Matt McKee, NYU Stern MBA Class of 2026
Age: 30
Hometown: Overland Park, KS
Undergraduate Institution and Major: United States Military Academy at West Point, Engineering Management Major
Pre-MBA Work Experience: Infantry Officer, U.S. Army, 7 years
Why did you make the decision to attend business school? Why now?
I am incredibly grateful for my experiences serving in the Army and the talented people I had the opportunity to work with. After re-evaluating my personal goals, I decided to exit the military and pursue a different career. I am attending business school to learn how to translate my Army experiences to the business world.
Why did you choose NYU Stern? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend?
I chose to attend NYU Stern due to the immense benefits and value of the Fertitta Veterans MBA Program at Stern, a program generously established by Lorenzo Fertitta (Stern MBA ’93) and Frank Fertitta III in 2016. Fertitta students start class in July to complete “Financial Accounting and Reporting” and “Statistics and Data Analysis” as a part of NYU Stern’s core MBA classes. Along with completing two courses, the NYU Stern Careers team arranged corporate visits in July to a variety of companies across industries including finance, consulting, entertainment and media, and more. The visits allowed Fertitta students to ask questions and gain insight into future career interests. In addition to the summer programming and camaraderie shared between Fertitta summer students, there is also significant scholarship support. My classmates and I are incredibly grateful to the Fertitta family for establishing this amazing program. If you are a veteran looking to transition to an MBA program, you should apply to Stern.
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the Class of 2026?
I am looking forward to learning from my classmates with their experiences in the corporate world. Hopefully, I may provide a different perspective coming from the military to the classroom.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself that didn’t get included on your application:
I am a barbeque aficionado being from Kansas City (Go Chiefs!)
Post-MBA career interests:
Technology, Healthcare, Consulting
Advice for Current Prospective Applicants:
–What is one thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process?
I found it beneficial to reach out to current and past students of MBA programs to review essays, resume drafts, and provide candid feedback on their MBA program. Luckily, I had a close friend in my town going through the MBA application process, and we would practice interview questions and review application documents prior to submission.
–What is one thing you would change or do differently?
I would have participated in more of the admitted student virtual events prior to attending classes in the summer. NYU Stern provides many admitted students events to ease the transition to being an MBA student.
–What is one part you would have skipped if you could—and what helped you get through it?
I decided that I would apply round one close to the deadline. I overcame this by leveraging my peers to review essays and resume drafts.
What is your initial impression of the NYU stern students/culture/community?
I am very impressed by the commitment of the instructors, 2nd year MBA students (MBA2), and the MBA Careers Team to the success of Stern 1st year MBA students (MBA1). The professional clubs at Stern are entirely student-led, and the MBA2’s are committed to providing training, resources, and mentorship to aid first year MBA students. I have been paired with multiple mentors to assist with resume reviews and industry-specific training. This is coupled with the Careers Team that connects students with industry events and one-on-one career coaching. A strong culture of development and helping others is present within the NYU Stern MBA program.
What is one thing you have learned about NYU Stern that has surprised you?
The Stern network in NYC is unmatched. While NYC may seem impersonal from an outside perspective, the large Stern alumni network and MBA student body provide a “small-town” feel to the city.
What is one thing you are most anxious about in your first year?
Coming from the military, while I have developed valuable soft skills, I am interested in expanding my technical business skills. I am looking forward to achieving this by leveraging my classmates’ experience and taking more technical classes. Stern also does an incredible job pairing MBA1 students with mentors and providing access to in-depth “bootcamps” that cover topics such as Excel modeling and Python.
What is one thing you are most excited about in your first year?
I am most excited to explore New York City with my classmates. NYU Stern is in an excellent location in Manhattan.
