Past The Prospectus: MBA Travels From Ivy League Exchanges To Himalayan Consulting Projects

Business school definitely attracts planners. Before arriving, many of us spend months researching programmes, comparing electives, and speaking with alumni. We think carefully about careers, clubs, exchanges and experiences, trying to maximise the value of every decision.

I was certainly no different. However, what I have come to realise is that whilst we spend a great deal of time evaluating opportunities, we rarely know exactly where they will lead. Often, the most memorable parts of an experience are not the reasons we chose it in the first place.

THE EXCHANGE BEYOND THE EXCHANGE

When I applied to spend a semester at the Yale School of Management through the London Business School Exchange Programme, I had a fairly clear picture of what I hoped to gain from the experience.

I wanted to experience another school, take classes that differed from those at LBS and immerse myself in a traditional American campus environment. The prospect of spending a semester following college sport certainly didn’t hurt either…

The exchange definitely delivered on all of those expectations. Looking back, however, many of the experiences that stand out most were ones I could never have predicted when I submitted the application.

The classes were perhaps the first sign of this. I chose them because I was interested in the subjects themselves, but many ended up offering far more than I anticipated. The Global Financial Crisis course ended up being co-taught by Tim Geithner, former Secretary of the US Treasury and one of the key figures responsible for navigating the crisis itself. What struck me most was not just his insight, but his calm and measured way of explaining events. It gave a glimpse into the temperament required to lead through one of the most turbulent periods in modern financial history. On top of that, a real estate elective unexpectedly led me to helping to facilitate Yale’s Real Estate Conference, which featured speakers including Ares Management CEO Michael Arougheti.

Meanwhile, my curiosity about how entrepreneurship intersects with art, culture and creativity led me to take the Entrepreneurship in the Art Market course. Throughout the semester, guest speakers, including Max Hollein, CEO of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, renowned critic Jerry Saltz and artist Daniel Arsham, joined the class to share their experiences. At the same time, I had the opportunity to interview Gabe Whaley, founder of the provocative art collective MSCHF. The discussions included how how the Met approaches emerging technologies such as Augmented Reality (AR) and VR (Virtual Reality) to enhance the visitor experience. Another discussion involved how Arsham has built long term partnerships with brands including Dior, Porsche, and Pokémon by prioritising continuity and trusted relationships over maximising the value of any single deal. It made for some of the most thought-provoking discussions of the semester.

The same pattern extended beyond the classroom too. One evening, a professor invited a small group of students to dinner at Mory’s, a historic private club in New Haven that has been part of campus life for generations. What began as a simple meal became an evening of stories and longstanding traditions, centred around one of Mory’s oversized silver chalices filled with bright green punch. It is passed continuously around, with the only rule that it could never touch the table. All of this unfolded whilst the University’s famous Whiffenpoofs performed in the background; they were an a cappella group that I had previously assumed only existed in Pitch Perfect. It was the sort of experience that would never appear in an exchange brochure, yet somehow captured the spirit of Yale better than many formal events.

Outside of academics, one of the experiences I had been most looking forward to was the annual Harvard-Yale American football game and tailgate. It delivered everything I had imagined college sport would be. From eight o’clock in the morning, the sports grounds filled with rows of tents. Here, students, families and generations of alumni gathered for hours of barbecuing, food, drinks and live music before eventually making their way into the stadium for the afternoon’s kick-off. What struck me most was the sense of community, with people wandering between tents, catching up with old friends and welcoming complete strangers into the celebrations. By the time kick-off arrived, I was amazed by the atmosphere the game had generated, one that the likes of Tottenham have probably never experienced (although Harvard’s 45–28 defeat probably felt a little more familiar).

Those same sporting circles along with simultaneous conversations with classmates also led me to discover Yale’s cricket team. Soon, I found myself travelling around Connecticut for weekend fixtures. Having crossed the Atlantic eager to immerse myself in American sports, playing cricket was certainly not part of the original plan. On the second play of my very first match, when the opposition attempted a Mankad (a controversial way of running out the non-striker before the ball is delivered), I did briefly wonder whether I should have stuck to baseball after all…

Looking back, the exchange delivered exactly what I hoped it would. Yet many of the memories that stand out most came from opportunities I could never have anticipated when I submitted the exchange application.

THE PROJECT BEYOND THE DESTINATION

A similar lesson emerged during my Global Experience, a week-long international class where LBS students work with organisations around the world on live strategic challenges. I chose to spend mine in Kathmandu because I was keen to experience a country and culture that I knew relatively little about. Nestled between two of the world’s largest economies – India and China – Nepal has developed a distinct identity, and I was excited by the opportunity to explore both the city and the wider culture first hand. By the end of the trip, however, it was not the destination itself that stood out most but the organisations we had the opportunity to work alongside.

Our team partnered with an AI startup that was grappling with a question currently being asked by companies around the world: how do you measure the return on investment of AI? We were tasked with helping the founders develop a framework for demonstrating the value their platform created for customers, translating technical capabilities into measurable business outcomes.

Later that week, we also visited a local shoe manufacturing business on the outskirts of Kathmandu. Walking through the factory with the owners, hearing how the business had evolved over the years, and seeing every stage of production firsthand provided a fascinating insight into a completely different side of entrepreneurship.

On the surface, the two companies could not have been more different. One was an AI startup tackling a cutting-edge technology challenge. The other was a more traditional manufacturing business operating in a completely different environment. Despite their differences, both were ultimately trying to solve the same fundamental problems. How do you attract customers? How do you build a sustainable business? How do you grow whilst remaining focused on what matters?

That contrast was perhaps the most interesting lesson of all. Business and entrepreneurship can take many forms, but the underlying challenges often remain remarkably similar.

By the end of the trip, Kathmandu, the city that had initially attracted me to the class, was no longer what stood out most. The lasting memories came from the people I met, the businesses I learned from and the reminder that talent, ambition and innovation are not confined to a handful of well-known ecosystems.

LOOKING PAST THE HEADLINE

Reflecting on both experiences, I have realised how easy it is to evaluate opportunities based only on their headline attraction.

We choose an exchange because of the university. We choose a project because of the location. We choose a subject because of the class title. In reality, some of the most valuable aspects often sit just beneath the surface. And whilst those opportunities may not appear in the brochure, they are often the ones that stay with you longest.

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Kunaal Kankate is an MBA 2026 at London Business School and also a graduate of the London School of Economics. Before his MBA, he spent five years in management consulting, advising on strategy and operations across multiple sectors. He has also co-founded a healthcare startup and been actively involved in angel investing. Passionate about the intersection of business and technology, he enjoys exploring how innovation drives meaningful change. He is also deeply interested in sports and plays and follows a variety! You can reach out to him about any of the above via his LinkedIn profile.

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PAST THE PROSPECTUS: THE VALUE THAT COMES FROM A BREADTH OF EXPERIENCES

 

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