Carrie Boyle, Michigan Ross MBA Class of 2020
Age: 29
Hometown: Ashland, Virginia
Undergraduate Institution and Major: Davidson College, political science
Pre-MBA Work Experience: I’ve worked for seven years in the nonprofit/social impact sector. I first worked at Bread for the City, a front-line holistic services agency in Washington, D.C., in both their legal and medical programs.
Most recently, I served as the director of finance and operations at Silicon Valley Social Venture Fund, a network of donors who pool their resources to invest in promising nonprofits and mission-driven companies.
Why business school? Why now? Two key reasons encouraged me to pursue an MBA.
First, as I took on more finance and operations responsibilities in my role, I realized I had hit a ceiling in my quantitative skills. I wanted to be able to create revenue models and produce more sophisticated reports for my organization, but I’d gotten as far as Google searches and free webinars could take me.
Second, I ultimately want to work in corporate social responsibility, and I knew I needed a stronger foundation in business fundamentals in order to hold my own and make a compelling business case for impact in a corporate setting.
Why Ross? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend? When visiting Ross, I found I didn’t have to explain or justify myself as a non-traditional MBA student – actually, as I met other students and applicants, I realized that there was hardly a “traditional” path from which I diverged!
I also wanted a school that treated the study of social impact with the same intensity and rigor as all other disciplines. Finally, and most importantly, Ross represented the values I was looking for in a school – warm, inclusive, and collaborative over competitive.
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the Class of 2020? I seriously considered both the ministry and counseling as career paths before deciding to pursue an MBA. At first, I thought this was a dramatic career shift, but I’m finding a lot of the same elements that energized me about counseling and the ministry crop up in business school – understanding people, what motivates and inspires them, how to foster healthy relationships and teams, etc.
Fun fact that didn’t get included on your application? My first job was selling cotton candy and funnel cakes at a theme park run by Paramount Pictures. So I have an extensive knowledge of Paramount movie soundtracks, which they played on a constant loop!
Post-MBA career interests? I want to help social sector organizations be as healthy, well-resourced, supplied with talent, and financially sustainable as possible. Long term, I want to work in corporate social responsibility. Along the way, I can imagine myself going back into nonprofit management, a philanthropic foundation, impact investing, or social sector consulting.
Advice to current prospective applicants:
–One thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process? At the very beginning of my application process, I decided on my non-negotiables for prospective schools. I knew I wanted a school that prioritized social impact and was deeply rooted in its community. This allowed me to create a list of schools that spanned geography, size, and ranking, and that sometimes surprised people who asked where I was applying, but was a great fit for me. I was grateful to have received the advice that your list of schools doesn’t have to make sense to anyone but you!
–One thing you would change or do differently? I wish I hadn’t been so nervous going into the interview process! I learned that the admissions team doesn’t want to stump you, but just to understand your story and what matters to you. If you can tell a friend about your journey to business school, you can tell an interviewer.
–Part you would have skipped if you could—and what helped you get through it? Absolutely the GMAT! I was completely daunted by the quantitative section, as I hadn’t taken a math class since high school. There was no silver bullet to get through it—I just held tight to my study plan with both hands, and practiced until I never wanted to see a data sufficiency problem again!
What is your initial impression of Ross’s students/culture/community? I’ve found the students to be brave, honest, and authentic. I felt pretty nervous and overwhelmed going into orientation, and I thought I might need to keep my cards close to my vest.
But I was grateful to find that other MBAs shared how they were feeling openly and with a lack of pretense. I’ve continued to experience that same down-to-earth, approachable vibe that attracted me while applying.
One thing you have learned about Ross that has surprised you? I was familiar with the Michigan Model of Leadership from my application process, but I was pleasantly surprised to see how extensively it is woven into the Ross experience. The model helps you understand your natural style of leadership, as well as the leadership styles that are more of a stretch for you.
We’ve used the model throughout different parts of orientation, and I’ve found it to be really useful common language to talk about leaning into your strengths and shoring up your growth areas.
Thing you are most anxious about in your first year? I’ve always gravitated toward small communities—I grew up in a small town, went to a small college, and have worked only on small teams. It was a surprise to everyone, especially myself, that I ended up at the biggest school to which I applied!
I’m excited about all the opportunities that a school this big and dynamic provides, but knowing myself, I’ll also need to be mindful not to get lost in this bigger environment and to intentionally seek out smaller community spaces within Ross.
Thing you are most excited about in your first year? One of the main reasons I chose Ross was the Multidisciplinary Action Project (MAP). In the last seven weeks of your first year, you get to go all-in on a consulting project with a business or nonprofit, applying everything you’ve learned first year in a real-world context. I can’t wait to roll up my sleeves and learn by doing.
