13 | Studying Business at Ross UMich - with Bharat Chopra

Bharat Chopra | Incoming Investment Banking Analyst, RBC Capital Markets

Bharat Chopra graduated from St. Columba’s School in Delhi before heading off to UMich to study Business. He is now about to start a job as an investment banking analyst at RBC Capital Markets.

Arjun and Bharat talk about how beneficial it was for Bharat to have been exposed to a liberal arts curriculum in his first year, and how important it is to make connections and strike an appropriate balance between academics and social life at Business school.

Episode Takeaways

Transitioning to UMich from Delhi

Freshman year was culturally and academically tough. Change from the CBSE system was a challenge. UMich is a big school but there are a lot of international students so he felt comfortable. He did not choose Ross Preferred entrance as his father wanted him to try a liberal arts education first. He really appreciated the liberal arts classes he wouldn’t have normally chosen to take such as Psychology, Public Health, Creative Writing. It was good that these were required courses besides the Econ and Math classes to gain entry into Ross in the 2nd year. During this time, he discovered that he really enjoyed writing. He decided to apply to Ross in the 2nd year but also to choose a path that was qualitative and not just quantitative thanks to his exposure to the liberal arts in freshman year. 

Life at Ross

The first two years at Ross are very different from the last two years. In general, Business at Ross is more competitive compared to other UMich majors. There are 600 students in Business each year. It can be intimidating to be surrounded by students who applied and got into Ross under the preferred program. You have to learn how to perfect your resume and network to get that first internship. There is healthy competition. 

His Academic Experience

He realized he was strong at Math. The way they teach Math at UMich is very thought provoking. Originally, he thought he wanted to study Accounting, but once he joined a couple of investment clubs and realized investment banking is both quantitative and qualitative because it involves working with people in a team, he realized this was his true interest. Ross helped him get better at teamwork as he had been a shy kid in high school. He managed to get an internship with RBC last year which then led to a firm offer. The BBA at Ross is not a STEM major as compared to STEM majors at NYU Stern or UPenn Wharton. 

Lessons from Failure

He thinks he has learnt continuously through failures. He had preconceived notions about socialising and academics in college. He realized in UMich how to strike a balance. He attended his first party only in 2nd year because he always thought he had to choose academics over socializing.

His 3 Strengths

Quantitative, Communicative, Team Worker

Advice to Students who are Applying for a Business Major

Before he went to UMich, he did not know how big a role social skills play in Business school. More than tech knowledge or business knowledge, you need to be comfortable around people. He found that his peers in business school already had entrepreneurial experience in high school - through competitions etc. Colleges are looking for teamwork skills from business major applicants. 

Advice on Coping with the COVID Situation

He is heading to his RBC job in NYC and is preparing himself for the H1 visa lottery for next year. But if it does not work out it's okay - uncertainty has to be accepted. So much is outside of our control. It's helpful to not think about it.

His Business Influences

He is influenced by Ray Dalio who wrote the book Principles. He likes the idea of a personal board of directors to whom you can tell everything and who won't judge you. Stephen M Ross after whom Ross school is named had a pragmatic approach - he believes when things are uncertain, let them be, keep trying and things will work out - don't overthink.