How to Nail the NYU "Pick Six" MBA Application Essay
The NYU Personal Expression or "Pick 6" MBA essay is unique as it asks applicants to explain themselves in only six images. Here are tips to help you choose the right photos and submit the best application possible.
Posted November 15, 2024
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New York University (NYU) is one of the nation’s leading institutions, offering top-ranked programs across a wide range of disciplines. Among these, the Stern School of Business, established in 1900, stands out as a prominent MBA program, consistently ranked within the top 15 business schools in the United States. Known for fostering innovation, global awareness, and entrepreneurial thinking, Stern attracts candidates from diverse backgrounds who are eager to make an impact in business.
As part of its distinctive application process, Stern introduced the unique "Pick Six" essay, designed to reveal applicants’ personalities and interests beyond traditional written essays. The “Pick Six” invites candidates to select six images that capture their identity, values, and interests, then provide a brief caption for each. This creative approach allows applicants to highlight their personal side, giving admissions a multidimensional view of who they are beyond academic and professional achievements.
In this article, we’ll dive into what makes the "Pick Six" essay successful, providing strategies for choosing images and writing captions that effectively communicate your unique story. By aligning your images with Stern’s values—such as innovation, leadership, and global awareness—you can create a powerful narrative that sets you apart in the competitive application pool.
NYU Stern Class Profile Overview
The NYU Stern School of Business attracts a dynamic and diverse class each year, filled with individuals who bring unique professional, academic, and cultural backgrounds to the MBA program. For the class of 2026, Stern’s incoming student profile showcases high academic achievements, strong test scores, and impressive professional experience, reflecting the school's competitive admissions standards and commitment to fostering a vibrant learning community.
Below, you’ll find key statistics on GPA, standardized test scores, demographics, and professional experience for the class of 2024. This overview highlights the caliber and diversity of NYU Stern’s MBA program, offering valuable insights for prospective applicants.
- # of Applicants: 4,550
- # of Admits: 1141
- Acceptance Rate: 25%
- Class Size: 352
- Female: 47%
- Minorities: 46%
- International: 40%
- US Military: 11%
- LGBTQ+: 11%
- Avg. Years of Work Experience: 5
- Average GMAT: 733
- Average GRE: 164 (Quant); 164 (Verbal)
- Average GPA: 3.64
Personal Expression (“Pick Six”) Essay Overview
One of the two essays that the Stern MBA program requires is the “Pick Six” essay. Instead of a traditional written response, students are asked to send a PDF with six images, graphs, visualizations, artworks, etc., that they believe "help illustrate who they are."
This essay is designed to give the admissions committee a brief introduction of who the candidate is and helps explain why they would be a good fit for NYU Stern’s brand. While this may seem like a strange aspect concept, essay prompts like this help the admissions committee to ensure that the candidates they choose are actually aligned with their other future classmates leading to a better overall success rate for the university.
Many find this essay more difficult than others because of the non-traditional format. Though daunting, think of it as a creative way to represent your candidacy that would otherwise be impossible.
The full prompt is as follows:
"Describe yourself to the Admissions Committee and to your future classmates using six images and corresponding captions. Your uploaded PDF 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.
Note: Your visuals may include photos, infographics, drawings, or any other images that best describe you. Some NYU supplemental essay examples from past candidates include unique passions, personal challenges, and distinct goals that align with NYU’s values and resources. NYU encourages applicants to focus on specific areas of interest that resonate with the school’s offerings, especially its cultural diversity and academic strengths.
Successful essays often demonstrate a student’s drive to make a meaningful impact, either in a niche field or through broader social change. For instance, students interested in food studies might explore how NYU’s location in New York City and specific faculty members support their ambitions in nutrition, while those passionate about technology could highlight NYU’s tech partnerships and resources like hackathons and research labs.
The key to these essays is personal storytelling that connects directly to NYU’s unique programs and opportunities, showing the admissions committee exactly why the applicant’s goals make them an ideal fit for the Stern community. Your document must be uploaded as a single PDF. The essay cannot be sent in physical form or be linked to a website."
“Pick Six” Essay Tips and Tricks
Let’s start with some general MBA essay tips. These are ubiquitous for all of your business school applications. For more essay help, read How to Write a Powerful MBA Essay and The Ultimate M7 MBA Essay Guide.
Don’t repeat information that can be found in other parts of the application: In almost every case, if there is a story told in another part of your application–whether that be a different essay, letter of recommendation, resume, etc.–don’t repeat it. You want to highlight as many facets of your candidacy as possible, and repeating information will prevent you from doing so and may also come off as repetitive.
Start early: Writing essays takes a lot more time than most people think it will. Give yourself at least three months, if possible, so that you can take the time necessary to brainstorm, draft, edit, revise, and get feedback.
Once you’ve finished a version you’re happy with, read it out loud. Doing so will help you hear it, as the admissions committee will.
Now, as with most creative assignments, there are many different ways that you could approach this essay. In this next section, we’ll provide some tips but remember that there’s no wrong way to go about it. Here are several approaches to brainstorming you could take.
- Make a list of the values and ideals that are most important to you.
- Think about the most momentous points and decisions of your life up until this point and why you made those choices.
- List your hobbies and think about why they are important to you.
- Look through your camera roll and put the 20 most important ones in a folder. Why did you choose those ones? What do they have in common? What is different?
- Ask your family and friends to describe you briefly; what words are repeated? Which resonates with you?
- How would you characterize your past? How do you want to characterize your future?
Now, let's dive into some strategies for success.
1. Spend a lot of time on introspection
Summarizing your life in six images is not an easy task, nor should it be. Before you start getting even close to picking your finalists, spend time reflecting on the questions above. This is important not just for the Stern “Pick Six” essay but for all MBA application essays.
Business schools want to know who you are, who you’ve been, and who you think you will be. What are your personal aspirations and professional aspirations? What values guide your life? What do you wake up excited about? What do you hope to gain from an MBA program? Take time to reflect on these things and what’s important to you, what drives your life, and what inspires you.
2. Think about the kind of story you want to tell
Your six photos could tell many different kinds of stories. For example, they could provide a comprehensive image of your past, future aspirations, a mix of both, or something else entirely. What story is the one that you most want to tell? With only a one-sentence caption for each image, it’s important that the pictures themselves can stand alone.
You can also think about this regarding the rest of your application. If you mostly focus on your history in the other essays, use the images to show your present or future. The short answer and first essay ask more about your career aspirations, so you may use the "Pick Six" to focus more on who you are personally, not professionally.
3. Tie in the characteristics of a “Sternie” when possible and applicable
Through the different essay descriptions and instructions, several themes become apparent. NYU Stern wants applicants who are involved in both the community and eventually in its program.
It also places emphasis on individuality, which, as mentioned in the general tip above, means staying true to yourself. Choose the things that are uniquely and genuinely you.
Stern is also looking for people who want to improve the world around them. If there is a natural and genuine way to weave this into your images and their captions, do so. This is apparent in NYU Stern’s brand call to action released in 2019: “Change.”
4. Get a third-person perspective
Once you have the images and corresponding captions that you think you want to have, show them to a friend, mentor, parent, coach, or anyone else who knows you well. Do the images accurately portray who you are? Then, ask a coach or mentor who doesn’t know you as well. What kind of person do the images show? Are they the characteristics that you wanted to portray?
Expert Tip: Understanding how someone else sees the story shown in the images is important because it’s likely how the admissions committee members will see it.
5. Think outside the box
Within the limits of six pictures with six captions, you have some room for creativity. We've seen screenshots of important texts, graphs, momentous occasions and photos with the applicant, stock photos, food photos, and more. You can also get creative with the captions which you should think about as your own personal tagline. How can you use the captions to not only describe the image but improve the overall story.
Some applicants choose to create a sort of collage with multiple smaller images in the larger photo. All this is to say, it's okay to push the boundaries of what you think "six images" could be.
Where Can I Start?
Applying to business schools is no easy task. If you're applying to other top programs, you may find these articles helpful.
- How to Nail the Kellogg MBA Essays
- A Guide to the Booth Essays
- What Matters Most When Writing Your Essay for Stanford GSB
- A Guide to the HBS Essay
- A Guide to the Wharton Essays
If you’d prefer personalized advice in a one-on-one setting, work with a Leland coach. With over 80+ MBA experts on the site, you’re sure to find someone who fits your background and goals. Browse them all here.
NYU Pick 6 FAQs
What is the “Pick Six” Essay?
The "Pick Six" essay at NYU Stern lets candidates introduce themselves through six images, each with a caption, revealing unique qualities and interests beyond academic achievements.
- Purpose of the “Pick Six”This essay allows applicants to showcase personality, values, and interests that align with Stern’s core values—innovation, leadership, and global perspective.
- Choosing Your ImagesSelect images that reflect your personal story, highlighting pivotal experiences, passions, and goals. Avoid repeating content from other application parts.
- Tips for Crafting Your Essay
- Reflect on Core Values: Consider the school’s themes and unique qualities like NYU Stern’s brand call of “Change.”
- Keep Captions Impactful: Each caption should succinctly explain the image’s significance.
- Seek External Feedback: Share with a trusted friend or mentor to ensure clarity.
- The Admissions Board’s Perspective: Stern seeks students who embody collaboration, individuality, and a drive to impact society. Your essay should paint a cohesive picture of your potential within these values.
- Creative Flexibility: Think outside the box—consider diverse types of images (e.g., snapshots, artwork, meaningful places), and remember the admissions committee values genuine storytelling.
What essays does NYU Stern require?
The New York University Stern School of Business requires two longer essays from applicants. Here are the essays and prompts:
- Essay #1 (Change It): In today’s global business environment, the only constant is change. Using NYU Stern’s brand call to action, we want to know how you view change. Change: _____ it. Fill in the blank with a word of your choice. Why does this word resonate with you? How will you embrace your own personal tagline while at Stern? Examples: Change: Dare it; Change: Dream it; Change: Drive it; Change: Empower it; Change: Manifest it; Change: [Any word of your choice] it.
- Essay #2 (Pick Six): Introduce yourself to the Admissions Committee and to your future classmates using six images and corresponding captions. The Pick Six is a way to share more about the qualities you will bring to the Stern community, beyond your professional and academic achievements.
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