I’m trying to decide between applying to Stern for business versus CAS for economics. While I know Stern is more selective, does applying to the less competitive CAS program significantly improve my overall chances of being admitted to NYU?
Hi @vivek_9232 this comes up a lot with NYU applicants. Stern is definitely tougher to get into. the admit rate is way lower compared to CAS. But applying to CAS for econ doesn’t really act as a shortcut to Stern. They review applications separately, and transferring into Stern later is extremely competitive, so you can’t really count on that.
If you’re genuinely more interested in business, it makes sense to apply straight to Stern even if it’s harder. If you’d be happy doing econ in CAS (which is also a strong program and still sets you up well for careers in finance/consulting or grad school), then CAS is a good choice on its own.
Basically, applying to CAS won’t really boost your odds at Stern. Better to apply where your real interests are, because that’s what you’ll be working on for the next few years.
You can also check out this NYU Programs Guide for more details on Stern, CAS, and other schools under NYU.
Yes, it definitely improves your chances. The acceptance rate at CAS is higher than Stern’s. But a word of caution: your application to CAS still needs to be strong and make a compelling case for why you’re interested in economics specifically. Admissions officers can spot an application that’s just using econ as a backdoor to NYU. If your essays and ECs are all about business, it might raise a red flag. Focus on crafting a genuine narrative for the school you apply to
hey @vivek_9232 From what I’ve seen, applying to CAS instead of Stern doesn’t automatically make it “easier” to get into NYU overall. Stern is definitely more selective, but CAS has its own standards, and admissions look at your profile in the context of that school. Also, NYU generally doesn’t let you apply to two schools in the same round, so you’d have to choose carefully. If your real passion is business/finance, Stern is worth aiming for, but if you’re more academically inclined toward econ and open to flexibility, CAS could be a better fit. Bottom line: choose based on your interests and future goals, not just where you think chances are higher.
Hi, @vivek_9232 At NYU, Stern and CAS have very different admission standards. Stern is one of the most selective schools in the university, especially for undergrad business, so the admit rate is much lower compared to CAS. Applying to CAS for economics can look less competitive on the surface, but it doesn’t really “boost” your overall odds of just getting into NYU unless you genuinely want to study economics admissions officers do look at whether your interests and application fit the program you’re applying to. If you apply to CAS just as a backdoor into Stern, that can backfire later since internal transfer into Stern is very tough and not guaranteed. So yes, CAS may have a higher admit rate, but you should choose based on which program aligns with your actual goals rather than just strategy.