M7A: How Did You Get In?

In this episode, we sit down with Chase Lin (GSB '27), a joint MA/MBA candidate at Stanford GSB studying education and business administration. Chase grew up in a first-generation household in Queens, went to NYU Stern, and built a career across consulting, JP Morgan, and Iron Mountain before deciding an MBA was how he'd close the gap between his technology background and the thing he actually cares about, which is education access.Chase walks through how he tied his technology background to a long-running passion for education, why he treated every optional section of the application as valuable real estate, and how he closed the gaps in his profile without chasing credentials for their own sake. He breaks down his GRE journey and the decision to retake the test until he maxed out his verbal score, the Stanford ethos that shaped how he presented himself ("be one in a million, not one of a million"), and the banana shirt he wore to his interview. His takeaway is that letting your real personality show is what got him in.(00:00) Opener(00:55) Introducing Chase Lin(01:50) Early Career, From NYU to Consulting(03:02) JP Morgan and Iron Mountain(04:19) Joint MA/MBA in Education and Business Administration(04:45) Reflections on Career Trajectory(05:32) Developing a Passion for Education(08:04) MBA Application Authenticity(09:16) Developing Extracurriculars(10:08) The Decision to Pursue an MA/MBA(12:57) Navigating the MBA Application Process(14:42) Stanford GSB MBA Application Advice(16:07) Earning Awards for Volunteer Experience(18:07) Closing Gaps in Your Application(19:29) Navigating GMAT vs GRE(26:37) Stanford GSB Culture(29:07) On Whether or Not Academics Matter(29:31) Extracurriculars at Stanford GSB(30:37) Post-MBA Career Plans(32:11) Advice for Future Applicants

In this episode, we sit down with Simi Shah (WG '25) to hear how she went from private equity to serving as Chief of Staff to former PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi before building South Asian Trailblazers, a media company and agency elevating South Asian leaders. Simi opens up about crafting a cohesive application narrative across three very different career chapters, why she believes every experience compounds, and how she launched an agency her first week at Wharton. She also talks about finding her application "theme," navigating Wharton's team-based discussion, managing internship FOMO as a founder, and what it takes to build a company while earning your MBA. Simi is a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree and Harvard undergraduate alum.This episode is brought to you by Juno, the collective-bargaining platform that helps MBA students secure lower rates on student loans. Learn more at juno.us/m7a(00:00) M7A Sponsor: Juno(00:34) Opener(01:27) Introducing Simi Shah(02:26) Pre-MBA Background(03:14) Decision to Pursue an MBA(06:12) Crafting a Cohesive Narrative for Applications(08:14) Identifying an Application "Theme"(11:26) Why MBA?(14:47) Challenges in the MBA Application Process(17:28) Working on Indra Nooyi's Memoir(20:01) B-School Selection(22:04) Wharton Highlights(24:20) Strategies for the Team Based Discussion(27:35) Reflections on the MBA Journey(32:31) Pursuing Entrepreneurship at Wharton(35:24) Founder's Mindset(38:29) Recruiting and Internship FOMO(41:25) A Day in the Life of an Entrepreneur(44:37) Advice for Future Applicants

In this episode, we sit down with Hannah Zhang (WG '24) to hear how she went from investment banking in Hong Kong to tech in Mexico City before landing at Wharton. Hannah opens up about burning out in finance, why she wishes she'd taken the GMAT in college, and how her international experience helped her stand out in a competitive applicant pool. She also talks about choosing Wharton over Booth, navigating the pressure of business school recruiting, and how she built Career Hannah – a personal brand with over 100k followers that landed her a product marketing role at Allium.This episode is brought to you by Juno, the collective-bargaining platform that helps MBA students secure lower rates on student loans. Learn more at ⁠⁠juno.us/m7a(00:00) M7A Sponsor: Juno(00:34) Opener(00:48) Introducing Hannah Zhang(01:35) Pre-MBA Background(02:29) Motivation to Pursue an MBA(03:26) Why MBA?(04:41) MBA Application Timeline(05:55) Preparing for the GMAT(06:52) B-School Selection Process(09:17) Crafting an MBA Application Narrative(10:06) Reflecting on MBA Goals and Career Path(11:35) How to Stand Out as an Applicant?(14:43) Deciding Between Wharton and Booth(16:02) Why Wharton?(16:50) Wharton MBA Highlights(18:49) Post-MBA Planning(21:04) Building a Personal Brand(22:46) Pursuing a Career in Product Marketing(24:59) Advice for Future Applicants

In this episode, we sit down with Nicolas Echegaray (WG ’21) to unpack his path from Lima to Wharton – including how taking the GMAT early helped him score a 750, how he built a mission-driven narrative around financial inclusion, and how he navigated interviews as a non-native English speaker. Nico also shares how a viral LinkedIn post led him to an internship at Juno during COVID, why he ultimately chose Wharton, and how the MBA shaped his transition from investment banking to becoming COO of a fast-growing fintech startup.This episode is brought to you by Juno, the collective-bargaining platform that helps MBA students secure lower rates on student loans. Learn more at ⁠⁠juno.us/m7a(00:00) M7A Sponsor: Juno(00:34) Opener(01:01) Introducing Nico Echegaray(01:58) Pre-MBA Background(03:34) Motivation to Pursue an MBA(04:43) Taking the GMAT Early(05:36) B-School Selection Process(07:19) Starting the Application Process(08:05) Hiring an MBA Admissions Consultant(08:20) Crafting an MBA Application Narrative(11:09) MBA Application Challenges(11:54) Preparing for MBA Interviews(13:42) Value of an MBA Admissions Consultant(14:57) MBA Application Results(16:42) Wharton MBA Highlights(17:51) Advice for Future Applicants (and Current Students)(19:08) Post-MBA Career(24:07) Juno(25:42) Working as a COO(26:18) Changes to Federal Student Loans(27:24) Value of a Wharton MBA(28:21) Advice for Future Applicants

In this episode, we sit down with Christopher Ghadban (WG ’23) to explore his unconventional path from a 2.7 GPA and initial MBA rejections to earning a 740 GMAT score in just five days and ultimately getting into Wharton. Chris shares how his early experiences founding a synthetic biology lab at 19, working in clinical strategy and innovation at AstraZeneca, and later moving into venture capital shaped his views on resilience, curiosity, and impact in the biotech ecosystem. He reflects on using Wharton as a platform for exploration, the real ROI of an MBA, and the mindset that helped him turn setbacks into success.This episode is brought to you by Juno, the collective-bargaining platform that helps MBA students secure lower rates on student loans. Learn more at ⁠⁠juno.us/m7a(00:00) M7A Sponsor: Juno(00:34) Opener(00:59) Introducing Christopher Ghadban(02:13) Undergrad Academics(03:13) Early Entrepreneurial Ambition(04:43) Professional Experience at AstraZeneca(06:19) Why MBA?(07:55) Crafting an MBA Application Narrative(11:20) Rejection and Reapplying(15:24) Scoring a 740 on the GMAT(16:53) Wharton as a Networking Platform(18:10) Was a Wharton MBA Worth It?(19:31) Post-MBA Career in VC(23:54) Advice for Future Applicants