Priya Chapagain

University of Rochester, Simon Business School

“Priya means “my beloved.” I would also like to be remembered as loved by (almost!) everyone.”

Hometown: Kathmandu, Nepal

Fun Fact About Yourself: I trekked to a height of 4,516 meters two weeks after recovering from COVID.

Undergraduate School and Major: Kathmandu University School of Management – Bachelor’s in Business Administration, Marketing

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Grepsr Pvt Ltd – Enterprise Account Manager

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? The importance of having a strong quant background for landing any business roles is a no-brainer. I have always loved numbers, though I cannot say that they have reciprocated the feelings. From high school to undergrad, I always chose calculus and mathematics-heavy subjects to continuously challenge my quant skills, and I want to continue doing so. Similarly, in my professional experience, I have found that it is easy to plan an agenda and have discussions. When it comes to decision-making, the meetings keep on lengthening. I want to be able to use logic and decide aptly whenever needed, so I intend to make full use of the quant-heavy and decision-based courses at Simon and am extremely excited to go back to the professional field again in the years to come to apply the lessons learned.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key part of Rochester Simon’s MBA curriculum or programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? Two things: first, I always knew I wanted to go to a program that offered a STEM-designated MBA, and what better option than the pioneer that started it all? Secondly, I was debating a lot between which school’s offer to accept when I decided to have one on one conversations with the current students and faculty. What stood out the most—and was one of the reasons I chose Simon—was how resourceful, helping, and supportive everyone was. The cutthroat competition vibes you sometimes get in some schools were completely absent from Simon. It has the best environment for collaboration.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at Rochester Simon? I am extremely excited to join the consulting clubs at Simon. I have my eyes on Simon Vision Consulting currently, mostly because it aligns a lot with what I am leaning towards for a career choice at the moment. From the orientations, hearing faculty talk and listening to students’ stories, I am most looking forward to learning about presenting case studies. What more can you expect from an ex-public speaker!!!

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: There are a few: winning three international level District Championships in Toastmasters; winning Rookie of the Year in both the organizations I worked in within a span of one year; and being recognized as a Forté member and a Fielding Leadership Fellow.

What is one thing you have recently read, watched, or listened to that you would highly recommend to prospective MBAs? Why? I recently read the book, The Lean Product Lifecycle. Even though it mostly caters to product management, any MBA can read it to better understand how to deal with plateaus in business cycles and resolve actual problems instead of creating pseudo-ones for the sake of daily work.

Looking ahead two years, what would make your MBA experience successful? Having an amazing time with my friends, landing my dream job, and enjoying both the work and play!

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into Simon’s MBA program? Be your authentic self while applying. Do not worry so much about getting in as much as about portraying the honest and impactful actions you have made in the past. Trust yourself and trust the process—it will all work out. Simon is one of the best MBA schools out there, with one of the most competitive and rigorous programs and an amazing group of helpful faculty. This is the place to be!!

DON’T MISS: MEET ROCHESTER SIMON’S MBA CLASS OF 2024