Meet Vanderbilt Owen’s MBA Class of 2019

Raj Majumder 

Vanderbilt University Owen Graduate School of Management 

 Describe yourself in 15 words or less: Science nerd and music lover (yes, even country)! Inquisitive, outspoken, and loyal to a fault.

Hometown:Idaho Falls, Idaho

Fun Fact About Yourself:  I toured as a saxophonist in a professional funk band for 8 years, playing over 650 shows in 12 different states!

Undergraduate School and Major: 

Harvard University, Biology (Grad)

Dartmouth College, Biology (Undergrad)

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation:  

Suffolk University – Adjunct Professor of Biology

Boston Children’s Hospital – Senior Research Technician

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I led and designed a study at Boston Children’s Hospital that was aimed at non-invasive ways of detecting brain tumors. It’s hard for patients, and particularly children, to sit through a costly MRI or invasive biopsy, so we wanted to find alternatives. I succeeded in establishing an animal model that could detect the most common and aggressive pediatric brain tumor, Medulloblastoma, through a simple urine test. I was then selected to give an oral presentation of this research at the 2013 CNS annual conference, which is the largest meeting for neurosurgery attended by thousands of medical professionals.

Looking back on your experience, what one piece of advice would you give to future business school applicants?  Be passionate and make sure that your unique story and passion shines through. The purpose of this is twofold.

First, in terms of picking schools to apply to, don’t just base the decision on prestige or rankings. Really look into which schools have programs and opportunities to maximize what you’re interested in and want to pursue.

Second, make sure your application and essays show what you’re genuinely excited about and what makes you unique. Don’t just try to fit an ideal of what you’ve heard a successful business school candidate looks like. (Hint: there is no ideal!)

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 primary reason I chose Owen was the community. Even before I knew if I’d get in, everyone from the admissions staff to alumni to students took time to talk and meet with me and make me feel so welcome. The students are humble and excited about Vanderbilt, and the smaller class size means you get to know your classmates and interact with the professors on a much more personal basis than in a larger school. You’re not just one face in a crowd at Vanderbilt, you’re part of a family.

What would success look like to you after your first year of business school?  A successful first year to me would be making lasting friendships, being an active contributing member of groups like the Health Care Club, and taking advantage of the amazing resources available at Vandy to land an awesome summer internship.