What are the first steps an MBA candidate should take to assure that he or she can afford this tremendous investment?
One of the first things we recommend to people is to be aware of deadlines. Stern’s deadline for merit-based scholarships is Dec. 1, the same time that the admission application is due. Anyone who wishes to be considered for a merit-based scholarship needs to have his or her application in by then. Starting Jan. 1, [U.S. applicants] can also apply for the FAFSA, which is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. For domestic students, the Federal Student Aid is a big draw because [applicants] can get a low interest rate. You can fill out this form regardless of whether you hear back from any business schools, because it gets you in the pipeline for going through whatever checks that the federal government requires. Q: How should prospective MBAs position themselves to get one of Stern’s highly sought after merit-based scholarships? A: We look at the merit of the admission application to get a good picture of who the applicant is. We interview almost all of the admitted students, so
