Appreciating the Tight Knit Community within the Cornell MBA Program

After spending her career in risk management and public accounting, Kori Hill (Cornell, ‘21) decided to get her MBA to transition into a career in management consulting. During her time at Cornell, Hill has enjoyed the tight knit community, the small town feel of Ithaca, NY, and working with the Consulting Club.  In this interview, Hill shares her decision to attend business school, why she chose Cornell, and her advice for admitted MBA students in their quest to select the right school.

MBASchooled: What did you do before business school, and why did you choose to come to business school?

I am a CPA by trade. I worked in risk management and Big 4 auditing roles within the financial services and commercial industries, respectively. However, I always knew I wanted to go business school, but was unsure of when to go or what type of program to pursue (e.g., full-time, part-time). Eventually, I realized that I enjoyed the problem-solving, consulting-like aspects of my prior risk management role more than the technical accounting components. I knew that if I wanted to transition out of traditional accounting roles, I needed to return to school full-time to sharpen my business acumen and build new skill sets.

MBASchooled: What were the big questions you considered in making your decision about which school to attend?

I was concerned about balancing my school and family commitments; opportunity costs related to my career progression and lack of income; quality of the programs; and my ability to secure a full-time job post-MBA. Because I had recently got engaged and accepted a new job role right before applying, I knew that I was putting a lot on hold to attend school. I had to engage in a significant amount of self-reflection regarding my priorities and career goals to develop a game plan and to select the right school that would meet my criteria.

MBASchooled: Why did you choose to attend Cornell? 

I loved the tight-knit Johnson community. Johnson students, faculty, and staff consistently made me feel like I was already a member of the Johnson family, even when I was a prospective student. They made a point to remember my name, ask about my family, and speak with me for hours to help me decide which school was best for me. All the schools that I applied to had strong programs, so the deciding factor was determining where I could build meaningful relationships and really feel at home. For me, that was Johnson.

MBASchooled: What about the culture and classmates stood out to you about Cornell?

My classmates come from all types of backgrounds – doctors, AgriCorps fellows in Ghana, and musicians from around the world. We have a range of personalities, including extroverts, introverts, everything else in between. Everyone is super-smart, yet so humble and willing to help each other. Whether it was preparing for interviews, studying for exams, or carpooling to NYC, people are always going out of their way to support one another. I’ve been amazed by everyone’s generosity, and it pushes me to become a kinder, more empathetic person each day.

Additionally, Johnson places a heavy emphasis on leadership development. It is incorporated into the curriculum throughout our entire time at Johnson, beginning with when we take the Leading Teams course during pre-term. Outside of the classroom, there are several opportunities to serve in leadership roles. I am challenged each day to step up to help my team wrap-up a client deliverable or to make a tough financial decision for one of the clubs that I co-lead. Once I graduate, I may not remember how to manually calculate a discounted cash flow, but I am confident that I will still be using the leadership principles that Johnson taught me.

 

MBASchooled: What resources, programs or information were helpful to you in making your decision?

Speaking to the current students and alumni throughout the process and attending admitted student weekends were crucial for me. I am a visual learner, so being able to engage with both current students and my future classmates in-person enabled me to envision my life at different schools. When I wasn’t able to speak with students or visit schools, I enjoyed browsing MBASchooled and Poets & Quants to gain additional student and faculty perspectives about programs.

 

MBASchooled: How has Cornell helped you work toward your own career goals and aspirations?

Because of my humble beginnings in Baltimore, I am passionate about increasing the number of underrepresented minorities pursuing higher education and careers in business. In addition to my involvement with organizations like the Consortium, I believe that management consulting would provide the problem-solving skills that I could leverage within the education space. At Johnson, I engaged with alumni working in education and consulting who helped me develop a strategy to align my career interests.

Additionally, I received a significant amount of help from my second years in the form of the Johnson Consulting Club, career working groups, and 1:1 prep sessions. The second years and alumni spent many hours casing and practicing behaviorals with me to help me secure a consulting internship offer from McKinsey & Co. I look forward to paying it forward next year with the Johnson class of 2022.

MBASchooled: What parts or aspects of the academic experience attracted you to Cornell?

I was attracted to Johnson’s immersion programs. The program essentially allows you to pick a “major” during the second half of your 1st year and focus your studies on that interest. Additionally, you are assigned to work on a real-world consulting project to apply the concepts that you learned in the classroom. I selected Digital Technology immersion. I am taking analytics and digital operations classes, and I also work within a diverse team to solve an emerging business problem for a global technology client. The immersions are challenging, but I appreciate the opportunity to build tech skills and gain experience that will serve me well during my internship and post-MBA.

MBASchooled: What has been a surprise, or an unexpected element of your experience at Cornell?

I surprisingly really like Ithaca. I’ve always lived in large cities, so I was hesitant about leaving the comforts of my urban home in DC behind. But I’ve come to cherish the small-town feel of Ithaca because it provides the best opportunity to stretch myself by participating in new activities like hiking and build new friendships with folks that I normally would not interact with. Though I don’t think I would ever live in a small town again after school, Ithaca is a wonderful place to get away from the big city drama and focus on my business school experience.

MBASchooled: What has been your favorite moment or experience during your first year of business school?

As a Consortium member, I thoroughly enjoyed attending the Consortium’s Orientation Program in June 2019. Not only was it a great place to network and interview with employers, but it was also a great opportunity to meet both my Cornell classmates and students from other Consortium schools who are also passionate about increasing the number of diverse candidates in business. Those relationships proved to be fruitful. We helped each other prepare for recruiting during the fall and casually spend time together for fun.

MBASchooled: What advice do you have for those who are evaluating where they want to attend business school?

Remember your purpose for attending business school and choose the school where you will be comfortable and be able to achieve your personal and professional goals. It is easy to become overwhelmed with rankings, admissions chat rooms, FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) and family & friends’ opinions. Though there is valuable information to be gained from those resources, do not allow them to dictate your business school decision. Do what is best for YOU and your future.

For More Details on How to Prepare for Business School, Check out our Preparing For Business School Guide