Non-Traditional Background? You Still Have A Place In An MBA Program, This Tepper MBA Says

Non-Traditional Background? You Still Have A Place In An MBA Program, This Tepper MBA Says

Ashwini Karanth: “Even if you come from circumstances that aren’t the most ideal, there is a way. Don’t let your current circumstances dictate your future outcomes.” Courtesy photo

If you’re considering pursuing your MBA but don’t feel you fit the bill of a traditional candidate, this might just be what you need to hear.

An MBA can be game-changing for both those heading down a traditional path or those blazing their own trail. Take it from someone who’s been there.

ARCHITECT TO ENTREPRENEUR

Ashwini Karanth is a Carnegie Mellon Tepper MBA, past architect, and a Consortium, Forté and Swartz Fellow. She emigrated from India about nine years ago to pursue her master’s degree at Columbia in Architecture and Urban Design, and now she’s decided to head down a new path.

Why Tepper, and why an MBA? Karanth has chosen the entrepreneurial route in hopes of starting her own company, and Tepper has many streams of support for budding entrepreneurs like her.

She gained encouragement from a like-minded friend with a similar background and had successfully pursued her MBA as well. “Someone I recently met came into the program as a musician, and she’s now working for one of the largest consulting firms,” shares Karanth, “She said to me, ‘If I can do it, then anyone can do it.’”

She often heard that you don’t need an MBA to go down this path and to put in the leg work and hours at her current workplace – but that’s not a one-size-fits-all solution for everyone.

For those in their late 20s and early 30s, advancing in your career can be challenging due to significant life events, like wanting to start a family. “You might need a way to change positions more quickly before those life changes set in,” offers Karanth.

Non-Traditional Background? You Still Have A Place In An MBA Program, This Tepper MBA Says

Ashwini Karanth and her fellow Swartz fellows. “You don’t always see how great you are until you’re put in an environment where people are supportive and appreciate you.” Courtesy photo

ENCOURAGING OTHERS TO TAKE THE LEAP

Karanth hope to be the voice of inspiration for other women who come from a context like hers to take a chance and pursue their MBA. “Nobody should think they aren’t capable of pursuing their MBA. I think we are a lot more capable than we think we are.”

Part of her personal mission to uplift people who are considered in marginalized communities through her work.

“Even if you come from circumstances that aren’t the most ideal, there is a way. Don’t let your current circumstances dictate your future outcomes,” she advises.

The quant heavy work within the MBA has been challenging, coming from an urban design background, but that just means she puts in more work and study hours.

The experiences and new perspectives she brings to classroom projects and discussions have been highly valuable for others.

“My classmates seem very impressed with my past experiences, but they are things I think of as non-impressive,” she shares. “You don’t always see how great you are until you’re put in an environment where people are supportive and appreciate you.”

If you’re on the fence about going for your degree, Karanth would likely tell you not to wait. “Take that leap, it’s going to be worth it,” she says.

Non-Traditional Background? You Still Have A Place In An MBA Program, This Tepper MBA Says

Ashwini Karanth and her fellow Swartz fellows. “Take that leap, it’s going to be worth it,” she says. Courtesy photo

DON’T MISS WHAT NON-TRADITIONAL MBA APPLICANTS NEED TO KNOW AND B-SCHOOLS WITH THE MOST WOMEN, MINORITY & FIRST-GENERATION STUDENTS