Tanvi Nikita Vikas Raje

Stanford Graduate School of Business

Hometown: London, UK

Fun Fact About Yourself: Ex-trampolinist, sharpshooter and could spend absolutely hours talking about metals & mining.

Undergraduate School and Major: Undergraduate: Imperial College London, Mathematics; Postgraduate: University of Cambridge, Applied Mathematics

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Rothschild & Co, Vice President

Aside from your classmates, what was the key part of Stanford GSB’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? World renowned lecturers and researchers. The GSB has an incredible bench of professors and guest lecturers who are a great complementary mix of cutting edge researchers and industry practitioners. The point of the program is to create principled, knowledgeable change agents and the best way to do that, in my opinion, is to learn from doers!

What has been the most surprising thing that you’ve learned about Stanford GSB so far? I knew that the program focused heavily on reflection, introspection and academics but I was surprised to see how much time is spent on interpersonal dynamics. In less than a year, I’ve developed a deeper understanding of how my behavior impacts others and how to build connections with a diverse group.

What quality best describes your MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Inspiring and accomplished. It has been incredible learning about what my classmates have done in their professional and personal lives so far. Even more impressive is that these truly amazing accomplishments are accompanied by such humility.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Running the junior Mining team at Rothschild during the pandemic! Not sure if this is my biggest accomplishment or greatest challenge. The industry had a huge amount of churn during the pandemic and everyone was really struggling with their mental health, including me. Running the team during the pandemic, while managing my own projects and running the household, was incredibly challenging but I did it! For me, leading a team successfully was one of my most rewarding professional experiences.

Describe your biggest accomplishment as an MBA student so far? Confidently stating my ambition to be a CEO. Before the MBA program, I doubt I would have been able to articulate that so confidently and calmly. It’s a credit to the introspective journey Stanford has taken me on and the inspiring environment created by my classmates.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? Harvard Business School, London Business School, Wharton School, MIT Sloan, Berkeley Haas

What has been the biggest epiphany you’ve gained about yourself or the world since you started your MBA program? Since the start of the program there’s one clear difference: dreams just feel bigger and more achievable at Stanford. The incredible experiences, classmates and guest speakers all just come together in a way that inspires me to be the best version of myself, use the power of intentionality and expand my horizons. The program has shifted my perspective on risk-taking which in turn has made my dreams much more tangible. Success, whatever that means to you, feels much more achievable at Stanford.

What advice would you give to a prospective applicant looking to join the Stanford GSB Class of 2024? Take some time off before school to relax and reflect. When you’re here it is such a whirlwind of activity and you will be tempted to try everything. Take a break before the start to reflect on your priorities and try your best to hold yourself accountable to these priorities during these 2 years.

DON’T MISS: MEET STANFORD GSB’S MBA CLASS OF 2023