Returning to our popular series after a brief hiatus, we are pleased today to share a little about the real human who helps lead MBA admissions at the Ohio State University Fisher College of Business. Alison Merzel is senior director of graduate recruiting, admissions and financial aid at Fisher, a role she’s held for the past year and a half. But she’s been at Fisher for much longer than that—starting as a student herself.
Soon after graduating with her master’s degree in labor and human resources from Fisher, she joined the admissions team as assistant director of MBA admissions. After two years in that role, she was promoted to director of MBA admissions and recruiting, a post she held for almost nine years before assuming her current role in October 2015.
We’ll learn more from Merzel about the ins and outs of the MBA admissions process at Fisher in a more extensive interview later this week, but for now, we wanted to let you get to know her lighter side. Our thanks to Merzel for taking part in our Real Humans of MBA Admissions series!
Real Humans of MBA Admissions: Alison Merzel of OSU’s Fisher School of Business
Coffee or tea? Depends on my health. Healthy: coffee. Starting to get sick: tea. Afternoon pick-me-up: Chai tea latte.
Beach or mountains? Beach with mountains in the background
Morning person or night owl? I’m a mom of three, so I kind of have to be both!
Pet peeve? When people use the word “perspective” instead of “prospective”
Favorite virtue in others? Loyalty
Worst habit? Leaving various pairs of my shoes in hazardous locations all over the house
Happy place? A cabana by the ocean
Comfort food? The amazing Northstar burger from the Northstar Cafe
Go-to cocktail? Lemon Drop Martini
Proudest moment? Every time I get a compliment from someone about one of my children
Biggest regret? I don’t have regrets—just opportunities to try things differently in the future.
One thing you would change about how you were raised? Not a thing
Superpower you wish you had? Invisibility Cloak
Favorite fictional hero/heroine? I recently took my daughter to see Matilda on Broadway.
What schools, if any, rejected you? (And if you were rejected, how did the experience impact how you interact with those who you must say no to?) When I applied to graduate school, I only applied to Ohio State—I had moved to Columbus when I got engaged.
Which part of the OSU Fisher process would you most like to skip if you were applying today? The video essay. I hate watching myself on camera.
What’s the best thing you read/watched/listened to recently? 10% Happier by Dan Harris.
