The NYU Stern Langone MBA

New York University's Stern School of Business

New York University’s Stern School of Business

He did enough ping-ponging to pay off, however. “I was shocked how much Langone prepared me for my job at Accenture, the running around from place to place,” Kolodny says. “My office is wherever my laptop is.”

None of three students interviewed for this story voiced complaints about the famous “Stern curve,” but it no doubt remains a focus of apprehension for at least a few other folks who are considering Langone. The curve dictates that core faculty award A’s to no more than 35 percent of students, which some believe fosters an environment of competitiveness that hinders teamwork.

“I didn’t have a problem with it,” says Kolodny. “I think the curve is a good prequel of being compared to coworkers in the working world.”

The only surprise about Stern, which is consistently ranked among the top MBA programs, was the reaction he got after he completed his MBA and started searching for a job in California. He looked at positions at the likes of Pixar, Google, and Facebook, and found that “Stern” didn’t automatically open doors.

“There’s some pride out there about their MBAs. They have Stanford and Haas,” he says. “Coming from New York, you think everyone is impressed with it, but not necessarily.”

DON’T MISS: U.S. NEWS’ 2013 RANKING OF THE BEST PART-TIME MBA PROGRAMS IN THE U.S.

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