Gunjan Jain, Ross MBA Class of 2019
Age: 26
Hometown: Dehradun, India
Undergraduate Institution and Major: Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi University, economics (honors)
Pre-MBA Work Experience: 5 years of experience in strategy consulting at Bain & Company
Why business school? Why now? As a consultant, I gained extensive experience in solving business problems while leading a team. As my next step, I wanted to build on two key skills to be able to assume leadership positions in a global marketplace: cross-functional and cross-cultural skills. Business school provided the perfect environment for this. You not only learn from professors and meticulously crafted courses, but also from an excellent community hailing from all over the world and with backgrounds ranging from veterans to bankers.
Why Ross? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend? I believe that each school has a personality of its own and Ross was the best fit for mine. The focus on action-based learning really resonated with me since most of what I learn and retain is a result of my own experience. This is facilitated by a collaborative culture where people are committed to your success. My interactions with Ross students and alumni were far more friendly and helpful in comparison to other schools, with many people going out of their way to guide me. In addition, I wanted to live in a university town to get the opportunity of interacting with students from multiple fields; with UMich’s reputation across disciplines, it was the obvious choice for me.
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the Class of 2019? This is a difficult question to answer, given how amazing my classmates are! I believe that my most valuable contribution to the class would be my ability to understand business through the lens of various industries and capabilities, owing to my rich work experience. This enables me to help other students coming from non-business backgrounds build a strategic point of view in a structured manner.
Fun fact that didn’t get included on your application? I am a passionate dancer and am trained in five dance forms, both Indian and Western. I gave my first solo on-stage performance at the age 4 and have performed more than 50 times since. One of my best experiences was organizing a summer dance school where I taught kids aged 3 to 10.
Post-MBA career interests? Technology changes the way the world works and holds the power to solve some of the most pressing social and environmental challenges. I want to be instrumental in bringing technology to consumers by facilitating development and business strategy.
Advice to current prospective applicants:
–One thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process? Frequent self-reflection to look at the big picture. This is something that you miss in the fast-paced routine, and applications really make you think. The essays made me reflect on my life, my decisions, and my accomplishments. When I connected these dots across my 26 years of lifetime, certain prominent patterns emerged speaking about me and my interests, which I wasn’t consciously aware of. This exercise enabled me to identify real personal and career goals by basing them on what had driven my happiness in the past. Self-reflection is vital to strive for success the way you define it, hence now I do it more often.
–One thing you would change or do differently? Start early! I started the process after the first round was long gone, something that I would not recommend. Starting early eases the pressure, gives you more attempts and a buffer in case you want to retake the GMAT—I had none of these luxuries, which made the process quite strenuous for me to manage, especially with work.
–Part you would have skipped if you could—and what helped you get through it? I would have skipped thinking about the process and my essays without creating concrete results. The application process has many steps to it, hence it is important to start once you have a rough idea of the things to be done. When it comes to essays, I realized that just thinking about my story and trying to refine it in my mind was not helpful. Drafting your story on paper lends clarity and helps you identify gaps. It also serves as a ready framework for essays, making the whole process a lot easier.
Greatest highlight so far at Ross? Our orientation was organized in the state-of-the-art Robertson Auditorium with the full Class of 2019 looking over the stage where Dean DeRue stole the show. I was mesmerized and hoped to be on the same stage someday. Ten days into the program and I was there with my team, representing my section for the Impact Challenge. To top it off, we won! The journey to the stage was a highlight in itself. This was my first (much-anticipated) experience at Ross, and it clearly exceeded my expectations. I could not have imagined that working on a single project with a team of 30 people with different backgrounds could be that smooth. Working with local entrepreneurs to help develop community-focused business models introduced me to the local community, and it was interesting to see how different the social issues of the developed world were from those in the developing countries.
One thing about Ross that you didn’t expect before arriving? I didn’t expect the transition to be as smooth as it turned out to be. Ross does a great job at bringing current, previous, and prospective students together. Hence, even though I am an international student, I did not arrive in a completely unknown place. The people I had connected with earlier voluntarily helped me to settle in. School started with a bunch of group exercises through which I got to know a lot of people before classes began in full swing.
Thing you are most anxious about in your first year? The winter! I have heard horror stories and am already terrified of the 10-minute journey to school for a morning class in the snow. My local friends are teaching me the art of layering and wearing the right coat according to the weather—it will hopefully help me survive.
Thing you are most excited about in your first year? The fall! Fall is very different in the United States in comparison to India—here the leaves change color to beautiful shades of red and yellow, and the weather is great, too. I love the sight of trees shedding colorful leaves and the sound of them crackling as I walk. It also makes me feel better because I know that winter is not here yet.
