James Morris, Kelley MBA Class of 2020
Age: 28
Hometown: Houston, Texas
Undergraduate Institution and Major: Brigham Young University, Finance
Pre-MBA Work Experience (years, industry): 4 years, Oil and Gas/Energy Industry
Why business school? Why now?
I decided to come to business school in 2018 because my role was beginning to plateau. I either needed to make the jump to business school or look for my next role. When I was contemplating going to business school, the energy industry was changing quickly.
Big data was a big focus and there was an expectation that the nature of roles would be changing. I knew that if I wanted to remain relevant in the long run, I needed to quickly add data analytics to my skill set regardless of the industry or function I would enter.
Because of these two factors, I decided the timing was right and business school would give me the right skillset I needed to complement the skills I had with the skills I wanted.
Why Kelley? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend?
When evaluating business schools, I used several criteria. I wanted a highly ranked school with a business analytics concentration that could be tailored to my finance background. I also wanted access to a robust suite of international experiences.
Kelley’s Business Analytics major has several tracks (Marketing, Finance, and Supply Chain) to help you place business analytics in the context you desire. There are also Academies (I chose consulting) which help to supplement the in class learning with interview preparation, networking opportunities, and functional or industry knowledge.
There is also a whole list of international study abroad experiences as well as the unique global consulting program called GLOBASE. The international programs enrich the classroom learning with real world experiences and do so in a global setting.
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the Class of 2020?
Public speaking is my strong suit. I have the ability to speak in front of a large group of people and command their attention. At my former employer, our business unit leader told me, “When you speak, people of any level in the organization listen.” This was developed over several years by giving sermons and lectures in front of large groups of people. In a two-year period, I spoke to groups of 100+ people on 25 different occasions.
Fun fact that didn’t get included on your application?
I watched the New Year’s sunrise in 2008 flying in a hot air balloon over the Valley of Kings and Queens in Egypt.
Post-MBA career interests?
Consulting
Advice to current prospective applicants:
— One thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process?
I would attend various admissions events such as the MBA Tour, diversity or preview weekends, and other events where you can interact with current students and admissions staff. Culture is a large part of any school and so it is important to make sure the culture fits with your personality. Once you know the school is aligned with your preferences, your essays will speak directly to admissions in a way that will be unique to other candidates.
— One thing you would change or do differently?
Have a crystal-clear story to explain what you want to do and why. Make sure your story has substance and can withstand two or three detailed, probing questions. I struggled to connect my background to what I wanted to do mostly because I had a hard time realizing what my passion was. The clearer your story, the more confident you appear, and the easier it is for admissions to have confidence in admitting you.
— Part you would have skipped if you could—and what helped you get through it?
I am not a fan of the GMAT. I do not know anyone who is. The only way I survived was by allocating specific time in my evenings to study and realizing that all I could do was try my hardest.
What is your initial impression of Kelley’s students/culture/community?
From Day One, I knew several professors, the entire admissions staff, the head of the MBA program and the dean. The Kelley School of Business cares about everyone in the program and works hard to ensure your success.
One thing you have learned about Kelley that has surprised you?
I did not realize how hands on and valuable Graduate Career Services is. Kelley’s GCS is constantly ranked as one of the best career services organizations in the country. If you have a goal, GCS will give you all of the tools you need to achieve it.
Thing you are most anxious about in your first year?
In two words, The Core. The Core is a suite of intensive classes intended to help students prepare for internship interviews but it also a crash course on prioritization. Keeping up with classes, homework, and case interview prep has been very daunting.
Thing you are most excited about in your first year?
Kelley has a well-established global consulting program called GLOBASE. Students can apply to a team that consults for a small business in one of 5 countries around the world. I will be participating and cannot wait to make an impact on a small business somewhere around the world.
