Meet Ohio State’s MBA Class of 2017

Andrew Richlen

Ohio State University, Fisher College of Business

Hometown: Yellow Springs, Ohio

Education: University of Akron, B.S., Civil Engineering

Employment:

GPD Group, Project Coordinator

Messer Construction, Project Engineer

Recalling your own experience, what advice do you have for applicants who are preparing for either the GMAT or the GRE? The first step in the process should be to sign up for an in-person class in which the exam material is taught. The teachers are typically well-versed in the exam’s subject matter and will cover the most effective methods in breaking down the exam’s unique questions. As a part of the in-person class, you typically also get access to several online resources (practice exams, practice questions, online teaching, etc.), and I encourage making use of these resources. It is not only important to complete many practice questions, but also to time yourself in order to gauge progress.

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? Try to maximize your potential; reach high and go for business schools that have a higher level of prestige. Not all business schools are equally able to propel your career to the next level. If you are targeting a certain company, industry, geographical area or profession, make sure that your list of schools meets your needs. Lastly, be sure that you are OK spending two years in the geographical region that your schools are located.

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? Letters of recommendation should come from a professional who can closely speak to your abilities and potential. If confidentiality is important to you, then be sure that you can trust your letter writer to remain confidential. If you haven’t already done so, spend a couple months building rapport with a potential letter writer prior to asking them to write for you.

Admissions interviews are fairly easy and typically last no more than 30 minutes. But it is important that you practice answering interview questions. Most schools are going to want to know the following: 1) Why you are interested in their program; 2) What makes you unique, what your goals are; and 3) what you are going to bring to the program? Don’t be surprised if you’re asked a one-off question to test your intuition.

Spend ample time writing and rewriting your essays – this should be done several times over. I recommend having two people review your essays for content and delivery. Be provocative, expressive and really try to bring the story of your essays to life. You live a unique life, so if you are able to transfer your story and goals into writing then you should be confident that your essays will be well received.

What led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA? The Office of Career Management at Fisher is superior to that of all the other programs that I explored throughout my search. It was very encouraging to know that I would have a career consultant giving me professional advice throughout the job search process. With class sizes much smaller than that of its competitors, Fisher College of Business is better able to tailor the needs of its students on an individual level as opposed to the collective whole. The strength of the Office of Career Management was pivotal in my decision as I intend to change careers and will need guidance during the process. The admissions team and current students created a warm and welcome feeling during the recruitment and informational events that were held. Last but not least, Fisher is located in the young, professional, developing and thriving community of Columbus—a city with a plethora of amazing restaurants, shopping and retail, a variety of art galleries and a few great sports teams.

What would you ultimately like to achieve before you graduate? I want to build my brand in order to confidently pursue my targeted career path. I also want to build a strong network of student colleagues, employers and professionals. While building my brand and network I intend to gain a proficient understanding of the world of business.