Meet Carnegie Mellon’s Tepper Class of 2017

Carolina Gabbai 

Carnegie Mellon University, Tepper School of Business

Hometown: São Paulo, SP, Brazil

Undergraduate School and Major:

Barnard College – Biology;

Weill Cornell Biomedical Sciences – PhD in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry 

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center – Research Scholar 

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

I found it extremely useful to take an online course to study for the GMAT. It helped me set aside the time to study. Because it provided all the resources, I didn’t have to waste any time figuring out what I needed to know. Also, for someone who last took a standardized test 9 years ago, it really helped me get back into studying mode.

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? I was constrained by location when applying to schools because of my husband’s job. I found that really helped me focus on what I thought was important in the schools that I was able to apply to location-wise. I was looking for a school with a collegiate group of diverse people who were interested in collaborating to learn.

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? I found it extremely useful to have friends with various backgrounds read my essays and give me feedback. It was interesting to understand how my essays portrayed me to people with different perspectives.

What led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA?

Coming from a strictly scientific background, I wanted a quantitative program that would give me a solid foundation for business. Based on my interaction with alumnae, it was clear that this program would provide me with a solid basis for understanding business both because of its strong analytic and quantitative classes, but also due to the various core classes that were required.

What would you ultimately like to achieve before you graduate? I am hoping to hone my business skills and get a better sense of the types of jobs that I would be qualified to do and also enjoy doing. I’m also hoping to create a wonderful network and new friends.