Despite Visa Fears, MBA Applicants To U.S. B-Schools Must ‘Dream Big,’ Michigan Ross Alum Urges

For many international students eyeing an MBA in the United States, the dream now comes with a caveat: uncertainty. Proposed H-1B reforms, the specter of six-figure visa fees, and political rhetoric about international students have created new anxieties for those abroad.

Bahouddin Muratov, a 2024 MBA graduate of the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, knows those concerns well. Applicants from Uzbekistan and Central Asia reach out to him regularly, asking whether the U.S. is still worth the risk. His advice is straightforward: keep working toward your dream, but always have a backup plan.

“People say, ‘Maybe we’re not welcome anymore,’” Muratov explains. “My response is: if it’s your dream, keep going. Even if the visa process doesn’t work out, the application journey itself — the essays, the interviews, the self-reflection — will stay with you. That experience won’t go away.”

FROM HANDICAPPING FRIDAYS TO ROSS

In 2021, Muratov was the first applicant from Uzbekistan featured on Handicapping Fridays with Sandy Kreisberg, a long-time Poets&Quants video series where admissions consultant Sandy Kreisberg reviewed real MBA applicants’ profiles and, with P&Q Editor-in-Chief John Byrne, offered candid assessments of their chances at top B-schools. At the time, Muratov was still unsure of his path.

“It was more about chasing the American dream,” he admits. “But that conversation made me realize I had to think about who I wanted to be after the MBA.”

The episode, shared widely on social media, inspired a surge of interest back home. “People started approaching me saying, ‘I saw you in that video, and I decided to pursue my own MBA,’” he recalls. “It gave a big boost to the society back home, because suddenly people could size the dream and see it was possible.”

FINDING THE RIGHT FIT

The interview also changed his own trajectory. Initially, Muratov considered Tuck and several California schools, largely because other Uzbeks had attended them. After reflecting on Sandy’s feedback, he sought programs that matched his personality and goals.

Ross rose to the top of his list for its action-based learning and tight-knit community. “MAP is the calling card, but Ross has many courses designed in the same way,” he says. “You spend semesters acting as a consultant for real clients, implementing research findings, and learning to shape problems.”

That structure, paired with Ross’s alumni footprint across the U.S., convinced him it was the right fit.

A CAREER IN TURNAROUND CONSULTING

Now based in Chicago, Muratov works in turnaround and restructuring (TRS) consulting, a path he discovered at Ross.

“My first choice was investment banking,” he says. “But I realized I wanted to be involved with operations as well as finance. TRS gave me that mix — analyzing cash flow, making business plans, and helping cure companies that aren’t doing well.”

Ross’s Career Development Office and alumni played a critical role. “The Wolverines are always there for you, sharing tips and helping you make the right choices,” he adds.

MENTORING THE NEXT GENERATION

Muratov has since become a mentor to dozens of prospective MBAs in Uzbekistan and Central Asia. After posting on LinkedIn offering free help, he was flooded with requests — from applicants already in the admissions process to those just beginning GMAT prep.

“I’m working with about 30 people right now,” he says. “We do Zoom calls, we create year-long plans. Even if not all of them get through, if I can help one person realize their dream, that’s enough.”

LESSONS IN LEADERSHIP

His message to would-be MBAs is clear: dream big, but make sure the dream is yours.

“An MBA is a platform for change,” Muratov says. “Don’t underestimate yourself, don’t rush decisions, and don’t judge yourself too much. You only need one job, one dream. Just keep grinding every day and it will work.”

Ross, he adds, transformed his view of leadership. “Titles don’t matter. What matters is empathy. True leadership is about looking at problems from new angles, working under pressure, and putting people first.”

WHAT’S NEXT

On a STEM OPT visa, Muratov continues to navigate the same uncertainty that worries the applicants he mentors. But he’s determined to find a path to stay in the U.S. while he builds his career in TRS.

“I love my life here. I don’t plan to move out yet. I want to explore every option to complete the path I started,” he says.

For now, his focus is on growing as a consultant and supporting others on their MBA journeys. “The corporate world isn’t easy, and it never will be,” he says. “But if I can make people’s lives easier — whether it’s clients in distress or young applicants chasing their dreams — that’s what success looks like to me.”

DON’T MISS WAGE OVER LOTTERY: TRUMP ADMINISTRATION PROPOSES SWEEPING OVERHAUL OF H-1B VISA SELECTION and ‘I LEFT EVERYTHING BEHIND’: HOW ONE INTERNATIONAL STUDENT REBUILT HIS LIFE — AND CAREER — IN THE U.S. WITH AN MBA

© Copyright 2026 Poets & Quants. All rights reserved. This article may not be republished, rewritten or otherwise distributed without written permission. To reprint or license this article or any content from Poets & Quants, please submit your request HERE.