Alicia Davis, CBS MBA Class of 2022
Age: 29
Hometown: Queens, NY
Undergraduate Institution and Major: Georgetown University, International Health
Pre-MBA Work Experience (years, industry): 7 years, Healthcare
Why business school? Why now?
I learned through my previous work experience that I was interested in the strategy and business side of healthcare and business school would help me get the tools I needed to transition into that function. I’ve been thinking about business school since 2015 but I finally hit the point where I felt I needed school to catapult me quickly into the trajectory that I wanted to be on.
Why CBS? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend?
Columbia was attractive to me because I felt the school was well-rounded and strong in so many areas (entrepreneurship, social impact, healthcare, traditional recruiting and enterprise recruiting) that I couldn’t go wrong being a student here. While I sometimes take NY for granted as a native, it truly is the best place for business and anything you could ever need as an MBA or beyond is here.
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the Class of 2022?
Coming from more of a non-profit and public sector background, I think I bring a unique view of how upstream business decisions affect everyday people and I use that perspective to help make more ethical and compassionate choices. I’m also a culture builder within my class and have worked hard to lead by example as a considerate and inclusive member of the community.
Fun fact that didn’t get included on your application?
I love to dance. I usually take classes to learn new choreography or just for dance exercise.
Post-MBA career interests?
Post-MBA, I want to pursue consulting or strategy roles, with a particular focus on healthcare providers & systems. Long term, I want to do innovation and technology strategy for a large health system.
Advice to current prospective applicants:
–One thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process?
While attending information sessions, school visits, and talking to current school can quickly begin to feel repetitious, I definitely think the effort that I put into creating those data points continued to pay off when I was writing my essays, when I was interviewing, and when it came down to my choice of where to attend.
–One thing you would change or do differently?
One thing I would have done differently is to focus on my test scores less. While I did well in balancing essay writing and testing concurrently, everyone was telling me that my score was good enough. However, I really wanted to hit an artificial benchmark I set for myself because of an idea I created about admissions chances and scholarships. In the end, I never reached that benchmark and I still got my desired outcomes.
What is your initial impression of CBS’s students/culture/community?
My initial impression of the community is that everyone comes from very impressive backgrounds and has a strong sense of who they are. While many are still figuring out their next career steps, my classmates are still walking in their purpose through their extracurriculars, projects, and self-started initiatives. This isn’t a school where people wait for someone else to do it.
One thing you have learned about CBS that has surprised you?
I’m surprised by how accessible professors, Executives in Residence (EIR), and alumni have been. During undergrad, I always felt a distance between myself and professors but at CBS they often reach out to us for opportunities to interact outside of the classrooms. Similarly, having a coffee chat with an EIR can seem intimidating but they are here specifically to give you insight from their wealth of experiences and make it very easy to talk with them.
Thing you are most anxious about in your first year?
Keeping balance and maintaining my non-business school relationships is challenging. There’s a lot of school work, meeting classmates, club activities, and recruiting. Keeping up with my friends and family on the outside gets tough but I do my best to make time
Thing you are most excited about in your first year?
I’m excited to keep getting to know my classmates. We’ve been very adaptable to the hybrid virtual and in-person model and I hope we get even more opportunities to form those deeper connections.
