Yifan Jiang
Full-Time MBA, Class of 2019
Hometown: Zhengzhou
Home State: Henan
Home Country: China
Previous Institution & Degree: Central University of Finance and Economics (B.A. in Finance & Chinese)
Pre-MBA Industry: Consulting
Pre-MBA Company: Grok Global Services
Pre-MBA Title: Project Manager / Senior Research Analyst
Desired Post-MBA Industry: Finance
Desired Post-MBA Function: Banking; Corproate Finance
Summer Internship Company: GF Securities
Summer Internship Title: Investment Banking Summer Associate
Degree Concentration: Finance and Strategic Management
Student Organization Membership: Consulting Club, Finance Club
What about the Rice MBA program has surprised you the most?
I thought MBA coursework would be minimal and easy before I started the program. But to my surprise some classes actually required a lot of reading, individual and group assignment, and time to review, especially when I have an intention to get good grades.
What has been your favorite moment of your Rice MBA experience so far?
In the business simulation where we had to make all kinds of decisions one round after another under a tight time structure: the team made it with chaos in the first couple of rounds and efficiency in the rest, and the skyrocketing numbers looked amazing.
What is your favorite thing about and/or favorite spot in Houston?
Chinatown: I lived in a small town for the past 3 years and now I am amazed by how many great restaurants and bakeries you can find here in Chinatown.
In a sentence, what is the one piece of advice you have for prospective students?
Be well prepared and start early: MBA starts before we even realize it. For example, a number of networking events start in Spring and Summer before the semester starts, and if you are prepared with a polished resume and story about yourself, you will be ahead of others in terms of building connections with multiple firms or even getting internship offers.