Aurrel Bhatia
Northeastern University, D’Amore McKim School of Business
“Energetic, thoughtful, ambitious multitasker with a creative side, love of philosophy, and strong caffeine habit.”
Fun fact about yourself: I went backpacking and camping in Costa Rica with strangers, carrying everything I needed and fully disconnecting from the “real world” for several days.
Hometown: Bethpage, NY
High School: Bethpage High School
Major: Mathematics and Business Administration (Concentration in Finance)
Minor: Economics
Favorite Business Course: My favorite class was Valuation and Value Creation because it combined financial theory and modeling in a way that felt directly applicable to real-world decision-making. It pushed me to think critically about what truly drives long-term value and how strategic financial decisions shape a company’s future, giving me a strong foundation for pursuing a career in investment banking.
Extracurricular Activities, Community Work, and Leadership Roles During College:
- President of Consulting Advisory and Student Experience (CASE)
- Principal / Engagement Lead /Consultant in Northeastern Consulting Group (NCG)
- Current Advisor, former Research Director of NU Private Equity / Venture Club (PE/VC)
- Women in Finance NYC Trek Mentor
- Skills Development Lead for Women in Finance
- Mentor for Girls Inc. (formerly Strong Women, Strong Girls)
- University Honors Program
- Co-op Peer Mentor
- Summer Study Abroad (Nepal / India, 2023)
- Research at the Sustainability and Data Science (SDS) Lab under Professor Auroop Ganguly
- Awards: Stamps Scholars Program (full-tuition scholarship awarded to the 5 highest-achieving students), Summa Cum Laude, Beta Gamma Sigma, Dean’s List, Honors Propel
- Grant: Roland Berger Case for a Cause Competition (finalist)
Where have you interned during your college career?
- Corporate Strategy at Schneider Electric (Boston, MA)
- Private Equity at Berkshire Partners (Boston, MA)
- Investment Banking at Wells Fargo (New York, NY)
Where will you be working after graduation? Investment Banking at Morgan Stanley (New York, NY)
What is the biggest lesson you gained from studying business? Studying business has taught me that who you are matters as much as what you know. Business is all about making and sustaining relationships, so being trustworthy, genuine, and easy to work with is what truly sets people apart. It’s also imperative to have strong values and guiding principles to shape how you make decisions, treat people, and handle pressure. Many of my mentors and those whom I admire are not only incredibly intelligent, but they’re also reliable and operate with integrity and empathy. Over time, that consistency builds trust, and trust is the foundation of every meaningful business relationship I’ve seen.
What advice would you give to a student looking to major in a business-related field? Don’t be afraid to talk to people! Studying business goes so far beyond the classroom, and I think a lot of the learning happens in conversations with peers and mentors, through extracurricular projects and competitions, leadership experiences, volunteering, and community involvement. There’s so much to explore, so challenge yourself and get involved in as much as you can handle.
Looking back over your experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently in business school and why? Looking back, I would make a greater effort to engage with my professors earlier in my college career. I learned a lot from them in the classroom, but many have had such a wide breadth of experience and perspective beyond the course material. I wish I had taken more initiative to ask questions, attend office hours regularly, and build deeper relationships sooner, drawing more intentionally on their wisdom. Over time, as my understanding of my career path has evolved, I’ve come to truly value having mentors to guide me.
What is one way that your business school has integrated AI into your programming? What is one insight you gained from using AI? Northeastern has partnered with Anthropic to give all students, faculty, and staff access to Claude. The D’Amore-McKim School of Business has also launched an online module called “Leveraging AI for Business” that all undergraduates can complete for free, covering how AI fits into value chains, competitive strategy, and business environments.
One insight I’ve gained from using AI is that it’s most valuable when used as a thought-partner, a tool to bounce ideas off. I use AI to help explain complex concepts, stress-test ideas, or work through problems, but the quality of the outputs largely depends on my ability to clearly articulate my vision. This has taught me to be more precise and prescriptive in my thinking and prompting, and to approach problems more iteratively.
Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of? I came into college with a different major, but throughout my first year, I had doubts about my path and longed to pursue something else. After my first year, I decided to switch into finance, and this was the most meaningful decision in my college career. At the time, I felt uncertain about whether it was the right decision and was worried it might set me back. However, it has truly pushed me to step outside my comfort zone and make intentional choices to shape the path I wanted. Through that transition, I have found mentors, built lasting friendships, and developed a clearer vision for my career. It has transformed my college experience and given me the confidence to create opportunities rather than wait for them.
Since then, I’ve had the privilege of serving as President of CASE, the oldest and largest consulting club on campus, where we focus on providing education, programming, and hands-on experiential learning to students. Leading such a large organization that creates tangible impact for so many others has been incredibly meaningful. I’m also proud of my involvement in Women in Finance. I started as a mentee, learning from inspiring alumni who generously invested in my growth. Being able to now mentor younger members and guide them as they navigate their own paths feels like a full-circle moment and one of the most rewarding parts of my college journey.
Which classmate do you most admire? The classmate I most admire is Trishna Velagaleti, one of my best friends and my roommate throughout college. On paper, we’re very different: she’s a biology major preparing for medical school, while I pursued finance. But she has been one of the most grounding and inspiring people in my life, and from the start, we became each other’s support system. She’s the person I come home to after a long day, the one who listens thoughtfully, asks hard questions, and offers perspective that challenges me to think beyond myself.
What I admire most about her is her quiet dedication to serving others. Through her work with Boston Healthcare for the Homeless and her commitment to research and public health, she consistently chooses paths that prioritize impact over recognition. She’s incredibly kind, steady, and giving in ways that often go unnoticed…but deeply matter. Knowing her has broadened my perspective on purpose and success, and I’m incredibly grateful to call her both a friend and a role model.
Who would you most want to thank for your success? The person I would most want to thank for my success is my mother, Rachna Bhatia. She has shaped who I am in every way, sacrificing so much to give me opportunities she never had and always encouraging me to pursue them fully. Her work ethic, resilience, and unwavering belief in me set the standard for how I approach my own goals.
She’s the reason I’m both ambitious and grounded. Whenever I’ve doubted myself or felt unsure about a decision, she has been the steady voice reminding me that I’m capable of anything and that my character matters more than any achievement. She’s also given me the confidence to advocate for myself and to speak up when it matters. So much of who I am, my ambition, my empathy, and my drive, comes directly from her example, and I carry that with me in everything I do.
What are the top two items on your professional bucket list?
1. To create a fund or scholarship that expands access to opportunity, similar to how the Stamps Foundation invested in me and shaped my trajectory.
2. To lead and build something meaningful, whether that’s guiding a team within an organization or founding a venture of my own, where I can set the culture, develop people, and create lasting impact.
What made Aurrel such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2026?
“Aurrel Bhatia is a powerhouse — one of the most remarkable students I’ve worked with in over 20 years. She is brilliant, wildly intellectually curious, with a dedication to excellence that is simply unmatched. Aurrel leads by example without ever seeking the spotlight. She has been a dedicated mentor in the Women in Finance community and a generous guide to countless students navigating their own early professional journeys — showing up, sharing what she knows, and genuinely believing that success means bringing others along with you. That commitment to paying it forward is woven into everything she does. Her academic and professional achievements speak for themselves, but it’s the way she made people feel seen, supported, and capable of more than they thought possible in the Women in Finance and broader D’Amore-McKim community that will define her legacy long after graduation.”
Heather Hauck
Director of Student Engagement and Senior Co-op Coordinator
D’Amore-McKim School of Business
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