Meet NYU Stern’s MBA Class Of 2019

Meghana Hegde 

New York University, Stern School of Business 

Describe yourself in 15 words or less:  I love exploring new things. You’ll usually find me swapping pop science stories over coffees.

Hometown: Vasco-da-gama, Goa, India

Fun Fact about Yourself: When I first landed in New York, I lived out of two suitcases for five months and in a new place almost every month. I’ve lived in Times Square, Brooklyn, Turtle Bay and Jersey City.

Undergraduate School and Major: 

Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani

B.Pharm and M.Sc. Finance

Employers and Job Titles since Graduation: Credit Suisse, Assistant Vice President

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I have worked in three different roles in the five years that I’ve spent at Credit Suisse. My biggest accomplishment is that I was able to learn and transition into the new skills required by each role at a very quick pace. I am also proud of having been a mentor and a guide to a lot of my colleagues over the years.

Looking back on your experience, what one piece of advice would you give to future business school applicants? Take the GMAT early. You need to devote a fair bit of time to the rest of the application so it really helps having GMAT out of the way. Also, spend a good amount of time working on all sections of GMAT; it’s good to have a balanced score.

Another item to stress would be the essays. As long-form writing was not part of my day-to-day job responsibilities, I set aside time to ensure I was expressing myself clearly. Having a fresh set of eyes read through my essays certainly helped me a lot.

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 was of two minds while choosing programs. On one hand, I was worried about staying in one of the most expensive cities while not earning. On the other, I wanted to experience the big city feel for grad school, after having studied in a small town for my undergraduate degree.

But the Stern Preview Weekend really swayed my choice. I felt relaxed and encouraged with all the events and the people I met that day – my future classmates, Stern alumni, some of the brilliant professors. This was how I evaluated my “fit” with the school.

Further I was already living in NYC so I felt more comfortable with the choice as well. As an international student, NYC offers a second home. You will always find a friend you can connect to and a variety of cuisines and food if you miss home!

What would success look like to you after your first year of business school? If I’ve managed to give good time and space to every activity that I want to contribute to and make a positive impact, I would count it as a successful year!