Yash Gupta, Stanford GSB MBA Class of 2023
Yash Gupta, Stanford GSB MBA Class of 2023Age: 25
Hometown: Irvine, CA
Undergraduate Institution and Major: University of Southern California, Business Administration
Pre-MBA Work Experience (years, industry): 3 years, Consulting / Media
Why did you make the decision to attend business school? Why now?
My decision to attend business school was motivated by two factors: 1) I wanted to be in an environment where I could take risks and pursue what I was truly passionate about – sports. I felt that the GSB and business school in general would allow me to make this pivot and network with some of the brightest minds in the industry. I also wanted to be surrounded by the best business leaders in the world and my classmates are a testament to that. 2) I wanted to have a network of people who would challenge me to be my best and inspire me through their own ideas. I’ve met many people throughout my career that have had that effect on me, but the concentration of those people has never been higher than it is at the GSB. I wanted to go to school on the earlier side (3 years of WE) to make the most of my learnings from school for as long as possible.
Why did you choose Stanford GSB? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend?
3 things appealed to me about the GSB: 1) the location of the school, 2) the flexibility of curriculum and ability to chart your own path, 3) the intimate class size and strength of the alumni network. Location – I’ve been living in southern California for most of my life, and I wanted to go somewhere that was familiar to me but also leverage the power of Silicon Valley and the tech opportunities, especially as it relates to sports. Flexibility – the GSB really allows you to carve your own path after sharpening your business fundamentals through core classes. I appreciated that flexibility in comparison to other business schools that had more rigid curriculum or class requirements. 3) I felt that the class size of ~420 was the perfect amount to develop deep relationships while still having a broad base of diverse alumni to engage with.
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the Class of 2023?
I’m quite humbled and inspired by my classmates every day. If I had to pick one contribution, I’d say it’s the energy and positive attitude I bring to my classes and extracurricular involvement. I’m so energized to be surrounded by my classmates, which makes it easy to bring that same energy.
Tell us a fun fact that didn’t get included on your application:
I was the lead actor in an Intel Commercial for a non-profit I started when I was 14.
Post-MBA career interests:
Sports Business
Advice for Current Prospective Applicants:
–What is one thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process?
Talk to as many people from different schools as possible. This was beneficial in 1) determining which schools felt like a great cultural fit, and 2) tailoring my applications as much as possible to what I thought the MBA program was looking for.
–What is one thing you would change or do differently?
Recommendation letters – I would have spent significantly more time prepping my recommenders on the story that I was trying to tell throughout my apps and given them more time to finish their recommendations. It was quite the last-minute dash!
–What is one part you would have skipped if you could—and what helped you get through it?
The anxiety! The waiting between interviews and decisions. Honestly, being surrounded by very supportive friends and family was huge. I think everyone feels that anxiety, particularly after interviews, but would’ve loved to minimize that looking back.
What is your initial impression of the Stanford GSB students/culture/community?
The Stanford GSB culture is amazing. It’s the perfect mix of humility, measured confidence, and a desire to change the world. My classmates have very specific ambitions and have a very clear action plan to get there. I’m inspired by the risks my classmates are willing to take and I think that has a great calming effect on the student body overall.
What is one thing you have learned about Stanford GSB that has surprised you?
How normal everyone is! I was very worried when I got in that I’d be surrounded by very type-A, intimidating leaders. My classmates are genuine, laid back as well as easy going, and everyone is curious and trying to learn from one another.
Has the COVID-19 pandemic affected your personal application or admissions process in any way? If so, how?
Luckily no – we’ve had a mix of in-person and hybrid classes, but no effect on my application process.
What is one thing you are most anxious about in your first year?
How fast time is flying! We’re already almost 2 quarters done, which represents ⅓ of my total time at the GSB. I want to be more intentional about how I spend my time to make the most of the rest of this MBA experience.
What is one thing you are most excited about in your first year?
Developing deeper relationships with classmates. The first quarter was an amazing way to meet the majority of my classmates in a short period of time. I’m looking forward to continuing to build those friendships and relationships in a more meaningful way throughout the rest of this year.
