For many prospective MBA students—especially those coming from outside the United States—the biggest question isn’t just where to study. It’s whether the degree will deliver a clear return on investment.
For Kogod MBA alumna Anju, that question shaped every step of her decision.
With a background in tech consulting in India, she began considering an MBA during the COVID-19 pandemic, when her work shifted online, and compensation decreased. As she took on freelance projects and operated more independently, she became increasingly interested in how organizations function at scale—and how she could move into business strategy roles.
Today, Anju works in the Business Transformation Office at Marriott International, helping deploy new technology systems across more than 10,000 hotels worldwide.
Her path reflects a broader reality for MBA candidates: career outcomes are driven not just by the degree itself, but by how students leverage access, resources, and location.
For Anju, the decision to pursue an MBA in the United States was both strategic and practical.
She evaluated multiple countries, but ultimately chose the US for two key reasons:
“I wanted to better my professional standing and move into business strategy,” she says.
After narrowing her list to five programs, Kogod stood out based on:
As an international student, financial planning was a central part of the decision.
“Earning in rupees and spending in dollars is a real consideration,” she explains. “The financial piece had to make sense.”
For many international applicants, this reflects a key reality:
an MBA is not just an academic choice—it is a financial and career investment.
he answer depends on how students approach both cost and outcomes.
For Anju, ROI was shaped by three factors:
“It was a huge investment,” she says. “But the recovery time is small. With the scholarship and the job outcome, it makes sense.”
Her experience highlights a core takeaway for prospective students:
The value of an MBA is tied to both financial planning and active engagement in career opportunities.
Anju credits two structural advantages during her MBA experience: career coaching and direct employer access.
Transitioning from India’s professional environment to US networking expectations required adjustment.
“In India, cold outreach isn’t really common,” she says. “I had to learn how to reach out, how to network, and how to position myself.”
Through Kogod’s Career Development Center, she received:
During peak recruiting periods, she met with her career coach frequently—sometimes daily.
Kogod’s programming includes alumni panels, networking events, employer pop-ups, and career fairs.
Anju approached these opportunities with consistency.
“I didn’t want to miss anything,” she says. “You never know who might be looking for an intern—or a hire.”
At one alumni event, she met her future hiring manager from Marriott. That initial conversation led to interviews, an internship, and ultimately a full-time role.
For MBA candidates, this reinforces a key insight:
Access to employers—and consistent participation in those opportunities—plays a major role in career outcomes.
Anju’s experience reflects a combination of preparation, visibility, and persistence.
Key elements of her approach included:
Rather than relying on a single opportunity, she built momentum over time through repeated engagement.
For international students in particular, learning how to navigate U.S. hiring norms can be as important as academic performance.
In her current role, Anju works on Marriott’s large-scale global technology transformation.
Her team focuses on deployment strategy for new enterprise systems across the company’s portfolio, including:
The scale of the work is significant:
“We determine which hotels go first, what the cadence looks like, and what support they’ll need,” she explains.
During initial system launches, Anju and her team worked overnight to support implementation.
“It’s demanding,” she says. “But I’m learning from people who have led transformations at this scale before.”
For MBA students interested in operations, strategy, or digital transformation, roles like this demonstrate how business education translates into enterprise-level impact.
Anju’s MBA cohort included approximately 20–22 students, many of them international.
A smaller cohort created:
“We were all in the same boat,” she says. “Most of us were adjusting to a new culture at the same time.”
She also built community beyond the classroom through:
Her approach was intentional.
“If you don’t know anyone, you go out and meet people,” she says.
Today, many of those relationships continue—both in the DC area and across the US.
Location played a meaningful role in Anju’s experience.
She pointed to several advantages of studying in Washington, D.C.:
For MBA students, location is not just about lifestyle—it directly shapes access to career opportunities.
Anju’s path from India to a global role at Marriott reflects several key takeaways for prospective students:
Her experience was not passive. It required adaptation, persistence, and sustained effort.
But it demonstrates how an MBA—when approached strategically—can serve as a platform for global career growth.