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Alumni Perspective

Yu Qian
Yu Qian, WG'04

“The Admission Committee really helped me. From the interaction with them, I could tell it was a very efficient organization and that it's a good school. More importantly, I felt that they really wanted students to have a great experience here at Wharton.”

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Admissions Committee

The MBA Admissions Committee is a diverse and talented group who share a commitment to bringing the best possible student body to Wharton. The Committee is open, accessible, and interested in you as an applicant.

Admissions Committee

J.J. Cutler is the Director of MBA Admissions and Financial Aid. Since 2007, J.J. has been President of Lindi Skin, a start-up offering skin care products specifically designed for people with cancer. In this role, he developed a strategic vision and successfully positioned the Lindi Skin brand, securing national media coverage and expanding the community of healthcare professionals sensitive to the skincare needs of cancer patients. He has served as Senior Vice President of Marketing for ARAMARK Healthcare’s North American group and spent seven years in a variety of roles at Johnson & Johnson. Among other responsibilities, he managed over-the-counter brands; oversaw new market development for a variety of chronic immune-mediated inflammatory diseases; and helped create Canyon Seven, a wellness business developed in partnership with Canyon Ranch Health Resorts. While at Johnson & Johnson, he won the prestigious "Standards of Leadership" award for his work in building an MBA recruiting strategy for Wharton.

J.J. has deep roots in the Penn community. He earned his BA in Communications from the College (School of Arts and Sciences) and his MBA in Operations Management and Strategic Management. While at Wharton, he served as a student advisor to the Academic Affairs office and a teaching assistant for the undergraduate Marketing 101 course.

Judith S. Hodara joined the Admissions Office in the Fall of 2000. Judith manages the office’s Graduate Assistants, recruiting travel plans, and is engaged with initiatives to bring nontraditional students to the Wharton community.

Prior to Wharton, Judith was the Director of Admissions of the Graduate School of Education at Penn and recruited domestically and internationally for Penn's Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Judith is a Penn lifer: she holds a BA in English (1990), an MSEd in Higher Education (1997), and an EdD in Higher Education Administration (2003). Judith is a strong supporter of Philadelphia's vibrant arts and culture communities.

Ankur Kumar is a Senior Associate Director in the Office of MBA Admissions and Financial Aid at the Wharton School.

Ankur has deep connections to Penn and Wharton; she received her BS in Finance from Wharton and her BA in Economics from the College of Arts & Sciences and returned for her MBA in Strategic Management and HR & Organizational Management, which she received in 2007. While at Wharton, Ankur was actively involved with MBA Admissions, serving as a co-chair of Wharton Welcome Weekend, a student-led event for admitted students, and also a Graduate Assistant, a student member of the Admissions Committee. She was also involved in the Wharton International Volunteer Project as VP of Fundraising & Events and was a Cohort Career Representative.

Prior to joining MBA Admissions, Ankur spent over six years working in investment banking, finance, and strategy consulting. She was an analyst in the Technology M&A group at Morgan Stanley and spent several years as a financial analyst for companies in the media and legal services industry. Most recently, she was a consultant for a boutique strategy and management consulting firm in New York.

Jackie Zavitz is a Senior Associate Director in the Office of MBA Admissions and Financial Aid at the Wharton School. In addition to serving as a member of the MBA admissions committee, Jackie is responsible for the office's marketing and communications initiatives, including media relations, publications, advertising and website development – including management of the Wharton MBA Admissions Blog, Student Diaries and student2student discussion board. Jackie also oversees the office's private equity initiatives and is engaged with efforts to bring more students from the LGBT community to Wharton.

Prior to MBA Admissions, Jackie spent several years in Wharton's MBA Career Management Office, where she managed investment banking and private equity recruiting for the MBA program. Before joining Wharton, she worked at the Electric Power Supply Association, a competitive energy lobbying group in Washington, DC, covering regulatory policy developments affecting the industry. Jackie graduated from American University with a bachelor's degree in communications and from University of Pennsylvania with a master's degree in education.

Kathryn Bezella is an Associate Director in the Office of MBA Admissions and Financial Aid at the Wharton School. In addition to her responsibilities on the Admissions Committee, Kathryn serves as an advisor to Wharton’s Volunteer Admissions Committee (VAC) and focuses on Wharton MBA Admissions marketing, communications and alumni engagement efforts.

Prior to MBA Admissions, Kathryn was a Regional Director for Undergraduate Admissions at the University of Pennsylvania. Before coming to Penn, Kathryn was a licensed real estate professional in Manhattan at Cantor & Pecorella. Kathryn graduated from Barnard College with a bachelor's degree in English and is a classically trained opera singer, having studied and performed throughout the United States and in Europe.

Tiffany Gooden joined the MBA Admissions Office in July 2008. She is responsible for diversity recruitment, including pipeline development for prospective students of color.

Immediately prior to joining Wharton, Tiffany graduated from Harvard with a Master’s degree in Education. Prior to graduate school, Tiffany spent several years in the Dartmouth College Undergraduate Admissions Office, her alma mater. In that office she focused on diversity and international student recruitment. Before transitioning to the field of admissions, Tiffany worked at the Advisory Board Company, a Washington, DC-based healthcare consulting company.

Ainsley Parker is a member of the MBA admissions committee. In addition, Ainsley also oversees the office's student-run events for admitted students, Winter Welcome Weekend and Wharton Welcome Weekend, at which admitted students experience the school's academics and community.

Prior to joining MBA Admissions, Ainsley spent several years working with the University of Pennsylvania's Alumni Council on Admissions, where she interviewed and counseled prospective legacy undergraduate students, was a member of the admissions committee, as well as working on alumni outreach and event planning. Before returning to Penn, Ainsley worked at the Foreign Policy Research Institute's Center on Terrorism, Counter-Terrorism and Homeland Security. Ainsley graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a bachelor's degree in Sociology, and is currently studying for her master's degree in education at Penn's Graduate School of Education.