Meet Notre Dame’s MBA Class of 2017

Robert James Wine

University of Notre Dame, Mendoza College of Business

Hometown: Burkeville, VA

Undergraduate School and Major: Thomas Edison State College | BSBA with a focus in International Business

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation: State of Virginia | Systems Analyst, Project Leader

Recalling your own experience, what advice do you have for applicants who are preparing for either the GMAT or the GRE? Be sure to not only memorize the quantitative and verbal principles covered in the GMAT, but to also do full practice tests several times within the actual GMAT time constraints. With the added pressure on test day, you need to be confident that you can accomplish the work within the allotted time.

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? I think the “fit” of the school is often underrated in an applicant’s selection process. Against the clamor of rankings, it’s easy to forget that the ethos of the school is a key component in the MBA experience. Go beyond the rankings and develop a list of schools that not only fit in terms of placement statistics and corporate networks, but also in terms of values, identity, and focus.

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? There are no shortcuts. Do the hard work of researching the school thoroughly. Adcoms can tell the difference between a quick Google search and a thorough investigation of their program. What is the passion that drives that business school? What kind of candidates do they want to produce? Why are you really a good fit? The answers to these types of questions will go a long way in communicating to the adcom that you deserve to be there. Use every possible opportunity to demonstrate that you know what that school is looking for, and why you are the perfect fit.

What led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA? Several things led me to select the Mendoza MBA program. The primary reason was that my values aligned strongly with the mission and purpose of Notre Dame. I wanted a top-notch business education that maintained a clear focus of ethics and integrity throughout the program. Courses like Business on the Frontlines (which permits students to assist in revitalization efforts in post-conflict economies) helped to differentiate Mendoza from among the competition. The legendary Notre Dame network was naturally a strong draw as well.

What would you ultimately like to achieve before you graduate? I want to achieve fluency in both the hard and soft skills of business. Effective leadership thrives where savvy interpersonal communication flows in congruence with solid technical knowledge. Furthermore, I want to understand how to strategically engage in corporate socially responsibly while maintaining successful wealth creation.