Tess Engebretson, UVA Darden MBA Class of 2020
Age: 28
Hometown: McLean, VA
Undergraduate Institution and Major: The College of William and Mary (go Tribe!), geology
Pre-MBA Work Experience: 6 years work experience total; 4 years in environmental protection, clean energy, and sustainability, 2 years in tech consulting
Why business school? Why now? After graduating college, I wanted to use my geology degree to approach environmental policy through a science lens and, as my career progressed, my interest evolved to focus more on clean energy and the social impact of climate change. I was lucky enough to work at an organization that sat between the private and public sector in addressing these issues at a global scale; it was powerful to see the impact and role that private companies, governments, and non-profits had to play, but there was still a mismatch between where resources and action were. I left non-profits to join a tech consulting firm that would put me closer to decision makers so that I could see change implementation at the enterprise level.
I decided to pursue an MBA after two years in consulting so that I can better marry these two worlds and explore how the skills and strengths of each sector can be leveraged by both to address major social issues holistically, while also accelerating impact.
Social impact requires such cross-sector involvement, and I felt that business school would round out my experiences and give me a different lens to better approach these issues. I was at a point in my career where I had a breadth of experience to draw on that would allow me to both contribute and grow in a classroom setting, and it felt like a natural time to go back to school.
I also firmly believe we need more women in C-suites and conversations that are happening in business school, and I felt that an MBA would help me advance my career by giving me more credibility.
Why Darden? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend? My “Why Darden?” boils down to two main things: The people and the case method. During the application process, I talked to a ton of alumni, current students, and staff. Everyone I spoke with was smart, interesting, and intellectually curious; they were also all warm and interested in helping me. While each interaction was different in a number of ways, there was remarkable consistency in the core components of each experience. From the outside, the community felt tight-knit and inclusive, and I knew I wanted to be part of it.
The case method was another important factor in applying to Darden, largely because I found it wildly intimidating. I knew that it would force me to operate outside my comfort zone, and that it would push me to develop in the ways that I was looking to grow. The case method challenges you to take and defend a stance, take risks, and operate with limited access to information. The core curriculum is extremely valuable, but I saw the Case Method as the way to practice and exercise a lot of the leadership and management principles that we will use every day post-Darden. The case method is hard, but incredibly engaging, and once I saw it play out in the classroom I couldn’t imagine doing my MBA any other way.
Of course, Charlottesville itself and close proximity to hikes and wineries didn’t hurt!
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the Class of 2020? This is tough—I am both very impressed and intimidated by my classmates! So much of our learning comes directly from the classroom makeup and hearing from students from such different backgrounds. I think my differentiating contribution is my unique path and working background. I consider myself a non-traditional business school student (shout out to the Geology Department at William and Mary), and having a background in non-profits, energy, and tech sometimes offers me a bit of a different approach to some of the issues we cover in class.
Fun fact that didn’t get included on your application? I discovered that I liked movies about six months ago, so I’m looking forward to catching up on the classics after I graduate in 2020! Send any movie suggestions my way.
Post-MBA career interests? After my MBA, I’m looking to work for a company that’s mission and values I strongly identify with. Getting to know tech and CPG companies have been a cool opportunity to see the role they are taking on in the social impact space and, while I don’t expect my first job post-MBA to be in sustainability, I’m looking to join a company that not only sees social responsibility as a core value, but that is also positioning itself to be a leader in driving change.
Advice to current prospective applicants:
–One thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process? Looking back on the process, one of the most – if not the most – beneficial things I did was talk to alumni and current students. Everyone at Darden was incredibly helpful and kind, and the conversations really helped me see myself as a student at Darden. In addition to answering a lot of questions that can’t be found on the website, talking to students helped me frame my application and reinforce what I was looking for in an MBA experience.
I’d also highly recommend visiting and attending a class, for any school you apply to. For Darden especially, the case method is a very unique teaching style, and I highly recommend sitting in on class so that you can see it in action before getting to campus as a first year.
–One thing you would change or do differently? If I could do one thing different, I would have started the process sooner. There are so many pieces of the application, so I highly recommend giving yourself plenty of time to prepare your application, take the GMAT, visit the school, and talk with current students. Pro tip: Don’t be like me—as soon as you know you want to go to business school, start studying for the GMAT.
–Part you would have skipped if you could—and what helped you get through it? This is easy—and may be self-evident from my last response—but if I could have skipped the GMAT then I would. It was not a fun process and, thanks to poor planning on my part, I ended up taking the GMAT and completing my application simultaneously. My husband really carried our family team so that I could focus on taking the GMAT and applying to school, and now that we’re in Charlottesville he continues to be my biggest champion and support system. The application process (and school itself) is exciting, but also really hard! Surround yourself with people who will lift you up and have your back when things get tough. I was so lucky to have people who celebrated and supported me every step of the way; I truly have the greatest partner, friends, and family, and I can’t imagine going through this process without them.
What is your initial impression of Darden’s students/culture/community? Darden is a very special place, and my initial impression of the community is remarkably consistent with my first experiences over a year ago. There’s a huge emphasis on community and trust. Even though we’ve only been on grounds for a little over a month, it was immediately clear that we’d joined something bigger than ourselves or our class, and that the Darden community will follow and support you from here on out. The example I was given—and have already seen—is that, as competitive as things are, Darden students will help their classmates prep for job interviews that they are also competing for.
One thing you have learned about Darden that has surprised you? I was surprised—and very excited—to learn that earlier this year the Darden Worldwide Scholarship Program was established to make sure that all full-time MBA students at Darden have the opportunity to participate in an international experience. Everyone in my class will be able to take one Darden Worldwide Course and have most of the costs covered by the scholarship. We’re in the process of bidding for the spring 2019 programs now, and it’s exciting that Darden is enabling that experience for all students.
Thing you are most anxious about in your first year? If I had to pick one things I was most anxious about, it would be the quantitative courses that are part of the core curriculum (i.e. finance and accounting). I don’t come from a traditional business background, so most of what we do in class I’m seeing there for the first time. While Darden has amazing professors who have made these classes feel much more approachable than I expected, I am still intimidated by the prospect of learning “the numbers” through the case method.
Thing you are most excited about in your first year? This one’s hard, too—there are a lot of things that I’m really excited about! Thinking about this next year, I’m most excited to see where I—and all my classmates—end up. The saying “you don’t know what you don’t know” is one of my favorites, and I’ve felt it very acutely in the first month of classes. Everyone is ambitious and, while many have very specific things they want to accomplish, some are still deciding what their path will be. I’m really looking forward to seeing everyone’s hard work pay off, either in going after what they came here to do, or discovering their dream career. Looking around the classroom, it’s powerful to think about the potential impact of our class, and I’m looking forward to see it happen for the class of 2020!
