Can you tell us more about yourself?
My name is Eric and I was an Engagement Manager at BearingPoint, an independent consulting firm. I trained as an Electrical engineer from the ESIEE Paris in Computer Science and Network and also got a Specialised Masters in Management of Technology from HEC Paris.
What prompted you to apply for an MBA?
I worked for a consulting company after graduating from engineering college. However, I have always wanted to get into entrepreneurship with more challenges and perhaps leave a legacy behind. But the career that was offered to me was not something that would give me any entrepreneurial opportunities. So after careful consideration, I realized that I had two options: one was changing jobs and the other was to make a quantum leap in my path and get an MBA from a top school. MIT, with its focus on entrepreneurship, dynamism and innovative spirit was the perfect choice for me.
What did you find the most difficult in the application process?
As someone with good command over English and a pretty strong mathematical background, I managed to get a score of over 700 quite easily in the GMAT. The most difficult part, however, was the application itself. I realized that my profile wasn’t standing out at all, there were many others like me who had trained to be engineers but wanted to escape from the slow-paced career in consulting. The coaches at the MBA Center were very helpful and together we managed to tell the story of my life and career choices through my essays. What I understood from the entire application process is that the idea is not to stand out, rather, to be yourself and tell your story in an authentic manner.
What is life like at MIT?
Getting into MIT is quite an achievement as it gets the closest to a purely merit-based system as it can get. With its collaborative and hands-on approach in the classroom, it is a place where brilliant minds of diverse backgrounds and nationalities intermingle and learn. There are more than 500 student organizations that students can choose to be a part of. They can also choose their own extracurricular activities to complement their academics and they can choose from music, dance, sports or any field they would want to be a part of. I had a great time at MIT intermingling with students from across the globe.
What would be your advice to someone applying for an MBA program?
First, make a deep analysis about who you are and what you want to do. You do not have to stand out. Be honest and precise about your dreams and aspirations. Through my collaboration with MBA Center and Dr. Hubert Silly, I have realized that the process isn’t about boasting, but rather learning to be yourself, the type of legacy that you want to leave behind and communicate that to the admission committee.