Admissions
Applicants to the Undergraduate College of the Leonard N. Stern School of Business are admitted as first year and transfer students. The applicant’s capacity for successful undergraduate work is measured through careful consideration of secondary school and/or college records, scores on standardized tests (optional for the 2024-2025 application cycle), recommendation from a teacher, counselor, coach, supervisor, or anyone else in a position of authority, extra-curricular activities, and the personal essays.
Each applicant is reviewed carefully to identify academic strength, potential for intellectual growth and creativity, and promise of fully utilizing the special offerings of the University and the city. Stern welcomes a diverse group of undergraduates from all economic, social, and geographic backgrounds. Applicants who attend high school outside of the United States should see the International Applicants section on the NYU Admissions website.
Admission Process
For both first year and transfer admission, students must submit the Common Application. Information about the application and admissions process can be found on the NYU Admissions website.
Advanced Standing and Credit by Examination
Advanced Standing
Stern students are strongly recommended to meet with an academic adviser to discuss the implications of applying advanced standing credit given that the Stern curriculum has been carefully designed to ensure both intellectual depth and breadth throughout four years. To apply for advanced standing, students must:
- submit proof of prior college-level coursework or advanced standing credit by examination test results to NYU Undergraduate Admissions or bring a sealed envelope of the transcripts and/or the test results to the Stern Undergraduate Office of Academic Advising,
- meet with an adviser at Stern to confirm qualifying credits, and
- sign an Advanced Standing Agreement Form, which can be found in the Stern Life portal or with an academic adviser.
Credit by Examination
The Advanced Placement Program (AP-College Entrance Examination Board), the International Baccalaureate Program (IB), and the results of some maturity certificate examinations enable undergraduate students to receive credit toward the bachelor's degree on the basis of performance in college-level examinations or proficiency examinations related to Stern's degree requirements, subject to the approval of the college. The maximum number of credits allowed toward the degree requirements that are a result of any possible combination of nonresidential special examination programs may not exceed 32. Stern strongly recommends that undergraduates apply no more than 20 credits toward their degree requirements so they may fully experience the depth and breadth of the Stern curriculum.
Advanced Placement Program (AP)
New York University participates in the Advanced Placement Program of the College Entrance Examination Board. In accordance with NYU policy, if test results are 4 or 5, depending on the subject examination (see Advanced Placement equivalency chart), the student may receive college credit toward the degree and may not take the corresponding college-level course for credit.
International Baccalaureate (IB)
The Stern School recognizes for advanced standing credit most higher-level examinations passed with grades of 6 or 7 (exceptions include economics; see IB equivalencies chart). No credit is granted for standard-level examinations. Official reports must be submitted to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.
Maturity Certificate Examinations
The Stern Undergraduate College considers the results of certain foreign maturity certificate examinations for advanced standing credit (i.e., British GCE "A" levels or Cambridge Pre-U, French Baccalauréat, German Abitur, Italian Maturità, or the Federal Swiss Maturity Certificate). Stern may require that score reports be authenticated and reviewed by approved independent credential evaluation agencies. See chart of A-Level courses. For information regarding all other Maturity Certificate Exam course equivalents, confer with a Stern academic adviser.
Limitations on Advanced Standing Credits by Subject
Mathematics
- All students entering Stern as first year students are required to fulfill a 4-credit mathematics course. Students who earn a 4 or 5 on the AB or BC Calculus AP exam, or a 6 or 7 on the IB Higher Level Mathematics exam, or an A or B on the GCE A-level Math exam (provisional or final) are eligible to apply those advanced standing credits to satisfy the Calculus I requirement.
The 4-credit requirement is typically fulfilled through the successful completion of Calculus I (MATH-UA 121), but for students with advanced standing, a higher-level calculus course may be more appropriate for fulfilling the 4-credit requirement. Advanced standing can be used to place into Calculus II, Calculus III, or Linear Algebra.
Economics
- All Stern students are required to complete a 4-credit microeconomics course (ECON-UB 1 or ECON-UB 2).
- Students in the B.S. in Business program also complete a 4-credit international economics course called Economics of Global Business (ECON-UB 11). No credit is awarded for any prior Economics coursework or AP economics exams.
- Students in the B.S. in Business and Political Economy program (BPE) complete Macroeconomics (BPEP-UB 2) and International Economics (ECON-UA 238) in lieu of Economics of Global Business.
- Transfer students who do not enter Stern with an approved intermediate-level microeconomics course will be required to take Microeconomics with Algebra (ECON-UB 1) or Microeconomics with Calculus (ECON-UB 2) to satisfy this requirement.
Statistics
All students entering Stern are required to fulfill a 4-credit statistics requirement. Students are eligible to waive out of the core requirement based on an appropriate score in qualifying Advanced Standing exams. To be waived, eligible students may take a proficiency examination in the first semester they arrive on campus. Upon passing the examination, the 4 credits from the usual statistics requirement are redistributed to electives. Students who waive out of the 4-credit course using advanced standing must take the 1.5-credit course entitled Regression and Forecasting Models (STAT-UB 3).
Writing
All students entering Stern as first year students are required to complete an 8-credit writing sequence. No credit toward degree requirements is currently granted for prior coursework or examination results in writing.
Readmission of Former Students
Any former Stern student who has been out of attendance for more than two consecutive terms and who wishes to return to the college must apply for readmission. For more information, visit the NYU Admissions website.
Recommended High School Preparation
NYU welcomes students from around the globe and the admissions team is familiar with different global curricula. There is no required set of courses that students must complete in high school, but the most competitive applicants take classes in English, social studies, foreign language, mathematics, and laboratory sciences throughout high school. Stern applicants should have Calculus or, at least, Precalculus on their transcript and are also encouraged to take A-Level Mathematics, if applicable. For more information about recommended high school preparation, see the NYU Admissions website.
Standardized Testing
For full information regarding NYU’s standardized testing policy, visit the NYU Admissions website.
Applicants to the Stern School of Business who choose to submit three AP Exam scores or three IB Higher-Level scores (if not an IB Diploma candidate) as their standardized testing must provide one score from a mathematics examination, a second score from an exam in literature and the humanities, and a third score from a test in any subject.
Note: The AP exams must be taken prior to high school senior year to be applicable during the admissions cycle.
Transfer Applicants
External Transfer Applicants
Transfer applicants to Stern are considered for fall admission only. Admission of external transfers is limited by space availability.
Students wishing to transfer into the second/sophomore year should have completed the following courses (at a minimum) at their current institution:
- 1 semester of calculus or higher
- 1 semester of writing/composition (two semesters are preferred)
Students wishing to transfer into the third/junior year should have completed the requirements listed above for sophomores as well as the following courses (at a minimum) at their current institution:
- 1 semester of calculus or higher
- 1 semester of writing/composition
- 1 semester of statistics
- 1 semester of financial accounting
- 1 semester of microeconomics
Completion of these prerequisite courses at a student’s current institution does not guarantee transfer of credit. Official approval of transfer credit takes place after admission and evaluation of previous coursework by the Undergraduate College. Also, certain business courses (i.e., statistics, marketing, and finance) require passing a Stern proficiency exam after admission for determination of credit/equivalency.
The Stern School of Business does not consider applications from students who would be incoming seniors. All degree candidates in Stern must complete at least 64 units of coursework (two years) in residence at Stern. For further information regarding the external transfer process, visit the NYU Admissions website.
Internal Transfer Applicants
Students who wish to transfer from one school to another within the University must file an Internal Transfer Application by the March 1 application deadline. Stern accepts transfers in the fall only. Students must complete (or be in the process of completing) one full year (32 credits) of academic study in their original school of enrollment to be eligible for internal transfer. The Leonard N. Stern School of Business does not consider applicants who previously externally transferred to another school or college at NYU.
Students wishing to transfer into the second/sophomore year should have completed the following courses (at a minimum) at their current NYU school:
- 1 semester of calculus or higher
- 1 semester of writing/composition (two semesters are preferred)
Students wishing to transfer into the third/junior year should have completed the requirements listed above for sophomores as well as the following courses (at a minimum) at their current NYU School:
- 1 semester of calculus or higher
- 1 semester of writing/composition
- 1 semester of statistics
- 1 semester of financial accounting
- 1 semester of microeconomics
See Course Equivalencies for Internal Transfers to Stern for a list of course equivalencies.
Visiting Undergraduate Students
The Stern Undergraduate College offers courses to non-matriculated students. See Visiting Students for more information.