Astha Berry, Wharton MBA Class of 2026
Age: 28
Hometown: Milwaukee, Wisconsin / Irvine, California
Undergraduate Institution and Major: Medicine, Science, and the Humanities (undergrad) and Molecular Microbiology and Immunology (grad) at Johns Hopkins
Pre-MBA Work Experience: Did Strategy Consulting for six years (at Accenture, Guidehouse, and Navigant)
Why did you decide to attend business school? Why now?
I always knew I wanted an MBA to have dedicated time to pursue my entrepreneurial ambitions – it was just a matter of when. My husband graduated from business school in 2023, and I basically had a business school experience through him. I attended all of the social events, traveled with the class, and befriended people on my own – I did everything but class and recruitment (so the most fun, un-stressful parts of an MBA). I loved learning from his experience and thinking about what I would do when my time came. As soon as he graduated, I began working on my applications, and we got to spend one whole year with DINK status (Dual income, no kids). Now, we are in SINK status (Single Income, No Kids), as I am now in school. If you have a partner, I highly recommend doing business schools at different places to double your network and if possible, doing it sequentially so you get four years of the business school experience instead of two. This also means that at any given time, at least one of you has an income because business school events add up quickly!
Why did you choose The Wharton School? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend?
Wharton was also the very first MBA application due, so I spent an inordinate amount of time researching it, setting up coffee chats with people, and envisioning myself there –it very quickly became my dream school. Wharton was also the first business school campus I visited in August before applications were due in early September. I immediately loved Penn’s campus and Philly (especially after living in NYC for six years – it felt like a welcome change, where the city was still a short train ride away). Then, I spoke to several people from my undergrad who were at Wharton and everyone was so happy and busy – I could tell that Wharton students lived up to their highly social reputation. My undergraduate and graduate experiences at Hopkins were very academic, so I was excited to go to “the most fun business school,” according to all my friends. Even the fact that the interview was a TBD group interview felt exciting and fun for me (I’m a five on the extraversion scale).
I spoke to entrepreneurial friends at Wharton and loved their point about going to a school with a smaller but tight-knit entrepreneurial community. Since Wharton is known for finance, it helps you gain credibility in that space. However, it also means that they are actively investing in growing their entrepreneurial footprint and uplifting student founders. A large portion of the class is focused on finance, consulting, tech, etc., so there are fewer students competing for entrepreneurial resources and grants (especially compared to a school where entrepreneurship is “their main thing” the way that Wharton’s reputation is centered around finance and Hopkins’ was around medicine/science). This especially resonated with me because being pre-med at Hopkins was difficult when so many people were doing the exact same thing as me. In many ways, Wharton felt like a very different experience than what I had in undergrad (which was still wonderful, and I’m very grateful for it) – but I was ready for a change, or as we call it here, “a stretch experience.”
While it was the first application I submitted, it was the last school to release decisions. As I fixated on Wharton and kept envisioning life there, it very quickly became my top choice. The night before decisions were released, I was talking to my parents about how excited I was to have received so many amazing scholarships from other schools, but I couldn’t stop thinking how badly I wanted to go to Wharton. When I was trying to make my decision and submit my deposit, my parents reminded me of the conversation the night before my acceptance, where I kept saying that Wharton was my dream school.
Now that I’m here, I think about that night a lot – when all I dreamt about for months was getting to where I am now.
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the Class of 2026?
I love building community within the class as well as with other MBA programs. Before classes began, I hosted 8 events between NYC and Philly where I was able to meet hundreds of MBA students. Whether it was intimate gatherings or large events, it was fun to get to know people over picnics, wine nights, music listening parties, clothing swaps, friendship bracelet making, and more.
Now that school is in full swing, I’m excited to serve as Cluster 2 President and continue to build community within my cluster and the other 3 clusters in our class and the year above us.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself that didn’t get included on your application:
I read 200 books a year pre-MBA (although during my MBA I’m falling short on that goal)
Post-MBA career interests:
Entrepreneurship, VC
Advice for Current Prospective Applicants:
–What is one thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process?
I took the culture research very seriously. At each school, I spoke to multiple current students and recent alumni to get a realistic view of their experience. I asked questions to truly understand which parts of the culture would be a great fit for me as well as which parts might not be a culture match. I visited 9 of the 11 schools to which I applied and I loved being able to see the campuses, talk to students, and do an internal gut check of whether I could envision my next two years there.
–What is one thing you would change or do differently?
I paid for 2 hours with an admissions consultant for a first draft review of two of my essays. Almost all of my friends here (and at other schools) used admissions consultants more holistically. If I could do it again, I wouldn’t be as short sighted about trying to save some money at this critical time when I could have used guidance and support (especially given that I am spending far more money now that I’m actually in the MBA program). It would have been smarter for me to leverage the consultant for ideation and outlining of essays with multiple drafts going through reviews, the way that nearly everyone else did. It seemed to give them more peace of mind and the support through the entire process would have been nice!
–What is one part you would have skipped if you could—and what helped you get through it?
Don’t attend virtual seminars or in-person events if you’re not interested in that topic or school – I don’t think attending every event possible mattered and some schools (including Wharton) say they don’t track engagement. Others do track engagement but there are diminishing returns. That time could be better spent talking to students or revising essays.
What is your initial impression of the Wharton students/culture/community?
Wharton was the first business school that I visited and I absolutely loved it. I reached out to several Wharton students who attended the same undergraduate school as me, and even if we didn’t know each other well, they spent quite a bit of time anwering my questions. Hopkins was a very difficult environment, and these students could compare/contrast that experience with Wharton. Everyone told me it was the most fun two years especially given Wharton’s propensity to travel and socialize/network. Classes are about learning not the outcomes (since we have grade non-disclosure). I didn’t want to go to a school where I would be stressed the whole time and everyone at Wharton seemed completely overbooked – and happy to do so! The intensity, passion, and pragmatism of Wharton students appealed to me.
What is one thing you have learned about Wharton that has surprised you?
Wharton students are incredibly nice and go out of their way to help. I was losing my voice and four separate people bought me tea – I couldn’t hold all of the Starbucks / Pret cups. My cup (and heart) literally overfloweth.
What is one thing you are most anxious about in your first year?
Undergoing stretch experiences and dealing with rejection is difficult. My second-year friends insist that it’s a rite of passage.
What is one thing you are most excited about in your first year?
Professionally, I am excited about entering pitch competitions and having access to a student-only resources. Socially, I’m very excited for the big travel traditions – especially the Colombia trip in the fall and the Japan trek in the spring.
