Meet Boston College’s MBA Class of 2017

Miguel Cardoso     

Boston College, Carroll Graduate School of Management 

Hometown: Madrid, Spain

Undergraduate School and Major: Universidad Pontificia de Comillas (ICADE)

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation:

• PwC- Auditing, Senior Auditor.
• Deloitte- Financial Advisory Services, Experienced Senior.
• AGM Abogados, Associate
• Ferrovial Corporacion, Senior Analyst

Recalling your own experience, what advice do you have for applicants who are preparing for either the GMAT or the GRE? One of the biggest challenges of the GMAT is the timeframe of the exam. It is valuable to do as many practice test as much as possible in test-like settings.

If English is not your primary language, start reading as much as possible. I strongly recommended reading magazines and newspapers, such as The Economist and the Wall Street Journal. The GMAT doesn´t assume previous knowledge on the topic, but reading material previous to the preparation helps for the vocabulary and the grammar structure in the Verbal Section. In the Quant section, I would recommend that you do math drills to speed up your mental calculations.

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?  Do not focus only on MBA rankings. Instead, try to have a holistic overview of each program. I strongly recommend talking to second-year students and attending as many information events as possible. Your list of target schools can vary a lot during the process. Sometimes, what you thought was your top target school may no longer feel like a fit once you go there.

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? First, start early on your applications and do not leave everything for the last moment. In regards to the essay, I would recommend that you visit all the business schools that interest you and dive into the admissions website. I would look for common themes among the schools to help you consider how your needs will be met at each school and what you need to show them in the essays to prove you are a strong match for their programs.

Second, for the admission interviews, be yourself. Do not overthink the answer. If they call you for an interview after reading thousands of essays, it´s a good sign, right?

Lastly, think of who could clearly speak about your professional career and character, and then speak with them before requesting the recommendation. The people you will use for your recommendations are normally very busy, and even more so around the application deadlines.

What led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA? I chose Boston College because it is a traditional MBA program with a small class of 100 people, but with a strong reputation in the U.S. and a big alumni network. As a graduate of a Jesuit business school in Madrid, I felt strongly attracted to BC’s focus on Jesuit values of community, integrity, and excellence.

What would you ultimately like to achieve before you graduate? I would like to have a holistic business education with a primary focus on management and corporate finance while also honing my soft skills. I hope to continue developing and maintaining strong relationships with my classmates and to leave Boston College with a strong professional network.