Some of the MBA students in the Class of 2019 at Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business
“Fisher is family.”
You’ll hear that a lot around Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business. On a campus with nearly 60,000 students, Fisher is an MBA peanut with just 91 full-time students in the Class of 2019. That’s exactly how these first-years want it.
The Fisher MBA is kept purposely small–and that is a primary attraction of the experience. That way, students receive personal attention, with a curriculum that is often customized to their individual needs. Such size also demands that every student becomes involved in the program outside the classroom…often in leadership roles. “There’s no back rows in the classroom,” says Prodpran Nontasuwan, a first year from Thailand who channels a common axiom at the school. “It shows that this program emphasizes the importance of students and can focus each student more thoroughly. As an international student, this is meaningful for my concentration and class participation opportunity.”
Matthew Rosebaugh, a helicopter instructor pilot in the U.S. Army, experienced this difference first-hand at last year’s Fall Preview Day. He admits that he was “blown away” by the admissions team’s “professionalism, warmth and care.” Even more, Rosebaugh identified with the nurturing nature of the program. “I chose the Fisher College of Business that afternoon, because I knew that it was a school that not only cared for me and my growth, but focusing on how each student could make an impact as they graduated from the program.”
“THE PRESENT IS VERY BRIGHT AND THE FUTURE IS BRILLIANT”
Ohio State is associated with red – symbolic considering the passion and heart of the Fisher MBAs. The program is defined by a spirit of collaboration and connection, where the network boasts depth as much as breadth. Two weeks in, the Fisher framework had already made an impression on Keelyn Green, a Columbus native. For her, “teamwork” has really stood out so far, adding that the class size is already fostering “close-knit relationships.” However, Andrew Body is even more bullish on the prospects of the class – and the school in general.
“I like to think of myself as an early adopter, and I enjoy building things,” he admits. “There are only 91 of us in the class of 2019, and I absolutely love that we have such a small, intimate class. Fisher is going nowhere but up, and so few of us are responsible for the future prestige of the program. I can honestly and confidently say that I would be thrilled to start a company with any of those other 90 (and just two weeks in, I already know all of them by name!). The present is very bright and the future is brilliant.”
Julee Conrad, senior assistant director of MBA admissions at the Fisher College of Business
Julee Conrad, the senior assistant director of MBA admissions, is fond of saying that Fisher “is as big or small as students want it to be.” Indeed, Fisher is part of one of the world’s largest and most revered research universities – home to over a half million living alumni worldwide. As a result, Fisher MBAs can take courses or partner with peers in various fields across the university. While the full-time MBA program may be small, the Class of 2019 is just a fraction of the school’s graduate business population observes Tada Yamamoto, a 2017 Best & Brightest MBA.
“While it is true that the class size hovers around the 100 mark, the full time MBAs share elective classes with the working professional MBA program, the Masters of Human Resources Management, Specialized Masters in Finance, Masters of Accounting, and Masters of Business Logistics Engineering programs at Fisher as well,” he explains. “Considering the many Socratic style classes we have, having multiple programs definitely increases the diversity of thought that one might have had in a full-time MBA program alone…and also expands the pool of individuals that one might get to meet.”
OBSESSIONS LEAD TO SERVICE AND BREAKTHROUGHS
Then again, these 91 are quite a remarkable bunch. Take Alisha Kamboj, a black belt and medical student at Ohio State whose “passion for service” has led her to volunteer across Latin America. “Recently, I derived immense fulfillment upon traveling to El Progreso, Honduras, where I was able to aid in the delivery of free medical care to over 800 individuals as a member of a multidisciplinary team,” she shares. “It is my aspiration that this purposeful practice will allow me to make a positive difference in the lives of others over the course of my academic journey.”
Across the spectrum, you’ll find Ibukunoluwa Oni, who started her business, Omege, with “an obsession with making people feel amazing about themselves.” Like Kamboj, this obsession eventually translated into a purpose. “With makeup and hair, features are enhanced and imperfections are blurred, but on the base level every feature was already there,” she points out. “One of the biggest accomplishment of my career so far would have to be the opportunity to partner with The Elizabeth Ministry, a D.C based non-profit, to develop and lead an intimate beauty workshop for a group of young mothers.”
A molecular genetics lecture may have sparked Huy Dang Nguyen’s interest in cancer, but it became an obsession when his father was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. He would spend his spare time unraveling its mysteries, whether he was a chemical engineering major at Ohio State or working 16 hour days on a drilling rig. This passion eventually led him to commercializing a prototype solution. “I took this prototype, all the translatable skills I had acquired, and the capital I had built up to execute my solution,” he details. “I left my company and went directly to the source; I moved to Vietnam and spent several months learning about and studying the risks. At the end of those several months, I left with a successful working prototype.”
THE “HUMAN CALCULATOR” IMPRESSES ON NATIONAL TV
Yes, the class features its share of doers and dreamers. Beyond their resumes, you’ll find some big personalities occupying a small school. Body, for one, describes himself as a “juxtaposition of Appalachian humility and transcendent dreams.” And he has a memorable nickname: “The Human Calculator.” In fact, he went head-to-head with a real calculator’s on a FOX game show called Superhuman – and won! However, his brush with fame came with a tinge of disappointment. “Mike Tyson was a panelist on the show, and we networked some on air, but our professional communication has since come to a standstill; alas, Mr. Tyson lacks a strong LinkedIn presence.”
That’s just the beginning. Neha Gupta is an “adventurous vegetarian and extreme extrovert invested in the power of human connection.” Her claim to fame? She spent four years singing in an all-female barbershop choir. Oh…and it gets worse. “We had an incredibly memorable uniform: sparkly red shirts, palazzo pants, and black top hats!”
Beats a race suit and a helmet. That’s Ankit Malik, a motorsports enthusiast, would say. “I participated in “Desert Storm 2016”, one of the toughest car rally held in India, navigating 1400 miles through Thar Desert of state Rajasthan in 7 days and my team finished 2nd out of 20 teams in our category. This was a true test of coordination and perseverance as even a single conflict between the team would have lowered our rank significantly.”
The Fisher College celebrated its 100 year anniversary in 2016.
TAKING THE REINS AND NOTCHING BIG WINS
Nontasuwan knows all about the importance of precision. In the Thai government, she was the nation’s youngest secretary among all secretaries in the Department of Revenue. Here, she developed the nation’s account standard for e-payment policy in 2016. Impressed? Check out Chuck Tyler, Ohio’s answer to Zig Ziglar, who “created, negotiated, and closed the largest new corporate partnership for the NHL Blue Jackets during the 2014-2015 season, which led to all revenue goals, individual and team, being achieved.” How is this for content marketing? Hargav Ram Dharnikota co-authored an industry report on speech recognition that hit leading media outlets like Yahoo Finance. The upshot? His employer, iRunway, generated $500K in new client contracts from his work.
Many MBA candidates return to campus seeking the tools needed to take on real responsibility. That’s exactly what Body faced at BWS, an educational consulting firm. The second hire of a startup, he was quickly elevated to vice president, where he shouldered perhaps the most critical element of a startup’s survival: employee hiring. Thanks to his disciplined vetting, the 15-member firm “hit the tipping point” and generated favorable client reviews. And he even authored a standardized test preparation book for Barron’s Educational Series too.
Teaching is in Rosebaugh’s blood too. He headed up the U.S. Army’s graduate-level Chinook helicopter training operation. The expectation: Increase student by nearly 50% without any additional resources granted. You can probably guess how this story ended. “Despite sometimes insurmountable odds, this led to a 100% graduation success rate, all while reducing average training time 11% and saving $1.3M in the budget,” he states. Not bad for a guy who is afraid of heights!
Go to page 2 to see in-depth profiles of incoming Fisher MBA students.
Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business
ENROLLMENT AND GMATs DOWN, BUT…
The 2016-2017 application cycle could be described as uneven at best. Fisher received 444 applications for the Class of 2019, down 27% over the previous year. At the same time, it enrolled 91 students, a sharp descrease from 107 in the 2018 Class. That said, a Fisher seat for 2019 became more difficult to attain, as the acceptance rate plunged from 45.2% to 37%.
GMAT-wise, the 2019 Class fell a bit short of the previous class, as the average dipped from 676 to 670. When it comes to four-year academic production, however, the incoming class fared a bit better with its 3.47 average GPA topping the 3.43 achieved by the second-years. By the same token, it is a more diverse class academically. Just 32% of the class majored in business, down from 41% last year. The difference was made up by arts and sciences majors, which comprise55% of the class (with the remaining 13% of seats taken up by engineers).
The biggest difference in the Class of 2019 involves international students. This percentage jumped 10% over the previous year to 25%. Overall, 12 countries make up the class, including students from Brazil, Mexico, Spain, Ghana, South Korea, and Vietnam. The percentage of women inched up a point to 32%. Underrepresented minorities account for 9% of the class, with American minorities taking up a 17% of the class as a whole.
PROGRAM REVAMP TO TAKE EFFECT NEXT SCHOOL YEAR
Although applications are down, the Fisher MBA is a program on the upswing. In 2016, the school celebrated its centennial. It was a special time, says Shashi Matta, the faculty director for the full-time and working professional MBA programs, culminating with a celebration featuring Lee Wexner and Fareed Zakaria. “The message to incoming students was loud and clear – Fisher College of Business charges forward into its next century with 2017,” Matta beams.
Now, the real work begins. The school has embarked on an initiative to revamp the program top-to-bottom. Given the freedom to “blow it up” by Dean Anil K. Makhija, the redesigned Fisher program is taking shape as a high touch, coaching-driven program that leverages three of its biggest strengths: a world-renowned career center, expansive leadership development capabilities, and an impressive portfolio of experiential learning opportunities.
Shashi Matta, heads up the full-time MBA program at the Fisher College of Business
Notably, the program is proposing a three-tiered coaching structure, where students would work closely with a career coach, an academic advisor, and a corporate mentor across the two years of study. The spring semester may also include an Immersion Lab, where students would leave campus for interdisciplinary assignments with client organizations. In addition, second years could potentially leave campus to partner with a non-profit. Such efforts would produce more “polished” students who are even stronger in critical areas like problem-solving, teamwork, and communication.
FILLING THE GAP WITH EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
“We have embarked on an ambitious and disruptive redesign of the full0time MBA program that will be launched in the fall of 2018,” Matta affirms. “The Class of 2020 will be the first class to experience this program designed to be MBA of the Future. This collaborative effort is spearheaded by a task force that includes the Dean’s team, program administrators, and faculty and staff, working closely with students, alumni, recruiters, and business leaders. The goal is simple. We’re going to design and deliver the best MBA program that develops business leaders to shape the future of business. We welcome the Class of 2020 to experience the fruits of this exhilarating initiative.”
In the meantime, the class will enjoy a heavy dose of experiential education. Ask any Fisher MBA about his or her two years in Columbus and the Global Applied Project (GAP) is sure to come up. The course is designed for students to apply the technical skills they gain during the core in an environment where they can practice leadership and teamwork – all while navigating differing business practices and cultural mores. Simulating a project from a leading consulting firm, GAP features sessions on best practices in areas like intercultural communications and projects followed by three weeks overseas in countries like Mexico, France, Tanzania, and China. At the end, students will present their research and solutions to senior level executives – no different than most first years do before the end of their summer internships.
“Experiential Learning is key factor that led me chose Fisher College over other b-schools,” asserts Ram Dharnikota. “During the application phase, I started shortlisting b-schools primarily based on the experiential learning opportunities a school provides. Fisher College has one of the best experiential learning opportunities in its GAP and Global Business Expeditions (GBE). Through GAP, students get an opportunity to work on real-world business challenges even before they graduate.”
COLUMBUS WITHIN 3 HOURS OF ALMOST 70 FORTUNE 1000 FIRMS
Leadership development is also weaved through the Fisher MBA curriculum, particularly in the first year where a pre-term opens with leadership foundations and the core concludes with a professional development capstone. In between, students complete intensive assessments, complete a personal development plans, and receive regular coaching.
“I was committed to attending an institution that didn’t simply use “leadership” as a buzz word, but strategically embedded leadership into the MBA curriculum,” Gupta says. “Fisher intentionally recruited an abundance of distinguished faculty with extensive leadership research to teach MBA courses. Additionally, the program has several hands-on leadership development experiences such as the GAP project and Fisher Board Fellows (a program that allows you to act on a board of a local nonprofit); they even have a new Leadership Retreat for graduate students starting this fall!”
The Fisher College also benefits from its location in Columbus, where it is the proverbial “only game in town.” As a result, employers often deluge the school with partnership opportunities. The metro area is home to five Fortune 500 companies, including 21st-ranked Cardinal Health and 69th-ranked Nationwide – not to mention nearly 15 Fortune 1000 companies. Columbus is less than two hours from Cincinnati (Kroeger, Procter & Gamble and Macy’s) and three hours or less from Cleveland, Indianapolis, Detroit, and Pittsburgh, Together, these metros boast nearly 70 Fortune 1000 firms.
Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business
“Fisher and its faculty have done a wonderful job creating a bridge between the Ohio Fortune 500 companies and MBA students,” emphasizes Tyler. “We have intimate discussions with executives detailing their greatest business challenges and how they are working to solve them. The ability to deeply interact with central Ohio decision-makers is unique and creates the exciting classroom experience I wanted in a business school.”
SUCCESS MEANS KNOWING WHAT YOU WANT TO DO
So what’s next for the Class of 2019? Jeff Baldetti is following in the footsteps of his sister, who earned her MBA at Fisher in 2015. For him, the next year is a chance to answer the big question: What should I do with the rest my life? “I will be happy that I’m on the right track,” he admits. “Sometimes learning what we don’t want to do is just as important as finding out what it is we do want to do. So I will consider answering this question a success after my first year of business school if I’ve developed meaningful relationships here at Fisher with classmates and professors that open my eyes to the many possible answers to this question we all ask ourselves.”
Kamboj believes her MBA will give her an edge as she completes her medical training, particularly in the structural and relationship issues that dog the profession. “As a resident, I will draw from the team-based approach and problem-solving expertise cultivated at the Fisher College of Business to more efficiently manage challenging patient care scenarios. As an attending physician, I will confidently guide inter-departmental collaboration, coordinate organizational strategy, and represent physicians around a business table. Finally, as a leader in global health, I will employ my knowledge of systems and operations to provide healthcare to those who are unable to afford it and, ultimately, improve their standard of living.”
For Dang Nguyen, success will be measured by opening up and taking risks. “I would consider my experiences at Fisher as a success if I can wholeheartedly say that I gave 100% of my effort towards the program while having no regrets. This would entail that I pushed myself out of my comfort zones, developed leadership skills that I lacked or was missing, and welcomed the Fisher faculty, staff, and student body into my family.”
To read profiles of incoming Fisher MBA students — along with their advice on tackling the GMAT, applications, and interviews — click on the links below.
DON’T MISS: MEET OHIO STATE’S MBA CLASS OF 2018 OR THE PIONEERING MBAs OF THE CLASS OF 2019
| Name | Hometown | Alma Mater | Employer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jeff Baldetti | Skaneateles, NY | Elon University | Twin Lake Total Return Partners |
| Andrew Body | Zanesville, OH | Muskingum University | BWS Education Consulting |
| Huy Dang Nguyen | Columbus, OH | Ohio State University | solutionX LLC |
| Keelyn Green | Columbus, OH | Ohio State University | Justice |
| Neha Gupta | Phoenix, AZ | University of Arizona | PwC |
| Alisha Kamboj | Columbus, OH | Ohio State University | Medical Student |
| Ankit Malik | Jind, Haryana, India | University of Delhi | Suzuki India |
| Prodpran Nontasuwan | Bangkok, Thailand | Chulalongkorn University | Secretary of Deputy Director-General (Thailand) |
| Ibukunoluwa Oni | Woodbury, NJ | University of Pennsylvania | The State of New Jersey |
| Hargav Ram Dharnikota | Vijayawada, India | Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur | iRunway India Private Limited |
| Matthew Rosebaugh | Youngstown, OH | U.S. Military Academy | U.S. Army |
| Chuck Tyler | Los Angeles, CA | University of Southern California | Spectrum Reach |
Jeff Baldetti
Fisher College of Business, The Ohio State University
Describe yourself in 15 words or less: I’m an aspiring Renaissance man, loyal friend, world traveler, and family-oriented person.
Hometown: Skaneateles, New York
Fun Fact About Yourself: I used to be a Division I athlete in golf. It’s by far my favorite sport and I’ve been playing since I was five years old. To this day, if I have some free time you’ll most likely find me out on the Scarlet Course here at OSU enjoying life to the fullest.
Undergraduate School and Major: Elon University, BSBA Finance, 2015
Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation: Fixed Income Research Analyst at Twin Lake Total Return Partners
Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Having the opportunity to work at a hedge fund directly out of undergrad is definitely the biggest accomplishment of my career so far. When you’re the youngest person on the team, the feeling of having your own investment ideas put into the portfolio is pretty amazing, especially when you start to see the returns. More importantly, I had the privilege to work with a fantastic team that taught me powerful skills that will last a lifetime. Twin Lake gave me a strong group of mentors that genuinely cared about my professional development and seeing me succeed as a person.
Looking back on your experience, what one piece of advice would you give to future business school applicants? When you’re looking at programs, don’t forget the human element of the process. It’s easy to get caught up in storied reputations and class rankings, but remember that business school is a life choice where you will dedicate yourself to a cohort and community for two years. Choose the program you feel fits you best as a person and I promise you will be happier, more fulfilled, and more successful in your future career. If you don’t believe me, I urge you to read Chapter 3: Caroline Sacks from Michael Lewis’s David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants. This book has helped me challenge my thought processes and come to a better decision by thinking differently many times.
What was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? I have a personal connection to OSU as I am currently following in my sister’s footsteps; she graduated from Fisher’s MBA program in 2015. However, when I was looking at programs I really focused on the size of the program and the associated culture. Wanting to get a great education was a given, but I also wanted to have the opportunity to build lasting relationships with my classmates, professors, and the community. Here at OSU, the university really is a part of the Columbus community and I loved that connection. Additionally, the small class size fosters that interaction between the faculty and the students. From the moment I stepped into Gerlach Hall for my admissions interview, the people at OSU made me feel like I was a part of the Fisher family. It was this connection that showed me this was a program where I could truly be successful and thrive in.
What would success look like to you after your first year of business school? For me, coming back to business school really was an opportunity to explore new career paths and discover my true career passions. If I have a better answer to the question, “what should I do with the rest my life?” I will be happy that I’m on the right track. Sometimes learning what we don’t want to do is just as important as finding out what it is we do want to do. So I will consider answering this question a success after my first year of business school if I’ve developed meaningful relationships here at Fisher with classmates and professors that open my eyes to the many possible answers to this question we all ask ourselves.
Andrew Body
Fisher College of Business, The Ohio State University
Describe yourself in 15 words or less: A juxtaposition of Appalachian humility and transcendent dreams.
Hometown: Zanesville, OH
Fun Fact About Yourself: I recently appeared on the FOX television show Superhuman as “The Human Calculator.” Mike Tyson was a panelist on the show, and we networked some on air, but our professional communication has since come to a standstill; alas, Mr. Tyson lacks a strong LinkedIn presence.
Undergraduate School and Major: Muskingum University, B.A. Spanish and Political Science
Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation: BWS Education Consulting: Vice President, Director of Marketing, Consultant
Epic Systems: Project Manager
Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: At BWS, I was the second full-time employee at a company that now employs 15, and I would like to believe that my marketing efforts to expand client base and my successful results with those clients were at least partly responsible for our growth. I also assumed responsibility for hiring when I became Vice President. With such a young company, word of mouth is paramount: a single poor Yelp review can be devastating, and a misjudged hiring of a mediocre consultant could cripple brand reputation irreparably. Through due diligence of applicant screening and extreme selectivity in hiring (and perhaps a little luck), I placed skilled people in situations where they would be successful. Clients responded in kind with favorable reviews, and we hit the tipping point.
During my tenure, our company contracted with Barron’s Educational Series to write eight standardized test preparation books that have sold well, and I wrote one of my own on the side. I am extraordinarily proud of not only our rapid expansion, but also of our already-sizable footprint on the industry.
Looking back on your experience, what one piece of advice would you give to future business school applicants? My niche is test prep, so I would be remiss if I did not touch on the GMAT. Standardized testing can intimidate, but the whole process is surprisingly formulaic. Thus, ultimately, a candidate can master the GMAT with proper preparation and mindset. Most likely, a prospective business school applicant will take a diagnostic practice test and receive a discouraging score. At that point, there is either the option to be disheartened and settle for minimal improvement or there is the option to find the best prep book available; devote ample time to the exam; and stamp the math formulas and grammar rules into the temporal lobes. A test-taker must not underestimate the importance of memorization of key concepts.
What was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? I like to think of myself as an early adopter, and I enjoy building things. There are only 91 of us in the class of 2019, and I absolutely love that we have such a small, intimate class. Fisher (while already an excellent program) is going nowhere but up, and so few of us are responsible for the future prestige of the program. I can honestly and confidently say that I would be thrilled to start a company with any of those other 90 (and just two weeks in, I already know all of them by name!).
The present is very bright, and the future is brilliant.
What would success look like to you after your first year of business school? Fisher is family. At the end of this year, if I and all 90 of my colleagues are halfway through a Fisher degree and have absorbed the insights of our professors and of one another, then we have succeeded.
Huy Dang Nguyen
Fisher College of Business, The Ohio State University
Describe yourself in 15 words or less: A mesh between professionalism and punny dad jokes.
Hometown:
Columbus, Ohio
Binh Gia, Vietnam
Fun Fact About Yourself: I can’t roll my R’s but I have learned to fake it.
Undergraduate School and Major:
The Ohio State University, Chemical Engineering
Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation:
solutionX LLC: Owner and Founder
Schlumberger: Field Engineer, Directional Driller
Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: My biggest accomplishment was developing a prototype for mitigating the risks of esophageal cancer among Asian demographics. I was introduced to this problem during a molecular genetics lecture at The Ohio State University and again, when my father was diagnosed with esophageal cancer.
My curiosity led me through an unusual path for developing a solution. I dedicated my remaining undergraduate years researching and once I started working, I spent any free time during sixteen-hour work days on drilling rigs prototyping. Eventually developing a prototype, I took this prototype, all the translatable skills I had acquired, and the capital I had built up to execute my solution. I left my company and went directly to the source; I moved to Vietnam and spent several months learning about and studying the risks. At the end of those several months, I left with a successful working prototype.
The Ohio State University has brought my career full circle; beginning as an undergraduate learning about esophageal cancer and continuing as an entrepreneur in the Fisher MBA program, I am in the position, like all Fisher candidates to do even greater things.
Looking back on your experience, what one piece of advice would you give to future business school applicants? Understand yourself! Once you truly grasp all the wonderful things that you can offer, the areas you want to improve on, and your end goal, the application process becomes simplified; your story becomes more fluid, your list of schools is narrowed down, and you will confidently handle anything that is admissions related. Through enough reflection, you will understand that your story is unique and that your unique story will guide you along the application process.
What was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? The key factor leading me to Fisher is the supportive culture that I received throughout the application process. I never felt like a stranger and everyone, including the professors, went above and beyond to make sure I received what I needed or connected me with an expert who could help. It was and is a strong representation of The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, and the Midwest. This aspect of Fisher is very infectious and thrives among fellow classmates, creating an environment that truly induces success.
What would success look like to you after your first year of business school? I would consider my experiences at Fisher as a success if I can wholeheartedly say that I gave 100% of my effort towards the program while having no regrets. This would entail that I pushed myself out of my comfort zones, developed leadership skills that I lacked or was missing, and welcomed the Fisher faculty, staff, and student body into my family. Ultimately, I would be the best version of myself equipped with the experiences, skills, and support to tackle the next part of my life.
Keelyn Green
Fisher College of Business, The Ohio State University
Describe yourself in 15 words or less: I have an infectious smile and am excited for what each new challenge may bring
Hometown: Columbus, Ohio
Fun Fact About Yourself: I traveled to Tokyo, Japan this past spring
Undergraduate School and Major: The Ohio State University, Finance
Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation: Justice – Senior Financial Analyst, Justice – Financial Analyst, IBM – Consultant
Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Being a “go to” person in my role. It is very important to me to become an expert in the work that I do. In past roles, I have been fortunate enough through great mentorship to do the following: learn my role, expand upon it, educate others, and transition my work. It is very fulfilling to be a value add to your company. I am grateful for these experiences early in my career and hope to continue to be an asset to my future employers.
Looking back on your experience, what one piece of advice would you give to future business school applicants? Do your research – this can apply to a lot of different areas of the application process. First and foremost, know why you want to pursue an MBA and determine which programs will best meet your individual needs. Make sure this “why” is apparent in your essays and interviews – let your individuality, passion, and authenticity show through.
What was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? What stood out to me in the Fisher program is the emphasis on collaboration. The support from faculty and peers is unmatched. The small class size allows for close knit relationships to develop. I feel that I will build a strong professional network as well as personal friendships with my classmates. The business world requires a lot of collaboration and teamwork and I am confident I will have the tools for success after my time at Fisher.
What would success look like to you after your first year of business school? Business school is a unique opportunity to meet others from different backgrounds and expand my network. I would like to be challenged in new ways of thinking and develop strong professional relationships with my class. Ultimately, I hope to continue my career in finance and pursue an internship in a finance-related role.
Neha Gupta
Fisher College of Business, The Ohio State University
Describe yourself in 15 words or less: I am an adventurous vegetarian and extreme extrovert invested in the power of human connection.
Hometown: Phoenix, Arizona
Fun Fact About Yourself: I sang bass in an all-female barbershop choir for four years. We had an incredibly memorable uniform: sparkly red shirts, palazzo pants, and black top hats!
Undergraduate School and Major:
University of Arizona
Majors: Psychology and Business Management
Minor: Spanish
Arizona State University
Masters in Education
Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation:
PricewaterhouseCoopers:
Talent Acquisition Associate (2015 – 2017)
HR Specialist (2013 – 2015)
Teach for America:
2011 Corps Member – 7th Grade Math Teacher (2011 – 2013)
Phone Interviewer (2013)
Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I consider both of my positions with Teach for America and PricewaterhouseCoopers to be major accomplishments in my career. However, I was given a distinct opportunity within PwC that I would consider my greatest achievement thus far.
PwC’s Corporate Responsibility initiative “Project Belize,” is the international counterpart of their platform to increase financial literacy in K-12 schools. Each year, PwC uses a competitive process to select 200 employees (out of 45,000+ employees nationwide) to attend a week-long volunteer experience in Belize. Due to my enthusiasm and involvement in financial literacy in the PwC Chicago Market, I was selected for the 10-person planning team for this amazing project. Not only did I get to channel my passion for education and financial literacy into a 4th grade classroom in Belize, but I also got to be a part of the team that brought this experience to several of my colleagues across the country.
Looking back on your experience, what one piece of advice would you give to future business school applicants? My advice for future business school applicants, when writing application essays, is to be sure to actually answer the essay question! It may sound silly, but the process of applying to business school requires a lot of soul searching. Therefore, the first time you put pen to paper and begin articulating your aspirations, you tend be highly emotional and (in my case) unnecessarily verbose. Often, you start answering questions that the school has not even asked (i.e. your personal philosophy on life and the business world) and you have not provided any tangible answers to the questions they have asked.
Nonetheless, it is important to go through that process of getting a first draft down on paper, even if it ends up being a stream of consciousness you use as a cathartic release instead of a submission essay. But force yourself look at the draft critically, compare it to the initial prompt, and throw it away or edit significantly. If you can, enlist a few people you trust to look at the essay without the prompt and ask them to tell you what they think the essay prompt is. While business schools are mildly interested in your creative writing abilities, they are also wanting clear and concise responses to the essay prompt.
What was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? I chose the Fisher MBA program at The Ohio State University due to their extensive history and expertise in Leadership and Organizational Behavior. I was committed to attending an institution that didn’t simply use “leadership” as a buzz word, but strategically embedded leadership into the MBA curriculum. Fisher intentionally recruited an abundance of distinguished faculty with extensive leadership research to teach MBA courses. Additionally, the program has several hands-on leadership development experiences such as the Global Applied Project (an opportunity for MBA students to work on an actual international solution for a firm) and Fisher Board Fellows (a program that allows you to act on a board of a local nonprofit); they even have a new Leadership Retreat for graduate students starting this Fall!
What would success look like to you after your first year of business school? I will measure success from my first year of business school along three dimensions: knowledge, relationships, and my internship placement. Since I spent most of my career honing my soft skills, the first year MBA curriculum is perfectly suited to help fill my gaps in knowledge (i.e. Accounting, Finance, Economics, and Data Analysis). This will certainly present a challenge and a steep learning curve, but academic success for me, would be having enough confidence to look over the numbers of a business and extract the relevant information. As for measuring my success through relationships, I hope to walk away from this first year with one or two close friends, a few teammates I love working with, and a couple faculty/staff I value as mentors. Finally, I hope to land an ultimate internship that allows me to creatively contribute to the human capital management strategy of a Fortune 500 company and/or a young and innovative firm.
Alisha Kamboj
Fisher College of Business, The Ohio State University
Describe yourself in 15 words or less: Aspiring physician leader with a global focus
Hometown: Columbus, Ohio
Fun Fact About Yourself: I have a black belt in Taekwondo, a Korean martial arts form.
Undergraduate School and Major:
Undergraduate School: The Ohio State University (Class of 2014)
Bachelor of Science in Microbiology with honors research distinction
Minor: Spanish
Professional School: The Ohio State University College of Medicine (Class of 2019)
Doctor of Medicine Candidate
Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation: N/A
Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I consider my greatest accomplishment thus far to be my cultivation of a passion for service. This desire to pay it forward has allowed me to invest my time in several non-profit organizations, free clinics in the Columbus community, and international service trips to multiple countries in Latin America. Recently, I derived immense fulfillment upon traveling to El Progreso, Honduras, where I was able to aid in the delivery of free medical care to over 800 individuals as a member of a multidisciplinary team. It is my aspiration that this purposeful practice will allow me to make a positive difference in the lives of others over the course of my academic journey.
Looking back on your experience, what one piece of advice would you give to future business school applicants? The one piece of advice I would give to future business school applicants is to stay true to their intentions. Albeit simple, this advice transcends most components of the application process, from writing genuine essays to representing passions and experiences in a sincere manner in an admissions interview.
What was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? One of the key factors that motivated me to choose this program for my full-time MBA was the interconnectedness of The Ohio State University’s undergraduate campus with the Fisher College of Business and the College of Medicine. I saw this factor as an opportunity to access a vast and diverse network of students, alumni, professors, and business leaders, both in our community and around the globe. It is a tremendous honor to earn an MBA from an institution that has already provided me with a plethora of outstanding mentors and a world-class education over the last seven years.
What would success look like to you after your first year of business school? As I envision the successful application of skills and knowledge acquired from one year of business school (and subsequently, a dual MD/MBA degree) at the beginning of my medical career, a few thoughts come to mind. As a resident, I will draw from the team-based approach and problem-solving expertise cultivated at the Fisher College of Business to more efficiently manage challenging patient care scenarios. As an attending physician, I will confidently guide inter-departmental collaboration, coordinate organizational strategy, and represent physicians around a business table. Finally, as a leader in global health, I will employ my knowledge of systems and operations to provide healthcare to those who are unable to afford it and, ultimately, improve their standard of living.
Ankit Malik
Fisher College of Business, The Ohio State University
Describe yourself in 15 words or less: Adventurous, meticulous and enjoys solving problems.
Hometown: Jind, Haryana, India
Fun Fact About Yourself: I am passionate about motorsports. I participated in “Desert Storm 2016”, one of the toughest car rally held in India, navigating 1400 miles through Thar Desert of state Rajasthan in 7 days and my team finished 2nd out of 20 teams in our category. This was a true test of coordination and perseverance as even a single conflict between the team would have lowered our rank significantly.
Undergraduate School and Major: Delhi College of Engineering at University of Delhi, Electrical Engineering – Class of 2013
Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation:
I worked for 4 years with the largest passenger car manufacturer of India, Suzuki India, in the supply chain vertical. My job titles in reverse chronological order:
Suzuki India – Deputy Manager, Procurement
Suzuki India – Assistant Manager, Strategic Sourcing & New Product Development
Suzuki India – Graduate Engineer, Cost Control
Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I led the sourcing strategy of a category of product at Suzuki India to end an existing monopoly by identifying and introducing two new suppliers, thus enhancing profitability and reducing business continuity risk.
Looking back on your experience, what one piece of advice would you give to future business school applicants? The biggest advice I would share for future applicants is to start preparing for admission session early. I have seen many people rushing through each step to meet deadlines and realizing at the end that they could have put in stronger applications if they planned in advance.
What was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? Besides a small class size, the most important factor for me to choose Fisher College of Business is its highly ranked operations MBA major. I want to develop in-depth knowledge of business operations from renowned faculty members while collaborating with extremely talented peers in my class.
What would success look like to you after your first year of business school? My goal by the end of the first year is to grow my professional network, acquire practical knowledge of various business functions and grow as a leader and team-player.
Prodpran Nontasuwan
Fisher College of Business, The Ohio State University
Describe yourself in 15 words or less: I am an optimist who enjoys working hard to get success and never gives up.
Hometown: Bangkok, Thailand
Fun Fact About Yourself: My old friends at high school called me “Sun” because I have broad forehead with shining and smiling face.
Undergraduate School and Major: Chulalongkorn University, Accounting Major
Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation: The Revenue Department of Thailand
August 2015 – December 2015: Secretary of Director Bureau of Tax Collection Standards
January 2016 – July 2017 : Secretary of Deputy Director-General
Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I was the youngest secretary among all secretaries of executives in the Revenue Department of Thailand. This gave me great opportunity to plan and develop the single account standard according to Thailand E-Payment Policy Year 2016. The standard guided nationwide tax officers for the restructure of Thai tax collection to encourage taxpayers to pay tax correctly.
Looking back on your experience, what one piece of advice would you give to future business school applicants? Apart from writing the resume, writing an essay is very important. It helps business schools to know more about your individuality. In my opinion, a good essay does not always need magnificent words, high aspiration, or elegant dream. It can be simple; just show your real goal of life that needs the business school to fulfill it. Doing this, you should make a good plan and strategy to write your purpose to study MBA and good marketing to present yourself in your own way. Believe that everyone has different reason, career, and ambition. Such difference will make you outstanding and you must be confident to be who you are.
What was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? I decided to choose Fisher for MBA program because of the suitable number of students in class compared to other interesting universities. I love its idea “There’s no back rows in the classroom.” It shows that this program emphasizes the importance of students and can focus each student more thoroughly. As an international student, this is meaningful for my concentration and class participation opportunity. Sufficient resources are advantageous to all students. One of the important things is that you can make friend with your classmates closely. As you know, sharing ideas and experiences with various friends gives you connection and great benefit for future career and throughout your life.
What would success look like to you after your first year of business school? I only two weeks in Fisher and it is already a special time for me. In addition to useful business lecture, I have learned lots of new things from friends who come from diverse backgrounds. These friends give me inspiration by their distinguished characteristics and excellent ideas. This experience is valuable for me. Coming from different countries, we all have the same eagerness to learn as much as and as soon as possible. I feel very excited and confident that after my first year of Fisher, I will get more than what I expect. My effort brings me to OSU and now I believe that OSU will fulfill my goal.
Ibukunoluwa Oni
Fisher College of Business, The Ohio State University
Describe yourself in 15 words or less: Phenomenal woman with a passion for equity within the beauty and health industry.
Hometown: Woodbury, NJ
Fun Fact About Yourself: Most people hear my accent and automatically know I haven’t always lived in the US. The same thing happens whenever I’m in Nigeria. My accent is neither Nigerian nor American. It is a unique combination of the places I call home.
Undergraduate School and Major: University of Pennsylvania, Health and Societies major
Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation: The State of New Jersey as a Human Resources Consultant
Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: My business, Omoge, began with an obsession. It was an obsession with making people feel amazing about themselves. With makeup and hair, features are enhanced and imperfections are blurred, but on the base level every feature was already there. One of the biggest accomplishment of my career so far would have to be the opportunity to partner with The Elizabeth Ministry, a D.C based non-profit, to develop and lead an intimate beauty workshop for a group of young mothers.
Looking back on your experience, what one piece of advice would you give to future business school applicants? As you are writing your essays and completing your applications, remember what sets you apart and makes you unique. It is easy to get bogged down in comparison and to tailor your essays to what you think they should resemble, while inadvertently losing your voice. Don’t. Admission offices do not only want one specific type of applicant or one type of essay. Use your essays to distinguish yourself from the masses and remember to enjoy the process.
What would success look like to you after your first year of business school? Success after completing my first year of business school would be beginning an internship in a health operations role at a health system firm, while having further developed Omoge during the school year.
Hargav Ram Dharnikota
Fisher College of Business, The Ohio State University
Describe yourself in 15 words or less: A humorous person, an aspiring business leader and ardent admirer of innovation.
Hometown: Vijayawada, India
Fun Fact About Yourself: Though I am highly terrified of watching horror movies in theaters, I still go and watch them to experience fear.
Undergraduate School and Major: Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur – Electronics & Electrical Communication Engineering (B.Tech)
Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation: iRunway India Private Limited – Consultant – Bangalore, India
Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I co-authored an industry report on Speech Recognition that featured in major media houses such as Yahoo Finance, Intellectual Asset Magazine (iam) – leading IP magazine and World Intellectual Property Organization and many others. Seeing my name on such reputed media house website is the proudest moment in my professional career. The industry report not only garnered huge viewership but also increased iRunway revenue by $0.5M through new client contracts.
Looking back on your experience, what one piece of advice would you give to future business school applicants? I would advise applicants to focus on the holistic nature of their application rather than focusing on one aspect of an application and ignoring the rest. The GMAT score is only a part of application and there are several other factors in the application that differentiate individuals in a typical MBA class. A higher GMAT score does not always guarantee an admission into a top b-school. Applicants should learn to equally emphasize various components of the application and submit the best possible application that depicts their overall personality.
What was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? Experiential Learning is key factor that led me chose Fisher College over other b-schools. During the application phase, I started shortlisting b-schools primarily based on the experiential learning opportunities a school provides. Fisher College has one of the best experiential learning opportunities in its Global Applied Projects (GAP) & Global Business Expeditions (GBE) programs and it stands out among top b-Schools. Through GAP, students get an opportunity to work on real-world business challenges even before they graduate, which is a very important attribute in today’s challenging business environment.
What would success look like to you after your first year of business school? If I could develop business acumen through deeper understanding of various business functions and if I am confident enough to take leadership roles and initiatives in multinational corporations after first year of my business school, I would call myself successful.
Matthew Rosebaugh
The Fisher College of Business, The Ohio State University
Describe yourself in 15 words or less: I am passionate about changing the world through small positive interactions in decentralized networks.
Hometown: Youngstown, OH
Fun Fact About Yourself: I am a certified helicopter instructor pilot, which is weird because one of my biggest fears is heights!
Undergraduate School and Major: United States Military Academy, Bachelors of Science in Military History
Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation:
United States Army – Helicopter Instructor Pilot
United States Army – Operations Manager / Senior Aviation Consultant (Platoon Leader)
United States Army – Executive Director (Company Commander)
United States Army – Training and Development Consultant
Big Voice Video – Director of Veteran Business Outreach
Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: As the Executive Director of the only graduate-level Chinook helicopter training organization in the United States Army, I was tasked with the strategic goal of increasing our training output with no additional resources. Through in-depth data analysis and outside of the box thinking, I led the effort to increase our student output by 49% in one year.
Although some analysts speculated that we had over-extended our efforts, I developed a culture of winning through adversity that led to innovative solutions to complex problems, improved communication throughout the organization, and increased teamwork by all stakeholders. Despite sometimes insurmountable odds, this led to a 100% graduation success rate, all while reducing average training time 11% and saving $1.3M in the budget.
Looking back on your experience, what one piece of advice would you give to future business school applicants? I think my greatest advice would be to figure out what makes you different. I have mentored several people who have struggled with this because they feel they do not have the “right” story to tell. Looking back on our careers, we all have done amazing things through capitalizing our strengths and overcoming adversity, but we may not think it is good enough. Sometimes, the “right” story is just telling the admissions team how you have overcome that hardship throughout your life to achieve success. Coming to business school is a chance to change your trajectory in life. It will not be easy. Your essays, recommendations, and interviews should all capitalize on what has developed you into the person you are today, and how that drive and experiences will lead you to be a successful leader in your MBA and beyond. Each one of us is unique, and you should focus less on what you think the admissions team wants to hear, and focus more on being yourself.
What was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? As I was transitioning out of the Army, I was torn between getting a job to start my next career or completing an MBA program. I knew that I wanted to make a difference in this world, but was lost in how to make that happen.
In October of last year, I attended a Fall Preview Day at Fisher and was immediately blown away by the professionalism, warmth, and care of the admissions staff. Hearing Professor Shashi Matta (the MBA Faculty Director) talk about the Global Applied Project, a course that prepares students for international business through an immersive, hands-on consulting experience in a location outside of the United States, made me realize that making a global difference was not 10 years down the road. I chose the Fisher College of Business that afternoon, because I knew that it was a school that not only cared for me and my growth, but focusing on how each student could make an impact as they graduated from the program. I immediately knew this was what I should be doing with my career.
What would success look like to you after your first year of business school? I hope to have a more global view of how the business world operates by successfully engaging the excellent core curriculum at Fisher. I also want to make an international impact through Fisher’s Global Applied Projects. I hope to have created a growing network of contacts through engaging the many international and domestic students in the Class of 2019. Through these experiences, I will have selected an internship that not only capitalizes on my strengths, but allows me to make a difference in this world. Additionally, I hope to have continued to grow my passion for helping the Veteran community through volunteering and working at non-profits to engage and change the lives of those transitioning out of the military.
Chuck Tyler
Fisher College of Business, The Ohio State University
Describe yourself in 15 words or less: Global marketing and advertising professional with a passion for impacting the Columbus corporate community
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Fun Fact About Yourself: By the time I turned 18, I had lived in 14 different houses.
Undergraduate School and Major: University of Southern California, B.S. Business Administration, Global Marketing Emphasis
Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation: Spectrum Reach – Media Marketing Consultant, NHL Columbus Blue Jackets – Corporate Partnership Account Executive, MLB Los Angeles Dodgers – Sponsorship Account Coordinator
Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Created, negotiated, and closed the largest new corporate partnership for the NHL Blue Jackets during the 2014-2015 season, which led to all revenue goals, individual and team, being achieved.
Looking back on your experience, what one piece of advice would you give to future business school applicants? Maintain relationships with former employers, because their recommendations can make a large impact on your application. Having past executives write a strong reference shows a candidate’s talent for building lasting professional relationships and the ability to make a business impact.
What was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? I chose the Fisher College of Business because of its strong connections to the business leaders in Columbus. Fisher and its faculty have done a wonderful job creating a bridge between the Ohio Fortune 500 companies and MBA students. We have intimate discussions with executives detailing their greatest business challenges and how they are working to solve them. The ability to deeply interact with central Ohio decision-makers is unique and creates the exciting classroom experience I wanted in a business school.
What would success look like to you after your first year of business school? A successful first year would conclude with a leadership rotational program internship at a Fortune 500 company. These programs provide great technical development and the opportunity to work closely with upper management. While business school provides the tools to analyze situations, a leadership rotational internship allows the MBA candidate to put those skills into practice.
The post Meet Ohio State Fisher’s MBA Class Of 2019 appeared first on Poets&Quants.
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