Hardik Arora

New York University, Stern School of Business

“Curious, ambitious, and adventurous—building ideas, breaking limits, and creating impact in finance and beyond.”

Hometown: Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India

Fun Fact About Yourself: I Can name the capital of every country in the world.

Undergraduate School and Major: Ashoka University (Economics & Finance) with exchange semester at University of Pennsylvania and London School of Economics

Most Recent Employer and Job Title:
Everstone Capital, Pre-MBA intern @ Investment Team
PwC India, Investment Banking Senior Analyst

What excites you the most about living in New York City and how do you see it enhancing your learning experience? What excites me the most about living in New York City is its status as the capital of the world—whether in finance, culture, or entertainment. This unique quality enhances the learning experience, as living and studying in the heart of the city will allow one to fully engage with it and learn from it. As a business school student, I find it crucial to understand the global customer landscape, shaped by diversity and scale. New York City, with its rich mix of languages, cuisines, and cultures, offers the ideal environment for a management student like me to thrive.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key part of NYU Stern’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? The program’s focus on EQ (Emotional Intelligence) led me to choose Stern. This was important to me because it showed that the school doesn’t treat EQ as just a checkbox in the application, but rather places it at the core of its evaluation criteria. This emphasis gave me confidence that my cohort will consist of individuals whose abilities go beyond intelligence and are enhanced by their character, empathy, and collaborative mindset.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at NYU Stern? I’m most excited about the Michael Price Student Investment Fund because it allows students to step beyond the classroom and apply their learning in the real world. I believe that participating in it will allow me to complement my academic knowledge with real-world investing experience, sharpening my ability to evaluate opportunities, manage risk, and make data-driven decisions—skills essential for my long-term career goals.

I would also like to mention the Graduate Finance Association, whose pay-it-forward culture fosters an environment where students actively support one another in navigating recruiting, skill development, and industry insights. Even as an applicant, I’ve found GFA students to be approachable and generous with their time, which reflects the school’s truly inclusive and collaborative community—one I’m excited to contribute to and learn from.

What does EQ (Emotional Intelligence) mean to you and when have you seen its value in your career? To me, Emotional Intelligence (EQ) means the ability to understand, manage, and respond to emotions—both your own and others’—in a thoughtful and empathetic way. It plays a critical role in building trust, navigating conflict, and leading with authenticity. In my experience, EQ often separates a good professional from a great one, especially in high-stakes, team-oriented environments.

I’ve seen the value of EQ firsthand in my career. In one instance, while leading a cross-functional project under a tight deadline, tensions began to rise due to misaligned priorities. Instead of reacting impulsively, I focused on listening actively, understanding individual concerns, and adjusting our approach based on team dynamics. This not only helped realign the group but also improved collaboration and morale.

EQ, to me, is not a soft skill—it’s a core capability. It enables better decision-making, stronger leadership, and long-term professional growth, which is why Stern’s emphasis on it truly resonated with me.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: My biggest achievement has been co-founding Bodhi Capital, India’s first undergraduate-level investment fund, during my time at Ashoka University.

When I joined Ashoka in 2017, the university was still building its identity. Inspired by its culture of interdisciplinary learning, I sought to create a platform where students could practically apply classroom concepts to real-world investing. Starting Bodhi Capital from scratch not only transformed campus conversations around finance, but also helped peers secure roles at leading financial firms and delivered consistent returns exceeding 20% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR). More than the financial success, it showed me how leading change with the right vision can create lasting impact on a community’s culture and opportunities.

What is your unique quality that will enable you to make a big contribution to the Class of 2027? My unique quality is my inquisitiveness. I constantly challenge the status quo by asking questions, probing assumptions, and exploring alternative perspectives. I’m unafraid to put myself forward, spark thoughtful debates, and push conversations deeper—creating an environment where my peers and I can learn, grow, and think beyond conventional boundaries.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into NYU Stern’s MBA program? My advice to potential applicants is to connect with as many people as possible—current students, alumni, and faculty—ask meaningful questions, and truly understand the culture of the institution. While most MBA programs have been around for decades or centuries, it’s the culture that ties generations of students together and gives you a real sense of what life at the school will be like.

I’d also recommend viewing the MBA not just as an academic program, but as a transformative phase of life. Spending it in the heart of a global city like New York exposes you to the real world in a way few places can, preparing you not only for your career but also shaping you as a professional and as an individual for the rest of your life.

DON’T MISS: MEET NYU STERN’S MBA CLASS OF 2027

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