Meet Washington Foster’s MBA Class of 2019

Despite the diminished size, the quality remains intact. Average GMATs rose two points to 693, with undergraduate GPAs creeping up as well by .05 of a point. The class composition is also markedly different over the previous year, with a greater infusion of liberal arts and STEM majors. Overall, 39% of the class majored in social sciences and the humanities, up 11% over the previous year. That difference was nearly made up by economics, whose share of the class plummeted from 16% to 7%. STEM majors accounted for 35% of the class, led by engineering at 19%. Business majors round out the class at 19%, down four points over the 2018 Class.

Despite its academic credentials, the class is less diverse than previous incarnations. After the percentage of women spiked at 43% last year, it slipped back to 36% in 2019 – a concentration that’s still higher than programs like Rice, Vanderbilt, and USC. There are also fewer international students in the class, with the percentage falling by a third to 26%. Professionally, you won’t find many small programs with as much diversity of experience as the Class of 2019. 19% of the class hails from the tech sector – no surprise considering Foster sent the highest concentration of graduates to that sector in 2016. Consulting (12%), financial services (11%), and non-profits (11%) also broke double digits in the class. Government and media and entertainment each constituted 9% of the class, followed by consumer products and manufacturing (7% each), and energy (5%).

NEW SPECIALIZATIONS AND A DEEPER GLOBAL COMPONENT

The administration at Foster has remained hungry as well, introducing several initiatives over the past year. Notably, the program launched two MBA specializations: product marketing and marketing analytics – with a special Foster spin. “Faculty have recast these courses with a focus on the latest technologies and tools needed in industries and companies that are transforming how decisions are made and redefining how business is conducted,”  writes Dan Poston, assistant dean for masters programs, in a statement to Poets&Quants.

Recently, Poston notes, Foster became a member of the Forté Foundation to increase opportunities for female MBA candidates. The school has also begun rolling out its Foster Global Business Center, beefing up international programming that includes exchanges, global competitions, new courses, and even a research partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

“The Foster Global Business Center is a reimagining our MBA international component,” Poston adds. “The new programming will focus less on a traditional model – spending time just studying or touring in other countries – and put more focus on hands-on experiences and skills development immediately relevant to managing within a multinational company. The students in this program will have opportunities to test their skills on projects and experiences of varying length in international settings.”

THE TOP COMPANIES…ALL WITHIN A 20 MILE RADIUS

Hunger also defines the Seattle area. Long regarded as a gateway to Asia, the Emerald City has emerged as Silicon Valley North, a tech and entrepreneurial cluster whose success stories have included T-Mobile, Expedia, Avvo, PACCAR, Zillow, and Holland America. Forget emulating the Valley, however. Seattle’s ambitions are centered on carving out its own identity and operating on its own terms – a more communitarian vision marked by reduced economic stratification and greater life balance.

Pellegrino notes it is hard to miss the Seattle boom, particularly with the roar of construction in every corner. Within a 20 mile radius of the Foster campus, she observes, students will find many of the most progressive and innovative firms in the world. In other words, Foster students need only take a short drive to expose themselves to the best models and practices from an array of industries. The variety and capabilities of such firms set he Pacific Northwest apart says Kumagai, who is excited to study near Nike and REI since he aspires to work in sports and apparel.

“Seattle is a hotbed for multiple industries which creates an advantage for Foster MBA students when recruiting,” he explains. “Within these industries are large multinational employers from the tech industry (Microsoft and Amazon), consumer products and retail (Nordstrom and Starbucks) and even large scale manufacturing (Boeing). Due to the global nature of these companies, I am looking forward to the potential for future domestic and global career mobility.”

A BALANCE OF COMPETITION AND COLLABORATION

That said, it was Seattle’s culture that has inspired and guided such firms. Here, being lean, clean, and green is as much part of the culture as software, coffee, and rain. “Though I may be biased as I grew up here, I know first-hand how incredible the people of Seattle really are,” says Neupert. “Seattlites are full of ambition, adventure, and compassion and I couldn’t think of a better environment to get my MBA.”

This culture has filtered through Foster as well. Tinker-Langenfeld, for one, doesn’t mind competition as long as students can come together to collaborate. She believes the school has developed a culture that balances both ends. “From my first interaction with the students and faculty, I was impressed with the willingness to share, learn from, challenge, and better each other,” she recalls. “It’s a rare gem when people are equally as concerned about becoming the best they can be while making sure you are also becoming the best you can be.”

This ‘hungry-but-helpful’ dynamic is embodied by a story shared during a career panel. According to Rachel E. Johnson, a project manager and consultant from Tennessee, two Foster students were competing for the same internship. The student who received the offer eventually declined – and then proceeded to champion the runner up. “She told the other company why her classmate was the best choice to take her place,” Johnson relates. “It worked! The student on the panel received an offer and accepted the internship. The interview on Saturday reinforced the collaborative culture at Foster. That’s when I knew it was the right decision for me. I know that at Foster, I will be set up for success, not only by the school’s staff, faculty and alumni, but also by my classmates.”

SUCCESS MEANS FINDING A NEW PASSION

So what will success look like for the Class of 2019? Afa Malu, a Nigerian engineer, defines success as eventually “achieving a level playing field” with classmates who possess more business experience. For Peppler, success will bring a certain feeling. “If I’m worn out and feel like my brain was removed, reconstructed, and implanted back in my head, I’ll call that success,” he jokes.

In contrast, Parthak’s view of success takes its cue from Seattle’s more homespun, laid back ethos: “Finding balance, feeling at home, and staying healthy. Progressing in my desire to become more comfortable being uncomfortable, not getting lost in the noise, and having the wherewithal to consistently balance expectations versus reality.”

For Tamara Geiger, a project manager who describes herself as “tenacious,” a rewarding first year will be rooted in building her skill sets and relationships – all while finding something that further fuels the hunger that brought her to Seattle. “Success will be finding at least one new thing that I haven’t done before that I love. It may not be something that I will pursue in my career, but a new challenge that I willingly immerse myself in will fuel my continued passion for my education.”

To read profiles of incoming Foster students — along with their advice on tackling the GMAT, applications, and interviews — click on the links below.

DON’T MISS: THE PIONEERING MBAs OF THE CLASS OF 2019 OR MEET WASHINGTON FOSTER’S MBA CLASS OF 2018

Name	Hometown	Alma Mater	Employer
Skyler Brown	San Jose, CA	United States Military Academy	U.S. Army (Green Berets)
Tamara Geiger	Glen Ellen, CA	University of California, San Diego	Metal Toad
Rachel E. Johnson	Murfreesboro, TN	Trinity University	Periscope Holdings, Inc.
Derik Kumagai	La Cañada Flintridge, CA	New York University	PwC
Tim Luk	Atlanta, GA	Boston College	Gerson Lehrman Group
Afa Malu	Jos, Nigeria	Calvin College	Leland International
Kate Neupert	Seattle, WA	University of Southern California	GlobalScholar
Yangyang Pan	Chengdu, China	Sichuan University	American College of  Cardiology
Nimit Pathak	Chicago IL	Iowa State University	Toro Capital Management
Giulia Pellegrino	Pasadena, CA	UC-Santa Barbara	Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton   LLP
Andrew Peppler	Pensacola, FL	University of Florida	Amazon Global
Katie Tinker- Langenfeld	Fayetteville, AR	University of Arkansas	Walmart Stores, Inc.