Meet The Incoming Haas Class of 2017

Carrie Gladstone

Carrie Gladstone

 

University of California-Berkeley, Haas School of Business

Hometown: Cleveland, Ohio

Undergraduate School and Major: Georgetown University, Psychology and English

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation: Georgetown University, Assistant Vice President of Strategic Initiatives; Deloitte Consulting, Strategy and Operations Consultant

Recalling your own experience, what advice do you have for applicants who are preparing for either the GMAT or the GRE? Take as many practice tests as you can. Spend time deconstructing your thought process for any wrong answers. Keep practicing that type of question until you are ready to take the test. A course can be helpful for the schedule, but if you are trying to save money and are disciplined, you can definitely do well on your own.

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? Visit as many of the schools as you can and sit in on a few classes. Talk to the admissions staff. Ask questions of current students. Write down your observations, questions, and impressions after each so you don’t forget. This will be valuable to you in the application process.

Do not include any schools on your list that you have absolutely no chance of attending. It costs money and time to apply (from you and your recommenders). Your time is best spent prepping for interviews at the schools that excite you.

When you visit, talk to current students to learn where they applied and what drove their ultimate decision. This might highlight a school you had not originally considered. Many students are happy to lend advice and connect you with other current students who share your interests as they often received similar support during their process.

Imagine the industry or job you’d like to have after graduation and explore the student outcome pages to see the school’s relative strength in placing people there.

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 with one of your lower-ranked schools for your first essays, and use this as a warm-up. Find a friend or friends to critique your early first drafts to ensure you are direct, honest and interesting. My best essay was one of my last essays that I wrote. I had written so many other essays before and received so many critiques that the essay barely changed from first draft to submission.

Make it as easy as possible for your recommenders to write a strong recommendation — and submit it on time. I prepared a deck that outlined all of the application basics for each school: Deadlines, essay questions, core values of the school, decision criteria, why I was applying, my strengths and weaknesses, and why that business school was the right fit. I also sent my draft essay and my resume.

To prepare for interviews, think about the three things you want the interviewer to walk away with that they can tell the admissions committee. I found it helpful to have three to four core stories ready. Do a few mock interviews to find out where you might stumble and then practice.

Finish all of the fill-in parts of the applications well in advance of the submission deadline and double check for errors. You will be surprised by the level of thought required for some of the short answers and you are bound to rush and not show your best work if you wait until the end.

What led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA? Berkeley has strength in aging and innovation which is the area I want to move into after graduation. It also has an incredibly strong MBA/MPH program that will allow me to receive both degrees in just two and a half years. The entrepreneurial culture and core values animate the student experience at Berkeley-Haas, and it is the type of environment where I can thrive.

What would you ultimately like to achieve before you graduate? In addition to sharpening my core business skills, I want to develop an understanding of new business models that can encourages health, vitality and independence for older adults — and reduce their cost on current infrastructure.

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