Full-time MBA | Mit Desai

• Hometown
  Gujarat, India
• Undergraduate
  School: Gujarat Technological University
  Major/Minor: Computer Engineering
• Previous Industry/Company
  Financial Services at ICICI Bank
• Summer Internship
  Novartis
• Specializations at Stern
  Strategy, Corporate Finance
• Student Clubs
  Management Consulting Association, AVP of Admissions
  South Asian Business Association

I did three specific things before the program began: first, I researched the industries–and the specific companies within those industries–that interested me to gain clarity on my career goals. Second, I talked to then second-year MBA students who interned in my industries of interest to get a perspective on what to expect, and how to make the most of resources at Stern. Third, I leveraged Stern’s IGNITE workbook, which I had received from Stern a couple of months before the program started, to refine my resume, understand the recruiting landscape in the US, and craft my pitch.

It’d have to be Corporate Finance from Professor Aswath Damodaran. While I came to Stern knowing nothing about Corporate Finance, Prof. Damodaran has not only taught the subject but has ignited a passion for the subject in me. He not only teaches the concepts but also teaches how to think about the issues central to corporate finance. He has structured the course in a way that makes it possible to link various concepts and brings real-life ongoing business scenarios to the classroom, making the discussions more engaging.

Firstly, take the time to get to truly know Stern. I believe Stern is indeed unique in various ways: areas of expertise of professors, the number of–and the types of–experiential learning opportunities, the technical training as well as mental well-being support system, amongst others. And secondly, have clarity on short-to-mid-term career goals. In my experience, the clarity not only helps make a stronger case during the admission process but also helps in navigating the MBA experience, given that there are a myriad of opportunities that Stern provides during the MBA.

I have thoroughly enjoyed participating in Stern Consulting Corps. As a part of this experiential learning course, I’ve had the opportunity to devise a US market-entry strategy for a privately held company in India. I had the opportunity to implement classroom learnings in competitive strategy, marketing planning and strategy, and corporate finance subjects in this course. This helped me internalize classroom learnings by implementing them for a real-world company, while also learning first-hand the challenges involved in creating business strategies and the ways to mitigate them.

I’d categorize the support system for the recruiting process at Stern into four main categories. First, the classroom learning and the subjects are structured in a manner that immediately adds value to recruiting preparation. Second, Stern has incredible career coaches who guide through all the steps – from defining career goals to interview preparation, and everything in between. Third, the second-year MBAs were incredibly generous with their time, effort, and thoughtfulness – from career mentors to student-run clubs specific to various career tracks. And fourth, the peers. My fellow first-year MBAs have been incredible partners in this journey at every step of the way – be it practicing hard skills, providing feedback on soft skills, or serving as a support system and cheerleaders.

The Stern community truly embodies the IQ+EQ mantra. This was especially evident during the summer internship recruitment process. Despite recruiting for the same jobs, I found a friend with whom I was able to put in over a hundred hours of one-on-one practice over a couple of months. Another friend, who had already secured an internship, could have opted to enjoy their time but chose to forgo that to support me with my recruiting preparation. These experiences highlight what it means to be a part of the Stern community.