Current Stern Sophomore: Ask Me

<p>What stats would you need to make yourself a likely candidate for fa? Merit based. Like act Gpa ect</p>

<p>Another quick question, when did you buy your books for your first term as a freshman? Before, during, or after welcome week? thanks again</p>

<p>I have another question. I’ve heard mixed things about classes in Stern. I’ve obviously heard that one advantage of going to Stern is the opportunities it presents, but I’ve also heard that the teachers aren’t very involved. In your own experience, have you found the teachers to be involved? Is there a lot of hands-on work?</p>

<p>What other AP scores would Stern give credits or use for class placement? Thanks again.</p>

<p>@crm
For significant aid, SAT <2250, GPA <3.75. That’s largely random and somewhat pulled out of my ass.</p>

<p>@sasasa
After welcome week. Didn’t have all of them until 3 or 4 weeks in.</p>

<p>@thefailwizard
It depends on the prof. Every person is different, it’s like that at every school. Some will help you more than others, some are super friendly while others aren’t. Make an effort to get to know them really early in the semester, get your face known and get involved. I have had some really good people who’ve been open to developing a relationship outside the classroom and ended up continuing it past that semester. It’s on you to make it happen.</p>

<p>@hhh
This is something you’re way better off finding out from the office of admissions. I can’t help you off the top of my head.</p>

<p>I had an SAT >2250, GPA>3.75, and ACT 36 and didn’t get a single cent of financial aid (merit or otherwise). So I think you’ll need better scores than that, killer extracurriculars (mine were decent but not amazing), or a fantastic essay (mine wasn’t anything special).</p>

<p>Hey docks,
I’m a freshman entering this year. And I am having some doubts about my schedule.
I’m taking all the requirements I can so far and using my AP Chem credits to place out of natural sciences. Thus I’m taking fall microeconomics.
With that, I got a 5 on AP BC Calc and dont know if Calc I would be too easy, since I’m aiming for a really high gpa to start off strong. Other than that all the text and ideas courses Im interested in are full… And that bummed me out for quite a while.</p>

<p>So here are the questions with my goals for a smooth start in mind:

  1. will fall microeconomics be too tough? So should I take spring micro?
  2. will Calc I be too boring with my score? If so should i take Calc II or Calc III or linear algebra? Or will they be too hard if I would want a smooth start to let me spend attention on other stuff.
  3. how possible is it to change my text and ideas courses to the ones that I like. Some of the more popular kinds. This is when once the term starts.
  4. is it possible to take a poli sci course from CAS this term and put something off for spring term? This is because i am thinking about maybe transferring to pursue my interests in that area. To be honest, I feel kinda trapped by the narrow focus on business. I knowingly knew about this when I made my decision to attend stern, but is still exploring the possibility. There’s not really much flexibility with my freshman fall term courses it seems.</p>

<p>Thank you for opening such a thread and patiently answering all our questions. </p>

<p>Sincerely,
chasing</p>

<p>Hello Docks- Can you please chance me</p>

<p>GPA- 3.9W/3.7UW (after junior year)
ACT- 34
AP Psych- 5/5 (Taking 3 more AP courses in senior year)
EC- Fed Challenge Club, Wall Street Society. Decent community service work. Play soccer regularly (not varsity). Refereed soccer as well as started snow removal business. Really interested in math/markets. Took 4 week math camp last summer at Rutgers. Took 2 week math/stock market camp at Michigan this summer. Interned at hedge fund this summer as well for 4 weeks (paid internship). Should get great recs from both partner at hedge fund and professor at Michigan. Essay on my three solo trips to France since the age of 10. I am half asian/half caucasian.</p>

<p>@generalgao
Exactly. I’m afraid it’s more mystery than science, and you’re inevitably going to be screwed in the long run.</p>

<p>@chasing

  1. No, it’ll be easier, but that brings it’s own disadvantages. If you do not get an A on the midterm and >98 on the final, you will not get the A in the class. The average for the past two years in fall micro for the final has been 96 and 95 I believe.
  2. No. If you don’t feel a compulsive need to wow anyone down the road with a Calc III on your transcript, take the easy A and do Calc I. Or, start in Calc I, and if you feel it’s too boring or below you, switch before the end of the second week into a higher level course that still fits your schedule.
  3. This is something where you don’t necessarily need to follow the herd. Sure, some are more popular, but half the time that’s because of a really great professor who taught it last year but guess what, everyone’s still super eager for it even though there’s someone new. Anyway, you don’t always want to be in a crowded class. If you have a great deal of intellectual curiosity, you’ll probably benefit from a smaller lecture and more intimate recitation, and you can develop better relationships with your teacher and TA, which in turn would lead to better grades, etc. etc. It’s trickledown.
  4. Yes.</p>

<p>Hope that helps.</p>

<p>@chickenme
Seems like a more than competitive profile to me. As long as your recommendations are solid and your essays aren’t failsome, I’d say you’re likely to get the nod. Only minor concern would be the unweighted GPA, admissions puts more emphasis on that than weighted because of how subjective high schools can be in the weighting process.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>What parts of the Wasserman Center are freshman supposed to use? </p></li>
<li><p>Should you just mainly sit down with a representative of Wasserman and try to make a resume/cover letter or is it important to do that quickly and get your resume out to all those employers at the events they hold?</p></li>
<li><p>Also, is it useful as a freshman to go to all those corporate presentations, seminars, and career fairs or is there not much of a point? </p></li>
</ol>

<p>I know for internships, especially in finance/ibanking employers want mainly people who are at least sophomores, or sometimes even juniors. </p>

<ol>
<li>I remember you saying you only went to like one or two events your freshman year, but is it important to get out there earlier?</li>
</ol>

<p>1) Any part you want. If you work on-campus, you’ll have to go for work-study authorization. You can set up an appointment for a resume review or cover letter revision anytime you want, but it’s probably better to wait a little and go for an individual session after you attend one of the group ones they offer basically every week.</p>

<p>2) No rush. Get it right before you spam people.</p>

<p>3) No, not really. Your focus should be on school exclusively at this point. No one really wants to see the skinny little freshman hanging around when there’s nothing anyone there can do for him. At best, you’ll get some generic recruiting pitch with a few identifiers about the firm along with the free food over in the corner from the caterer. You won’t be getting into any structured recruiting process as a frosh, and if you were so fortunate as to get involved as a sophomore, you’d be sitting through the same hour long info session over again. Even sophomores are pushed aside the big majority of the time.</p>

<p>4) No, it isn’t. I don’t regret how I did it, in fact, I wish I focused more on my grades as a frosh.</p>

<p>hey docks,
thanks for your thoughtful answers previously.</p>

<p>but what i meant to ask was,</p>

<p>1) since most freshmans are expected to fulfill requirements their first term, and i said that the schedules are not really flexible, have you heard a case where a freshman delayed a requirement (such as text and ideas) to a later term to take something else of their interest from CAS? </p>

<p>2) also, what math course did you take to fulfill the math requirement?
thank you!</p>

<p>sincerely,
chasing</p>

<p>When would you recommend getting your first internship? Freshman year/summer between/soph/soph summer? Thanks in advance.</p>

<p>@chasing

  1. No, there is no rush at all. Some people wait until senior year to finish up their MAP requirements like Texts and Ideas or Culture whatever. Most people take them early because they’re easier courses and help get you acclimated to the structure of college education.</p>

<p>2) Calc I. I am no math tryhard.</p>

<p>@sour
Direct quote from the Global Head of Professional and Lateral Recruiting at one of the most successful banks on the Street … “The sad reality is that the junior internship, what used to be considered just a bonus for a candidate, is now a necessity. And the sophomore internship, formerly a rarity and absolute differentiator, is no longer the difference maker. It is the freshman internship that sets someone apart in today’s hiring environment.”</p>

<p>When she mentions years, that refers to the summer following that academic year, so ‘junior internship’ means the summer of your rising senior year. </p>

<p>Keep in mind that it doesn’t have to be 100% relevant from the start. You will not get investment banking at Goldman or Morgan or any bank as a freshman. You need to try to find something relevant but attainable. Back office at a small hedge fund, something at an accounting firm, even a M&A law boutique. Just get something that shows you’re on the path and use them as building blocks to get you something bigger the following year.</p>

<p>hellodocks,
From your class at stern, do you think the international kids generally had higher or lower SATs? I live in Canada and would love to go to Stern, but my SATs aren’t amazing… Do I have a chance?</p>

<p>Thank you so much in advance!</p>

<p>No idea, I’m sorry. It’s confusing to keep track of who is from where, there’s Asian-Americans, Asians, Indians, Indian-Americans, etc. etc. so you never know and to be frank, no one cares too much.</p>

<p>classes</p>

<p>how hard is calc i? if i got a 5 on ap calc (BC) will i be ok?</p>

<p>how hard are the required MAP classes (taking korea)</p>

<p>how hard is commerce & culture - just got the syllabus , it looks like a ton of work </p>

<p>and any experience or heard about anything about elementary chinese i? i’m chinese but i’ve never had any experience with chinese</p>

<p>You’re probably overqualified for Calc 1 if you got a 5 for BC Calc. Might even be a waste. If it’s not too late, try to get into Calc 2, else you’ll be bored.</p>

<p>@theyellowboss
Actually take Calc III. Calc II is tangential to Calc I, whereas Calc III is a direct continuation after Calc I. Most people I know who took both said they found Calc II to be far more trying and challenging.</p>

<p>MAP classes aren’t hard. Show up, listen in lecture >50% of the time, attend recitation, <strong>do the reading for recitation</strong>, develop a relationship with your TA (they grade 75% of your work normally), and it’ll be a cakewalk.</p>

<p>Commerce and Culture is not that hard. Nut up and do it, welcome to college, it won’t always be easy so start early. There’s not much excuse for it.</p>

<p>No experience with Chinese at all, sorry. Except when there’s the circles of kids in Stern standing around chattering in the lobby and blocking all of it when people are trying to get around for class.</p>

<p>hey,</p>

<p>Is it possible to apply to both Stern and CAS?</p>