Meet The Cornell Johnson MBA Class of 2017

Connor Buczek

Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University

Hometown: Cincinnati, OH

Undergraduate School and Major: I majored in Applied Economics and Management at Cornell University

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation: None. I am going straight from undergraduate to graduate school.

Recalling your own experience, what advice do you have for applicants who are preparing for either the GMAT or the GRE? My best advice would be to relax and focus on one question at a time. It’s easy to get worked up about the test in general or stuck on a question, but I found it helpful to keep moving through the test, focusing on one question at a time.

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 think doing your research is key to drawing up a good list of target schools. First of all, you need to set a list of criteria that is important to you. Then, start researching a wide variety of schools that match it. Once you have narrowed your list down a little bit, you can start talking to current or former students to get an idea of how each particular place fits you.

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 would encourage applicants to reach out to a wide variety of people who have already gone through the process at the school you are applying to in order to get their perspective and help throughout the process. For me, having a resource who was willing to answer questions and help me prepare for different parts of the process was invaluable.

What led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA? Johnson offers an incredible opportunity to get a great education while living in beautiful upstate New York. After spending four years in Ithaca as an undergrad, there was no place else that I would rather attend.

What would you ultimately like to achieve before you graduate? Ultimately, I want to create relationships with a wide variety of people from different backgrounds. I think Johnson does an exceptional job of forming classes that are diverse in so many different ways. It offers a great opportunity to learn more about different cultures, industries, and people.