After working in healthcare consulting and dental sales for 4.5 years, Kelsey Van Hook (Merage, ‘22) decided to pursue an MBA to pivot to a career within marketing. After her application process, Kelsey enrolled at the UC-Irvine Merage School of Business, where so far she has felt right at home. During this interview, Kelsey spoke about her decision to pursue an MBA, why she chose UC-Irvine, and her advice to prospective MBA applicants.
MBASchooled: What did you do before business school, and why did you choose to apply?
Prior to attending business school, I worked in healthcare consulting and medical device/dental sales for 4.5 years. More recently, I worked for my family business: a national dental laboratory. I held a multi-functional leadership role within the firm, building upon my field sales experience and learning downstream marketing concepts. The exposure to a variety of business functions reignited my desire to return to business school and specialize in marketing. My aim is to work in product marketing or market access strategy in the pharmaceutical or medical device space post-MBA.
MBASchooled: When did you find out when you got admitted? How did you navigate your decision process if you were evaluating multiple schools?
I was admitted to UC-Irvine in early May. My business school application process was slightly longer than the norm as I transitioned from the GMAT to GRE mid-way throughout my journey. After submitting all applications by R2, I started receiving acceptances between February – May. I narrowed down my top choices based on alumni network strength, geographical location (and location to target companies), class size, and culture fit. UC-Irvine was undoubtedly the best choice for me and my career goals, and I’m glad that I was able to navigate a decision-making process that was unique and true to me.
MBASchooled: What were the most important questions you asked in order to help make your admissions decision?
While making my admissions decision, I networked with a handful of alumni from each program to get a better feel for post-MBA life and how each program helped them to launch their careers. I utilized LinkedIn to identify alumni in my target industry and position(s). I would inquire about classes, networking, on and off-campus recruiting, and career services. I would also ask about the importance of attending school in the location where you hope to build your network or reside long-term after graduating. Through these conversations, I identified that location was incredibly important for building a solid foundation in the area where you see yourself thriving – and I haven’t been wrong!
MBASchooled: What sources of information (ex: people, resources, websites, students) did you evaluate when making your admissions decision?
I used almost every resource available to make my decision, including a spreadsheet that I designed to weight the program values I was seeking across business schools. I often found myself on MBA blogs like ClearAdmit, Poets&Quants, and US News. I accessed program websites to pull employer reports and gather information about target companies and on-campus recruiting opportunities. I also heavily leaned on my network and the networking tools that LinkedIn offers. Pro-tip: you can filter program pages by their alumni, toggling various locations, companies, titles, etc. It’s incredibly useful when visualizing your post-MBA position and career track.
MBASchooled: After spending a semester at UC-Irvine, what’s something that you now know about UC-Irvine that you wish you knew when you applied?
This may sound cheesy, but I wish I knew how “at home” I would feel at UC-Irvine. Business school – the people, classrooms, cohorts – is a very ominous idea before you actually enter the nitty gritty and day-to-day life of an MBA student. I had not realized that business school would be such a comfortable place to launch me into my potential without fear. Merage offers ample resources to succeed, including a top-notch career services team that really gets to know you on a personal level. It’s up to you as a student to tap into these resources, but all of it is possible in an encouraging and supportive environment like UC-Irvine.
MBASchooled: Who did you talk to that was most helpful in learning information to help you make a decision? What questions did you ask?
Other than program alumni, I often reached out to Student Ambassadors and club leaders at my schools of interest. I would typically ask about student-life, classes, internship opportunities, diversity conferences, and culture fit. Working one-on-one with these students allowed me to gain greater insight into the candid life of a student. The value that I received from these conversations ultimately inspired me to become a Student Ambassador myself, and I aim to pay it forward as I work with prospective students to discover their potential at Merage.
MBASchooled: Oftentimes, the word “culture” gets thrown around when talking about MBA programs. Can you characterize the culture at UC-Irvine ? Can you share an example of an experience that you think personifies what this means?
Merage has a unique culture that is unlike any other program. As an applicant, I felt ingrained into the culture through my discussions with students, faculty, and admissions. Merage was refreshing, welcoming, and friendly. As I stepped foot onto campus last fall, my idea of the Merage culture rang true. I feel encouraged and inspired by my cohort on a daily basis, despite the challenges we face with the state of our world. I feel surrounded by a community of driven individuals that are trying to make a positive difference: through innovating products, impeding inequity in business, building executive leadership, and more.
MBASchooled: Now that you’ve been at UC-Irvine for a semester, is there a specific moment or highlight where you felt confident that you made the right decision?
That’s a great question! When I stepped into the role of Merage Student Ambassador, I began to share my pre-MBA and MBA experience with prospective students. Throughout these conversations, the confidence in my decision to attend UC-Irvine was overabundant. To this day, I feel immense gratitude for the various paths that led me to UC Irvine for my MBA, and I hope to ignite that same excitement and confidence in future Merage applicants.
MBASchooled: What advice do you have for admitted students on how they can make the best decision?
Deciding on the right business school program can be challenging. I was admitted into eight programs, and constantly felt like I was closing off incredible opportunities when narrowing down my program options to one. I would recommend trying to find the program that best fits your needs and not the needs of your friends and family. Take some time to really reflect on where you see yourself in the next 5-10 years, and which program/alumni network/location will get you to that point. Trust your gut and make your decision first before opening it up for feedback – you will definitely benefit from it.
MBASchooled: What advice do you have for admitted students on how they can prepare for their MBA experience?
I know this is easier said than done, but enjoy the summer before your MBA program starts! Come August/September, you will be fully engrossed in internship recruiting, orientation, club fairs, diversity conferences, and more. Take adequate time to relax and do the things that you enjoy doing. I also recommend getting a head start on your networking – create a target company spreadsheet and begin filling in alumni and LinkedIn connections that you’d like to reach out to and learn from. It’s never too early to start networking!