Meet Yale SOM’s MBA Class of 2017

Vichi Jagannathan-Yale-PoetsAndQuants-Classof2017

Vichi Jagannathan

 

Yale School of Management

Hometown: Hopewell Junction, NY

Undergraduate School and Major: BSE, Princeton University, electrical engineering; MS, Stanford University, electrical engineering

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation:

California Regional Director of TEALS program, Microsoft

Co-founder, MyHealthEd

High school science teacher, Teach for America – Eastern North Carolina

Recalling your own experience, what advice do you have for applicants who are preparing for either the GMAT or the GRE?

I chose to take the GMAT, and I found it most helpful to become very familiar with the test format, question types, and time limits beforehand. GMAC itself provides several free practice resources when you register for the exam, which include tips, practice questions, and full-length exams. I started by reading through the tips and strategies, took one full-length test as a diagnostic, and then focused my studying on the sections where I needed to improve my score the most. I’d focus on building your familiarity with the test format and timing. After doing enough practice problems, the content knowledge will come back to you.

Based on your own selection process, what advice do you have for applicants who are trying to draw up a list of target schools to which to apply? Before deciding to apply to business school at all, I would take some time to clearly write out what you hope to accomplish after receiving the degree, and what skills and experiences you need to acquire in order to achieve those goals. I would also think about the qualities you are looking for in your classmates – age, experience, industry, interests, etc. Much of this may change and it’s important to keep an open mind, but it helps to start with some idea of what you’re looking for.

As you are reading about different prospective schools, evaluate them based on the criteria you listed. Will they provide you with the resources, support, and opportunities that you need? Is the student body comprised of classmates with whom you are excited to live and work alongside for two years? After going through this process very honestly, I found that only a short list of schools really seemed to fulfill everything I was looking for (and not all of them were in the top 5 or 10 ranked business schools). Yale made my list, and from my interactions thus far with the school and students, I can already tell that it will be a good fit for me.

What advice do you have for applicants in actually applying to a school, writing essays, doing admission interviews, and getting recommenders to write letters on your behalf? In terms of completing the application, the most helpful  things I did were to first clarify for myself why I wanted to get an MBA and how I would use my time in business school to work towards that goal. If you can’t convince yourself that you need to go to business school, then you probably shouldn’t be going. That clarity made it fairly easy to start the essays, which mainly require you to tell a coherent story of how your past experiences have prepared you for business school and why the MBA is an essential step towards accomplishing your current goals. After writing my drafts, I sent them to lots of people (friends, family, colleagues, and mentors) for feedback, which really helped me tighten my narrative, increase clarity, and focus on the most important points.

I found all of my interviews to be straightforward and relaxed. Again, having a clear idea of my goals made it easy to answer most of the standard questions about why I want to pursue an MBA. It definitely helped to have some specific knowledge about each school and why I was uniquely interested in it, but this should have already been a part of your pre-application due diligence. Finally, I found the interview to be a really great opportunity to ask questions and air any concerns I had about that particular program, and I generally got really honest answers and insights from the interviewers. Use this time to dig deep into the particular school’s culture and values, and don’t be afraid to seek clarification for the things you are most uncertain about. After all, you also have to choose the school that’s right for you.

What led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA? When I had finally narrowed down my list of potential schools based on alignment to my personal goals and values, Yale made it onto a very short list. In particular, I was interested in SOM because of its track record of supporting students who pursue work in non-profit or social enterprise; a student body that draws from a very diverse range of industries;  its new and emerging focus on entrepreneurship; and the many opportunities to interact globally with students, schools, and corporations.

What would you ultimately like to achieve before you graduate? After graduation, I aim to start or join a social enterprise focused on breaking cycles of poverty. It is rare to be given two years to learn, explore, and ultimately do alongside a cohort of highly qualified, motivated, and ambitious individuals who are at a similar stage in their lives. During my time at SOM, I look forward to forming genuine relationships with many of my classmates, listening to their stories, being present to take advantage of the courses, clubs, and faculty mentorship, building and testing some of my business ideas, and working to integrate myself into the greater New Haven community to try and make a positive contribution during my time there. All that said, I know that plans change so I’m keeping an open mind to the other directions I may end up heading that I hadn’t originally considered.

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