Alice Zhou

University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business

“A Cali girl who prefers rain and snow.”

Hometown: Los Angeles, CA

Fun fact about yourself: I’m trying to eat my way through the entire Cheesecake Factory menu! I’m about 80% of the way there. It’s such a great restaurant.

Undergraduate School and Degree: I studied Chemical Biology at Case Western Reserve University. It’s similar to biochemistry, but while biochemistry is housed within the biology department, my major is within the chemistry department and places a stronger emphasis on the physical sciences.

Where was the last place you worked before enrolling in business school? I was a product manager at Pearson Education, where I helped build educational software for K–12 and university students and educators. In addition to improving our learning platform, I led our accessibility initiative, ensuring that our product features were inclusive and usable for all learners.

Where did you intern during the summer of 2024? McKinsey & Company in Los Angeles

Where will you be working after graduation? McKinsey & Company in Los Angeles

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School:

• 1st place, 2023 EY USC Case Competition
• 1st place, 2023 Deloitte USC Case Competition
• 2nd place, 2023 Deloitte National Case Competition
• VP of Career Development and Education, Marshall Consulting & Strategy Club
• VP of Allyship, Marshall Pride
• AVP VP of Academics, Marshall Graduate Student Association
• AVP of Partnerships at USC, Marshall Pride
• AVP of Outreach, Graduate Asian Business Society

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? I loved participating in the case competitions! Marshall has an incredibly strong track record of winning case competitions, and being mentored by upperclassmen was an incredibly valuable learning experience. These competitions also cemented my interest in consulting. During these competitions, you take on the role of a consulting partner, where you need to devise a completely new strategy for your client and formulate a plan for its implementation.

Participating in these competitions gave me a bird’s-eye view of the consulting process—from inception to execution—and helped me understand what it means to own a full project. I also feel incredibly lucky to have tackled these challenges alongside my friends. Bonding over late-night food and problem-solving sessions brought us so much closer. In fact, my entire case team came to my wedding a few weeks ago! If there’s one thing I’ve done right at USC, it’s signing up for these competitions with my friends.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? At Pearson Education, I worked as a product manager on our collegiate digital products. For those unfamiliar with product management, the best way I can describe it is that you’re like the interior designer of a house—you consult with your clients (your software users) to understand their vision and work with the builders (the engineering team) to bring it to life.

There was one feature our educator users had been requesting for years, but due to technical limitations, it had always been considered unfeasible. I led the project that finally brought this vision to life, working closely with a diverse and creative team to find a path forward. Announcing the change to our users—and seeing their excitement when it launched—remains one of the most rewarding moments of my career.

Why did you choose this business school? I chose Marshall because of its robust student and alumni body. The Trojan Network isn’t just a buzzword—it’s real. Before my MBA started, I was offered an early consulting interview. I hadn’t even stepped on campus yet and I had never heard of a case interview before. I was unprepared and incredibly nervous. I reached out to a few students and alums asking for help, and within a week, three of them responded with encouragement and offers to personally coach me through the process. This abundance mindset is uniquely USC – Trojans are incredibly invested in each other’s successes, which has inspired me to give back just as generously.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? My favorite MBA professor is Scott Abrams, who teaches finance. I had never taken a finance class before USC, and I was nervous about what to expect. But Scott has a gift for taking complex topics and breaking them down into approachable, easy-to-understand concepts—all while bringing warmth and humor into the classroom.

He also comes from an entertainment background, so his examples often tied back to the movie industry in really engaging and memorable ways. He teaches the core Corporate Finance class, but many of us—myself included—enjoyed his class so much that we signed up for his more advanced financial valuation elective.

In addition to teaching, Scott also serves as the academic director of the full-time MBA program. I had the opportunity to work closely with him as the academic representative for my class. It’s been a true honor to learn from him, collaborate with him, and most of all, call him a mentor.

What was your favorite MBA event or tradition at your business school? I love Admit Day! It happens every April on Marshall’s campus and is dedicated to welcoming admitted students into the community. Admit Day was actually the first time I set foot on campus. I was nervous and full of questions, but the student leaders, faculty, and future classmates I met were so patient, warm, and generous with their time—it made me feel instantly at home.

A year later, I returned to Admit Day as a club leader and student panelist. Answering the same kinds of questions I had once asked was such a full-circle moment. It made me realize how much I had grown over the past year and gave me a new perspective on the MBA experience—one rooted in giving back and paying it forward.

Looking back over your MBA experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently and why? Live in Koreatown (laughs). When I first moved to LA, I thought I needed to live near campus to have a rich and meaningful MBA experience. But that couldn’t have been further from the truth. We have classmates who live all over the city (or even farther), and everyone is more than willing to travel to one another to hang out.

Don’t get me wrong, my commute was amazing —but I now realize I am in a different life stage, and I wish I hadn’t limited myself to just one neighborhood. I had the preconceived notion that being closer to campus meant better quality time with friends. Now, living further away, I maintain just as many wonderful friendships as I did before.

What is the biggest myth about your school? I had the impression that business school, and USC in particular, was primarily filled with extroverts. While there are certainly plenty of networking and club events, I was pleasantly surprised to find that our class is diverse in terms of personality types, with many introverts like me.

I remember one particularly long, social day when I quietly slipped away to my car for a power nap. When I got there, I saw my classmate, Harley, was getting ready to do the same thing in his car parked next to mine. We both burst out laughing at the coincidence.

The takeaway for me is that no matter where you are, there’s always room to find like-minded people and make space for your own needs.

What did you love most about your business school’s town? LA is filled with so many kind people. I lived in Boston for six years before returning for my MBA, so I was used to the brisk, no-nonsense attitude of East Coasters. When I first moved back to LA, I remember going on a hike and being shocked by how everyone on the trail smiled at me or said hi. LA definitely has a more laid-back pace of life, and the warmth and approachability of Angelenos took some getting used to—but in the best way.

What is one way that your business school has integrated AI into your programming? What insights did you gain from using AI? USC has been very encouraging about using AI, seeing it as a powerful tool to support our work. The faculty have encouraged us to incorporate it into our projects, as long as we disclose the prompts used.

The most frequent way I’ve used AI is to generate first drafts of essays. You know the phrase, “A first draft is perfect because it just needs to exist”? I’ve applied that mantra by using AI to quickly create an initial draft. I provide clear instructions on my vision, the research-backed facts I want to include, and the tone and direction of the piece. From there, it’s a lot of manual editing and proofreading, but it’s much simpler to edit when you have a lot of content to work off of. I’ve learned that generating content from a robust set of instructions like my essay is one of AI’s strengths, though some exercises (like complex data analysis) is something we’re better off doing manually.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? This is a tough question because there are so many classmates I admire and have learned so much from. But if I had to choose, I’d name Felix Xu. Felix came from a consulting background before Marshall. I had a lot of questions about consulting when I was recruiting, and without asking, Felix took it upon himself to mentor me for months. He’d drill me on the technical aspects of interviewing, but more importantly, he always checked in on how I was feeling. He’d ask, “What did you learn today? How do you see the takeaways from today’s class apply to a client relationship?”

Felix is also a strong advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion. He encourages me to take a step back and reflect on how my own upbringing may have influenced my decision-making. For example, now, whenever I send out a calendar invite, I check whether any of the recipients are parents. I ask myself, would the day and time I’ve chosen impact child drop-off or quality family time? There are so many questions I ask myself now because of what Felix has taught me.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list? After graduating from college, there was a time when I was seriously considering a career in academia. That part of me is still very much alive, and in the future, I would love to return to USC as a guest lecturer.

One of the most inspiring moments for me at USC came from hearing Linda Mansolillo, an alum and guest speaker, share her goal of becoming a board member. She spoke with such clarity and conviction about the steps she was taking to achieve that ambition. At the time, I hadn’t even considered such a goal for myself, but her words opened my eyes to new possibilities. Seeing how much I’ve grown over the past two years, and witnessing the incredible accomplishments of my peers, has made me realize that no dream is too big to pursue. It’s a challenge I hope to take on someday, and I now truly believe it’s within reach.

What made Alice such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2025?

“Alice Zhou has been one of the most impressive, thoughtful, and dynamic members of the Class of 2025. Her combination of leadership, intellect, creativity, and quiet strength has made her a standout in every aspect of the MBA experience.

Alice held leadership roles across several student organizations, including VP of Career Development and Education for the Marshall Consulting & Strategy Club, VP of Allyship for Marshall Pride, and AVP of Academics for the Marshall Graduate Student Association. In each of these roles, she made a meaningful impact by expanding access, building community, and ensuring students felt supported—whether through improved academic communication or mentorship throughout the consulting recruiting process.

She also represented Marshall in multiple case competitions, earning first place internally in both the Deloitte and EY competitions and second place nationally at the Deloitte Invitational. These are highly competitive events that demand strong analytical skills, clear communication, and the ability to collaborate under pressure. Alice excelled in each of these areas while also mentoring others, often staying late to help classmates prepare and practice.

In the classroom, Alice has been a strong and engaged contributor. Her background in chemical biology and education product management gives her a unique perspective that blends analytical precision with empathy and creativity. This balance was also evident during her summer at McKinsey, where she worked on a pricing strategy project and earned a full-time offer to return after graduation.

On a personal note, I’ve had the opportunity to teach Alice and work closely with her in her role as AVP of Academics. She consistently brought thoughtful, well-articulated feedback to our weekly meetings and helped faculty better understand and improve the student experience. Her calm, respectful presence in those conversations made her a trusted voice among both peers and faculty.

Outside the classroom, Alice is someone who brings warmth and authenticity to every setting. She’s witty, kind, and grounded, with a genuine care for others that makes her a connector in the community. She’s also full of personality, whether talking about her love of Cheesecake Factory, figure skating, or storytelling, Alice brings a joy and self-awareness that makes people feel at ease around her.

It’s been a real pleasure to work with Alice over the past two years. She has made Marshall a stronger, more thoughtful, and more connected place, and I’m excited to see all that she does in the years ahead.”

Scott Abrams
Academic Director, Full-Time MBA Program
Professor of Clinical Finance and Business Economics
USC Marshall School of Business

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