Natalia Gonzalez (McCombs, ‘22) decided to move from Michigan to Austin, Texas to pursue her MA at the UT-McCombs MBA Program. During her MBA admissions journey, Natalia focused on schools that had a strong culture which has made her feel right at home at UT-McCombs. During this interview, Natalia spoke about the culture at McCombs, and her advice to prospective MBA students who are trying to decide what MBA programs to apply to.
MBASchooled: What did you do before business school, and why did you choose to apply to business school?
Before business school, I was a Sales and Operations Manager for Whirlpool Corporation at their headquarters in Benton Harbor, Michigan. I decided to apply to business school because I wanted to strengthen my analytical skills and I wanted to explore other industries that I haven’t had the opportunity to learn from like Technology and Venture Capital. It has only been a couple of months in the program and McCombs has already provided me with solid academic foundations and experiential learnings in a lot of industries and functions.
MBASchooled: What were the most important criteria to you when selecting MBA Programs to apply for?
I selected my top programs with a holistic approach really looking into what matters most to me when I think about this phase of my life and the future. I looked into the program’s curriculum and resources more than the program’s ranking. Location also played a crucial role as I was seeking to move from a small town to a bigger city vibe, and most importantly, Culture, as I wanted to be part of a school with a strong sense of community.
MBASchooled: Why did you ultimately choose UT-McCombs?
I chose McCombs because it’s a top program, because of the great culture that I could get to experience as I was exploring my top MBA programs and because of its amazing location. As someone with a strong entrepreneurial spirit, I wanted to be in Austin at this time of my life to experience firsthand the boom of the tech industry and start-up culture here.
MBASchooled: Oftentimes, the word “culture” gets used 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?
Supportive – I could tell how supportive McCombs’ culture is even before I started the program. During the summer, I had the opportunity to have early access to McCombs Career Management resources and career advisors as I prepared for The Consortium’s Orientation Program. They invested hours and hours in me making sure that I was well prepared to start my recruiting process and so far their constant support has shown great results. On top of this, the people I have met here have made me feel valued and welcomed since I started the program and everyone is heavily invested in sharing their knowledge and supporting each other always.
MBASchooledTalk about the experience so far. What are some of your favorite parts of the MBA experience so far?
The constant challenge and the growth that challenge brings within. I have enjoyed learning from great professors, the McCombs staff and my AMAZING classmates. My favorite part is that we have had the opportunity to get to know each other virtually or in-person and we have been able to enjoy our time together and make the most of the MBA experience during COVID-times
MBASchooled: Think back to the MBA application process. What’s something you know now, that you wish you knew then?
I wish I had more knowledge around pre-MBA programs (Ex: MLT) that prepare you throughout your MBA application process especially for the GMAT part of it. The application process can be exciting but exhaustive at the same time and I consider that there are great programs out there that can offer you guidance and direction to excel your application.
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?
I would recommend that they look to learn and understand the program’s curriculum and the experiential learning opportunities that the school offers such as fellowships, short-time internships or even global exchanges. This will give prospective students a better idea on whether or not this program will take them where they want to go post-MBA and even after 5-10 years. I also consider it is important that they seek to learn how the virtual experience has been so far in that specific school and how the staff and faculty members have adapted “the new normality” to the program.
MBASchooled: What advice do you have for candidates who are interested in UT-McCombs?
My biggest advice is that they start building connections with current 1st and 2nd years students. That is how you learn the most about the program itself and the school culture. Also make sure that you do a lot of introspection and understand what drives you to pursue an MBA and what do you want to get from it. Two years go by so fast so it’s better if you stand “ready” to embark on this new adventure.