Graduate School Application Essay

My high school mentor, Troy Jackson, shocked all of Colorado his junior year when he took home first place at DECA Nationals in his first year of competition. Troy stood for everything that I aspired to be: calm, personable, and daring. Following in his footsteps, I joined DECA my junior year and developed a passion for business management and global economics. When it came to deciding which colleges to apply to, Troy was the first person to tell me that staying in Colorado would be the simple and fulfilling route. While I was tempted to accept his advice at first, I knew that there was a part of me that wanted to live in an unfamiliar and exciting city—deviating from my mentors path. New York University would place me in the center of the historic development of business within

Most of the institutions I have applied to have discussed intensive study abroad programs, but Stern was the only one that offered an opportunity to maintain connections with classmates during the experience by sending an entire class abroad at the same time. In my experience in the International Baccalaureate program, I have learned that developing bonds with students who share my love for learning is a critical part of the establishment of my body of knowledge. Maintaining this connection in a study abroad program is something that I didn’t even truly think was possible, yet NYU brings life to this form of student community building. Furthermore, the faculty at NYU would provide me with an opportunity to learn from experienced individuals about how to compete in business. I have always had a competitive edge, and professors who have experienced the volatility of global markets and industries would help focus my competitiveness. The obvious yet fundamental advantage that NYU provides for me is its location. There truly is no better place to form connections and study business than New York