After working in Education and Talent Strategy, Kelsey Wasserman (Haas, ‘21) decided to get an MBA to gain the foundational business skills so she could accelerate a career in the education sector. After applying to MBA programs, Wasserman selected UC-Berkeley Haas, where she found an MBA program that was a great fit of her background. During this interview, Wasserman spoke about her decision to choose Haas, and her advice on how to select the right MBA program.
MBASchooled: What did you do prior to business school, and why did you choose to come to business school?
I spent three years in Milwaukee, WI teaching middle school with Teach for America. Next, I moved to Brooklyn, NY to do talent strategy at a network of charter schools called Achievement First. I decided to go to business school because I wanted to develop the foundational business skills and perspective from other industries to eventually take back to the education sector. Business school was the only place that would give me that type of diversity of thought and experiences in such a short amount of time.
MBASchooled: What were your big questions coming into making your decision on which school to attend?
What is business school actually like? My mother went, but other than that, I didn’t have anyone close to me that had gone through this experience. Would I feel like I was “enough” was a big question for me, that I guess largely plays into school culture. I also really looked at location, brand, and strength of the alumni network.
MBASchooled: What characteristics were important to you in selecting the right MBA school to attend?
School size, alumni network, “vibe,” diverse student and faculty bodies, a student-led program
MBASchooled You ended up attending Haas. Why did you choose Haas?
Most important to me was going to a school where my background (education and non-profits) was seen as a value-add to the community. Haas has a strong social impact background, which helped me feel comfortable with going into a degree program that is so foreign to me.
MBASchooled: How would you describe your Haas classmates?
I’d say collegial, surprising, and nerdy. Also, fun!!
MBASchooled: Oftentimes, students cite culture as one of the reasons why they select a school. What about the culture at Haas stood out to you?
I really felt at ease with the people I met at Haas. I think I had a lot of imposter syndrome going into this process. I was very shy and reserved with most of the people who helped me along the way. However, when I got to Haas, I felt much more comfortable and even formed relationships with some of the people I met when I did a class visit. I still consider them friends today! Additionally, I really liked the academic culture. We’re tech free at Haas, and so it was really nice to see so many students really engaged in the material. It felt like there was a really solid relationship between professors and students.
MBASchooled: What factor did your career goals/interests play in deciding on Haas?
I was considering working in the DEI/ Tech space or management consulting. I knew that Haas would put me close to the tech industry and that it is also such a great school that I’d be prepared to recruit for consulting if that’s what I chose, as well!
MBASchooled: What resources, programs or information were helpful to you in making your decision?
I was admittedly less “clued in” than others who went through the decision making process. I got the call from Haas saying I was a Consortium Fellow and let my parents know right after that I’d be going to Haas. When I also received funding from another school, I went back to the drawing board and listed out all of the things that were most important to me in a program, and relied on alumni networks and chats with current students to help fill in the blanks. In the end, Haas remained the better fit.
MBASchooled: Looking back on your first year of business school at Haas, in what way did this experience meet or exceed your expectations?
I think Haas has definitely met my expectations career and academics- wise. I did the research early on and knew what to expect and am really relieved that Haas lived up to what I thought. I’m most surprised at my personal growth. I have a few groups of friends at Haas who are really good at being reflective and introspective, and I did goal setting sessions with each of them at the beginning of the year, and we’ve done a really good job of revisiting them regularly and acting as accountability partners. I’m with my parents now while school is remote, and we keep joking that I’ve changed so much!
MBASchooled What advice do you have for those who are deciding on where they want to attend business school?
Fit comes first!!! You’re not going to have the same level of tolerance for being somewhere that doesn’t feel right that you may have had as an undergrad. Pay attention to what feels right– every school has alums that do your dream job, every school has great faculty, the great differentiator whether or not you feel comfortable embarking on a two year journey at that school.
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