Can you tell us more about yourself?
My name is Kine Seck and I am an MBA candidate at the Harvard School of Business Class of 2014. Prior to this, I worked at Orange, Africa Middle-East Asia International Division for over six years. I started as a Marketing Analyst and moved on to the Marketing and Strategy Manager and finally became the Strategy Manager. I have a Master's degree with a major in Strategic Management from the Institute Mines-Telecom Business School.
What prompted you to apply for an MBA?
I am a telecom engineer with a strong international background because I continually move between Africa and France. Since I wanted to have a more global scope I wanted to make a career switch into management consulting and an MBA came as the next logical step in my personal and professional development.
Why Harvard?
Thanks to the support of the MBA Center team, I got accepted to all the schools that I applied to Stanford, Harvard, Wharton, Columbia, MIT, Chicago and INSEAD. My first choice, however, was Harvard. It is the school that created the MBA and is one of the most distinguished schools in the world. Also, Harvard runs The HBS Africa Business Club, founded on November 12, 1997, which is dedicated to increasing the awareness of business opportunities on the African continent. Moreover Harvard also a school that promotes women in business. Taking in all these values that I share with the school I chose to go to Harvard.
What did you find the most difficult in the application process?
The main difficulty that I faced during my preparations was juggling my time between personal life, work, and preparation for the MBA. I am also involved in a lot of community service. So the main problem I faced was a lack of time, or so I felt. Now I know that it is just a matter of will power, organization and motivation. I learned how to organize myself better, how to continue my rich social life while also managing to keep my personal life, work and preparations for MBA balanced.
What is life like at Harvard?
Going to Harvard was one of the most challenging as well as fulfilling experiences of my life. I went there with my husband and together we managed to find the best of the school. With the diverse student population, Harvard was a very eye-opening experience for me. During my time there I was a part of many student bodies. With its stellar reputation, Harvard is one of the most vibrant universities to be a part of. With world-renowned academia, brilliant alumni networks, a stellar reputation, and vast student network, Harvard is one of the greatest campuses to be a part of.
What would be your advice to someone applying for an MBA program?
An MBA is a big commitment. Before you start, the preparation takes a lot of your time and effort. It is a bit more commitment during the program as you are spending a lot of money and it is a lot of work and sacrifice. For people coming at a certain age, just like me, it's not something you can do alone. It is a team project between you and your partner or your family. I’d recommend that you involve your family, your office superiors because preparing for and getting an MBA is a very difficult task and it is very important to get the support of those around you.
Another advice I’d give is that you talk to professionals in the field of MBA application programs before you apply. I’d recommend someone like Dr. Hubert Silly and his team at the MBA Center, who helped me with my GMAT preparations and also helped me prepare my applications.