Archi Das

Boston University, Questrom School of Business

“Accomplishes anything she sets her mind to with help from friends, family, and Red Bull.”

Fun fact about yourself: I used to give tours at the American Museum of Natural History.

Hometown: Queens, NY

High School: Stuyvesant High School

Major: Business Administration with a concentration in Finance

Minor: Statistics

Favorite Business Course: FE342: Money, Financial Markets, and Economic Activity

Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College:

• Office Assistant at the Undergraduate Development Center
• Teaching Assistant
• Dean’s Office Research Assistant
• Scarlet Key Honor Society
• Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society
• Dean’s List
• Outstanding Graduating Senior for Financial Executives International
• Girls Who Invest Summer Intensive Program
• Alpha Kappa Psi Professional Business Fraternity
• Boston University Consulting Group
• 180 Degrees Consulting
• Questrom Ascend Fellowship
• Project Basta Fellowship

Where have you interned during your college career?

• PwC, Management Consulting Intern (New York, NY)
• FinTech Global, Research Analyst Intern (London, UK)
• Vista Equity Partners, Private Equity Research Intern (Austin, TX)

Where will you be working after graduation? I will be working as a Business Analyst at McKinsey & Company in New York, NY following my graduation.

Who is your favorite business professor? I honestly have too many great professors to choose from. Professor Murciano-Goroff, who taught my Strategy & Innovation class, showed me how to apply practical and tangible frameworks to evaluate corporate strategies. He taught me how to organize my thoughts and think more critically about business problems which will be very useful as I enter my career. Additionally, Professor Mandolese, who taught my Management Communications and Organizational Leadership classes, helped me to consider my leadership style and how I communicate my experiences. Winning the QuestromTalks competition during my sophomore year was only possible with all the feedback Professor Mandolese gave me. And finally, I would like to give a shoutout to Professor Fox who taught my Introductory Finance class during my freshman year. He inspired me to concentrate in finance and supported my career endeavors.

What is the biggest lesson you gained from studying business? Business is all about making meaningful connections. I would argue that soft skills are more important than technical skills in business. I have spent a lot of time and effort understanding technical financial concepts and frameworks. But, during all my job interviews, I found interviewers far more interested in learning about my life experiences and establishing a sort of common ground connection. During all my team projects, I found the experience far more enjoyable when I got to know my teammates personally and individually. I’ve learned that being able to effectively talk about my experiences and showing a genuine desire to make connections are essential to business success.

What has surprised you most about majoring in business? Business is a very creative field. There were many times throughout my classes when I have been challenged to think outside of the box and create new, innovative business ideas or solutions. Having outside knowledge or other interests helps a lot when it comes to providing diverse perspectives on teams.

Looking back over your experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently in business school and why? Honestly, I don’t have any regrets about my Questrom journey. I have met so many amazing people and had transformative experiences that have shaped me into the person I am today. I have been challenged and pushed to become a better leader. But, if I could go back in time and give myself advice, I would say not to take myself so seriously. As a perfectionist, it’s sometimes hard for me to put things in perspective. So, I would try not to be so hard on myself and embrace any difficulties or setbacks.

Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of? My favorite achievement so far during college has been my work at the Questrom Undergraduate Development Center (UDC). I remember my freshman year when I met my soon-to-be supervisor at a career fair. To this day, I am beyond grateful that she saw the potential in me and gave me the opportunity to grow within the office. Through my four years of working at the UDC, I have made invaluable connections with students, faculty, and staff. I have learned the in’s-and-out’s of Questrom to the point where my friends will consult me whenever they have academic or career dilemmas. My communication skills and organizational skills have grown exponentially, and I feel this experience has fostered and shaped me into the person I am today.

Which classmate do you most admire? I admire my roommate Sarah Hancock who has shown me what it means to be truly intelligent. As a neuroscience major on the pre-med track, Sarah is hardworking and diligent. And on top of being one of the kindest and most thoughtful people I know, she constantly amazes me with her genuine passion for learning and her ability to recall information from anywhere (although she denies having a photographic memory). I learn something new from every conversation I have with Sarah, and I truly admire her humility. You’ll never catch her boasting about her numerous research opportunities, rigorous course load, or volunteer experiences. However, she deserves all the accolades and success coming her way.

Who would you most want to thank for your success? I would most like to thank my parents who have shown me what it means to be selfless and hard-working. They immigrated from Bangladesh to New York even though they barely spoke English and it was an entirely foreign culture to them. However, they chose to sacrifice everything they knew to pave a better road for me and my younger siblings. Their decisions have made me the person I am today and every opportunity that I have been given is a result of their sacrifices.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list? I hope to gain experience working internationally. When I studied abroad and interned in London, I was fascinated by how work cultures differ from the U.S. I would love to return to work in London if given the opportunity, or another foreign country as well.

I would also love to start my own nonprofit or scholarship program geared toward first-generation, low-income students like me. Coming into BU with a full scholarship was such a freeing opportunity. And with programs like the Ascend Fellowship and Basta Fellowship, I felt empowered being in a group of other first-generation students. I would like to give back and provide that hope for other students in the future as well.

What are your hobbies? I am a huge fan of all things mystery and horror. I love learning new languages and traveling to different countries (my upcoming trips are to Iceland and Monaco!) I also love spending time with my friends, going to museums, and attending concerts.

What made Archi such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2023?

“Archi is both an amazing student and amazing human being. She has kept a 4.00 GPA for her entire college career (7 semesters), something that is hard to achieve for one semester let alone all of them. She has managed to do this while leading the Questrom Nu Chapter Consulting Group as well as holding the Scholarship Director role for our business fraternity, Alpha Kappa Psi. She is an incoming Business Analyst for McKinsey & Company, which she will be joining post-graduation.

Archi has also worked in our office since her freshman year, helping students, staff, and faculty in a professional and genuinely caring way. Over the years, she has helped train both our new student employees as well as our new professional staff and was able to work with us virtually through the pandemic adapting quite quickly to our virtual office, which was no easy feat.

Archi is a recipient of the 2023 Scarlet Key, the most prestigious University honor that can be bestowed upon a student. Consideration is based on these requirements, of which Archi has exceeded: “Accomplishments in academics, athletics, student activities, or service that has enriched our community and/or brought recognition or honor to our University.

Members who have exhibited exceptional leadership among their peers.”

I cannot speak highly enough of Archi and her invaluable contributions as a member of the Boston University Questrom Class of 2023. She is an unparalleled student, gives back to the BU community, and will represent us wonderfully when she graduates.”

Elizabeth Katz
Associate Director, New Student Programs, Undergraduate Development Center
Boston University Questrom School of Business

DON’T MISS: 100 BEST & BRIGHTEST UNDERGRADUATE BUSINESS MAJORS OF 2023