After four years of human capital consulting, Angela Masciale (McCombs, ‘22) decided to pursue an MBA to expand her business acumen and skillset. Angela ended up selecting UT-McCombs to expand her network, and create long-lasting ties to the Longhorn community. In this interview, Angela shares her personal story about her journey to McCombs, and her advice for prospective MBA students.
MBASchooled: What did you do before business school, and why did you choose to apply to business school?
Prior to business school, I was a Human Capital Consultant at Deloitte Consulting based in Houston, Texas. In this role, I assisted in HR transformations for clients in various industries such as oil and gas and telecommunications. After four years working in 8 distinct projects, I knew I wanted to expand my knowledge of business and pivot into a role that aligned with my personal values.
While consulting was a wonderful way to quickly learn the ins and outs of client management, I always yearned to dive deeper into more creative realms. Thus, I knew that business school would be the ultimate ticket to develop my skillset and eventually pivot into a brand marketing role in CPG.
MBASchooled: What were the most important criteria to you when selecting MBA Programs to apply for?
I based my criteria on the fundamentals of what makes me happy: community, network, opportunity, and programming. With that said, I applied to four programs: UT McCombs, Rice Jones, UCLA Anderson, and Yale SOM through the Consortium. As a born and raised Texan, I always had an affinity towards Jones and McCombs. I knew that I could both grow in career opportunities, expand my network, and create long lasting ties to the surrounding community.
For Yale SOM, I visited and was welcomed by like minded individuals that I knew I would love to learn alongside and from. Lastly, with Anderson, their focus in the entertainment industry captured my interest as I’ve had a long term dream of moving into entertainment. Alas, I had to make the decision between UT McCombs and Rice Jones. Rice being my alma mater, I knew that the institution would always have a place in my heart, so I wanted to expand my network further by joining the longhorn family and move to a new city.
MBASchooled: Why did you ultimately choose UT-McCombs?
I ultimately chose UT for the expansive network and breadth of career opportunities in a city I never lived in. While I was still figuring out exactly what I wanted to do after graduation, I wanted a program that could set me up for success no matter the location (whether inside or outside of Texas).
MBASchooled: Oftentimes, the word “culture” gets thrown around when talking about MBA programs. Can you characterize the culture at UT-McCombs?, and share an example of an experience that you think personifies this?
The culture of UT-McCombs is filled with intellectual curiosity and down-to-earth game-changers. Each person I’ve interacted with has a unique background that strive to expand their knowledge both inside and outside the classroom. As first year Co-Chair of Diversity Week this year, we reached out to several student leaders who personified both McCombs and their unique journey to speak to prospective students.
Even though the event was virtual, the culture exuded through the screen and I received several thank-you emails from prospective students articulating their excitement about joining the program. I think this is a true testament of how Texas McCombs has a way of bringing people together, despite virtual barriers.
MBASchooled: Talk about the experience so far. What are some of your favorite parts of the MBA experience so far?
My favorite part(s) of my experience thus far have been two fold: getting to know my classmates and learning an entire new world of business. Academically, I really enjoyed diving into our core classes (Finance, Economics, Accounting, and Statistics) and learning from our professors. In particular, our finance professor (Dean Joe Hahn) held multiple sessions outside of office hours for those to learn finance at a pace for those unfamiliar with the topics. My friends and I loved the class so much and his phrases that we created a fun t-shirt commemorating the course. Outside the classroom, I just competed in the Marketing Case Competition and went to the finals to present our solution for Bumble’s challenge of garnering more registrations during the time of COVID-19. My team received the best presentation accolade, overall 4th place out of 23 teams, and I won best speaker in our competition room. I had never competed in a case competition and to get so far while bonding with my classmates late at night via zoom was a load of fun.
MBASchooled: Think back to the MBA application process. What’s something you know now, that you wish you knew then?
I wish I would have known to not compare myself to my peers. While this is easier said than done, I had friends paying thousands of dollars for MBA admissions consultants and I thought my chances would be slimmer if I did not invest. Everyone’s journey is uniquely theirs and incomparable. I knew that my test scores were not the highest, but my application was not solely based on my score and rather a profile of all my accomplishments, interests, and goals.
MBA programs are more than just taking exams; programs are an amalgamation of in-class learning, programming, extracurriculars, leadership, case competitions, study groups, etc. I had to keep reminding myself that I will have an impact beyond my score and to trust in the admissions team to recognize the potential in me.
MBASchooled: It’s a bit more challenging for prospective MBA students to get to know MBA programs this year as a result of COVID-19. When MBA applicants are engaging with schools, what should they be looking to learn?
Applicants should focus on the learning environment and adjustments faculty are making to accommodate these circumstances. For example, our professors at McCombs are teaching in a hybrid environment, meaning that half their students are joining via zoom and the other half in person.
Thus, they have to manage classroom and online discussions, which necessitates a keen awareness of both parties’ needs, such as a physical hand raising in class and repeating the question for online joiners to hear. In addition, they should inquire about exam structure and office hours. Our professors host Zoom office hours, which allows everyone to listen in for common questions and get to know each other in other avenues.
MBASchooled: What advice do you have for candidates who are interested in UT-McCombs??
My advice is to have courage and truly believe in yourself. McCombs is all about authenticity and embracing those from varied backgrounds.Business school may seem daunting, but it is absolutely possible to succeed without being a finance guru or tableau visionary. I hope that prospective students truly believe in their strength they bring to the classroom.
Everyone is at a different part of their journey, so there is no need to turn left when someone down the road turns left – you may turn left into a bush when you should’ve had faith in yourself to forage your own path.
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