Udai Bhardwaj

The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania

“I smile and laugh too much, even when I shouldn’t.”

Hometown: New Delhi, India

Fun Fact About Yourself: I had three German shepherds when I was a kid. Pluto (named after the planet), Maggi (named after Maggi noodles, which my sisters and I loved), and Pluto and Maggi’s baby, Stuart (from the movie Stuart Little)

Undergraduate School and Major: Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: American Express, Assistant Manager

What has been your first impression of the Wharton MBA students and alumni you’ve met so far. Tell us your best Wharton story so far. People are very friendly and grounded. Many of the students I’ve met are passionate about their goals and their careers and listening to them talk is very rewarding. I’m learning so much!

Aside from your classmates, what was the key part of the Wharton School’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? I love the depth and breadth of Wharton’s programming.

What course, club, or activity excites you the most at the Wharton School? Conversations that Matter! It’s a diversity initiative where participants get to explore and discuss different aspects of their identity.

When you think of the Wharton School, what is the first word that comes to mind? Why? Diverse! One of the things that stood out about Wharton was its commitment to building a diverse and inclusive class. This was evident to me very early during my b-school research. No other school has a majority women class, or a scholarship similar to the PRISM fellowship! Without this scholarship, I may not have attended Wharton. It opened up so many doors and so many possibilities for me!

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point and what do you hope to do after graduation? To be honest, I wanted a big change in life. So, I decided to quit my job, move abroad, and go back to school. I had always treated my career as a data scientist and my activism as two disparate elements in my life. It was only when I began to imagine a career where I could use data to cause broad impact and benefit my community that I decided to pursue an MBA. I’m hoping to work in the social impact space after I graduate. I also have an interest in policy and I’m looking into that – and the great thing about Wharton is that I have the support and network to explore that space!

What is one thing you have recently read, watched, or listened to that you would highly recommend to prospective MBAs? Why? Thinking Fast and Slow.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into the Wharton School’s MBA program? Be authentic and vulnerable in your application, and don’t be too afraid to disagree during the Team Based Discussion!

DON’T MISS: MEET THE WHARTON SCHOOL’S MBA CLASS OF 2024