Can you tell us more about yourself?<
My name is Eoin and I am from Ireland. I got a Bachelor in Engineering, Civil, Structural and Environmental from the Trinity College, Dublin. I moved to the UK and worked first as a Management Consultant for Accenture and later as a Real Estate Private Equity Associate Director for Brandeaux Advisers before applying for an MBA at The Wharton School.
What prompted you to apply for an MBA?
I was working in real estate where they used my expertise in real estate to advise private equity investors. I wasn’t involved in the various deals that were going on. So after four years spent at Brandeaux Advisers, I decided that it was high time for me to get the necessary credentials and knowledge to make a career leap and work among the decision-makers in a private equity firm.
When I met Dr. Hubert Silly at the MBA Center London office, I was going through a low phase and felt a little frustration in my career because I could not make the progress that I desired. And so I felt a lack of self-confidence. What I liked about the interaction with Dr. Hubert Silly is that he gave me the confidence that MBA Programs were looking for people with diverse backgrounds and I could also be a part of these programs and my background could also be an asset to the class I would be a part of.
What is life like at Wharton?
Life at Wharton is a great blend of rigorous academics and multiple activities. The faculty is amazing and your peers are people from across the globe with incredible backgrounds. There is a lot of teamwork-based projects and group trips. Fridays are off days at Wharton and you can spend them studying or doing things that you’d miss out on otherwise. There are lots of social meets and greets being organized at various times throughout the year and students can take part in most of them and create great networks and contacts.
What would be your advice to someone applying for an MBA program?
Believe in yourself. MBA programs do not have any typical student profile that they are looking for. It isn’t like an engineering school or medical school. People from all backgrounds are welcome to be a part of the MBA programs. The scope in MBA programs is huge as they are all looking for diversity in their classes. So have faith in yourself. If you have a good GMAT score, spend time to motivate yourself and write a good application and it will be considered.
Another thing that will help you is to be surrounded by professionals. The MBA programs are very competitive and having the help of professionals will prove to be valuable for you get into colleges of your choice.