Meet Dartmouth Tuck’s MBA Class of 2018

Rachel Phillips       

Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College

Describe yourself in 15 words or less:  I plan to disrupt the health care industry as a general athlete.

Hometown: Oklahoma City, OK

Fun Fact About Yourself: Huge OKC Thunder Fan #ThunderUp!

Undergraduate School and Major: Oklahoma State University, B.S. Mechanical Engineering

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation:

• Northwest Community Healthcare, Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, Performance Improvement

• Johns Hopkins Univ. Applied Physics Lab, Senior Professional Staff, Enterprise Performance Improvement (Hospital Consulting)

• Cigna, Business Project Specialist, Enterprise Process Excellence

• Cigna, Business Project Sr. Analyst, Strategic Advancement & Effectiveness

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Earning a Six Sigma Black Belt. During that time, I managed two international project teams in China and Mexico designing, testing, and implementing packaging modifications for different commodities. Successfully attaining my Black Belt had been a long-term career goal of mine, so I was honored that my supervisor and the company provided me with the tools and resources I needed to achieve my goal. Through a lot of hard work, I passed the certification exam and completed my projects which saved over $723K.

Looking back on your experience, what advice would you give to future business school applicants? Once you have decided that pursuing an MBA is the best path for you to attain your goals, both professionally and personally, my best advice would be to begin your preparations at least a year in advance. I recommend researching and deciding which exam, GMAT or GRE, you will complete. Keep in mind, it can take between 3-6 months or longer to attain the score you desire. If you are having trouble improving your score through self-study then I highly recommend private tutoring.

Prior to writing your essays, continue to reflect on why you want an MBA and why you plan to apply to certain schools. I bought a notebook that I would carry with me to jot down my ideas and thoughts. This journal was extremely helpful in developing my essays. If you can, visit the schools you are interested in and meet with as many current students and alumni, you can to learn more about each program. This will help to personalize your essays as well as narrow down your list of schools.

I would reach out to your recommenders a few months prior to your application deadlines. Take them out to coffee and explain why a recommendation from them would be important to you achieving your goal of attending a top business school. Once they have agreed to complete your recommendation, I would put a packet together including your resume, goals, and other information that would be helpful for them to write the recommendation. Lastly, after submitting your application and finishing your interview, I advise that you relax and stay away from discussion boards.

What led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA? As a prospective student I attended the annual Tuck Diversity Conference.  At the conference I was impressed with the gorgeous campus and incredibly nice Tuckies. When I arrived on campus, I immediately noticed the open and vibrant environment. Through the program, I had the opportunity to meet Dean Slaughter and several influential alumni including the WNBA President. It was great to see these individuals take time out of their day to speak with prospective students. To me, that is the key difference between Tuck and other programs. As an admitted student, I continue to experience this personalized access through programs such as the Career Insights and Exploration (CIX) trip where I met CEOs of start-ups and other leaders in tech. I am beyond excited for the experiences to come over the next two years.

Tell us about your dream job or dream employer at this point in your life? My dream job is to be a general manager, leading a multi-million dollar P&L, for a company. My desire to develop future leaders and passion to grow a business has inspired me to pursue general management. In my previous roles, I have used my process engineering and team leadership skills to reduce process variation and increase organization performance. My business experience coupled with the commercial and leadership skills I will gain at Tuck, will enable me to make an immediate impact. As a key decision maker who is empowered to make critical top- and bottom-line decisions, the general management role would encompass all of the challenges I am seeking to take on in my career.

What would you like your business school peers to say about you after you graduate from this program? That I am a collaborative and innovative team member and classmate. Someone they can’t wait to have a few laughs with over drinks. A Tuckie through-and-through.