Meet The Minnesota Carlson MBA Class of 2017

Greg Videen

Greg Videen

Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota

Hometown: Plymouth, MN

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Minnesota –Finance, International Business, and Spanish (minor)

Employers and Job Titles since Graduation: Deloitte Consulting – Senior Consultant (5 years at this company)

Recalling your own experience, what advice do you have for applicants who are preparing for either the GMAT or the GRE? For me it was not only important to develop a study schedule, but also to hold myself accountable to that schedule. I accomplished the first part of this by registering for an online study course through Manhattan GMAT (they offer the best study books to teach fundamental concepts in my opinion). To hold myself accountable, I went to a weekly study group session with another student from my class. I highly recommend having a study buddy so that you can push one another to greater success and to serve as a resource for each other, not only for GMAT study questions but also for school application questions!

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? Look past the rankings. When I first selected target schools, I relied on online formulas to determine what school rank range I should target based on my GMAT score and past experiences without considering other intangibles about these schools. In the end, my decision came down to: 1) program cost, 2) access to recruiters, and 3) ability to focus my program around my interests. I highly recommend touring all of your schools on your list prior to applying and talking to people close to you to get their input (input from two alumni of my other target school convinced me to come to the school I chose!).

Also, ignore reported average salaries after graduation unless they are broken down by industry. Just because School A has a higher percentage of individuals who want to go into banking and tech firms, that doesn’t mean that school B won’t give you access to these same companies.

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? Start the process as early as possible. I put nearly as much time into this part of the process as I did into studying for the GMAT. Finding a mentor who has gone through the process before helped me to stay on schedule in getting drafts completed and gave me someone to bounce off ideas. Your letter writers need to be willing to put in time and effort to craft a strong, detailed picture of you as a leader. Give them proper time to do this well. Vague statements from high ranking acquaintances do not help you, no matter how grandiose the statements. Finally, interviews should be taken as your chance to learn about the school. Who performs the interview as well as their interaction with you gave me a good glimpse into the school’s culture.

What led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA? The Carlson School met all of my criteria for a business school. When reviewing jobs that alumni were accepting upon graduation, the return on investment at Carlson seemed greater to me than at schools with higher price tags. The smaller class size of Carlson was initially a turn-off for me. Upon further research, it became a major benefit. While talking to current students, I found that all of them were able to pursue their own path, and they had much better access to recruiters on campus than at schools with larger class sizes. This smaller group allows all Carlson School MBA students to operate an Enterprise, which gives nearly two years of real world experience in areas such as finance, marketing, entrepreneurship, and consulting as part of students’ class curriculum. This, in addition to any summer internship, helps to quickly build a resume for a career-changer.

Finally, location also factored into my decision. The Twin Cities hosts an impressive 17 Fortune 500 companies that operate across a variety of industries (Cargill, 3M, UnitedHealth, US Bank, Medtronic, Target, General Mills, the list goes on). These companies are always looking for new talent. The Carlson School MBA is as valuable to these companies as any other school’s MBA, and the University of Minnesota’s location in the heart of the city makes it easy to connect with all of these companies on a regular basis. Plus, Minneapolis is an up-and-coming, fun, and lively city with enough activities, entertainment, and nightlife options to please all but the very most insatiable.

What would you ultimately like to achieve before you graduate? I hope to leave the Carlson School with a broader perspective of myself and with a well-rounded toolkit of business knowledge. I will use the time at business school to take an introspective view of myself and my past experiences in business so that I can focus on my development areas in a lower pressure environment. I want to take classes that stretch my knowledge in areas I am not as comfortable or have not had an opportunity to develop. I also am excited to learn from my fellow classmates’ experiences and to develop a network of future leaders.

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