Meet The Toronto Rotman MBA Class of 2017

Diego Emilio Sanchez

Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto

Hometown: Zulia, Venezuela

Undergraduate School and Major:

• Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey
• Major in Industrial Engineering

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation:

• Business Consultant at DynaWare (Mexican technology consulting firm) 2011-2012
• Business Analyst at the Strategy & Operations Department at Deloitte 2012-2014
• Consultant at the Strategy & Operations Department at Deloitte 2014-2015

Recalling your own experience, what advice do you have for applicants who are preparing for either the GMAT or the GRE? Besides the obvious amount of practice that you have to put into it, one key thing is to leave pride behind and understand that there will be extremely tough questions that you won’t be able to answer. Following on that idea, it is also important to realize that you don’t have to answer correctly every question in order to have a great score. That being said, my last advice would be to just relax and think of the GMAT/GRE as just another requirement for your master’s degree. Don’t put it on a pedestal

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? First of all, DO NOT pick schools solely based on rankings. It is important to get to know the culture of the school  by going to meetings, open houses, or coffee chats with alumni. Remember, you will be in that environment for 2 years.

Another piece of advice would be to remember that the MBA (or any other master’s degree) is not just an academic decision, it’s a life changing decision. So consider several other factors: Location, culture, companies recruiting, brand recognition, etc.

Finally, think about where you will be appreciated the most. Remember, it is at least a two-year relationship with the school

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? Be yourself and try to really reflect who you are in the application. Do not try to adapt your profile in order to “fit” with each school. Schools can tell and it’s probably a guaranteed rejection. Showing who you truly are, however, will not get you in every school, but will guarantee a perfect fit with the ones that do accept you

What led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA? There were 3 main reasons for choosing Rotman:

• There is a strong emphasis on the academic side that is perfectly complemented with numerous integration and networking activities. The result is a constantly challenging environment that can only bring the best of you.

• The city of Toronto is amazing, big enough to always have something to enjoy and small enough to no get overwhelmed. Add to that a great welcoming, happy and diverse community and you have one of the best places to be in the world.

• It felt right. From my first approach to the admissions committee to an open house with the entire faculty, the school always found the way to made me feel welcome and was never afraid to show their interest on me

What would you ultimately like to achieve before you graduate? I would like to achieve a very large, strong and lasting network. Basically, I want to create a new worldwide family.