Nishant Verma

Home Country: India

Home State: Uttar Pradesh

Undergraduate Institution: VIT Vellore

Undergraduate Degree and Major (and minor, if applicable): B.tech, Mechanical Engineering

Pre-MBA Industry: Automotive

Pre-MBA Company: ZF

Pre-MBA Title: Senior Simulation Engineer

Desired industry post-MBA: IB

Desired job function post-MBA: IB

Degree Concentrations: Finance, Real Estate

Student Organization Membership: Finance Association

What has been the most surprising part of your Rice MBA? The most surprising part of my Rice MBA experience has been how approachable and supportive everyone is from the second-years, alumni to even faculty. Before coming here, I expected the program to be competitive and intense, and while it definitely is challenging, the environment is collaborative in a way I hadn’t fully anticipated.

I’ve had second years spend hours helping me prepare for recruiting, even when they had no obligation to do so. Faculty members are willing to meet outside of class to help clarify concepts or just give career advice. And my classmates constantly push each other to do better while celebrating each other’s wins.

What has been your favorite thing about your MBA experience? My favorite thing about my MBA experience so far has been the people. Coming from a technical background, I wasn’t sure how I’d fit in, but I’ve found classmates who are incredibly smart, driven, and at the same time humble and supportive. Everyone comes from different backgrounds, but there’s a real sense of community here, people genuinely want to help each other succeed.

Whether it’s prepping for interviews together, late-night study sessions, or just hanging out after class, I’ve built friendships that I know will last long after the MBA. Being around such motivated people who also know how to have fun has made this experience special for me.

What do you love most about Houston? What I love most about Houston is how welcoming and diverse the city is. Coming from outside the U.S., I was a little nervous about settling into a new place, but Houston made that easy. The people here are friendly, and there’s a real sense of community, both at Rice and in the city overall.

I’ve also been surprised by how much there is to do whether it’s trying different cuisines, going to sports events, or exploring local parks and museums. Plus, being in Houston has given me great access to energy and finance professionals, which has helped a lot with networking and learning outside the classroom.

What is one piece of advice you would share with a prospective? Don’t stress about having everything figured out, focus on showing up, being curious, and the rest will fall into place.