After 2 years y’all — I officially graduated from Berkeley Haas with my MBA!
My MBA graduation was different from my college graduation. In college — I had a job, summer travels, and a plan. Graduation was a celebration of those results, just as my high school graduation was a celebration of my IB grades and my admission into college. While I’m proud of my MBA achievements, my graduation wasn’t a celebration of them. It was a tumultuous moment of panic (what am I going to do with my life), pride (there’s been a lot of personal growth in the last few years), stress (I need to pack up and move out of my house), and sadness (two years feels too short).
There’s a beauty to endings, though, because they simultaneously represent beginnings. As I reflect on this beginning for myself, I wanted to share some of the things I’ve learned in the last 2 years:
- Invest in yourself constantly: the act of an MBA is in itself an investment of your money, resources, and time. You come to the program with the expectation that you will invest in yourself, and as I began to try things like leadership coaching, journaling, peer groups, storytelling classes, etc. I wondered…why had I never done things like this before? Somehow, I’d always seen focusing on myself as a luxury or as some form of narcissism. But really what I hadn’t seen before was the importance of investing time and resources into my growth.
To me, this feels particularly important for women. We internalize sexism around us that tells us our stories, our journeys, and our growth isn’t important. But our stories have power, and our growth is important. We need to invest in ourselves constantly to learn and see it. - Bet on yourself, always: my career journey through venture capital has been exciting, rewarding, and intense in the best way. It’s also been demoralizing, disrespectful, disappointing, and any other downer d-words you can think of. I could go on about the ups and downs of VC recruiting, but that’s for another time. Amidst what feels like the toughest uphill climb I’ve been on, I remind myself constantly to bet on myself. Just because I’m not seeing results doesn’t mean I’m worth any less. I’m trying to always remember that, even in my lowest moments.
- Aim for a rhythm and not balance: I’ve always thought that structure was the key to a successful life. However, what you need today may be different from what you did yesterday. There’s a limit to how far structure can take you and a fine line for when it starts to hold you back. As a wise friend shared with me, the goal is instead a rhythm. Rhythms ebb and flow. Aiming for a balance or a finite point is inherently flawed…what do you do once you hit it? What comes after the happy ending? A rhythm is a continuous pattern, and that’s my new goal.
- Sustainability > achievement: as many other type A high-achiever personas out there, I’ve always put a lot of pressure on myself to be the best, do the most, power through; and I bet most of you can relate. But I finally saw how tough the pressure was on me during this program. I had to swallow a lot of pride and finally, give myself permission to not be my best. It sucked and still does to see others perform the way I used to and to feel like I’m being left behind. But I’m figuring out a more sustainable way to reach my goals (and believe me, they’re still ambitious). In this moment of transition, it’s okay to be middle of the pack. My goal is now to live a high-functioning AND sustainable professional life rather than just a high-functioning one.
Tanvi’s Advice for the MBA-Curious
There’s a misconception out there that all MBAs do is drink, party, and travel. There’s certainly a lot of that but there’s also a ton of work. Yes, it’s a break from your career and from real life but it’s not a 2-year vacation. MBAs are intense — you put your 100% effort into part-time jobs, recruiting, soul searching, discovering what you’re passionate about, and more all while taking a full class load, socializing, and (more likely than not) planning travel for your breaks. It’s exhausting, emotionally draining, and expensive.
I’ve had a lot of conversations with prospective MBA applicants, Haas admits, friends, friends of friends, random LinkedIn requests, etc. around my process of applying to MBA programs, choosing a program, and how to succeed in your MBA. Sharing some of my advice below in case it’s helpful to anyone in either of those buckets!
Why I Chose an MBA
- I was doing well in my career and knew if I stayed I would continue doing the same thing I’d done since college. But I didn’t feel sure that was what I wanted to do for the rest of my career. I needed a place to explore and see what else was out there.
- Why Haas: I was excited by Haas’s focus on social impact, and wanted a place to explore what a mission-driven career meant. The small class size appealed to me as I hoped to create strong & lasting relationships with my classmates. I was eager to explore the West Coast after a few years in New York City and when I got the Consortium Fellowship it was a no-brainer! You can read more about my Haas journey here.
Applying to MBA Programs:
- Picking schools is a very personal process: weigh your geographic interests, the reputation of the school, industries or areas of interest that the school may be known for, etc. Most of my classmates applied to <5 schools but again that’s a personal decision. The one thing I’ll say is shoot your shot — don’t be afraid to apply to your dream school even if you’re not sure you’ll get in. Crazier things can happen!
- Your application should be strategic: think about your resume, essays, test scores, etc. holistically. Make sure you demonstrate things like quantitative prowess, leadership, high performance, industry knowledge, etc. somewhere on your application. If it’s in one part of the application (like your resume), use other spaces to share something else (i.e. don’t use your essay prompts to embellish on things you’ve already shown through your resume/transcript).
- Weave a story for yourself: how did your life and professional experiences bring you here? Why is an MBA the right next step for you? And what about the specific school you’re applying to makes it the right fit for you?
- Be yourself in the applications: sounds cheesy, I know — but sharing a bit about your personal story is helpful in differentiating your application and adds color to your file. At the same time, share in a strategic way. Your goal is to show the admissions office why your worldview and life experiences make you a valuable addition to the class. There’s a fine line between painting a holistic picture of who you are/what you bring vs oversharing.
- Pick your recommenders wisely, and give them a few months of notice. The right recommender is not your closest mentor at your job — it’s the person in your professional or personal life who knows how to advocate and BANG THE TABLE for you. Pick your champion — not the person with the fanciest title or your best friend. Give them 2–3 months of heads up and share some talking points you’d appreciate if they highlighted (e.g. how do you compare to peers, a time when you did really well, a time when you incorporated feedback well, etc.). Again, look holistically at your application and assess what’s missing/what would be helpful for them to highlight.
Picking your MBA Program:
- First of all, breathe a huge sigh of relief. YOU GOT IN! Congratulations! MBA apps are a culmination of almost a year of prep so take some time to celebrate.
- Think through the 1–3 career options you’re hoping for post-MBA and assess the resources at each school to help you. Are there certain centers, programs, faculty, classes, etc. that would help you get there?
- Talk to current students: get a feel for the vibe of the school, the student culture, how the school/alumni have helped them, and your feeling of fit. Unfortunately, this is all a little touchy-feely so you need to rely on your gut here. But alls to say — take the time to chat with some folks.
- Talk to other admitted students: what are they like? Do you want them to be your future classmates? What types of people does the school accept and does that align with what you want?
- Location, location, location: I’ll say this shouldn’t be the deal-breaker, but the location is important. You’re spending 2 years of your life in this place, so make sure it’s a place where you think you’ll be happy.
- Money & scholarships: there’s no way around it — MBAs are expensive as f**k and it’s a personal choice how you finance it. Scholarships play a huge role in your decision. I’d recommend looking into The Consortium if you’re passionate about racial equity and can demonstrate your dedication to it.
During your MBA:
- TAKE A BREAK (whether it’s a few weeks or months) the summer leading up to your MBA. Your first semester is A LOT with tough classes and a ton of socialization; not to mention the insecurity and stress of moving, being in a new place, and meeting new people. Coming to this time well-rested and refreshed is ideal. I opted for a pre-MBA internship and while I value that experience, I regret going from my job to the internship to literally the weekend of orientation. I showed up on Day 1 of classes frazzled, stressed, and lost. Even a 1-week break would have helped me destress and show up with more poise.
I want to recognize that taking a break is a privilege not every admit will have. As much as you can, try to find some way to decompress even if it’s just a long weekend trip. - Set some intentions: what do you want out of your MBA? What kinds of opportunities are you looking for? Even some broad ideas (e.g. “I want to explore sustainability” or “I want to work on consulting/case-focused skillsets”) will help you quickly get your bearings and filter what opportunities to pursue and what to avoid.
- Pick 1–2 extracurriculars, and NO MORE. Overcommitting to extracurriculars is the poorest way to spend your MBA unless they directly contribute to your professional and/or personal goals. Even then, pick 1 or 2. There will be an inherent competition at some point to see who is the busiest and believe me you don’t want to win. Instead, make time for yourself to learn a new skill, develop meaningful relationships, take a part-time job, heck even just watch TV. You’ll quickly learn that, more often than not, you regret the things you said yes to vs the things you said no to.
- My last piece of advice is a bit more abstract: throughout your program, think about how the MBA fits into your life rather than fitting your life into the MBA. You are still a whole person during your MBA, and it’s important to stay connected with your family, non-MBA friends, and hobbies. It’s easy to get swept up in the program but stay grounded in yourself and what you need. And yes, it’s okay to spend your spring break chilling with your family rather than on a big international trip (as I did).
What’s next? Stay tuned as I myself figure things out 😅
