions I applied for (see the full list in my bio up top)!

It’s important to not get discouraged because there are always opportunities to get involved in club leadership positions: you can join in your MBA2 year, you can form your own club, or you can make friends with Club Leadership and offer to help in some capacity (such as running Study Groups for people who are recruiting).

Overall, being a leader in a club is an incredibly rewarding experience at Stern. In my case, it was an opportunity to meet new people and feel connected to the Stern community. Throughout your two years, you can choose how involved you want to be at Stern, but in my opinion, participating in the clubs is part of what has made my experience at Stern so special!

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The Stern Community: The Only Thing I Wish Would Never “Change”

Jeet Khilnani is an MBA2, specializing in strategy and leadership & change management. Prior to Stern, Jeet worked at Nomura in a corporate finance role, and Deloitte in an audit role. This summer, Jeet interned at Boston Consulting Group (BCG) as a Summer Consultant and will be continuing to work at the firm post graduation, in New York City. Additionally, Jeet is the Co-President of Outclass (Stern’s LGBTQ+ organization), and a VP of Stern Student Government, Management Consulting Association, Graduate Finance Association, and South Asian Business Association at Stern.

From the time I committed to attending Stern, the one thing that I kept wondering about (rather, worrying about) was the community at Stern. Being an international student who has never lived in the US before, I had heard a lot – that New York City is the big, bad concrete jungle, that people would do anything to get to their goals, and there really isn’t much of a community at a big city school like Stern. I’m sure quite a few of you reading this would’ve also heard / believe the same about Stern / NYC.

Diversity of the Class

As a result of these thoughts, I came into the city with a lot of questions about who my classmates were going to be, what it was going to be like working with them, how competition will bring out the best and worst in us, and more. But I couldn’t have been more wrong. Within a few days of being at Stern, I saw my classmates were every bit as incredible as they seemed in the first Zoom meeting we had. Nobody was just ‘playing’ nice, but they were genuinely incredible human beings. I think it’s because we all, no matter where we come from, left stable jobs and took on some risk to go to business school and take the plunge towards a new career. We all came in with some amount of anxiety, some amount of imposter syndrome and some amount of being awestruck that we’re in New York City. The outcome of all that is a large, diverse community of kind, inclusive, intelligent people who would travel significant lengths to help you succeed.

Building Relationships

My first few friends were ones who I’d met at Zoom over a virtual admitted students happy hour, where week after week we had new icebreakers and fun games. It felt surreal to be meeting people again in the Fall of 2021, after a rather rough year and a half spent largely in confinement and solitude thanks to COVID. But the connection was instant – we were all so happy to meet each other (finally!) and begin this incredible journey of two years, one that would for all practical purposes transform our lives.

We also were put into study groups of 5-6 people by the school to work on our “Group Pick Six”, an assignment due before LAUNCH. It was a great way to meet my study group, break the ice with them and work on an interesting assignment together. I think getting six pictures from six individuals can be an interesting way to set up group dynamics – Does each one get to pick one? How do we deal with overlaps? What do we want to say as a team? We had a lot of fun in one hour and found out six common attributes we all shared, for example, we all love adventure!

Our LAUNCH Group’s Pick 6

As school began, we had LAUNCH- which was simply one whole week of awesome. One of my life’s most treasured moments was the dinner at Ellis Island, sitting on a table with seven other students I’d never met before, looking at the Manhattan skyline and not being able to believe that all this was real. We all shared that same emotion I guess, and I walked away with one “core memory” (Inside Out reference) and seven new friends. As school progressed, I met more and more people and my friends list kept growing.

Friendships Strengthened through Ups & Downs

Of course, it’s never all just fun and games. That never results in the strongest community in my opinion. And soon enough, our test stood in front of us – recruiting. We all got busy, running from one corporate event to another, one coffee chat after another and a social gathering seemed like the last thing on anyone’s mind. Yet, you could feel the power of the Stern community because despite not having met for days/weeks on end, I felt supported. If I missed an event, my friends would share their notes with me. If there was an assignment due and I was busy, someone else in my project team did the heavy lifting for me, if I was sick (and I did get COVID in week 1 of classes), someone dropped off food at my doorstep. 

As Fall progressed, things got even more intense. The weather got colder, but our community grew warmer. Through the holidays, the rejections, the interview prep and the interview season, we stood by each other – sharing resources, questions, case practice, advice and sometimes just holding your hand or giving you a hug. I clearly remember the night before a big final round interview, I was freaking out – I sent a text to a dear friend (also recruiting) and they immediately called me back. We spoke for twenty minutes, they made sure I was calm and wouldn’t do anything to hurt my chances the next day. Right after my interview, I got a call again to check if everything was okay. To me, that gesture alone defines the community at Stern.

Today, I feel like an integral part of the Stern community, and Sternies are an indispensable part of my life. I don’t know what I would do without them, and I couldn’t be more grateful for each and every one of them.

Yes, we’re in New York. Yes, it’s competitive (duh!). Yes, it’s intense. But, we are Stern. We get through it, together. Always have, always will.

 

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Reflections on My Recruiting Journey: How Stern Can Help You Land Your Dream Internship

Ria Jambusaria is an MBA2, specializing in finance and sustainable business and innovation. Prior to Stern, Ria worked at EY in their financial statement audit service line. This summer, Ria interned at Credit Suisse as an Investment Banking Summer Associate and will be continuing to work in investment banking post graduation. Additionally, Ria is a Managing Editor of the Stern Oppy and a Co-Portfolio Manager for the ESG Fund of the Michael Price Student Investment Fund.

 

Whenever I told someone I was planning on recruiting for investment banking, I would be greeted with a look that clearly said, well, you’re in for a roller coaster of a first semester!

And so it was! The recruiting process for banking is no easy task, but the Graduate Finance Association (GFA), the Office of Career Development (OCD) at Stern, and the great Stern alumni network certainly made it less intense and I could not be more grateful. Speaking with my friends who recruited in consulting, technology, or entertainment and media, I know they have also benefited from the professional clubs here at Stern as well as the expertise of OCD.

How it Works

For banking, the recruiting is quite structured – a result of Stern’s proximity to Wall Street and its great relationship with all the major bulge bracket and boutique banks. Even as an international student, I had the opportunity to recruit with a large number of banks. With Wall Street and Midtown, only a few subway stops away, I was able to visit their offices and meet the teams which allowed me to get an outsider’s view of their culture.

Recruiting involves A LOT of networking and this is made easier by Stern’s connection with the banks. Stern alumni from these banks come to campus for corporate presentations which allow students the opportunity to meet directly with senior bankers. If this sounds nerve-wracking, keep in mind that the GFA helps out first-year students with best practices so that we can be prepared when presenting ourselves to representatives from these banks. The GFA works tirelessly with these companies to bring them to Stern for corporate presentations and “Host a Deal” events where current employees talk about how some of their major deals came to be. 

OCD Resources

The OCD also has several resources that help with recruiting, and they hit the ground running before the first semester even starts. OCD begins with resume reviews and helps students figure out the best path for them. In the first semester, OCD has regularly scheduled programming aimed at helping students with their thirty and sixty-second pitches, networking, and interview skills. OCD also holds office hours regularly and students can set up appointments with its marvelous career coaches to discuss anything from resumes, interviews, offers, or even to have mock coffee chats and mock interviews. I found the appointments with career coaches to be especially helpful for practicing my coffee chat skills. As an introvert, I found the idea of networking quite daunting, so the opportunity to practice those skills in a low-stakes environment was great!

Coffee chats are the best way of getting to know the alumni and the senior bankers and I had somewhere between sixty and eighty coffee chats throughout the fall semester! It may seem like a lot, but I found the networking and the one-on-one chats were essential to help me understand how I would fit into a particular bank and whether they could offer me what I wanted. It also helped me build connections at banks and showcase myself as a candidate for them, which can be crucial when applying for internships.

Banks also have group networking events in the second half of the fall semester, which was another opportunity to meet senior bankers I had not spoken with before, and learn about their experiences in the industry, which were invaluable when I was deciding on where I should do my internship. I have found the Stern alumni to be open and communicative, always willing to share their stories.

Interview Prep

GFA and OCD are amazing with interview prep as well. It is a testament to the strength of the community here at Stern that several MBA2s take time out of their winter break to help us by doing endless prep, and sharing their experiences and resources to get us ready for both the behavioral and technical portions of the interview. I can safely say that without the help and encouragement of my seniors as well as the career coaches in the OCD, my interviews would not have gone half as well as they did!

Community Support

Apart from the internal resources that Stern offers as well as the massive help we get from MBA2s, something that was instrumental in my recruiting journey was the peer network at Stern. Just talking to people who are recruiting in the same industry or who have had experience working with companies you might want to work for can provide vital information you might need on your recruiting journey.

Overall, the Stern community made what could have been a daunting recruiting process into a memorable experience that was vital to my professional as well as personal growth.

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Getting to Know Stern

Jessica joined the MBA Admissions team in 2015 and is currently responsible for LGBTQ and Women’s recruiting, marketing, events and customer service for the Full-time MBA programs. Prior to joining Stern, Jessica worked in graduate admissions at Columbia University’s Teachers College and in Hofstra University’s Office of Undergraduate Admission and has read 1000s of applications! Outside of work she enjoys spending time with her family & friends, exploring new places and is looking forward to getting back on the road recruiting future Sternies!

As you explore MBA programs, you should consider a few questions. Where do you want to spend 1-2 years of your life? What culture and community do you thrive in? Do you want to stay connected with this community 5 -10 years down the road as you make your next career move or encounter life changes? 

At Stern, IQ+EQ is a hallmark trait – we bring together students and community members who are intellectually strong, professionally accomplished, but also those who are collaborative, empathetic leaders and teammates. This is what I love about Stern – being part of an impressive community that is still down to earth. Culture is incredibly important, but there are other aspects of the Stern experience that make it special. For example, location. Being in the heart of New York City is such a huge part of Stern. We are located in a diverse and vibrant community, and our location gives students access to top notch firms, recruiters, in-semester internships, faculty, speakers & more! Academics is an important consideration as well. Stern’s full-time program is very flexible, allowing students to customize their curriculum and take advantage of our extensive menu of electives courses, including classes at other NYU graduate schools! I can go on and on about Stern, but I’ll summarize it by saying – do your research and get to know the schools you’re applying to. I hope Stern is on your list!

Getting to know Stern

There are many ways to connect with Stern! First, I’d recommend clicking through our website to learn more about our program offerings. I would also suggest checking out our  Meet With Us page to explore more ways to connect with members of the community. I’m sure you want to connect with the admissions committee, but you should also find time to speak with current students. Our students are an invaluable resource in the discovery process (and there are many ways to do it!).

We offer a number of events to help you get to know Stern, including information sessions, “Ask a Sternie” chats with current students and clubs, and mock application workshops with our admissions committee. Events are added regularly – so continue to check our events calendar  to stay up to date! If you’re interested in a Focused MBA program, be sure to check out the “Meet With Us” pages for the Tech MBA and Fashion & Luxury MBA as well.

Prioritizing events 

We offer a variety of ongoing virtual events – it is a great way to connect with us! It is not a requirement to attend events, but rather an opportunity for you to learn more about Stern. For applicants at the beginning of the MBA search, it may be helpful to join an information session. As applicants move along, mock application workshops are a unique way to gain insider tips on crafting an application. We also offer smaller coffee chats and club events that allow for direct interaction with current students where applicants can ask personalized questions. Again, it is not a requirement to attend events, but an important resource that applicants can and should take advantage of!

Additionally, stay in touch after you’ve attended an event! If contact information is shared, please feel free to follow up and stay connected.

Other ways to get to know Stern

Events aren’t the only way to build your familiarity with our MBA programs. If you’re looking to learn more about Stern on the go, you can tune into our student podcast, “Stern Chats”. The ‘chats’ are a fun listen that share excellent insight into life at Stern. The podcast highlights the stories (not just resumes) of key members of the community. You can also read our community blogs and follow our LinkedIn pages to get insight from students and the admissions team:

Unable to attend an event? Watch recordings of past events at a time that’s convenient for you.   

Highlight what you know in your application

You can share your knowledge of Stern in your application. You can include Stern contacts you’ve connected with along the way, or specific clubs or centers you want to get involved in. These specifics are often included in applicant essays, but may also come up in other areas of your application. Additionally, an interview is a great way to showcase knowledge about Stern. I have conducted many successful interviews in which interviewees shared compelling examples of how they connected with Stern and how they want to get involved. Our interviews are not blind, so we’re able to take the conversation to the next level and dig into your interest in Stern and how you plan to contribute to the community.

Have fun during this exploration process! Don’t be shy about reaching out and connecting with us. We love talking about Stern and connecting with prospective students!

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Common Questions About NYU Stern, Answered by a Student

Brandon Quinn is an MBA2 specializing in Strategy and Business Analytics. Prior to Stern, Brandon worked in financial regulation where he examined some of the largest US-based brokerage firms. At Stern, Brandon serves as a Graduate Ambassador, Career Fellow, VP of Admissions for the Management Consulting Association (MCA) and VP of Marketing for the Business Analytics Club (BAC). Upon graduation, he will be pursuing a role as a Consultant at EY-Parthenon. 

Why did you choose Stern over other MBA programs?

I knew I wanted to stay in the NYC area long-term, so the location of Stern played a huge role in my decision to attend. Additionally, I found NYU Stern’s focus on IQ+EQ in the application process really rings true in the culture at the school. Speaking with current students when I applied, I really got the sense that Stern would offer the perfect collaborative environment for me to reach my full potential. 

 

What surprised you the most about Stern?

I think the strong sense of community in the large city is something that surprised me most about Stern. Given NYC is such a big city, I assumed going into Stern that many of my peers would have networks of friends in the city already. While many of my classmates and professors do have networks already built in New York, the community at Stern is exceptional. This summer I will be attending many of my Stern classmates’ weddings–I think this just shows how strong the relationships are that you will build at an MBA program like Stern. 


Is it a challenge to get the classes that you want, and which specializations should I choose for my career?

NYU does a great job of making sure that everyone gets the classes they want to take. There is a lottery system where you fill out your ideal schedule and then you add up to 2 backup classes for each class in your ideal schedule. I have always gotten my ideal schedule each semester at Stern. Overall, I would say it’s not much of a challenge at all to take the classes that you want to take. 

Stern has many specializations, but the specializations are not mandatory. I ended up taking the classes that interested me most rather than the classes that fit into a certain specialization. I would encourage incoming students to do the same and to not worry about which specialization might look best for their future employer. 


What career related support did you get from the school throughout the program?

I got a tremendous amount of support from two primary resources on campus: the Office of Career Development and the Management Consulting Association. The Office of Career Development provided career coaches that helped me develop a recruiting strategy and revised my resume and cover letters. The Office of Career Development also facilitates a lot of the coffee chats with alumni and facilitates the on-campus interviews. The Management Consulting Association (MCA) provided support to make sure I was ready for interview days. The case interview is a very important part of the consulting recruiting process, so MCA brings in external parties to teach students how to tackle the case interview. There are also study groups led by MBA2s who were successful in the interview process the prior year. Other professional clubs on campus are structured similarly, but focus on the specific type of interviews that are unique to that professional club (i.e. Graduate Finance Association with technical finance interviews).