Bobby Keating, Wharton MBA Class of 2026
Age: 32
Hometown: Bellport, New York
Undergraduate Institution and Major: United States Naval Academy, Economics
Pre-MBA Work Experience (role, company, years): Navy Supply Corps Officer, U.S. Navy, 8 years.
Why did you make the decision to attend business school? Why now?
Based on my career path within the Naval Logistics community, I am on the precipice of assuming positions of leadership that have orders of magnitude greater responsibility than previous positions I have held. Along with that comes greater financial accountability and higher demands of leadership capabilities. I felt that the time was right to take time away from the workforce in order to return to the Navy with an expanded leadership, financial, and global economics toolkit. I feel like I owe the Navy and the U.S. taxpayer the best version of myself, and attending Wharton is a major step in that direction.
Why did you choose The Wharton School? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend?
Wharton had all of the attributes I was looking for in an MBA Program. It allows for academic flexibility (20+ majors/concentrations), has robust professional programming and resources (think CEOs, industry experts, and world-renowned thought leaders on campus almost every day of the week), and an unbelievably diverse and impressive student body. But the most prominent factors that led to me choosing Wharton: a strong commitment to leadership development and expertise in teaching data-driven decision making.
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the Class of 2026?
I bring diverse leadership and problem-solving experiences from circumstances involving no-fail missions in dynamic military environments.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself that didn’t get included on your application:
I am in the Navy, and my wife is in the Army. Always makes for a fun Army-Navy gameday (for one of us).
Post-MBA career interests:
Returning to the Navy to continue pursuing my goals of improving our Naval Logistics ecosystem in whatever role I am assigned.
Advice for Current Prospective Applicants:
–What is one thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process?
When answering application essay questions, send your draft essay responses to trusted co-workers, mentors, and family while omitting the questions. If written well, they should be able to guess what the questions are. Solicit input from those trusted sources because we tend to sell ourselves short and not be the greatest judges of our best qualities as leaders and teammates.
–What is one thing you would change or do differently?
I would put more attention on developing relationships with each member of the admissions staff instead of mainly just connecting with current students and alumni. Students and alumni are great for learning more about the granular details of life as a student, but when admissions decisions are being made, the admissions staff become your biggest advocates.
–What is one part you would have skipped if you could—and what helped you get through it?
GMAT prep/testing. It had been ten years since I was an undergrad and, therefore, a decade since having to prepare for a standardized test. What helped me was developing and adhering to a realistic yet regimented study schedule. Before I began studying, I mapped out exactly where, when, and how long I would study over a 3-month period. Then, I let my many practice test results dictate what the focus of each study session would be. The support and encouragement from my wife throughout those months was what kept me motivated to stay consistent and remain optimistic.
What is your initial impression of the Wharton students/culture/community?
Genuine. The entire MBA Cohort and faculty is rooting for and promoting each other’s success. An environment that is ideal for self-discovery and personal/professional growth.
What is one thing you have learned about Wharton that has surprised you?
There are so many resources for academic assistance in every class. Professor office hours, TA office hours, recitations, group or individual tutoring, question answering platforms. There is no one to blame but yourself if you are not grasping concepts or falling behind. All the professors have their own scheduled office hours and also offer ad hoc office hours when available. To me, access to all of these personalized academic help resources is most surprising with such a large class size.
What is one thing you are most anxious about in your first year?
Balancing family time (wife, 3-year-old son, and a newborn) with academics while also not missing out on social or professional opportunities that I am interested in.
What is one thing you are most excited about in your first year?
Diving headfirst back into an academic environment after serving in the Navy for the last eight years.
