2018 Best MBAs: Ariana Almas, University of Michigan (Ross) - Poets&Quants

Ariana Almas

University of Michigan, Ross School of Business

“A purpose-driven change agent who isn’t afraid to challenge the status quo (or use buzzwords).”

Age: 29

Hometown: Born in Queens, NY and raised in Bayonne, NJ. Overall, greater NYC is home.

Fun fact about yourself: I wanted to be a comedian when I was younger. I even performed stand-up in my 3rd grade talent show! I also somehow snuck this fun fact into my “elevator pitch” during recruiting.

Undergraduate School and Degree: Dartmouth College. A “modified” Sociology degree with four different disciplines, and a Psychology minor. I basically designed my own major to study different social issues, the mechanisms that drive those issues, and ways to combat them through business, policy and design.

Where did you work before enrolling in business school? Year Up (a national workforce development nonprofit), Regional Sales Support Manager

Where did you intern during the summer of 2017? I technically had two internships: Ross Open Road (formerly MBAs Across America) and Microsoft HR Trax Program in Redmond, WA. These experiences were perfectly complementary, and gave me exposure to two very different aspects of the private sector: small businesses and a large corporation.

Where will you be working after graduation? I will be returning to Microsoft to complete their HR Trax Rotational Program. I’m also planning to start my own side hustle – stay tuned for more!

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School:

VP of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion on the Michigan MBA Council (newly instituted role)

Co-President of Service Corps Alumni Association

Lead Organizer for MLK Day at Ross

Ross Open Road Fellow

Consortium for Graduate Study in Management Fellow

Sanger Leadership Center’s Ross Leaders Academy

Center for Positive Organizations +LAB Fellow

Admissions Student Ambassador

Awarded first place team in University of Michigan Poverty Solutions case competition

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? This past year, I had the opportunity to serve in a newly-instituted VP of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) role on our MBA student council. I love the early stages of any new journey because of the freedom to innovate and try new things! Previously, there had been two DEI co-chairs who were separate to the MBA Council and who ran a DEI Committee, which I was on my first year. But with this new role on the student council, I had a “seat at the table” to impact the entire student body, to shape my own role and to really hone in on how to further institutionalize diversity, equity and inclusion at Michigan Ross. In the past year, we went from two co-chairs and a 14-person committee to one VP of DEI, a 35-person committee split into five working groups, one Inclusion Chair in each of the five first-year sections and a newly instituted VP of International Student Engagement role. Our annual Diversity Week also went from being planned internally by two committee members to being co-created with over 17 Ross clubs involved. Overall, I am SO proud of the infrastructure we’ve built and all the amazing work the committee, Inclusion Chairs, and our phenomenal Director of Diversity and Inclusion Taryn Petryk have done to infuse the values of diversity, equity and inclusion throughout the entire Ross experience.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? In the early years of my career, I worked at a small organization with a very toxic culture. Even though I believed in its mission, the work environment drained me mentally, emotionally, physically – you name it. Every decision that leadership made ran counter to my values and the values that I thought I had seen in this organization. As challenging as this was for me, I’m proud that I made it out of the experience with some valuable lessons. In being pushed to my limits, I got to know myself better and learned early in my career what my non-negotiables were with regard to my values and my mental and physical health. Though this may not seem like the typical definition of an “achievement,” it was a defining moment in my career, and the lessons I derived still inform my decisions and actions today.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? I hate picking favorites so I have to shout out these professors: Aneel Karnani, Brad Killaly, Cheri Alexander, Chris White, Dana Muir, Dana Thompson (at the law school), Dennis Oswald, Gerald Meyers, Jane Dutton, Jeffrey Sanchez-Burks, Jim Price, Kim Cameron, Maren Oberman (at the School of Education), Michael Gordon, Ryan Ball, Shanna Daly (at the School of Engineering), Valerie Myers, all of my core professors, as well as Deborah Willis and Rebecca Villegas from the DEI Professional Development certificate program!

What was your favorite MBA Course “Social Intrapreneurship: Leading Social Innovation in Organizations” with Chris White. Similar to Professor Orhun, Professor White has been incredibly thoughtful and intentional about how to incorporate topics of diversity, identity and equity in the classroom. The biggest insight I gained is that you don’t have to be in a formal position of leadership or power to make a positive change.

Why did you choose this business school? I chose Ross for three main factors: (1) I wanted to be at a school that was part of the the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management, a fellowship program with the mission to enhance diversity and inclusion in global business education and leadership; (2) I wanted to be at a large university with other top-tier programs so I could bring an interdisciplinary lens to my learning; and (3) I wanted to be part of a culture that would enable me to fully thrive. Confirming the first two factors was easy, so when I visited Michigan Ross for the first time, I was looking to mostly gauge the culture.

One interaction in particular sealed the deal for me. During a prospective student weekend, I was paired with a first-year MBA as my host. I remember getting to her apartment at the end of a long day and starting to set up the couch in her living room so I could get some sleep. She got home, saw me in her living room, and asked me what I was doing. I told her I was going to sleep. With a bewildered look on her face, she turned to me and said, “No, I mean what are you doing in the living room? I’ve set up my room for you and I’m going to sleep on the couch.” Then, I was bewildered! I remember falling asleep that night wondering, “What is this magical place where someone I barely know lets me sleep in her room while she sleeps on the couch?” From that moment forward, I caught the Ross bug. In fact, during the same weekend the following year, I gave my room to a prospective student and slept on the couch, and she’s now in her first year at Ross. (p.s. Shout out to Anjelica Jones, my beautiful host who remains a mentor to this day!)

What is your best piece advice to an applicant hoping to get into your school’s MBA program? Don’t try to be something you’re not. In general, I believe strongly in taking a strengths-based approach. I recognize it can be hard not to compare yourself to others throughout the application process, but I firmly believe that everyone brings something unique to the table, and Ross truly values that. Reflect on what your strengths are and what makes you unique. Be proud of that and lead with that! I promise it will be more rewarding and more sustainable in the long run.

What is the biggest myth about your school? That we have a reputation as a party school. While Rossers do like to have fun, I’ve seen just as much energy poured into personal growth, learning and forging deep meaningful relationships.

What was your biggest regret in business school? I wish I had taken more advantage of CAPS, UM’s Counseling and Psychological Services. Business school, and graduate school in general, can be really stressful. I think I’ve done a decent job of prioritizing my physical well-being, but haven’t focused as much on my emotional well-being. To be honest, I’ve never been great at that. But I know that having access to these services is a true privilege, and I wish I had utilized them more.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? Flo Noel. Many Rossers know Flo as one of the lead singers of our schools’ rock band, Risky Business. I know Flo as one of the wisest, kindest and most down-to-earth people I’ve ever met. She stays true to her ideals, she doesn’t conform to anyone’s expectations and she isn’t afraid to bring up the tough topics. She challenges you while at the same time showing you compassion and grace. I admire Flo greatly, and am so thankful for her friendship and mentorship over the past two years.

Who most influenced your decision to pursue business in college? My students at Year Up. Year Up’s mission is to close the opportunity divide by providing young adults from historically marginalized communities with training, mentorship and access to career opportunities in corporate America. One of my roles at Year Up was to provide support to students while they served in six-month corporate internships. Our students had all the talent in the world and thrived in their internships! At the same time, once “in the door,” they faced a whole slew of new challenges involving inclusion and equity, which were outside of my or Year Up’s realm of influence at the time. I recognized that I had the opportunity and privilege to attend business school, which could then provide me with an entry point of influence in corporate America. And so I decided to pursue that opportunity, with the goal of transitioning to the for-profit sector and being an advocate and champion for diversity, equity and inclusion in corporate spaces.

“If I hadn’t gone to business school, I would be…pursuing a master’s degree in education, social work, public administration, policy or design.”

What are the top two items on your bucket list? Starting and running my own business, and supplementing my family with another income so my parents can retire and enjoy their lives!

In one sentence, how would you like your peers to remember you? They don’t have to remember “me” per se, but I hope they’ll remember feeling impacted in a positive way after one of our interactions, even if I could just make them laugh on a stressful day.

What would your theme song be? “Run the World (Girls)” by Beyoncé

Favorite vacation spot: For now, my bed! I hope to travel and vacation later in life so I’ll have a more exciting answer to this in the future.

Hobbies? Not many people know this, but I love storytelling. I’ve actually performed at a few different story slams, including The Moth, which is my go-to escape from school. I really enjoy helping people craft and hone stories of their own too. Other than that, I can be a bit of a restless soul, so I like going on random spontaneous adventures. Nothing major, it could literally be just a spontaneous bike ride in the middle of studying. Finally, I enjoy doing 30-day challenges! I just completed Whole30 (a healthy food and lifestyle challenge) and am about to embark on a 30 day-yoga challenge. I am NOT a yoga person, so it’ll be interesting!

What made Ariana such an invaluable addition to the class of 2018?

“An overarching way to describe Ariana would be that of a change agent. Ariana is a force of nature when it comes to things she cares deeply about, including challenging the status quo and ensuring that we are equitable and inclusive inside and outside of the classroom. Throughout her two years at Michigan Ross, Ariana has demonstrated her commitment and dedication to ensuring that Ross moves the needle in the areas of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), and her approach has motivated anyone who comes into her path to join her. As VP for DEI under the MBA Council, she developed an infrastructure that includes a 36-member committee and a new Inclusion Rep position for each section. Under her guidance, the committee took on several initiatives that are currently being implemented throughout the school with the support of staff, faculty and students.  I would also say that Ariana’s ability to be tenacious has moved our DEI work forward. She inherently knows how to leverage relationships, communicate effectively and present compelling reasons as to why DEI work should be integrated into all parts of Ross.  Building partnerships across staff, faculty and students is a strength of Ariana’s that has fundamentally grounded the work she has done. Ariana has absolutely left a legacy at Ross, and the impact she has made will carry on for years to come.”

Taryn Petryk
Director of Diversity and Inclusion
Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan
 

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HBS Sees Slow Faculty Diversity Gains - Poets&Quants

Harvard Business School’s 2017 commencement

Harvard Business School has seen only marginal growth growth in faculty diversity over the past decade, according to a report published last month by Harvard University’s Presidential Task Force on Inclusion and Belonging. The report looked at 10-year student, faculty, and staff diversity trends based on under-represented U.S. minorities, international students, and gender at 11 of the university’s professional schools, including Harvard Business School. From 2006 to 2016, the percentage of tenured or tenure-track women faculty members at HBS rose from 22% to 26%. University-wide, the rate is about 34% women.

During the same timeframe, the percentage of tenured or tenure-track under-represented minorities also climbed slightly, from 5% to 7%. Again, HBS trails the university-wide rate of 18%. For international tenured and tenure-track faculty, the rate at HBS was at 8% in 2006 and 2016, which is closer to the university’s 9% rate. And Asian-American faculty members at HBS surged from 12% in 2006 to 20% in 2016. The report did not include Asian-American rates for the entire university faculty.

Compared to Harvard’s other professional schools, HBS has a below-average percentage of women and under-represented minorities on faculty. Only the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences had fewer women faculty members in 2016, and all but three of the 11 professional schools had equal or more under-represented minority faculty members.

Source: Harvard University’s Pursuing Excellence on a Foundation of Inclusion report

“Achieving diversity and inclusion requires deliberate attention and effort, not merely the absence of intentional discrimination or ill will,” the report reads. “Those of us who hire teams, bring on new faculty, or admit students may easily fall into the habit of recruiting people who resemble ourselves — not merely in qualities we all hope to embody, such as integrity, creativity, diligence, and potential for significant intellectual development, but also in social background, cultural style, and previous life experience.”

According to the report, such hiring and acceptance practices can lead to a “resulting homogeneity,” which in turn leads to “intellectual blind spots that weaken both decision-making and scholarship.”

“It is easy to forget that our teams will be stronger if we take the time and energy to tap into the broadest spectrum of talent, rather than follow the familiar habits and procedures that replicate our own,” the report says.

HBS HAS HIGH RATES OF WOMEN FACULTY COMPARED TO PEER BUSINESS SCHOOLS

While HBS lags in diversity rates among other Harvard professional schools, it more than holds its own amidst its peer business schools, both internationally and domestically. According to Financial Times data, HBS faculty is currently 28% women. The discrepancy from the report’s 26% rate could be from a slight recent uptick (from 2016, when the 26% was reported), or a difference in definition of faculty (the FT could include all faculty instead of just tenured and tenure-track faculty). Regardless, Harvard Business School’s rate of 28% is higher than all but 15 other schools included in the most recent FT top 50 B-schools. Only five American business schools have higher rates. Because of the overall low rates, however, it says more about the industry’s need to hire more female faculty members rather than HBS’s rate being high.

Harvard Business School. Courtesy photo

For the student population, even with an increase in female students from 36% in 2006 to 42% in 2016, the school had the lowest rate of women enrolled among 11 Harvard professional schools and Harvard College. It isn’t much better for underrepresented minority students, which also rose from 8% in 2006 to 11% in 2016. Only four schools had lower rates, again putting HBS in the bottom half. The Engineering School and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences each had just 8% underrepresented minorities enrolled in 2016, which represented the lowest rates among all schools. At the top were Harvard College and the Graduate School of Education, each enrolling 19% minorities in 2016.

In terms of diversity of staff, the business school also trails fairly substantially compared to the other professional schools. At just 8%, HBS has less minorities on staff than every other professional school besides the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, which has 7%. And with just 1% international staff members, the school trails all schools besides the School of Divinity and the Radcliffe College, which both reported having no international staff members. For women staff members, the school fairs better with 60%, even the rate is a decrease from the 2006 rate of 66%. Four other schools at Harvard have lower percentages of women on staff with School of Engineering and Applied Sciences again having the lowest rate at 38%.

The report points out that despite Harvard’s Puritan roots and a lengthy history of closed doors, the school has most recently enrolled some of its most diverse classes — especially at the undergraduate level in Harvard College. “Alongside great ethnic and racial diversity, we have also achieved gender parity, an increased presence of international students, strong commitments to financial aid that bring us meaningful socioeconomic diversity, and ever-deepening commitments to accessibility for those with disabilities. Our community also benefits from a diversity of sexual identities, political viewpoints, and religions,” the report reads.

Still, the report authors admit, the university has not been as successful at increasing diversity and inclusion across all professional schools, which is essential to seeing the “intellectual fruits” of a diverse educational environment, the report reads. “To gain the benefit of diversity, Harvard must fully integrate all members of the University into academic, professional, and social contexts that support their individual flourishing and activate their potential. Excellence requires successful practices of inclusion at all levels, from the interpersonal to the organizational,” the report reads.

Still, this will be a challenging journey, the report’s authors admit.

“We may not yet understand all the relevant pedagogic tools for the work of simultaneously upholding principles of academic freedom and inclusion, or how to clarify fully the distinctions between productive discomfort, pointless harm, and actual trauma, but we will find the answers only if we seek them. And we must find them, if we are to make good on the opportunity our diversity presents us to build a solid foundation for the pursuit of excellence. Our enduring commitments to discovery and creativity should themselves help us find the way forward.”

DON’T MISS: 10 AMAZING MBA WOMEN TO WATCH or MBA PROGRAMS WITH THE MOST WOMEN

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MBA Admissions: Fact Or Fiction? - Poets&Quants

As a former Tuck Admissions Officer and the Founder and President of North Star Admissions Consulting, I know that it can be hard to separate fact from fiction when it comes to MBA admissions. There is no shortage of damaging misinformation out there – here is the truth about 5 of the most pervasive rumors.

Fact or Fiction: You should only take the GMAT once.

Unless you get a 750 (or so) you should plan to take the GMAT more than once. If you get a 700 or 720 on your first attempt schools will assume that you can do better and wonder why you didn’t try again. (They would rather admit you with higher scores, even if they love your candidacy.) If your scores are below the average for your target schools the programs will also wonder why you didn’t try again. Lack of interest? Delusion? Last minute plan to apply to business school? It IS true that taking the test too many times is a bad plan – but more than once is preferred in most situations. FICTION.

Fact or Fiction: You might be on the courtesy waitlist.

The courtesy waitlist is real. If you are super connected – your godmother is the Chair of the Board of Trustees, your family name is on the library, etc., and you find yourself on the wait list you might well be a special interest candidate. If not for your connections you were probably destined for the deny pile, but the admissions office was told to retain you to avoid angering the people you are connected to.  Does this mean that you won’t get in? Not necessarily, there are many factors that influence special interest admits, and also lots of dynamics in flux with the wait list. FACT.

Fact or Fiction: You need to go to a “name brand” college to get into a top school.

Absolutely false. It is helpful to go to a rigorous undergraduate institution, but business schools look for diversity. They don’t want everyone to come from the same 10 colleges – that type of homogeneity stifles the academic and community atmosphere. Plus, the MBA admissions committee knows that brilliant people go to all sorts of colleges, not just “name brand” ones. FICTION.

Fact or Fiction: You can’t get into a top school with a low GPA.

You totally can. I have worked with many clients with low GPA’s who have matriculated to the top schools, some even with scholarships to schools including Wharton, Sloan, Booth, Tuck, etc. The key is to demonstrate that you can handle the work, and also to convince the school that you, personally are worth the numeric hit – so let your personality shine and cast a wide net. FICTION.

Fact or Fiction: You should avoid talking about political or religious activities.

Speaking of letting your personality shine, please don’t hide activities that you think are too polarizing. MBA admissions officers are not partisan – even if they voted for the other candidate or can’t personally relate to your religious beliefs, they will still respect your viewpoint and commitment. Furthermore, overly generic candidates tend not to get in, since they don’t stand out in the pool and it’s unclear what they will contribute. Finally, would you really want to go to a school that doesn’t support you as an individual? Go ahead and talk about your true passions. FICTION.

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 Karen has more than 12 years of experience evaluating candidates for admission to Dartmouth College and to the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. Since founding North Star Admissions Consulting in 2012, she has helped applicants gain admission to the nation’s top schools, including Stanford, Harvard, Yale, Wharton, MIT, Tuck, Columbia, Kellogg, Booth, Haas, Duke, Cornell, Ross, NYU, UNC, UCLA, Georgetown and more. Over the last three years, clients have been awarded more than 14.6 million dollars in scholarships, and more than 95% have gotten into one of their top choice schools.

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2018 Best MBAs: Kristen Steagall, University of Michigan (Ross) - Poets&Quants

Kristen Steagall

University of Michigan, Ross School of Business

“A strong, driven and generous leader that is passionate about her community, impact and legacy.”

Age: 30

Hometown: Crystal Lake, IL

Fun fact about yourself: After graduating from undergrad, I tried to move to Russia with an unintentionally incomplete visa – and surprise, they wouldn’t let me in! I got stuck in Sweden for awhile before having to fly back to the U.S., but was eventually able to move to Russia later that year! It taught me to be tenacious about my dreams and to pay more attention to details.

Undergraduate School and Degree: University of Michigan, B.A in Russian and Eastern European Studies

Where did you work before enrolling in business school? ClassPass, Head of Studio Marketing & Communications

Where did you intern during the summer of 2017? McKinsey, Digital Chicago Office, Summer Associate

Where will you be working after graduation? McKinsey, Digital Chicago Office, Associate

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School:

President, Tech Club @ Ross: One of the largest professional clubs on campus, helping MBAs recruit for and secure jobs in technology. The club has more than 550 members.

+Lab Fellow, Center for Positive Organizations: As a fellow, I study and live by positive leadership principles.

Sanger Crisis Challenge, War Lord: Organized and led more than 30 volunteers during the 24-hour crisis simulation challenge at Ross.

Runner-up at Haas Tech Challenge Case Competition: Sponsored by Google Fiber on the future of high speed internet.

Teaching Assistant: Assist in teaching a capstone course for BBA seniors on innovation and business strategy.

Peer Coach: Help fellow MBAs prepare for recruitment and lead a weekly recruitment prep workshop

Prospective Student Panelist: During prospective student visits, I sit on panels to help share what a Ross experience is really like.

Performer in Ross Follies: Awarded Best Actress in a Leading Role.

MBGay Choreographer: 1st Place Routine raising money for local LGBTQ+ youth shelter

Frank S. Moran Leadership Award Nominee

Dean’s List

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? I have a deep passion for the performing arts. Leveraging strong relationships with my professors, the larger Ann Arbor community and Ross’ support of action-based learning, I crafted a unique MBA experience by consulting and doing research for the University Musical Society (UMS), a performing arts organization that received a 2014 National Medal of Arts. My work this year has ranged from writing a case on the turnaround of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra for a popular class at Ross to helping UMS conduct a capabilities study on introducing more “pop-up” events to its repertoire. Next month I am helping to host a panel talk of top performing arts leaders at Ross. Being able to combine my passions with my MBA learnings has been a highlight of my MBA, especially if it inspires my peers to be on the boards of arts organizations in the future.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? Reputation is incredibly important to me: I always seek to be known as a hard-working, motivated and innovative leader. After working in the startup space in New York City for a few years, I had sufficiently built up a reputation that when ClassPass, one of the fastest-growing startups in the country, was looking to launch its B2B marketing department, one of the co-founders reached out to me about the opportunity. Having that kind of validation of my reputation made the years of hard work worth it. The work I did there building ClassPass’ B2B marketing strategy is some of my favorite and best work.

Why did you choose this business school? I realized that the two things I wanted most in a program, a supportive community and access to resources outside of the business school, are two qualities that Michigan Ross has. I came back to campus for my interview and fell in love with Ann Arbor, the university and my future peers. I haven’t looked back since.

What is your best piece advice to an applicant hoping to get into your school’s MBA program?  Get to know everything Ross has to offer, both within the program and outside of it. The University of Michigan has a Top Ten program in practically every subject so it’s possible for you to pursue your passions no matter what they are…whether it’s engineering, education, law, the environment or the performing arts. Additionally, think about what sort of leader you want to become and how Ross can help you get there. Michigan Ross’ Sanger Leadership Center, as one example, has a ton of great programming that can be utilized!

What is the biggest myth about your school? Because we emphasize community here, I think we get a reputation of being overly social and too nice. And while people here genuinely care about each other, it isn’t to the detriment of being competitive, determined and driven. We are all in an MBA program after all! People have big plans and work hard towards making them happen.

What was your biggest regret in business school? That I didn’t make time for working out during MBA1 year. Coming from a fitness company, it was a bit embarrassing.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? My fellow section mate Dedeepya Palla. Dedeepya manages to balance having two pre-teen children at home with coursework, recruiting and still manages to be an active participant in the social thread at Ross. She always has a smile on her face and a kind word no matter how stressed she is! Being a mother and an MBA is no easy feat. Dedeepya is quietly changing the norm of what an MBA looks like and I love it.

Who most influenced your decision to pursue business in college? I have had two incredible mentors during my career thus far: Jaime Razcka, Head of New Markets at Lyft, and Jen Burke, Head of Studios at ClassPass. They both pushed me to strive for more in my career and taught me both the hard and soft skills I needed to excel. They both have MBAs and I knew that to be like them one day I would need to pursue one as well.

“If I hadn’t gone to business school, I would be…performing with a house improv team at the People’s Improv Theater in New York City.”

What are the top two items on your bucket list? Ride a horse across the plains of Mongolia and learn to play the piano.

In one sentence, how would you like your peers to remember you? Someone who left the room a little brighter than it was before.

What is your favorite movie about business? This one is pretty cheesy, but the 1987 film Baby Boom. It features Diane Keaton as a top management consultant who gets pushed out after she decides to raise a child she adopts. By the end of the movie she has built a company so successful the consulting firm that fired her approaches her to buy it for a client. Few movies have powerful women business leaders in them so watching this as a young girl gave me a role model to aspire to and taught me that it’s possible to achieve success on your own terms.

What would your theme song be? “No Regrets” – Aesop Rock

Favorite vacation spot: My sister’s house outside Burlington, VT. I love traveling to far-flung regions, but there is something so relaxing about the Vermont countryside. Nothing beats swimming in a mountain creek during a hot, August day!

Hobbies? Reading fiction (especially sci-fi), tennis, yoga, ballet, baking and traveling!

What made Kristen such an invaluable addition to the class of 2018?

“Kristen displays and embraces the epitome of a Michigan Ross leader by always thinking of the greater good and paying it forward.  She is President of the Tech club, which is one of the largest professional clubs on campus with 30 Officers and 550 members. Kristen has a unique ability to challenge her peers and hold them accountable while also nurturing their passions and acting as a confidant. As a peer coach for the Career Development Office, she was often sought out by students to get real, honest feedback, and for her ability to help them think through tactical career strategies.  I have most appreciated her partnership with the Career Development Office to help us think through the next level of service we can provide students and corporate partners. She is thoughtful, respectful and a true partner who wants what is best for the school and her classmates. Kristen is admired by her peers, faculty and staff for being gracious, confident, smart, generous and inspiring. She has left Ross a better place than she found it and we are all indebted to her for her contribution to the Ross experience.”

Heather Byrne
Managing Director, Career Development Office
Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan

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‘Over-analyzed, underrepresented’: Africa business insights - Olin BlogOlin Blog

Recapping the inaugural Africa Business Forum, an event sponsored by Olin's African Business Club. Participants and presenters shared the ways businesses should consider the continent "the last frontier for global development."

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Perfecting Your Harvard MBA Essay - Poets&Quants

Harvard Business School sets up for Class Day on Baker Lawn

They say the early bird gets the worm. Almost one month earlier than last year, Harvard Business School (HBS) has released its application essay prompt. Maybe it was able to do so expeditiously because… it made no changes to the question from last year. HBS Director of Admissions Chad Losee, now entering his third application season, must feel the prompt is effective in eliciting the kind of information the admissions committee finds valuable in evaluating potential students. Our analysis of the prompt and advice on the best way to approach it therefore also remain constant…

“As we review your application, what more would you like us to know as we consider your candidacy for the Harvard Business School MBA Program?” (no word limit)

Take special note of the word “more” in this straightforward question. With it, the admissions committee is subtly acknowledging that it already has a lot of information about you that it can and will use to get to know you better, including your resume, extracurricular activities, recommendations, short-answer question responses, academic transcripts, and GMAT/GRE score. You should therefore think first about what these portions of your application convey about who you are as an individual and candidate, so you can determine which parts of your profile still need presenting or could benefit from more detail. Now, some applicants may fret that this means they absolutely cannot touch on anything mentioned elsewhere in their application, for fear that the admissions committee will become annoyed and reject them.

However, Harvard Business School is not asking only for fresh information—it is asking for more, and specifically, whatever “more” you believe the committee needs to evaluate you thoroughly and fairly. So, even though a bullet on your resume may inform the school of a certain fact, if a profoundly important story lurks behind that fact that you feel effectively expresses a key part of your personality or skill set, you should not feel hesitant to share that story. That said, we are not advocating for you to explore your resume in depth, just trying to convey that “more” here does not mean strictly “thus far unmentioned.”

Before we discuss a few approaches you might take in framing this essay, we must note that your goal in writing it is sincerity. The admissions committee is not staffed by robots, seeking to detect a certain “type” of applicant. These are human beings who are trying to get to know you and really want to end up liking you! With this essay, you essentially want to forge a meaningful connection with a complete stranger, and if you try to present yourself as something or someone you are not, you will fail.

You, like many other applicants, may worry that your sincere stories will sound clichéd. For example, if you want to write about making a difference, you may wince simply thinking those words: “making a difference.” But the power of your story does not lie in the theme you choose (if you choose to write thematically, that is) but in the manner in which you reveal your actions. If you have truly made a significant difference in the lives of others and can own that angle by offering powerful anecdotes and demonstrating a deep emotional connection to others and profound purpose in your acts, you can write on this topic. Although more than a few candidates will undoubtedly submit clichéd pieces on making a difference, if you can capture your admissions reader’s attention fully and make a strong enough impression, the cliché aspect will disappear, and he or she will be impressed by your actions and character.

So, what approach might you take to this essay? The prompt is so open-ended that we cannot possibly capture all possible options, but here are a few:

1. Thematic approach: You could write about a characteristic or attribute that has woven its way throughout your life or that you have woven into your life. Do some self-exploration and see if you can identify a thread that is common to your greatest achievements, thereby illustrating its importance in bringing you to where you are today. Simply stating that theme is not enough—you need to really guide your reader through the illustrative events in your life to show how and why this theme manifests. In the end, your values are what need to come to the fore in this essay, rather than just a series of discrete episodes. (Note that highlighting your values is necessary with any approach you take to your HBS essay.)
2. Inflection points: Maybe the key events and aspects of your life cannot be neatly captured or categorized within a neat and tidy theme. People are complex, meaning that many are not able to identify a singular “force” that unifies their life experience. If this is you, do not worry—instead, consider discussing a few inflection points that were instrumental in shaping the individual you are today. This does not mean writing a very linear biography or regurgitating your resume in detail. The admissions committee does not need or want such a summary and is instead interested in your ability to reflect on the catalysts in and challenges to your world view and the manifestations thereof. Likewise, you do not need to offer a family history or an overarching explanation of your existence. Simply start with the first significant incident that shaped who you are as an adult, and again, ensure that your essay ultimately reveals your values.
3. Singular anecdote: Although this is rare, you may have had a single standout experience that could serve as a microcosm of who you are and what you stand for. If this experience or moment truly defines you and strikes at the essence of your being, you can discuss it and it alone. You do not need to worry that offering just one anecdote will make your essay seem “skimpy” or present you as one-dimensional, as long as the story has inherent strength and power. You will need to delve into the narrative and let the story tell itself; if you are choosing to write a singular anecdote, the story should be sufficiently compelling on its own, without a lot of explanation.

You may have read through these three options and thought, “What about a fourth option, in which I discuss my goals and why HBS? Certainly they want to know about that!” The HBS admissions committee is a straight-shooting group—if the school wanted candidates to write about their goals and why HBS, or wanted them not to, the prompt would come right out and say so. The reality is that most people should not use this essay to discuss their career ambitions and interest in HBS, because doing so will not reveal that much “more” about them. For example, if you are a consultant who plans to return to consulting after graduation, we cannot imagine a scenario in which addressing your goals and why an HBS MBA is critical would constitute an effective use of this essay. However, if you are a medic at a bush hospital in Uganda and are applying to HBS with the goal of commercializing low-cost technologies to fight infectious diseases, this may well be a fitting topic for your essay, as you seek to connect the dots between your unusual (in a positive sense) career path and your aspirations. In short, for most candidates, we would suggest eschewing a “Why MBA? Why HBS?” approach, but in a few rare cases, it may be appropriate and compelling.

Finally, let us talk about word limits! HBS has not stipulated any particular parameters, but keep in mind that with each word, you are making a claim on someone else’s time—so you better make sure that what you have written is worth that additional time and effort. We expect that most of our clients will use between 850 and 1,000 words, with some using as few as 600 and a small minority using as many as 1,250. We have difficulty imagining a scenario in which an applicant would truly need more than 1,250, but we certainly know of candidates who were accepted with essays that exceeded that high target. In short, take the space you need to tell your story properly and showcase your personality and experience, and then work to reduce your essay to its lowest possible word count, without sacrificing any impact or effectiveness.

Have the Last Word: The Post-Interview Reflection (conditional on being interviewed)

From the admissions committee: “Following the interview, candidates are required to submit a written reflection using our online application system. This must be submitted within 24 hours following the completion of the interview. Detailed instructions will be provided to those applicants who are invited to the interview process.”

For the fourth consecutive year, HBS ask candidates who are granted an interview to complete one more written task. Within 24 hours of interviewing, you must submit some final words of reflection, addressing the question “How well did we get to know you?” As with the application essay, this post-interview reflection is open-ended; you can structure it however you wish and write about whatever you want to tell the committee. HBS urges interviewed applicants not to approach this reflection as a formal essay but instead “as an email you might write to a colleague or supervisor after a meeting.”

Some candidates may find this additional submission intimidating, but we encourage you to view it as an opportunity to reveal new aspects of your profile to the admissions committee. Because your HBS interviewer will have read your entire application before your meeting, you will likely discuss information from your resume, essays, recommendations, etc., during your interview. This post-interview reflection, then, could provide an opening for you to integrate new and different elements of your profile, thereby adding depth to your candidacy. For example, if you could not find a way to include the story of a key life experience of yours into your essays, but your interviewer touches on a similar story or something connected with this experience in your meeting, you would now have license to share that anecdote.

As soon as your interview is over, jot down all the topics covered and stories you discussed. If you interview on campus, note also any observations about your time there. For example, sitting in on a class might have reminded you of a compelling past experience, or participating in the case method may have provided insight into an approach you could use in some way in the future. Maybe the people you met or a building you saw made a meaningful impression on you. Whatever these elements are, tie them to aspects of your background and profile while adding some new thoughts and information about yourself. This last part is key—simply describing your visit will not teach the admissions committee anything about you, and a flat statement like “I loved the case method” will not make you stand out. Similarly, offering a summary of everything the admissions committee already knows about you will not advance your candidacy and would constitute a lost opportunity to keep the committee learning about who you are.

HBS offers some additional advice on the post-interview reflection that we strongly urge you to take seriously and follow:

• We will be much more generous in our reaction to typos and grammatical errors than we will be with pre-packaged responses. Emails that give any indication that they were produced BEFORE you had the interview will raise a flag for us.
• We do not expect you to solicit or receive any outside assistance with this exercise.

As for how long this essay should be, HBS again does not offer a word limit. We have seen successful submissions ranging from 400 words to more than 1,000. We recommend aiming for approximately 500, but adjust as appropriate to thoroughly tell the admissions committee what you feel is important, while striving to be succinct.

mbaMission’s Jeremy Shinewald

Author Jeremy Shinewald is the founder and CEO of mbaMission, a leading MBA admissions consulting firm.

For a thorough exploration of HBS’s academic offerings, defining characteristics, crucial statistics, social life, community/environment, and other key facets of the program, download your free copy of our Insider’s Guide to Harvard Business School.

And for even more advice on how to tackle the HBS application essay, join me on Monday, April 30, for a free live webinar, “Writing a Standout Harvard Business School Essay.”

Of course, if you would prefer one-on-one help with your HBS application, you can sign up for a free consultation to discuss your candidacy with me or another mbaMission admissions advisor.

 

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An Interview With Melissa Rapp, Kellogg’s MBA Gatekeeper - Poets&Quants

Melissa Rapp has been director of admissions for Kellogg’s MBA and MSMS since January of 2016

Melissa Rapp doesn’t hesitate. What’s the stereotype she would most like to dispel about Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, where she is director of admissions for the full-time MBA program? Easy: That Kellogg is primarily a “marketing school.”

“MBA candidates can have some misconceptions about Kellogg,” Rapp tells Poets&Quants. “Kellogg is really concerned about the kind of experience that we offer and what students can expect from their MBA experience here. We do continue to hear students refer to Kellogg as ‘the marketing school’ — but we are much more than just a marketing school, and I think it’s important for candidates to understand that we offer an incredibly rich experience no matter what industry you’re looking to go into.” 

The data supports Rapp, who became admissions chief at the Kellogg School in January 2016 after directing the school’s Evening and Weekend Program for a few years. In Kellogg’s most recent employment profile, 19% of MBAs in the Class of 2017 went into marketing — a typical outcome: marketing grads have hovered between 19% and 21% since 2013. Far more, however, go into consulting: 34% in 2017, and never less than 33% since 2013. (Not to mention all the other industries Kellogg grads go into.) Kellogg’s top recruiters last year were a trio of consulting giants and a tech behemoth: McKinsey, which employed 40 grads; Boston Consulting Group, which hired 36; Bain & Co., 28; and Amazon, which scooped up 32 MBAs from the shores of Lake Michigan.

Kellogg had 488 full-time MBA grads last spring. As a percentage of the total, its 34% is a bigger consultant class than Harvard’s (25%), Stanford’s (28%), and even Wharton’s (32%). Marketing school? Only in the sense that — as it does in every other subject — Kellogg has among the world’s best faculty.

DESTINED FOR HIGHER EDUCATION

Melissa Rapp

Melissa Rapp was probably always going to work in higher education. After earning her bachelor’s degree from the University of Kansas in 1996, she went to work doing outreach and recruitment for prospective students at Baker University, a liberal arts school just outside Kansas City, Kansas; during the six years she was associate director of admissions, she earned her master’s in business/corporate communication from Baker and started a family. Rapp returned to work in 2010, and two years later was hired by the Kellogg School to be its assistant director of admissions in the Part Time MBA Program. After three years she moved up to director of admissions; then, six months later, she became admissions director of the Full Time MBA an MSMS programs.  

“I love the education space and I’m passionate about education being a driver for personal development and change in people,” Rapp tells Poets&Quants in a wide-ranging phone interview. “When I first thought about going back to work, Kellogg was very appealing because of the prestige of the brand: I was excited to work at a school that has good things going for it. And I think as I started to interview, more and more of the values of Kellogg started to come through. 

“Also, I really respected how true leadership wasn’t just higher education professionals — that Kellogg was actively seeking people who understood very deeply the journey that our students were preparing to go on and what that journey could ultimately be. And I think that that’s a strong reflection of Kellogg’s commitment to its students in providing the best experience that they can.”

As admissions chief, Rapp has presided over what can only be described as continuing excellence in the caliber of MBA candidates. Even as Kellogg’s rank has slipped in a couple major lists (from No. 4 to No. 6 at U.S. News & World Report, and from No. 4 to No. 5 in Poets&Quants’ ranking, the school’s class profile shines, including a 19-point increase in average scores on the Graduate Management Admission Test since 2013, from 713 to 732. In 2017, Kellogg’s remarkably consistent 3.60 average undergraduate GPA was behind only Stanford (3.74), Harvard (3.71), and Chicago Booth (3.61).

KELLOGG: A LEADER IN GENDER 

One area in particular where the Kellogg School has continued to outshine its peers: the percentage of women in its student ranks. In the Class of 2019, Kellogg admitted 42% women, continuing its streak of greater than 40% female MBA population going back to 2013. Among elite schools, only Wharton and Harvard can claim to have kept pace in that five-year span. 

“The diversity that we bring to Kellogg each and every year, in terms of gender but also across industries and backgrounds, I think it’s an important part of the culture, having that representation and diversity,” Rapp says. “We’ve been thrilled last year to have 42% women in the class, and it’s a combination of things: we have seen increased demand in our applicant pool, so that more women seem to be seeking graduate education and MBAs, but we have also taken a really proactive approach to engage particularly prospective female applicants. In particular, we work very closely with the Women’s Business Association to develop programming and outreach that will resonate with women.

“I feel like we have developed a really good, holistic approach to bringing women to Kellogg and supporting them throughout their MBA journey, and then sending them out to the world to do great things. That’s definitely something that we are very proud of and continue to see as important.”

Can gender parity be far behind? “We certainly continue to want to have that high level of women in our classroom,” Rapp says. “It’s real early to tell what the Class of 2020 will look like, but I do anticipate us having a very strong presence of women in this class. 

“As far as getting to 50%, I feel like parity between genders is certainly a hot topic not just in higher education or MBA programs but across the board, and I think it’s just going to take a lot of dedicated hard work from people who care for probably a couple more years to make it happen.”

Kellogg has consistently enrolled 40% or more women in its full-time MBA program for the last five years

A MAJOR MEETING OF PROMINENT KELLOGG WOMEN

When it comes to women in business, Kellogg has a plan. The school’s leadership has outlined three critical career pivot points where women are being lost on the way to the C-suite, and making what it terms “significant investments” to help alumni women at each of these phases: the post college/grad school years, the child rearing/caregiving years, and the transition to senior leadership. The school’s commitment to the issue will no doubt be prominently discussed at a first-time event in May, the Global Women’s Summit, featuring hundreds of Kellogg alumni, students, honored guests, and community members. Sherry Lansing, former CEO of Paramount Pictures, will be there featured speaker.

The May 8-9 summit “will bring some really prominent members of the Kellogg community here to urge women to engage with leadership and with each other,” Rapp says, with many others joining remotely from cities like Chicago, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle. Developed by Kellogg’s women leaders, the 1 1/2-day summit will feature such topics such as the “likeability dilemma,” positioning oneself for a board seat, and negotiating effectively.

We can’t talk about women at Kellogg without mentioning that the most prominent Kellogg woman is leaving soon. What has it been like to work with Dean Sally Blount, who steps down at the end of this school year?

Dean Sally Blount has presided over a “transformative” period in Kellogg history, says Melissa Rapp

It’s been amazing. I came to Kellogg a couple years after Dean Blount had started her impactful journey here and just felt incredibly fortunate to have her as the leader of the organization and as a role model for myself and the other women here. It certainly has been a transformative period at Kellogg — she has left a mark here that will be enduring for a long time. And working with somebody who is so incredibly enthusiastic about the school is certainly very infectious. 

All that being said, I have great respect for the fact that she is opening up the door for someone else to have the opportunity to impact Kellogg. She can recognize that she has played her part and has done an incredible job, and she has the humility now to step away and allow someone else to take the reins. I have a great deal of respect for her and a great deal of gratitude for what she’s done for Kellogg. 

Over the last five years the average GMAT score at Kellogg has climbed 19 points (713 to 732). Do you see the number continuing to rise, or will Kellogg be satisfied at some point with the level they’ve reached?

What’s going on is that Kellogg always has attracted an incredible population of applicants and we continue to look for applicants who are going to do well academically here. Certainly, though, that is just one of the factors that we use in the holistic approach that we have. We’ve just been really fortunate to continue to see that outstanding applicant pool. Whether or not that continues to go up, obviously we are going to continue to push to bring the best and brightest to Kellogg, and a portion of that equation is their academic ability, but that’s just one portion of it.

I sometimes wish that other factors had as tangible a scoring method as GMAT does. If there were some sort of leadership test where we could see where people stack up on that, it would be nice, because sometimes I think there’s a little too much focus on the rising GMAT scores versus all the other incredible characteristics that get MBA candidates through the doors.

That’s a good segue to ask about your early thoughts on the next crop of students. The Round 3 decision will be announced by May 16 — how do they look?  

They look incredible! I think one of the things that I love about admissions is that I get to follow a new group of students every year and every year I think, “This is it. This has to be the best year yet.” And then the next class comes and I’ll be damned! There are just so many compelling people in the world, and I really fell very lucky to get to hear their stories. 

I love that our process a variety of ways for a candidate to showcase themselves, from their written essay to the video essay and the in-person interview — you really do get to know these people, and some of the things that they are doing are just incredible. I feel very grateful to get to know the, to play a small part in their journey to being very successful human beings. 

So I will tell you that the upcoming class is going to be the best class ever, and I will probably say that again next year.

With so many highly qualified co-applicants, what are some things a Kellogg applicant can do to really set themselves apart? And what are some terrible mistakes they should avoid?

To be well-prepared, we like to see a candidate understand why they want to get an MBA, what they are hoping to get out of it, how it fits with their story. To understand why they are applying to the schools that they are applying to. And try to learn about the programs and the school and understand some of the differences between them. All this is an important part of being a successful applicant. 

And then it’s important to give yourself enough time. Sometimes we see that candidates have rushed through the application process, and maybe have not spent the time being reflective that they needed to to really put together a compelling application. 

I think that kind of goes hand in hand with one of the mistakes that we do see: folks who don’t feel like they’re coming from a very genuine place when they’re doing their application. So their application comes across as disingenuous or that they’re trying to tell us what they think we want to hear versus their true story. And the honest truth is, we’re looking for strong candidates no matter what their background is — there is no one right answer for any of our questions. We want to hear every candidate’s story, we want to hear their reasons for wanting an MBA, and their reasons for wanting to come to Kellogg — and I think honesty and genuine interest in the program are the two things that really make you stand out. 

Just as there are candidates with good-but-not-great test scores who are extraordinary in other ways get in, some candidates with great test scores but weaker applications in other areas don’t get in — do you see that often?

Every year. There is no golden ticket to get into Kellogg. So a perfect GMAT score doesn’t really mean anything other than you did really well on a particular test on a given day. It’s interesting, for sure — it’s going to catch our attention. But it’s certainly not a golden ticket. 

I think of a great example. We had a candidate a couple years ago whose GMAT score probably wasn’t what you would expect or what we typically see for a Kellogg admit. But he was a military veteran, a top gun pilot, a decorated war hero, and taking all things into consideration — his personality in the interview, his expression of his personal values and how they aligned with Kellogg, his deep leadership experience — he ended up being one of our Austin Scholars that year (selected because they have demonstrated exceptional leadership in academic and professional endeavors, and show promise of future leadership at Kellogg and in business or public service) because he brought us interesting and unique characteristics beyond academics. Now, we were confident that he could be successful in the classroom as well, but there is a perfect example of someone who didn’t meet the typical criteria that folks think of when thinking of MBA applicants.

And he has turned out to be a phenomenal leader and great asset to Kellogg, and we’re very proud to have him here.

Is Kellogg contemplating any changes to the application process in the next couple of admission cycles? 

Our application process is under review right now, but I don’t have sneak peeks for you! I do know that our application will be going live a bit earlier this year, maybe June versus July, and that’s exciting — we’re excited to give people the opportunity to start on their application a little earlier, have a little more time to craft their essays and things. It’s not a big change but it’s one that we feel will help improve the experience for our Round 1 candidates. 

What if you could make a change to the process with a wave of your magic wand, what would it be?

What we really hunger for at Kellogg is the opportunity to meet every individual candidate, and that’s just physically impossible (the Class of 2019 has 478 members). But we did wave our magic wand and introduce a video essay a few years ago, and that has really added an important and interesting dimension to the application process, and given us the opportunity to see every candidate — and to allow every candidate to, in their own words, express why they want to come to Kellogg.

It’s sometimes really surprising, the variation you can get between the written word and the spoken word, and that little extra piece of the application process here at Kellogg was a magic wand for us. It unlocked having a personal interaction with every candidate.

DON’T MISS THE MBA GATEKEEPER AT INSEAD and INTERVIEW: WHARTON’S MBA GATEKEEPER 

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