Ananya Mukkavilli, MIT Sloan MBA Class 2020
Age: 26
Hometown: India (I don’t really have a hometown.)
Undergraduate Institution and Major: Haverford College, political science
Pre-MBA Work Experience: I worked at BCG in the Middle East (mostly between Riyadh and Dubai) and in Chicago (~two years in each region).
Why business school? Why now? Three major reasons:
- I had been in the same industry for approximately four years, and it felt like the right time to get back into the classroom to acquire technical knowledge (e.g., financial accounting, managerial finance). I felt like it would round out my skill set while also giving me the opportunity to take classes on topics that I’m curious about but have no real knowledge of (e.g., tech & entrepreneurship).
- I was getting to a place in my career where I taking on more explicit leadership and client-facing roles. I wanted to take the space to reflect on my career and think about what my leadership and working style really is outside of the consulting context.
- Gain new experiences / perspectives by building relationships with people from a variety of industries and who are in different stages of their life.
Why Sloan? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend?
- MIT offers an “integrated” MBA experience—not only can you make the most of a great business school, but you have access to other departments. As someone who has always been interested in international development, MIT was an excellent fit more broadly as the school is a pioneer in that space.
- Its emphasis on impact and value-oriented leadership and offerings such as the sustainability certificate matched my interest to continue working in social impact.
- The people. (The most common word I heard to describe Sloanies was “humble.”)
- Class size. I went to a small school for undergrad as well, and it helped build community.
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the Class of 2020? I think I bring a truly global perspective. I’ve lived / studied / worked in many countries and cities, which allows me to be adaptable and agile in unfamiliar situations.
Fun fact that didn’t get included on your application? Though born in India, I’ve spent the majority of my life outside of the country. So far, I’ve lived in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
Post-MBA career interests? I plan to go back to consulting but am trying to focus as much as possible on social impact and education work.
Advice to current prospective applicants:
–One thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process? Talk to current students and alumni as much as possible before, during, and after applying. It informs where you apply, how you apply, and which school you choose!
–One thing you would change or do differently?
- Think through your profile relative to other applicants very clearly and then plan how you will apply for R1, R2, R3. The process is humbling and challenging, and it’s important to be very practical with yourself, especially as there’s a really good chance that there are a ton of other people with very similar stats.
- Rely more on people who’ve been through the process. I happened to have many friends applying at the same time as me, and we relied on each other to get through applications. While this was good and helpful, if I were to do it again, I would ask for more feedback than I did from people who’d gotten in.
–Part you would have skipped if you could—and what helped you get through it? I would’ve skipped the intense prep for the GMAT. Everyone is different, but I found that it’s a test that’s easy to over-prepare for (which I did). I actually used my time off to study for the GMAT, but began to spiral with having >1 month to study full time. I would’ve changed my approach to be very targeted and optimize for areas of strength and just get it over with.
What is your initial impression of MIT Sloan students/culture/community? Everyone is humble despite their accomplishments and always willing to lend a hand!
One thing you have learned about MIT Sloan that has surprised you? How much the school has been a pioneer on leadership and management topics. There is a big emphasis on tech, entrepreneurship, innovation, etc., but the school excels in so many areas.
Thing you are most anxious about in your first year? Two things really:
- Thinking through what I want to do next summer. There’s so much you can go after, and it’s hard to know where to start (and what it is I want to start with).
- Managing “FOMO.” There’s a million things you can do / feel pressured to do (and do it all quickly!). But I think it’s important to use the two years to focus and take things slowly as well.
Thing you are most excited about in your first year? Getting to know my classmates! Everyone comes with such diverse and interesting experiences. I’m excited to learn from them.
