ASTRA Consulting

About the program

The ASTRA program is designed to empower participants to think critically about economic development, emphasizing the principles and practices of business consulting and strategic decision-making.

Participants are equipped to address challenges with innovative solutions, blending analytical expertise with practical application. By integrating these competencies, ASTRA prepares individuals to create meaningful and lasting impact in their work.

  • Instructional Cohort

    In their first semester of participation (10 weeks), participants receive rigorous training on: 

    — Sustainable development (social entrepreneurship, shared value creation, and sustainable business models)

    — Technical skills (analyzing business drivers, stakeholder analytics, strategy consulting frameworks/modeling, casing)

  • Practical Cohort

    In their second semester of participation (10 weeks), participants will have the opportunity to work with a small business/nonprofit/startup to tackle business issues they’re facing, including, but not limited to growth, profitability, and entering new markets.

Instructional Cohort S’25 Final Projects

  • Profitability & Customer Segmentation: Headspace case study

  • Product positioning & Market entry: Whoop case study

  • Acquisition rationale & Vertical expansion: Duolingo case study

  • Go-to-market & Geographic expansion: Oatly case study

Practical Cohort Client S’25

RecycAI addresses the challenges of recycling inefficiency through the application of artificial intelligence. Its flagship technology enables accurate material identification, minimizes contamination in waste streams, and generates actionable insights to enhance the effectiveness of recycling systems.

What did we do?

  • Identified and mapped 10+ venture capital and alternative funding sources, with tailored investor narratives and outreach materials.

  • Produced three market entry case studies across medical, academic, and data monetization sectors, covering compliance, buyer personas, and competitors.

  • Built cost analyses, benchmarked pricing against peer companies, and recommended revenue strategy.

The Application Process

Applications open at the beginning of each semester. Subscribe to our newsletter and follow @nyuedg to stay updated!

To be eligible for the ASTRA program, you must be a current freshman or sophomore studying at the New York campus.

Our applications consists of two rounds: a) short written form, b) in-person interview combining behavioral and technical questioning.