Ari Goldstein, Wharton MBA Class of 2025
Ari Goldstein, Wharton MBA Class of 2025Age: 27
Hometown: San Francisco, CA
Undergraduate Institution and Major: Georgetown University (Government & Jewish Studies)
Pre-MBA Work Experience (role, company, years): I spent four years in the museum field in New York. I worked at the Museum of Jewish Heritage, where I was a project manager and an educational program producer, and at the Genesis Prize Foundation, where I helped coordinate a grant in support of a Holocaust museum under construction in Greece.
Why did you make the decision to attend business school? Why now?
I’m a joint degree student pursuing both a JD at Penn Carey Law School and an MBA at the Wharton School. I wanted to enroll in the JD/MBA program because business and law are intimately related: every business challenge has legal dimensions and most legal issues have business dimensions. In today’s interconnected world, it’s increasingly important to be a multidisciplinary thinker and leader.
Why did you choose Wharton? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend?
Penn is one of few institutions that offers a world-class business school, an equally world-class law school, and the chance to attend both on an accelerated three-year track. In addition to the interdisciplinary program, I was excited about Wharton’s unique emphasis on quantitative business skills and its diverse student community, including a strong Out4Business chapter.
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the Class of 2025?
As an undergraduate humanities major, a former nonprofit professional, and a current law student, I’m a nontraditional business student on multiple fronts. But I think my nontraditional background is a strength, giving me a different perspective both in and out of the classroom. I try to bring my knowledge about history, government, and the law to each conversation about business.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself that didn’t get included on your application:
According to Spotify, I’ve been in the top 0.005% of global Dolly Parton listeners for the last three years in a row.
Post-MBA career interests:
Next summer, I’ll be interning at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz in New York. After graduating, I plan to practice law and hopefully clerk for a federal judge. In the long run, I hope to use both my business and law skills to help tackle big problems and make the world a better place.
Advice for Current Prospective Applicants:
–What is one thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process?
I used the essays as an opportunity for self-reflection. They’re a great prompt to consider your own life experiences and professional journey.
–What is one thing you would change or do differently?
I wish I had given myself a little more time to study for the GRE.
–What is one part you would have skipped if you could—and what helped you get through it?
I hated the long wait between submitting my application and learning I had been accepted, but I held fast to the knowledge that the admissions team is managing an enormously complex process—and I kept my fingers crossed the entire time.
What is your initial impression of the Wharton students/culture/community?
Two words: extremely impressive!
What is one thing you have learned about Wharton that has surprised you?
I’m amazed at the diversity of our class. Eight hundred seventy-four students from 70 countries with a huge range of identities and life experiences prior to Wharton. I can’t wait to get to know everyone better.
What is one thing you are most anxious about in your first year?
I’m already preparing for Fight Night, where I’ll have torn loyalties between the Wharton team and the Law School team. I better make bets carefully…
What is one thing you are most excited about in your first year?
The quantitative coursework will be particularly challenging for me given my academic and professional background. But I came to Wharton to develop my quantitative skills, so I’m ready for the challenge and excited to give it my all.
