Sofie Netteberg

MIT, Sloan School of Management

“Life-long nerd who will use technology to ensure the health and happiness of future generations.”

Hometown: Little Canada, Minnesota

Fun Fact About Yourself: On a vacation, my friend and I spontaneously decided to bike between three countries in one day (Germany, France, and Switzerland).

Undergraduate School and Major: Williams College, Statistics major, Global Studies minor

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: McKinsey & Company, Senior Business Analyst

Aside from your classmates, what was the key part of MIT Sloan’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? MIT Sloan was my top choice for the opportunity to learn more about the future of business and technology at a school that is a leader in both. I am enrolled in the MIT Leaders for Global Operations (LGO) program in which students earn both an MBA from Sloan and an MS from MIT’s School of Engineering with a focus on computer science and operations. While there are more and more institutions offering joint programs with both an MBA and computer science/analytics degree each year, the like-minded peer group and alumni network available made it a no-brainer for me.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at MIT Sloan? I plan to get involved with Sloan’s Entrepreneurship Club as soon as the semester begins. When learning about the school during my application process, I met multiple Sloan students who had started a successful venture or met their co-founders at MIT, and who spoke glowingly of the ecosystem across campus. While I will take courses in entrepreneurship as well, what I’m most excited about is being surrounded by smart people who are excited to learn from each other to create a sustainable, inclusive, and innovative future.

Action Learning Labs are one of MIT Sloan’s biggest attractions. Which lab interests you most? How does it fit with your interests? I plan to take Entrepreneurship Lab at Sloan. The course will allow me to immerse myself in a fast-growing startup to experience both the pains and opportunities of entrepreneurship firsthand, along with understanding how I can use my unique skillset to drive progress. Past projects supported startups working in AI, machine learning, and sustainability. I am equally excited to see what exciting new startups are in the space I plan to work in and what they are experiencing.

When you think of MIT, what are the first things that come to mind? How have your experiences with the Sloan program thus far reinforced or upended these early impressions? MIT students are nerdy, humble, and no-nonsense. Each Sloan student I’ve met is deeply passionate about at least five topics but doesn’t rush to talk about themselves during our conversation. This culture of curiosity and openness makes me confident that I will fit in and feel the space to grow at MIT. I also know that I’ll accomplish my personal and professional objectives in MIT’s mens et manus (mind and hand) academic ethos.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: In January 2023, McKinsey’s Chief People Officer presented findings from the team I managed at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. I did a rotation with McKinsey’s internal People Analytics function to lead technical teams and drive efforts to define Future of Work priorities and policies coming out of COVID-19. My team analyzed how different hybrid models tested during the pandemic impacted our thousands of global consultants across attrition, development, and inclusion. I am honored that my insights both positively impacted so many jobs, as well as having been used to drive conversations about the Future of Work on a broad scale.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? Given my academic background and professional aspirations, I only applied to schools with strong dual degree programs in business and analytics. I was accepted to MIT, Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, and UChicago and met amazing people as I learned more about each school. After a ton of deliberation, I chose MIT. Now two months into my classes, I couldn’t be more thrilled with the decision.

What do you hope to do after graduation (at this point)? Although it is two years away, after graduating I hope to support an organization that’s working to improve the lives of the average person. That could mean anything from joining or starting a company using wearable technology, to improving frontline operator job safety, to helping a large organization expand its sustainability initiatives. What I know for sure is that after three years in the passenger seat of organizations as a consultant, I want to be running operations for a team whose mission I believe in.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into MIT Sloan’s MBA program? Sloan really values applicants that have put in the work to get to know them. While applying, the many conversations I had with students and alumni about what makes Sloan unique (such as the small class size, action learning, and friendly environment) made it clear to me that I was a great fit for the program. Once I knew the school better, the application essays and interviews took care of themselves.