Preshit Karandikar

University of Rochester, Simon Business School

“Observant, Honest and Industrious.”

Hometown: Mumbai, India

Fun Fact About Yourself: Went about for 10 days without speaking/communicating with anyone (at a meditation camp)

Undergraduate School and Major: IHM Mumbai, B.Sc. in Hospitality and Hotel Administration

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Sony Pictures Networks India, Assistant Manager – Consumer Insights

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Awarded a certificate for excellent contributions to the performance of the Reality TV show – Super Dancer

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why: Collaborative is the quality that best describes my MBA classmates. Having worked on multiple projects for the past few months, I have observed all of my classmates to be considerate and willing to work with everyone on the team in a cohesive manner.

Rochester Simon is known for being “unabashedly analytical.” Why does the program’s focus on quantitative analysis and decision-making appeal to you? How do you intend to leverage this approach as a student and professional? Abundance of data is the hallmark of the 21st Century. As a manager who is interested in contributing to business decisions, I had no doubts about wanting to be able to thoroughly read and analyzed data.

Aside from your classmates, 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? Simon’s small class size helps foster a sense of community. If Covid-19 regulations were not in place, then I am quite sure I would have gotten to know all 120 students in my batch and these are the connections that I am going to cherish for the years to come.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? Pricing Club

What was the most challenging question you were asked during the admissions process? Funnily so, describing oneself in a short introduction is one of the hardest things that I have come across. Brevity truly is a trait of the accomplished.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? My past work has been in the domain of Sales and Marketing. I wanted to diversify my profile, try new things, and build holistic capabilities.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? Duke: Fuqua, Dartmouth: Tuck, USC: Marshall, University of Toronto: Rotman, McGill: Desautels

How did you determine your fit at various schools? Initial list was made with some cursory secondary research through aggregated reports and websites. I narrowed down a few after reaching out to current students and admissions representatives.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? I would not be able to narrow down on one defining moment. Every moment that I have lived has shaped my identity.

Where do you see yourself in ten years? I see myself working in the Corporate Strategy team at a leading Technology company.

DON’T MISS: MEET ROCHESTER SIMON’S MBA CLASS OF 2022