Transfer from NYU Stern to Babson, Berekley, Dartmouth, Stanford

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Currently a sophomore at NYU Stern looking to transfer out of the end of the year. I wasn’t completely happy with my experience as a freshman, but I decided to stick it out as I have a great group of friends and have had great internship opportunities as a student of the university. However, after returning this fall I’ve realized I need a different academic environment. Stern is more pre-professional (read: Wall Street bootcamp) and it has been difficult trying to grow my interests in other areas as there aren’t dedicated resources to non-finance opportunities at the school. I also no longer have an interest in studying Business (or Finance) exclusively and would like a traditional campus experience where there is not a large segmentation of students based on undergraduate college.

I’m looking for a well-rounded, liberal arts experience. I enjoy writing and would like an academic experience that offers more breadth and stretches my intellectual thinking in a way the curriculum at NYU Stern does not. I am looking to focus my studies on the intersection of economics and business and public policy and social entrepreneurship. The schools mentioned have programs or an array of courses and the ability to create a specialized degree that would provide me with the framework of creating social change rather than purely financial return. I know these schools are exceptionally competitive given I am not coming from an Ivy, but I want to know if they are viable. I have decent stats and a compelling background, but I know transferring is a crap shoot. What would you suggest I do to maximize my changes at any of the schools listed above? Not interested in UPenn as it would be a very similar experience to NYU Stern.

Stats:
ACT: 36/36
SAT: N/A
GPA - College: 4.0 / 4.0 (NYU Stern is known for it’s rigorous grading curve, so a 4.0 is pretty difficult to attain)
GPA - High School: 4.0 / 4.0 (course load included almost all AP, honors, and advanced classes my HS offered – AP Calc, AP Chemistry, AP English Lang and Comp, APUSH, AP European History, Honors Biology, Honors Physics, etc.)

HS - Awards, Honors, and Extracurriculars
AP Scholar
National Honor Society
French Club President
Student Government/Council - Representative
Exchange Students Program - President
Varsity Track & Field (3X State Champions)
Varsity Gymnastics (2X Conference Champions)
Employment: Worked several retail jobs during school year – A&F, American Eagle, etc.
Extensive Community Service experience: Tutor, Volunteer at Library, Operation Smile, Starving Children’s Program

College - Awards, Honors, and Extracurriculars
President’s Service Award Recipient
Social Impact Stipend Recipient
Student Leaders Forum
Dean’s List
Founded Two University Wide Clubs
Various Social Impact Clubs/Initiatives within Stern
Student Government - President (1 Year, VP 1 year)
Greek Life Leadership Roles: Within Sorority (Social, Finance), Within Inter-Greek Council (Recognition Committee, Judiciary Committee)
Dance Marathon involvement
Employment: Worked part-time in retail, On-campus student worker
Internships: Investment Banking Summer Analyst (Freshman Summer at a firm JPM/MS/GS), Investment Banking Summer Analyst (Signed for upcoming sophomore summer at JPM/MS/GS–different place than freshman year), part-time fashion internship (academic year), part-time startup internship (academic year), other ad-hoc fashion industry jobs
Volunteer/Community Service: Non-Profit Consulting, Volunteer Club, Sorority Initiatives, etc.

My Info:
Gender: F
Race: African American / Black
Income Bracket: ~$35,000

Thanks in advance!

2

If this is legit, then you have a great profile for all of the schools above. Not sure what you could do differently. I’d also try to apply to Yale or Brown.

3

@Oberyn Thank you for replying. Yes this is accurate, but all these schools have about 15-20 transfer student spots. I’m sure everyone has top grades and extracurriculars.

I was rejected from Harvard as a first-year admit, so what would make my chances greater this time around?

4

Out of curiosity, if you are not interested in Wall Street why spend your summer doing investment banking?

4.0 at Stern is exceedingly difficult to get so kudos for achieving that. I think you have the transfer profile for any school in the country to be honest (URM F, Perfect Stats, Excellent ECs, Top BB IBD) I would apply to the schools you really want to go without worrying about whether you’ll get in.

I also think you would be an excellent asset to Stern and that you should definitely stay. To be honest if you are looking for a liberal arts education I would recommend only taking the minimal # of business classes at Stern and spending all your electives taking classes in other schools. NYU is such a large school with so many fantastic programs that there are some incredible classes at Tisch, CAS, and other schools. The school as top notch professors and programs within Film, Acting, Philosophy, English, Math, Politics, Journalism, & International Relations that you could easily take many many classes in those programs with your electives. I believe Stern even gives you enough flexibility to fit an entire major from a different school into your degree (10-12 classes) which is amazing.

I don’t mean to be probing into the why you would want to transfer but I think perhaps it may have to do with the social circles you are involved in. If you are involved in a lot of Stern clubs it can feel very pre-professional and that all anyone ever talks about is Wall Street but I would recommend joining a couple of NYU clubs. There is a world outside Stern that few students explore because they are afraid of getting left behind in the rat race. You are way ahead of any of your peers professionally (w/ a background like that I think you can probably procure any job that you really want) that you could in your final 2-3 years really use the city and the resources NYU offers to explore yourself.

What I mean by that is city offers incredible opportunities to get involved in whatever it is you are interested in: (improv workshops, slam poetry, etc.) Literally whatever you could think of the city and most likely even NYU offers a community for that.

5

@qwertyzxc Thank you for such kind comments.

Honestly, I came to Stern having no idea what investment banking was. I applied to some programs as a freshman because upperclassman I knew spoke about IBD with such high regard. I had a good summer experience – the work was interesting, I met a lot of really great people, but I am not 100% sure IBD the right thing for me. I definitely see the value in the experience, but my true passion is community development (non-profit work, helping marginalized communities, etc.). Honestly, I just felt a lot of pressure to sign for a “better” firm. The compensation also factored in given my humble beginnings.

I have taken classes outside of Stern, I have been thinking about doing a French or Politics minor as I have enjoyed those classes. I’ve reached a point where I’m enjoying my non-Stern courses much more than my Stern courses, and that signals needing to make a change. I know I don’t need to study business to continue a career on Wall Street should that remain an interest, however, if I want to do social entrepreneurship or non-profit work there are more suitable programs elsewhere.

I value the opportunity I have to attend university as it is not something I thought would work out financially for me, and, as such, I don’t want to waste the opportunity studying something that doesn’t excite, motivate, or prepare me in the way I hoped it would. I’m not happy or satisfied with my experience at NYU.

6

You should obviously do what is best for you. Stern is actually pretty big on social entrepreneurship / social impact and there is a minor for it that is combined with NYU Wagner.

Should you change your mind there is also the public policy and management minor I considered at one point. It has some very cool classes where you have to actually partner with an actual NGO and come with a plan for them.

Best of luck with your process.

7

When you are a transfer student, your high school records aren’t really considered. They look at your college performances and records.

Another thing to consider, as a transfer student: it is very difficult to get financial aid.

Take Berkeley off of your list. It is a California public university and does not provide funding to OOS residents. Limited to no scholarships are available to pay that $55K per year cost. Federal funds are nowhere near what you would need to get covered for your COA.

8

@qwertyzxc I am actually doing the social entrepreneurship minor! Were you an MPA student? I asked one of the professors I have taken for two courses about field work based courses and I was told those do not exist at the undergraduate level.

Stern has made strides in social innovation. The social impact course course have been some of my most enjoyed classes. The absence of a dedicated concentration that meets my interdisciplinary interests of business, social innovation, and government leaves me wanting more. Such a concentration exists at Wharton (social impact and responsibility), but I think Wharton would be a very similar experience to Stern. I would have pursued a transfer to Gallatin but that was not plausible.

Thanks you so much for your advice and recommendations – I appreciate it very much.