Meet Ohio State’s MBA Class of 2017

D. Rob Kane

Douglas “Rob” Kane

Ohio State University, Fisher College of Business

Hometown: Westlake Village, California

Education

Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California – MS Computer Science

United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland – BS Computer Science

Employment

United States Navy Reserve, Lieutenant Commander (Select)

Goldman Sachs, Veterans Integration Program Participant

United States Navy, Lieutenant

Recalling your own experience, what advice do you have for applicants who are preparing for either the GMAT or the GRE? Give yourself enough time to prepare for the exam, and research schools that you are interested in and set a goal for the score you want to get.

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 on what you want to get out of an MBA program. If you are trying to get a job at a specific company upon graduation, then look at the schools that the company hires from. Focus your search on a specific career that can help narrow potential schools. Do not limit yourself to a specific geographic area. There are amazing schools all over the country and you might find a great fit at a place you least expected.

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? Every MBA application can be daunting. While I would recommend applying to as many schools as you can, this isn’t reasonable. Focus on your top three or four schools and spend the most time on those applications. Complete the GMAT before you begin applying so you know if you are a good candidate for the school. This will also allow you to focus on the application process separately from studying for the GMAT. Once you get the interview, be yourself. Now is your time to really show off everything you have already written in your admission application. Be prepared to talk about what inspires you and why you are interested in attending business school. Finally, get recommenders who know you. A well-written letter from a boss or manager who personally knows you can be a powerful application item. Do not substitute a letter from a person with a better title if it will be a more generic recommendation.

What led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA? I chose Fisher College of Business because of its reputation. The amazing career management office at Fisher is unsurpassed. The deliberately small class size is a great fit for me personally, and the proximity of Fisher to so many Fortune 1000 companies is unmatched. As I focus my new career outside of the military, a Fisher MBA will ensure my success.

What would you ultimately like to achieve before you graduate? Before I graduate I plan to be actively involved in the Fisher community. I would like to be a student organization president. I am extremely excited to be a member of the Global Applied Projects program and would love to lead a team working on an international business problem.

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