After serving in the Peace Corps in Columbia and working in Financial Services in New York City, Clare Davies (Olin, ‘22) decided she wanted to build her leadership and analytical skills through an MBA degree. Clare decided to enroll in the MBA Program at Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis. During our conversation, Clare spoke to us about why she chose to get an MBA, why she chose the Olin, and her advice to professionals who are considering pursuing an MBA degree.
MBASchooled: What did you do before business school, and why did you choose to apply to business school?
Prior to Olin, I was serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Colombia and prior to that I worked in financial services in New York City. I chose to apply to business school because I wanted a career change. I saw the Peace Corps as the first part of this transition and business school as the second part. I wanted to build both leadership and analytical skills to use in the next phase of my career which I hope will involve finance and social impact.
MBASchooled: What were the most important criteria to you when selecting MBA Programs to apply for?
Community and scholarship potential were the most important factors for me. I applied to five programs and two of those offered scholarships for former Peace Corps Volunteers. I also applied to a mix of “reach” schools and schools where I thought I had a decent chance of being accepted. I was applying to schools in the early days of the pandemic so I wasn’t able to visit any of the schools I applied to. I found that talking to current students was the best way to get a sense of what the school community was like.
MBASchooled: Based on your own specific career aspirations, what programs, resources or experiences at Olin were most important to you?
The Impact Investing Symposium and the Practicum project I’m leading through the Center for Experiential Learning (CEL) have been the most important programs. Before starting my MBA, I didn’t know much about impact investing. The symposium was a series of panel discussions with impact investing professionals from the midwest region. It was a great way to learn about opportunities in the industry and connect with alumni who work in impact investing.
The CEL Practicum provided me the opportunity to lead a team of students on a consulting project for a Ecuador-based fintech company focused on financial inclusion. Through the Practicum, I had the chance to research and speak to investors focused on social impact and financial services in emerging markets. Both the CEL Practicum and the Impact Investing Symposium exposed me to an industry that I had little knowledge of before and influenced my decision to intern at an impact investing firm this summer.
MBASchooled: Think back to the MBA application process. What’s something you know now, that you wish you knew then?
The right school for you is the one that will most help you achieve your unique career goals. It may not be the highest ranked school you get into.
MBASchooled: Why did you choose to attend Olin?
I chose Olin for three main reasons: class size, community and cost. I loved that Olin had a small class size. I liked that I would be able to get to know all of my classmates. I appreciated that Olin has a deep commitment to the St. Louis community. I grew up in St. Louis and after spending most of my adult life in other cities, I knew that attending Olin would enable me to rebuild my network in my hometown. Also, the generous scholarship that Olin offered me was hard to resist.
MBASchooled: What’s something you’ve learned about Olin this semester, that you didn’t know when you made your admissions decision last year?
I didn’t know how talented and inspiring my classmates would be! One of the true joys of the MBA has been getting to know my classmates. I have been so impressed by the unique experience and perspective each one brings to the Olin community.
MBASchooled: Now that you’ve been at Olin for a semester, what’s been your favorite experience, and why?
It’s hard to pick a favorite, but one of my favorite experiences was participating in St. Louis Impact Initiative (SLII). SLII is a student-run program that pairs student teams with local small business owners to collaborate on a consulting project. My team worked with the leader of a startup non-profit organization focused on providing mental health services to first responders. I loved getting to know my teammates, and supporting a local nonprofit was very rewarding and inspiring.
MBASchooled: Oftentimes, the word “culture” gets thrown around when talking about MBA programs. Can you characterize the culture at Olin?, and share an example of an experience that you think personifies this?
I would say the Olin MBA culture is very student-driven. Because the class size is small, there is a leadership position available for everyone. I love seeing my classmates shine as club leaders, TAs, peer career coaches, or leaders of practicum teams. Of course, the MBA experience has been different for my class because of COVID. The second-year students have been instrumental in leading virtual and COVID-appropriate events to build community during the past year. One of my favorite student-led programs was the Olin Women in Business (OWIB) club’s mentorship program through which second-year OWIB members were paired with first-years in the beginning of the first semester. Having a go-to person I could ask for advice was really helpful in navigating recruiting, networking and course selection.
MBASchooled: What advice do you have, for students who are considering applying or applying to MBA programs right now?
Be honest with yourself about what is important to you in your career, trust in yourself and your vision for your future, and tune out the noise.