Rohan Agnihotri

Home Country: United States

Home State: TX

Undergraduate Institution: Texas A&M University

Undergraduate Degree and Major (and minor, if applicable): Biochemistry

Pre-MBA Industry: Healthcare Technology

Pre-MBA Company: Samaritan

Pre-MBA Title: Member Success Specialist

Desired industry post-MBA: Management Consulting

Desired job function post-MBA: Consulting

Summer Internship Company: Bain

Summer Internship Position: Summer Associate

Degree Concentrations: Operations Management, Strategic Management

Student Organization Membership: Rice Business Board Fellows, Beer Club, Consulting Association, The Adam Smith Society, Marketing Association

Officer: I have been selected to be Social Chair for RBSA, Social Chair for the Consulting Association, and Marketing VP for the newly formed AI Association.

What has been the most surprising part of your Rice MBA? The most surprising part of my Rice MBA experience has been how central networking is to success, and how no one explicitly tells you that when you start.

It has shown up in almost every area of my time here. Academically, Rice is rigorous, and coming in without a traditional business background meant I had to lean on classmates, TAs, and professors more than I expected. Simply being willing to ask for help made a real difference in my performance. In recruiting, networking is everything. Getting noticed by top consulting firms requires you to put yourself out there, communicate your genuine interest, and build advocates who will go to bat for you. And once you land an interview, your classmates and alumni at those firms become invaluable resources for preparation. Beyond academics and recruiting, I have also found that networking is how you create change at Rice. Running for club leadership positions has required me to actually listen to my peers, understand their frustrations, and use those conversations to shape what I am advocating for.

In hindsight, networking was always the throughline, but no one handed me a roadmap. Learning that on my own, and watching it pay off across such different parts of the MBA experience, is what made it so surprising.

What has been your favorite thing about your MBA experience? My favorite part of the MBA has been the people. I have always been a social person, so meeting my classmates was one of the things I was most excited about before starting the program, and I am happy to say that excitement was more than warranted.

I have met some of the most interesting, intelligent, and empathetic people I have ever come across, coming from all different walks of life and corners of the globe. Everyone has a story worth hearing, and the diversity of backgrounds and perspectives in our class has genuinely shaped the way I think, both inside and outside the classroom.

Being from Houston, I have also taken on a bit of an unofficial ambassador role for the city. A lot of my classmates relocated here without knowing much about it, and I have loved being the person to show them around. My favorite restaurants, karaoke bars, hidden gems, and go-to spots have slowly become part of their routines too, and that genuinely means a lot to me. There is something special about watching someone fall in love with your city the same way you did.

More than anything, what makes this my favorite part is that these are not just professional connections. They are real friendships, and I know they will be some of the most important relationships of my life long after we graduate.

What do you love most about Houston? I was born and raised in Houston and have no plans of ever leaving, so I could talk about this city all day. But if I had to narrow it down to one thing, it would be the diversity.

Diversity in Houston is not just a talking point. It shows up everywhere, in the food, the people, the culture, and the opportunities available to you. You would be hard pressed to find another city that is as much of a melting pot. On any given day, you can meet someone from virtually any background imaginable, eat cuisine from practically any country in the world, and attend a world-class event, all without leaving the city limits. It is genuinely magical.

What makes it even more special is how unpretentious it all is. Houston's diversity is not segregated or surface-level. People here are open, welcoming, and genuinely curious about one another, and that creates an environment where real human connection happens naturally.

I have seen this firsthand through Big Blanket, an event series I founded with the goal of making it easier for strangers to become friends. At our events, I have watched people from completely different backgrounds, who would have had no other avenue to cross paths, form real, meaningful connections. Some of that credit goes to the programming, but honestly, most of it goes to Houston. The city does the heavy lifting. Diversity, openness, and a genuine embrace of community are the common threads running through everyone here, and that is why I love it and why I never want to leave.

What is one piece of advice you would share with a prospective? Don't be afraid to put yourself out there!