Christine Pham (Foster, ‘22) made her way to the University of Washington Foster MBA program after starting her career as a software engineer. During her MBA application process, Christine applied through the Consortium and in the MBA application process focused on class size, location and recruiting. In this interview, Christine spoke about why she chose to get an MBA, her experience at Foster, including a win in a AT&T case competition, and her advice to prospective MBA applicants.
MBASchooled: What did you do before business school, and why did you choose to apply?
Learning how to program was like being on a roller coaster, there were ups and downs but the thrill of figuring out that last piece of code gave me a similar adrenaline rush. Unfortunately, that rush started to fade as I found the creativity I enjoyed with coding was not what I would have liked it to have been. I found myself at work being assigned with tasks rather than being involved in the decision-making process.
Business school became my top option because I wanted to gain those skill sets necessary to go beyond just saying “yes” to a task. To be able to challenge myself by making a career pivot reminded me of that same thrill I had when I started to learn computer science. Even though I applied pre-COVID and was accepted during the beginning stages of quarantine, I think this is an opportune time to be in business school. My belief is that I will graduate with the tools that will allow me to be successful in this newly emerged workforce post-COVID.
MBASchooled: When did you find out when you got admitted? How did you navigate your decision process if you were evaluating multiple schools? (You don’t need to mention the schools, just how you were able to ultimately decide on Foster)
I applied Round 2 through the Consortium. The reason I chose to attend Foster was based on a few factors that I heavily weighed: the class size, location and recruiting aspect. Having attended an undergraduate university with a large student body, I initially thought that I wanted a similar experience.
The fact that I was a small fish in a big pond did not really bother me but after conversing with current students along with staff, the thought of having a greater opportunity to stand out became more attractive. In comparison to some of the other business schools I got accepted to, I could immediately tell that Foster would be able to spend more time on me in terms of recruiting and even in class.
The student led culture was alluring because I knew I could come in and help build an environment alongside my classmates. Besides the community that Foster has, I knew that the location was ideal. Being situated in Seattle meant access to a lot of major tech companies such as Microsoft and Amazon which offers strong networking opportunities and job prospects. This meant, in the long term, that the opportunity cost of foregoing a salary would be worth it. Foster’s commitment to its students and location makes it a great spot in terms of companies coming to recruit. Ultimately, I knew that Foster could provide me the tools to reach my long-term career goals which was an extremely important part of my decision.
MBASchooled: What were the most important questions you asked in order to help make your admissions decision?
The questions that helped me the most were centered around the student culture. I really tried to probe into what the positives and negatives were because that made the school more real in my eyes. Being transparent was an aspect I looked for when talking to students because I enjoyed having those talks about what they felt could be improved. I also inquired about going to a school in a large city versus a smaller one because oftentimes you will find people from the area who already have a set group of friends. It was important that I was able to build my own network.
Therefore, knowing how connections worked and what they were like were important to me since I would be moving out of state. Lastly, I was curious about the academic experience and how the teams functioned. I wanted to know that I would not only be supported by my professors but by my classmates as well.
MBASchooled: Who did you talk to that was most helpful in learning information to help you make a decision? What questions did you ask?
Since I was admitted through the Consortium, I found it really helpful to talk to the current Consortium class. Foster is now in its second year, so I was curious about what activities or events they had. I knew from talking to other Consortium classes at other schools that there is a lot going on so I was interested in seeing what was being developed at Foster with it being so new. I asked them what their thoughts were on the diversity of the program, how they felt about moving to Seattle and how much support they received from Foster Faculty.
MBASchooled: What’s something you’ve learned about Foster this semester, that you didn’t know when you made your admissions decision last year?
I was told that Foster is really student driven but I would say I did not realize how much of an impact we could have on the program. I am excited that I have the opportunity to voice my opinions and faculty moves swiftly on it. For example, I am a first year diversity representative and one concern I heard from students was that there were not enough mentors of color.
My partner and I expressed these concerns to career management and within a few weeks, with our help, they were able to put together a Mentoring Circles program to ensure that current students of color would have the opportunity to network more with people who look like us. I found it empowering to know that staff cares about student needs and actually acted upon what students wanted.
MBASchooled: Now that you’ve been at Foster for a semester, what’s been your favorite experience, and why?
My favorite experience so far has been participating in case competitions. Even though it is a lot of extra work outside of the class, the ones I have done so far have been great in learning how to work on a business problem. I was a part of AT&T’s inaugural She Counts Finance competition and placed first which, of course, makes it my favorite. The competition was female only and we competed against other schools across the country.
I thought it was an unique opportunity to not only learn from a mentor who guided you through the process but also be judged by actual AT&T employees who worked in the finance department. The competition helped me to learn how to tell a story and also how to properly answer questions during the judging. The insight I gained from this was extremely helpful and I appreciated that AT&T gave us a lot of their time to ensure we understood what made a powerful presentation.
MBASchooled: Oftentimes, the word “culture” gets thrown around when talking about MBA programs. Can you characterize the culture at Foster?, and share an example of an experience that you think personifies this?
One of my initial worries about going to Foster was the idea of the Seattle Freeze, which meant that most people in the area tend to be cold towards new people. Luckily, there was a large chunk of students who were already trying to initiate hangouts via Zoom or even create socially distanced events during the summer before classes started.
It was great to see that even though we would be in a virtual environment, everyone was trying to cultivate a community already. My other worry was about the diversity of the class since business schools’ demographics trend down in terms of that. To know that Foster has and is working on diversity through partnerships such as MLT, Consortium and ROMBA made it easy to see that this is an area that matters to them.
MBASchooled: Obviously, it’s a little more challenging to find out what a school or program is like as a result of COVID-19. What advice do you have, or what specific actions would you recommend admitted students take, to really get to know a school before selecting a school?
This is definitely difficult especially during COVID-19. My advice would be to attend as many events and talk to as many students as possible. I know this is a lot of work but you can start picking up vibes from people you talk to in order to get an understanding of what the culture looks like.
Also, ask students about unique things that the school does that may not be as advertised on their front page. Foster had opportunities such as Venture Fellows, where you get partnered with a local VC firm, after classes started. I would also inquire about the electives you can take because once you complete your core classes this is where you will be able to specialize what you can do.
MBASchooled: As an MBA Ambassador, what are some of the most common questions that you get from prospective students? What are some questions you wish more prospective students would ask?
The most common questions I get asked would be around what my GRE/GMAT score was or if I knew what I wanted to do post-MBA. I think an area that people often dance around is tuition or even rental prices in Seattle. I know that it is not only the school that is important but the money aspect plays a strong role in the whole package. I would definitely love it if people were more transparent about scholarship opportunities, jobs or fellowships that help supplement your school costs. Not everyone can afford to attend graduate school even with loans, so I think this issue was one that people can talk about especially those who also juggle work on the side. I know I have been doing a part-time job for extra cash and took on an extra fellowship.
MBASchooled: What advice do you have for admitted students on how they can make the best decision?
It is a personal decision, I always tell students that I am not here to tell you to choose Foster. I would love for everyone to see what makes Foster so great, but there will always be personal reasons a person might not end up attending. Choosing a school is kind of like having a crush, if you are constantly thinking about it then maybe there is a reason and your gut is telling you to pick that school.
On the other hand, you will have to decide if your crush is just a summer fling or can be long-term. Figure out what your deal breakers are like one of mine is money. I knew if I were to get the same job out of any school, I would want to be in the least amount of debt. Though that may not be the case for everyone so think back to why you like or love something and see where it takes you.
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