<p>Hello,</p>
<p>I've long heard the idea that Stern's reputation is brought down by the school as a whole. I've even heard jokes that the faculty would migrate en masse to Princeton and become their business school or just become an independent school altogether. On a more fundamental level, is Stern's overall reputation brought down by the university?</p>
<p>On a related note, how would you think Stern would do as an independent business school?</p>
<p>As a native New Yorker, I have never been a fan of NYU’s business school. It will always be in the shadow of Columbia and Wharton.</p>
<p>And I had two friends, albeit 25 years ago, who earned MBAs from NYU, and it did them little or no good whatsoever in life.</p>
<p>Granted, these anecdotes are outdated though.</p>
<p>But that being said, to me Stern is over-rated, because it is in New York City.</p>
<p>Would I require a Mathematics Higher level (HL) in the IB Diploma course or a Mathematics Standard Level (SL) should be fine ? I am really concerned about this and have been in turmoil for the past week trying to get this answered. I would greatly appreciate a response.</p>
<p>If you think you can handle it Math HL is what you should do because as a freshman you will have to take Math and within that Calculus I level is a prerequisite for some subsequent Stern core courses like Microeconomics and Stats and Regression Model.</p>
<p>Maybe try to have a look at Calculus I syllabus, you can google it and see if your Math SL will suffice. And if I may add, my D had Math HL and thought she liked numbers and math but she found College level Math quite challenging. </p>
<p>Also the other aspect is that if SAT Subject Math is 750+ you automatically get placed into Calc I, on the other hand if it is less one can sit for placement test during orientation and clearing that puts you in Calc I otherwise you have to use 4 credits for doing first a basic level Math and then another 4 credits to move to Calc I.</p>
<p>NYU’s dynamic is kinda interesting with the combination of all of the different schools. From what I have heard the Stern kids for the most part want to go into banking and can be described as Gekko-esque while the Tisch and some CAS kids are more alternative-hipster.</p>
<p>Calc I is a breeze if you put forth a modicum of effort. I don’t know the IB curriculum very well, but I jumped straight to Calc III and did just fine with AP Calc BC. So I imagine if SL = the equivalent of my HS’s pre-Calc or AP Calc AB, you’ll be well prepared.</p>
<p>As for the OP’s original question, I have no idea what an independent business school is. Are there even any? The prestige of Stern is quite high, floridadad’s assessment is decades out of date - Stern has become considerably more competitive with a much higher talent pool than even a decade ago (let alone 25 years). Not to mention the fact that a degree is little more than a piece of paper proclaiming you showed up (let’s be honest, NO Bachelor’s or even Master’s program requires much more), just because two of his friends were bums doesn’t mean a whole lot.</p>
<p>In the business/finance sphere at least, Stern’s reputation is often considered apart from NYU so there’s no need to worry about that. Although we do have a reputation for being nerdier/more technical than wannabe financiers from Ivies for obvious reasons.</p>
<p>CollectiveSynergy</p>
<p>Agree with you. Part of the challenge was to settle into a new environment with new found no-curfew independence, creating balance in a totally unstructured as opposed to life under adult supervision both at home as well as school. </p>
<p>And the distraction of NY city. It is a dream city to be in as a college student. The learning, becoming one’s own person, apart from academics is phenomenal. As part of clubs if travel is involved within/out of New york, you are on your own. Great responsibility and figuring one’s way out, experience. No hand holding what so ever.</p>
<p>Then one is responsible for everything from grocery to laundry to medical emergencies to giving time to ECs to social life to food and it goes on. Then there are web assignments and written HW and papers and loads and loads of pre-reading. My Ds experience has been a tough one, as she was prepared for the academics but not as well as she thought, for balance and prioritizing and that one learns as you go along. All this is no excuse but one is challenged a lot in Freshman year. </p>
<p>And all students handle it differently, for some it is a breeze and for other it is a tough way to learn to survive. Because in College beating procrastination is the single most deal breaker, in my opinion.</p>
<p>So you are right Freshman year is easiest in terms of academics but toughest to in terms of balance. Stern great place to be in, no doubt about that at all. If you can make it among the highly competitive group, you can make it anywhere in the world. And they are ambitious and hardworking and go-getters, believe me, Freshman year onwards itself. But also a great human beings, wonderful opportunity to make friends for life. So far that is what my input as a parent would be.</p>