Meet Foster’s Class of 2017 MBAs

Anna Daron Bacheller

 

University of Washington, Michael G. Foster School of Business 

Hometown: Billings, Montana

Undergraduate School and Major: Whitman College, double major in Biology and Spanish Language and Literature

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation (Beginning with most recent): 

Antenna Group, Account Supervisor

Antenna Group, Senior Account Executive

HighwirePR, Account Executive

The Nature Conservancy, Marketing Professional

The Nature Conservancy, Marketing Coordinator

Common Sense Media, Consultant

Princeton in Asia, Teaching Fellow

Guildhouse Group, Project Manager

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

• Take a diagnostic test to learn where your areas of strength and areas of improvement are, then target your studying to the areas of improvement.

• Test pacing is critical. Practice pacing as soon as you start studying.

• Research and try different test-taking strategies. The practice tests are a great place to try different strategies and see which ones work best for 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? Of course it’s important to align a business school’s curriculum and job placement with your career goals. In addition, it’s important to consider the following:

• Who do you want in your network?: Check the demographic information for each school to which you apply and consider what it would mean to be a part of that group. For example, an older average student age means classmates will have greater perspective from prior work experience to call upon, which could transform otherwise theoretical classroom discussions into practical, hands-on conversations. Or, if a program tends to place students into jobs outside your desired field, think about how that type of network could affect you. For example, if you’re going to business school to become an entrepreneur and you choose a program that produces lots of venture capital professionals, that could be advantageous.

• A school’s ranking isn’t everything: Seriously. I was admitted to schools ranked higher than Foster and I declined their offers. Don’t let rank sway your decision too much. If the goal of going to business school is equip yourself with the skills necessary to get the job you want and bolster your network, choose a school that will help you do those things. Instead of relying on rank, look at program metrics that align with your own individual goals. How many people from the program find jobs at the company you want to work for? Do graduates commonly find employment in a place you want to live? What’s the average starting salary for graduates? What resources are available for students switching careers into your desired field? You get the idea.

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 early: Treat the application process like you would any other complex project: create a timeline and assign yourself due dates for each action item. It pays to stay organized and project manage the process to help stay on schedule.

• Write like a human: Many people default to a more formal writing style, but formal isn’t necessarily better. If you can, write like you talk. Have a friend ask you the essay questions and tell them, verbally, how you’d respond. Then go write down whatever it was that you said!

• Do your homework: Once you make it to the interview stage, you should know a fair amount about the program, why you feel it’s a good fit, and how you would utilize the school’s resources to help you reach your goals. If for any reason you don’t know these things, go back and do some homework.

• Ask for help from your advocates: There’s no standard rule of thumb that says applicants are guaranteed a higher chance of acceptance with a letter of recommendation from an alumni of the program, university staff, an influential individual, etc. Before you think about asking the most impressive people you know to write a letter for you, make sure you consider who would actually write the best letter: your advocates. Advocates are the people who have worked with you closely, can vouch for your leadership experience, and will highlight your positive characteristics. If one of your advocates also happens to be an impressive or strategic person to ask for a recommendation, then great. Just be sure you’re considering asking for their recommendation because they’re a true advocate.

What led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA? I had offers from several schools that fit the “on paper” criteria I had laid out for myself, all with sizeable financial aid packages. After visiting each of the schools to which I’d been admitted, it was the cultural fit at Foster that led me to choose the program. These students are sharp as tacks, yet have zero ego.

What would you ultimately like to achieve before you graduate? I’d like to find my calling! I plan to work in sustainability with either a focus on energy or water issues, but haven’t yet figured out if I’d be more fulfilled working as a consultant or starting my own business. I plan to try consulting via an internship, compete in entrepreneurship competitions, and leverage Foster’s curriculum to fill gaps in my knowledge and find my path, whether it’s entrepreneurship, consulting, or something in between.