Meet The Chicago Booth MBA Class of 2017

Camila Lacerda-Chicago-PoetsAndQuants-Classof2017

Camila Fonseca Lacerda de Almeida

University of Chicago, Booth School of Business 

Hometown: São Paulo, Brazil

Undergraduate School and Major: University of São Paulo, Business Administration

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation: Temasek – Associate, Senior Associate, Associate Director

Recalling your own experience, what advice do you have for applicants who are preparing for either the GMAT or the GRE? Plan to study for at least three months and allow yourself enough time to take the test more than once if needed. It is important to develop a structured plan of studies and identify what are your weak and strong areas, so you can focus on what you need to improve during your study time. There are plenty of free available resources online and forums that were very helpful to me, but I’d also encourage you to use a tutor’s help if you can’t improve in any specific topic. Lastly, mock tests are very important for you to get used to the structure and duration of the exam. As the exam date approaches focus on practicing official questions from past exams.

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? My main advice for applicants on selecting target schools is to at least have an idea on where/what industry you see yourself after graduation, if possible. Having done that, you will already have a list of what are the schools that have a fit with your goal. I would also pay attention on how the school’s culture, environment and values match with your profile and with the experience that you would like to have during business school. Talking to current students, alumni and doing extensive research will help you to find that out, as will checking out each school’s application process and the profile of students that the school seeks. Lastly, if you have time, visiting a school, watching a class and talking to admissions is an excellent way to define your final list.

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? The whole process is demanding, time consuming and requires other people. So it should be well-planned and structured, allowing sufficient time for all of the steps. For the essays, it is all about telling your story, who you are and what you have accomplished, as well as where you would like to be in the future. Each school will have different essays questions, but once you have defined your story and goals, answering them should not be a problem. For the recommendations, choose people who really know you well and have had significant work interactions with you.  Regardless of seniority, they will write the best and most accurate recommendations. Interviews are about understanding the school, so visiting them ahead of the interview, talking to students and alumni, and being prepared to answer different questions are some of the things that can be very helpful in the preparation.

What led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA? Given my background in finance and private equity and my post-MBA goals, I had a small, specific list of schools. When I went to visit Booth ahead of my interview I quickly recognized it as my choice mainly because of its environment. I realized that there is a strong collaborative community among students and alumni with which I identified right away. Also, I felt that the school’s philosophy and data driven approach, as well as its high quality academic experience, would be the right fit after watching engaging classes, with rich discussions between students.

What would you ultimately like to achieve before you graduate? I would like to be exposed to an academic experience that challenges my points of view and show me new approaches to problem-solving so I can use that in my career in the future. Also, I want to be part of Booth’s collaborative community and actively participate in the student’s life for an amazing experience and life time friendships.