Interviews with distinguished GMATClub 2013 admits!

machichi - Little three graduate, thorough non profit experience and the most committed person on GMAT Club. This guy is tailored for this school



souvik101990: CONGRATS machichi on the stellar choice of matriculating at Yale You redefine a non profit application! Tell us about your work pre MBA

machichi: Well, I have always worked with kids, but over time I got the sense that I really liked working with adults who work with kids. Even now, my passion is still evolving. I care deeply about youth and their success, and I want to support their growth and education on a larger scale. So I started off interning with an organization that provides rigorous academic support for low-income urban middle school youth.
It was an amazing opportunity because over 4 different summers (during and after college) I got sent to every corner of the US--including Miami, FL, Santa Fe, NM, and Boston, MA. I started to see that inequality looked eerily similar across the US.
I got hooked on youth work after these internships and ended up moving to San Francisco (for many obvious reasons). In particular though I loved that it was such a hub of innovation and non-profit services. So I got my first job out of college working with pre-k children and their parents.

Through that work I came to the conclusion that we have to approach the education of our youth on a holistic level: they exist within a circle of support that includes families, community, schools, etc. I ended up gravitating to Community Centers and got my next job working at a local community-based organization that supports the whole family.

souvik101990:lets talk about Yale! How was the Kellogg Yale indecision? We had to come on this topic sometime

machichi: Ha! It was tough on so many levels. I think one of the main ones though is that I couldn't get any "real world" advice. No one I know has much familiarity with MBA programs, so I felt pretty isolated. However, I have felt so fortunate to be able to be a part of the GMAT Club community.

I have learned so much about the programs and others' perspectives. It's funny because both GMAT Club and real world people were rooting for Yale, I believe, but for very different reasons. GMAT Club knew that Yale offered an amazing non-profit focus, which seemed to gel with my goals. Real world people said it was a no-brainer because it was "YALE".

souvik101990:So, you have an amazing experience coordinating a storybook production project! Any insights? (totally my personal interest area)

machichi: Oh my god, that was one of the coolest things I've ever done. We basically brought together 6 pre-k classes (yes 3 and 4 year olds!) to perform on stage for their parents.The kids produced all the set materials and memorized their "lines" (kids have an amazing ability to memorize books at that age!).
It was like a choral rendition of well known books like Goodnight Moon and Brown Bear, Brown Bear.

GMAT Club moderator joins in

jumsumtak: what did you feel about your chances to the schools you were applying to? Sure you have pretty amazing stuff on your resume, but getting into yale - with a non traditional background- did you ever think you are in a very competitive pool?

machichi: I felt like I could accomplish anything if I set my mind to it, but I am kind of a control freak,so I wanted to know for sure. I'm sure everyone on gmatclub relates eto that...One of the things I did was talk to a lot of admissions consultants. The free profile evaluations really honed my story and gave me a good sense of how likely I was to get accepted.
I knew the schools I was applying to were super competitive, but once I got a 700+ GMAT I felt like anything was possible, that it really came down to execution (and probably some luck!).

souvik101990:Lets get there. Lets talk about your admission consulting experience too (very popular topic I am sure)

machichi: I spoke to about 4 or 5 admissions consultants because it was free and I could. They were pretty confident about my chances at some schools and pretty realistic about my chances at others. You get some advice that's amazing (e.g. know your story, strengths, and weaknesses, and be proactive about addressing all of them!) And some that's not so amazing (e.g. always go to the best-ranked school).

jumsumtak: Can you give an example?

machichi: So for example, I knew that being non-traditional was an advantage, but I got some great advice about the approach that successful applicants like me have taken.
Most people need to highlight how interesting and different their experiences are. I was told to make sure to show clearly how I can fit in with an MBA program--both on a quant side and a business savvy side.

souvik101990: Ok! I really want to hear about The Spikes!

machichi: The Spikes is my home away from home. I've been playing soccer since I was 8 years old, so when I found a gay men's soccer organization here in SF, I was so psyched. IT's a great community. We raise money for our own equipment and leagues, but we also donate some to local soccer clubs in the city. My experiences on the Spikes were so meaningful, and since I'm the kind of person who likes to give back, I joined the board to contribute on an organizational level.

souvik101990: How did you manage to do SO much with your time! Do you have a polyphasic sleep pattern?

machichi: Hahaha, it's funny you should mention that. My boyfriend became obsessed with polyphasic sleep and used to read about it all the time. Apparently the US military experimented with it on their soldiers...I am super organized and type A. I make time for things that matter to me

jumsumtak: How did you manage to learn so many languages?

machichi: I love languages. I think it's because when I started taking French in middle school, I felt like it was a conspiracy. No one *really* spoke this language. Teachers made it up to keep us busy! Since I grew up in upstate NY, we were able to take a class trip to Montreal. It was unreal to me that people really spoke other languages and that there was a whole different set of beliefs and ideas associated with the culture!
I wanted to access it, and language ended up being a really fun way to do so. I started taking Spanish and sign language in HS. While others were taking pottery and music, I was geeking out over verb conjugations. Then in college, I remember being made fun of for only taking "easy romance languages". so i thought, hmmm, let's try Russian!

souvik101990: "pet peeves" of other blogs and forums! Very curious about what you meant with that!

machichi: I'm a pretty resourceful person. I look before I leap and I read a ton before asking questions. It boggles my mind that people ask questions that were literally asked right above them in the forums. But that's small potatoes compared to the rankings' obsession. I think it's really damaging for people to tout the rankings as the be all end all of business school selection. It's such a personal choice and no one should feel guilty for choosing the right school for them. The other thing is not totally a pet peeve, but it's sad that the forums and blogs tend to obfuscate the diversity of applicants. We are applying as military folks, non-profit candidates, IT, consultants, marketers, etc. It's easy to start to feel like everyone's just one-size fits all. Even for those within those categories, there's so much diversity!

jumsumtak: How do you feel about moving?

machichi: I love SF and expect to come back, but I also love new things. I have lived all over the US, Madrid, Buenos Aires, so why not take some time to try something new in a cool place. It'll be nice to be closer to my family and I love visiting NYC, so it'll be fun to have the big apple in my backyard.

souvik101990: Another question: How important was school visits for you? It seems they are insanely important but its pretty impossible for somebody, lets say, from India!

machichi: They are super valuable, but I guess I wouldn't want to say it's impossible to get a sense without attending. I got similar vibes from attending admit student events here in San Francisco. The most important thing is to meet as many people as you can from the school. I learned a ton about the culture from the four schools I applied to because I attended events with current students and alumni here in the Bay Area
Stay open-minded--to people, experiences, careers, everything; but don't forget what's important to you! And blog! whether or not others read it, you'll enjoy revisiting it in your old age

Sorry had to ask one more question! What's the deal with your username?

machichi: My nickname in Spanish is Machi. It's a mutilation of my Michael, but it stuck because we found it so funny. It's short for "machito" or little macho guy. the extra "chi" is for effect