Meet Minnesota Carlson’s MBA Class Of 2019

Lilly Chow 

Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota

Describe yourself in 15 words or less: Charismatic, quirky, always smiling, surprising everyone with my love for ‘90s karaoke and crime shows

Hometown: Yardley, PA (35 miles northeast of Philly)

Fun Fact About Yourself: The first concert I ever attended was Clay Aiken… fun fact or just embarrassing?

Undergraduate School and Major: Duke University, Sociology (with Distinction) and Public Policy Studies – double major

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation:

Colle+McVoy – PR Associate (6/2012 – 5/2013)

Analyst (5/2013 – 9/2014)

360i –Senior Analyst – Insights & Planning (10/2014 – 6/2015)

Manager – Insights & Planning (7/2015 – 6/2017)

Metro Dogs MN – Social Media Freelancer (6/2013 – Present)

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: At my previous company, I was provided with the opportunity to move to Chicago to elevate collaboration between my NYC-based department and various teams within the growing Chicago office. Once in Chicago, I increased my department’s presence and became the go-to resource, resulting in more integrated client work – notably with projects for the Minneapolis-based Target Corporation.

Looking back on your experience, what one piece of advice would you give to future business school applicants? Talk to as many MBAs (current and already out of school) as you can throughout the whole process. They don’t necessarily have to be from the schools you’re applying to. Gaining insight on business school, itself, and what it can provide for you and your career, will be immensely helpful as you determine if you want to go and how you can approach the application process and the two years in the best way 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? Carlson genuinely cares about you. What really sealed the deal for me was even prior to my admittance or acceptance, I could feel that Carlson was already completely invested in me and my career—providing me with personal attention and taking the time to get to know my background, skills, and interests to determine where I could excel. I was immediately taken in as one of their own, rather than applicant #240.

This TLC carries over in an even bigger way once you are an enrolled student. In addition to that warm feeling of being valued, Carlson gives you a supportive, tightly-knit community, a robust network of successful alumni in the Midwest to help you with your professional pursuits, and the (required) opportunity to gain real-life experiences across three semesters with the Enterprise Program. Carlson’s rooting for you and your success, which can be felt from day one, and it’s an incredible feeling.

What would success look like to you after your first year of business school?  Having an internship that I’m excited about!