Nearly two years ago now, during the midst of the pandemic, I was sitting at home feeling unhappy with my career. Although I was serving in the military, at the time I was in a technical/managerial role, so like many others I had been sent home to work from my laptop. I had reached a point in my career where I felt I was really starting to find my feet – I was progressing well, I had some real professional achievements under my belt, and I was starting to develop real expertise in particular areas. Despite this, however, I wasn’t satisfied. The excitement and rapid acceleration of the early ye ..read more

I am an early planner. Within a few days of getting my visa, my shopping list was finalised, goodbyes were said, and bags were packed for me to leave for the UK. It was therefore no surprise that in the week before my flight from New Delhi, I didn’t have much to do. It was deceptively calm, like a calm before the storm, and oh what a beautiful storm it has been! When 64 nationalities, 48% women and 90%+ international students sit together at the Nelson Mandela Lecture Theatre at Saïd Business School, the uniqueness of the Oxford MBA comes to life. The first two weeks at the program, aka “Launc ..read more

I am beyond thrilled for the coming year at Oxford and all the experiences I am going to have here at Saïd Business School! While applying to the program myself, I came across all these blogs of current students and alums which genuinely inspired me to apply to the program and now it is time to give it back to the aspiring MBA applicants. Quick Intro about myself – I grew up in Delhi, India in a nuclear household and was raised as an aggressive reader and developed specific interest towards British literature and read Charles Dickens, Emily Bronte, Charlotte Bronte and the likes. My mom who ha ..read more

I have always been someone for whom pushing the boundaries of personal growth has been of utmost importance. Coming from a conservative family where my mother or women before her couldn’t go to college or have careers, I’m the first girl in my family to go to a top university abroad for higher education on scholarships. Growing up, I was often made to feel inferior to boys and this has made me passionate about gender equity. Even today, only about 21% of women in India contribute to the GDP (a number way lower than the US or China), this is something that I aim to change. Professionally, I’ve ..read more

Please tell us a bit about yourself! I was born and brought up in New Delhi, India. I was fortunate that my parents sent me to one of the leading schools in India where school felt like a second home and my classmates and teachers felt like a family. During my early school years, my father introduced me to football which remains a passion of mine even today. I’ve always enjoyed taking ownership and leading teams and I applied these as a member of the school student council and captain of the school football team. During my undergraduate degree in Business Studies at the University of Delhi, I ..read more

Please tell us a bit about yourself In my early years I was lucky to be able to grow up in Cape Town, South Africa, where I spent my days absorbed in any form of outdoor activity and spending weekends at our farm in the Cederberg. It was during this time where I developed a deep love for nature and our connection to the natural world. Back then my plan was to become a professional adventurer and fly fisherman, although this clearly didn’t pan out too well! During my time at university, I graduated with a Master’s in Economics from Stellenbosch University while exploring the theory underlying m ..read more

My name is Rebecca Keeley, I’m an Australian speech pathologist and rural health advocate and now, MBA candidate at Oxford 22/23. For my undergraduate degree I completed a Bachelor of Speech Pathology, and since graduation have been working in a mixture of clinical and management positions in healthcare in Australia. I am incredibly passionate about allied health service provision, particularly in rural, remote or isolated regions of the world. I started considering MBA courses and options 18 months ago in the height of the Australian covid lockdowns. Being a part of the frontline clinical res ..read more

I was born in Bogota, Colombia, but left Colombia when I was 1.5 years old and have since lived in 7 different countries. When people ask “How was moving around so much?” I have to be honest, when a teenager hears that they must leave their friends and make new ones every 2 years they don’t always receive the news very well (sorry mum and dad!), but looking back I wouldn’t change a thing! I had the opportunity to explore different countries, experience different cultures, and build international friendships. I became fluent in 3 languages and got to work in finance in 2 of the financial hubs o ..read more

I was born and raised in a small town 40 minutes away from Mexico City, Mexico. I was a shy kid with Harry Potter-style glasses always asking “…but WHY?” to my parents and teachers. Little I knew that such annoying curiosity would bring me here – to one of the most respected educational institutions in the world. Yes, to keep asking “Why”. I was fortunate to have my inspirational figures up close, just a few meters away from my bedroom: My grandparents and my parents. Grandpa and grandma were both important professors which helped establish and grow the educational system in our state. Dad wor ..read more

It feels like yesterday I was asking myself whether I should apply for an MBA program or not. Fast forward almost 2 years, past the ups and downs of studying for the GMAT, past the anticipation of submitted applications and the celebrations of accepted ones, and here I am sitting in Oxford reflecting back on this process. Before I get into that, a bit about myself: I was born and raised in Montreal, Canada, and have spent most of my life living there (what can I say, I love poutine!). After studying business in university, I accepted a role as a consultant and spent 2 years absorbing as much a ..read more