Meet Harvard’s MBA Class of 2017

Alula Eshete

 

Harvard Business School 

Hometown (City and State): Madison, WI

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Wisconsin, Industrial & Systems Engineering

Employers and Job Titles since Graduation: 

1. Abbott’s Professional Development Program:

• Abbott Diabetes Care, Program Manager (Alameda, CA)
• Global Pharmaceutical Operations, Global Exports Supervisor (Lake County, IL)
• Abbott Vascular, Manufacturing Engineer (Temecula, CA)
• Abbott Quality & Regulatory, Human Factors Engineer (Lake County, IL)
• Abbott Diagnostics Division, Project Lead & Logistics Analyst (North Chicago, IL)
• General Electric – Global Growth & Operations, Commercial Analyst (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia)

Recalling your experience, what advice do you have for applicants who are preparing for either the GMAT or the GRE? I chose to take the GMAT since it seemed to be the most widely accepted test across the different business schools. While preparing, I found that it’s about the quality of time you put into studying and not the just quantity.While it’s a bit of a confidence booster to go over problem types that you are most comfortable with, it’s important to focus on the type of problems that are giving you the most trouble. Also, go through practice problems with a two minute timer going, since that is roughly how much time you have per problem on the actual test. It’s great if you’re getting the right answers, but not if you’re doing so in 3+ minutes.

I found the Manhattan GMAT practice exams to be helpful because I found the difficulty level most accurately represents the difficulty level of the official GMAT. Manhattan practice exams also include diagnostic tools that illustrate, in detail, which problem types and difficulty levels you excel at and the ones you most struggle with. I highly suggest taking practice tests until you consistently score where you want to be scoring.

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? Focus less on prestige and more on programs and environments that best fit your career goals and learning style. Some factors to consider are class size, geographical location, teaching style (case-based vs. lecture-based), student body demographics, elective courses offered, alumni’s geographic/industry coverage, etc. There are probably many others, but in order to properly weigh the different factors it’s important to start by understanding what you want to get out of your MBA experience. It always helps to visit the campus, sit in on a class, and/or speak to current students as a means to determining whether a school is a good fit for you.

What advice do you have for applicants in actually applying to a school, writing essays, doing admission interviews, and getting recommender to write letters on your behalf? When it comes to writing essays and doing interviews, the best advice I can give applicants is to be genuine. It’s easy to get caught up in trying to mold yourself into the candidate you think the program wants you to be, but that approach is a great disservice to all parties involved. An admissions board is looking for individuals with perspectives, experiences, and ambitions that are unique. Furthermore, you want to make sure you’re being accepted into a program that truly believes you will be a good fit.

As for recommenders, focus less on titles and target individuals who can speak in detail about your character and aptitude. Make sure that there is consistency throughout your applications and that recommenders are emphasizing experiences and accomplishments that align with narratives consistent across your application and that speak to the values of the program to which you’re applying.

Also, take advantage of resources out there that are available to you – whether it’s an admissions consultant, essay/admissions guide or a friend enrolled in an MBA program. For me, the greatest resource during my application and admissions process was a program called Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT), which is a resource available to any high potential minority candidates who are serious about pursuing business school.

What led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA? The HBS case method was a large appeal for me when deciding what learning environment I wanted to be a part of. Having studied Engineering, I felt it would be refreshing to be in a classroom that is less instructor-based and where the solutions aren’t so cut and dry. This leaves much room – in and out of the classroom – for continued debates with accomplished people from different jobs, industries, and countries, as well as the opportunity to have your perspective flipped upside down at times. My visit to the HBS campus as well as conversations with current and former students further sealed the deal for me.

What would you ultimately like to achieve before you graduate? Coming from an engineering and operations background, my main objective is to gain a strong understanding of the core business disciplines and how they work together to drive business decisions and strategy in today’s global economy. I also want to enroll in courses and student organizations that will further stretch my comfort zone. These, along with what I will learn from my peers here at HBS, will give me a great foundation for determining the direction in which I will steer my career following business school.