Meet Yale SOM’s MBA Class of 2017

Lavinia Petrache

Yale School of Management

Hometown (City and State): Slobozia, Romania

Undergraduate School and Major: “Politehnica” University of Bucharest, Computer Science

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation: Facebook, Software Engineer (Menlo Park, California)

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 important to know that I can retake this test as many times as I need to. This lifted a lot of pressure off my chest and allowed me to focus on studying and practicing for the test. On the morning of the exam, I tried as best I could to just think that if I don’t get the score that I want I’ll simply try again.

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? Schools have a mission for a reason. These are not just two years that will help you professionally, but they can be two formative years that can shape you personally as well and help you grow towards the person that you want to become. Choose the schools that fit your views of the world and where you would fit well…and where you would still have plenty of diversity.

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? Your closest friends sometimes know you even better than you know yourself. Show them your essay drafts, practice interviews with them, and listen to their advice. As for the recommenders, reach out to the people who know you best professionally and make sure that you let them know well in advance why you are applying. Talking to them from time-to-time about your career goals will help them understand your motivation better.

What led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA? Yale has a mission that fits well with my views. Educating leaders for business and society puts an emphasis on both business, but also on helping and building a better world around us. It was a decisive factor for me to be a part of a class where people care about working on meaningful projects that make our communities and the world better.

What would you ultimately like to achieve before you graduate? As someone who came at Yale from Silicon Valley and who will probably go back to Silicon Valley upon graduating, I see these two years as important not just from a professional perspective, but also for my personal development as well. I am looking forward to understanding other domains besides technology within the MBA program, but I also want to get a better grip of how technology grows in emerging markets.