In this episode, we sit down with Chase Lin (GSB '27), a joint MA/MBA candidate at Stanford GSB studying education and business administration. Chase grew up in a first-generation household in Queens, went to NYU Stern, and built a career across consulting, JP Morgan, and Iron Mountain before deciding an MBA was how he'd close the gap between his technology background and the thing he actually cares about, which is education access.
Chase walks through how he tied his technology background to a long-running passion for education, why he treated every optional section of the application as valuable real estate, and how he closed the gaps in his profile without chasing credentials for their own sake. He breaks down his GRE journey and the decision to retake the test until he maxed out his verbal score, the Stanford ethos that shaped how he presented himself ("be one in a million, not one of a million"), and the banana shirt he wore to his interview. His takeaway is that letting your real personality show is what got him in.
(00:00) Opener
(00:55) Introducing Chase Lin
(01:50) Early Career, From NYU to Consulting
(03:02) JP Morgan and Iron Mountain
(04:19) Joint MA/MBA in Education and Business Administration
(04:45) Reflections on Career Trajectory
(05:32) Developing a Passion for Education
(08:04) MBA Application Authenticity
(09:16) Developing Extracurriculars
(10:08) The Decision to Pursue an MA/MBA
(12:57) Navigating the MBA Application Process
(14:42) Stanford GSB MBA Application Advice
(16:07) Earning Awards for Volunteer Experience
(18:07) Closing Gaps in Your Application
(19:29) Navigating GMAT vs GRE
(26:37) Stanford GSB Culture
(29:07) On Whether or Not Academics Matter
(29:31) Extracurriculars at Stanford GSB
(30:37) Post-MBA Career Plans
(32:11) Advice for Future Applicants
