Meet The Rice Jones MBA Class Of 2019

Flavia Sacerdoti 

 Rice University, Jones Graduate School of Business

 Describe yourself in 15 words or less: I’m a very creative, yet good at math, Argentinian professional with an open-minded international mindset.

Hometown: Buenos Aires, Argentina

Fun Fact About Yourself:  I consider millennials the Harry Potter generation. I’m kind of a nerd and proud of it.

Undergraduate School and Major:  Universidad Torcuato Di Tella (UTDT), Business Economics

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation: 

ExxonMobil – Pension Plan Services Analyst, Latin America & Nigeria Benefits Analyst

Kimberly Clark – Marketing Product Assistant for Huggies

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far:  I believe my biggest accomplishment was launching Kimberly Clark’s most important project in Argentina for the year 2016. I was new to marketing, so being able to keep up with the project’s timeline and multiple variables was a big challenge. I learned a lot from this project and had to work with people from multiple areas to ensure its success. In the end, we launched on a timely manner, and the product’s monthly sales keeps growing almost a year after its launch.

Looking back on your experience, what one piece of advice would you give to future business school applicants?  I would strongly recommend future applicants to start by looking at schools they could potentially be interested in. Find out what the student profiles are (age, nationalities, GMAT scores); what the culture of the school is; whether the academic program is right for you, what the job offers are after graduation; and whether you would adapt to the location.

After you’ve identified a few schools you’d be interested in, you’ll know what GMAT score you should aim for. It would also be a good idea to find out how the schools you want to apply to feel about exam cancellations and multiple grades. Give yourself plenty of time to prepare for the GMAT: it is not a difficult exam, but you do need to understand how it works, the type of questions you’ll be asked, and study so that you feel confident about every subject that could be tested. I’ve heard it is very common for people to take the exam several times, so don’t get discouraged if you don’t do great the first time you sit for it.

Regarding the essays, I would urge you to be honest about who you are and where you come from. Make sure to really show the school what is different about you, why you would be a good fit for the program you are applying to, and what you would bring into the program. I would recommend you ask people you know and trust to review your essay; let them give you an honest opinion about it and tell you if they think it reflects your personality. Triple check for spelling mistakes!

Finally, make sure you have plenty of time to apply and try to do so in the first or second round of applications, especially if you are an international student. You’ll appreciate having plenty of time to make arrangements to move out of the country, to spend time with your loved ones and even to take a vacation before starting school, if it is possible.

What was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you?  I believe the key factor in my choosing of the school, besides the academic program and location, was its culture. It is my belief that, just like when you choose a job, the organizational culture must match your own culture. Rice Business’ culture of honor and the atmosphere vibe I felt from visiting the campus really felt like a match for me. I knew that in this school I would feel comfortable, make interesting connections and make friends that would last a lifetime.

What would success look like to you after your first year of business school?  After my first year of business school, I will know I’m succeeding if the knowledge I’ve acquired has opened my mind further and made me a better professional, and if my professional network has expanded and proved fruitful.