NYU Stern Sidney Harman Fellowship
The Sidney Harman Fellowship is a merit-based scholarship for full-time MBA candidates at NYU Stern School of Business, awarded in honour of the late Sidney Harman — a Stern alumnus and lifelong champion of integrating business with the humanities. The award provides up to USD 50,000 (around LKR 16 million) across the two-year MBA, paid as a tuition reduction. There is no separate application — Stern admissions reviews every admitted candidate for fellowship consideration. Selection emphasises intellectual breadth, leadership, and the candidate's potential to bridge disciplines. For Sri Lankan applicants targeting top-tier US MBA programmes, NYU Stern's New York location (Greenwich Village) and finance / consulting recruiting strength make this a flagship-tier signal.
Open for Fall 2027 entry — automatically assessed at admissions decision
NYU Stern School of Business
University-funded
emoji_events Award Overview
Value
Up to USD 50,000 (~LKR 16M)
Duration
2-Year Full-Time MBA
Selection
Automatic at Admission
info How this award actually works
Who awards it
NYU Stern School of Business — not Lanka Scholar. We are not the awarding body and cannot grant, reserve or guarantee this award.
How you are considered
Through your admission application. Awards like this are usually assessed automatically from the application you already submit — there is typically no separate scholarship form to fill in.
What it covers
Up to USD 50,000 over 2 Years. This is a reduction in tuition, not a full ride. You still fund the remainder, plus living costs and the balance your visa requires you to show.
Where we come in
We make the admission application strong enough to be competitive — course choice, documents, references and deadlines. The funder makes the decision.
fact_check Eligibility Criteria
Admitted to NYU Stern Full-Time MBA
You must apply for, and be admitted to, the NYU Stern full-time MBA programme. Part-time, Tech, Fashion, and online MBA variants are not eligible for the Harman Fellowship. Standard Stern admissions criteria apply (GMAT/GRE, essays, references, interview).
Strong Pre-MBA Track Record
Typical admits have 3-6 years of professional experience, a GMAT of 720+ (or GRE equivalent), and a strong undergraduate GPA (~3.5+ / 4.0). Sri Lankan applicants from banking, consulting, family business, and tech with measurable impact are competitive.
Open to International Applicants
Open to applicants of all nationalities, including Sri Lankan citizens. Need-based scholarships are administered separately — Harman is purely merit-based and focused on intellectual + leadership potential.
Interdisciplinary Mindset
Selection emphasises candidates who can articulate a connection between business and the broader humanities (ethics, the arts, public policy). Stern essays are the place to signal this — Harman fellows are typically people who write convincingly about how their work fits a larger societal narrative.
account_tree Application Process
Apply to Stern MBA by Round 2
Submit your full Stern MBA application by Round 1 (October 2026) or Round 2 (January 2027) — earlier rounds are more competitive for fellowships. Application includes GMAT/GRE, 2 essays + 1 'Pick Six' photo essay, two recommenders, and the interview by invitation.
Automatic Harman review
Every admitted candidate is automatically considered for the Harman Fellowship — no extra form to complete. The admissions committee flags candidates whose essays + recommendations demonstrate the interdisciplinary leadership the award is designed to recognise.
Receive fellowship in offer letter
If you are selected, the Harman Fellowship is named in your offer letter alongside the dollar value. Some candidates receive partial fellowships under different named awards; many receive both the Harman and additional Stern Scholarships.
Confirm enrolment and visa
Pay the standard Stern deposit to confirm your seat. The Harman award is applied as a direct tuition discount across both years. You then apply for the F-1 visa with the reduced funding requirement reflected on the I-20.
Why NYU Stern?
NYU Stern is consistently ranked in the global top 25 MBA programmes (Financial Times) and is the top-ranked MBA in New York City. Stern recruits across investment banking, consulting, tech (FAANG), luxury retail, and media — with strong career outcomes for international students. Sidney Harman himself was a polymath CEO who studied at NYU and built Harman International (now part of Samsung).
#25
FT Global MBA 2026
NYC
Greenwich Village Campus
USD 50k
Max Fellowship Award
Looking for a scholarship because of the cost?
Then start here instead. Scholarships are competitive, usually partial, and decided by someone else — they are the least reliable way to make studying abroad affordable. Your destination and course choice move the number far more, and both are entirely within your control.
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Tuition, living costs, visa funds and flights for your destination — so you know the gap you are actually trying to close.
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