Shriti Singh

University of Washington, Foster School of Business

“A lifelong learner who believes in the power of education, extremely passionate about DEI.”

Hometown: Patna, India

Fun Fact About Yourself: Apart from being a consultant, I am also a LinkedIn influencer with 130K followers.

Undergraduate School and Major: Bachelor of Commerce from St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata, India, and Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (a US CPA equivalent)

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Senior Consultant at EY

What makes Seattle such a great place to earn an MBA? Seattle is a beautiful mosaic of tech industry and consulting firms. It is home to some of the world’s biggest corporations, allowing MBA students to interact closely with these firms. Also, I have felt much warmth from every person I met in Seattle. People in the pacific northwest are affable and passionate about positively impacting society, and that’s why an MBA from Seattle feels so much more holistic.

Aside from your location and classmates, what was the key part of Washington Foster’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? The experiential opportunities, such as Applied Strategy Projects and case study competitions like the Microsoft Business Innovation Challenge, give students hands-on experience of how strategic decisions are made in big organizations. This was my biggest driver for choosing Foster as my B-school because this would enhance my collaboration, empathy, and persuasion skills, which are critical for my personal and professional growth.

What course, club, or activity have you enjoyed the most so far at Washington Foster? It was a pleasure to learn strategy from Professor David Tan and marketing from Professor Shailendra Jain. These two professors greatly impacted me through their subject matter expertise and interactive teaching style. Also, I have enjoyed casing with the second years from the Foster Consulting Society (FCS) and attending the ROMBA conference with the Out-in-Business (OIB) club members. Everyone at Foster is invested in my learning and development, and I appreciate their immense effort to help me succeed.

Washington Foster operates off a philosophy of We>Me. Give us an example of how you’ve seen that among your classmates so far. Husky spirit is about community and impact. I have seen so many students from my cohort being each other’s sounding board despite everyone’s hectic schedules and rooting for each other. All these things show how we feel a sense of belonging here at Foster.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Clearing the Chartered Accountancy (CPA) examination is something that I am proud of. It is considered one of the most challenging certifications globally as the passing percentage is quite low, and it takes years to get this certification. So, becoming a chartered accountant and creating value for my clients at EY have been my biggest accomplishments.

Describe your biggest achievement in the MBA program so far: My biggest achievement in the MBA program has been staying true to my values, interests, and priorities. In any MBA program, getting swayed in different directions is easy. I am focusing on learning and enjoying this MBA journey rather than trying to do everything. Through this process, I have found a sweet spot between doing things that I love and learning about new things.

What is one thing you have recently read, watched, or listened to that you would highly recommend to prospective MBAs? Why? Recently I read Designing Your Life by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans. This book has an interesting take on how we can use design thinking to create a life that is both meaningful and fulfilling. The book educates the readers on building a satisfying and meaningful life through experimentation, wayfinding, prototyping, and constant iteration. This book is a must-read for anyone going to embark on his/her MBA journey because this will allow an innovative lens to approach one’s career.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into Washington Foster’s MBA program? The first thing that comes to mind about Foster is the community aspect. You should invest your time in getting to know foster’s mission, its current students, alums, and professors. Foster handpicks every student meticulously and pays attention to what you can do to improve the MBA experience. They are interested in knowing you, what is unique about you, what makes you authentic, what you are most passionate about, and how all these aspects align with Foster’s values.

DON’T MISS: MEET WASHINGTON FOSTER’S MBA CLASS OF 2024