Ali Doswell, Harvard Business School MBA Class of 2024
Age: 27
Hometown: Richmond, VA
Undergraduate Institution and Major: Amherst College; Double Major: Physics, Psychology
Pre-MBA Work Experience (years, industry): 5 years; Technical Sales Engineer for HVAC manufacturer
Why did you make the decision to attend business school? Why now?
After five years as a technical sales engineer, working as an individual contributor in a challenging industry, I craved being a part of and leading a team. I knew business school would give me the opportunity to quickly grow my leadership skills, expand my understanding of numerous industries, and build a strong business foundation to spearhead this next step in my career.
Why did you choose Harvard Business School? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend?
The two biggest factors that influenced my decision to attend Harvard Business School were HBS’s unwavering commitment to and success in developing world-impacting leaders and HBS’s commitment to fostering a welcoming community for individuals from completely different backgrounds and life circumstances.
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the Harvard MBA Class of 2024?
I have a strong passion for leading teams, learning from others, and positively impacting the people around me. I believe I can help bring together my classmates, create valuable experiences for those with whom I interact, and work to collectively leave a positive impact on our community.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself that didn’t get included on your application:
I have a 1.5-year-old golden retriever, Finley! She loves early morning walks, playing fetch with her new HBS dog friends, eating peanut butter, and scattering destroyed toys and socks all over my apartment.
Post-MBA career interests:
I find a lot of enjoyment in mentoring and coaching, problem-solving, living a healthy lifestyle, innovating and pushing boundaries, and making a positive difference in peoples’ lives. My ultimate goal is to find a profession that infuses several (if not all) of these interests. My current, long-term career interests are general management and entrepreneurship in the manufacturing, tech, engineering, biotech, and human resources fields.
Advice for Current Prospective Applicants:
–What is one thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process?
Take your time with the application process. Of course, this is easier said than done, but I found significant value in self-reflecting, drafting, reviewing, revising, and finalizing my application. Each of these steps was crucial in my self-growth throughout the process and in submitting my best application.
–What is one thing you would change or do differently?
I would start the process of researching specific business schools earlier. Each business school has a different mission, focus, structure, and culture. Understanding these facets is important in deciding where to apply. Additionally, regarding the applications, understanding these facets allows you to determine and communicate how you would benefit from attending that specific school and how that specific school would benefit from having you be a part of their community. I would start the deep dive on the program(s) as soon as possible, at least before you start drafting your application(s).
–What is one part you would have skipped if you could—and what helped you get through it?
It’s tempting to want to submit your application after “completing” all of the questions and essays. However, the review and revise process, while taking up more time, was extremely rewarding for me – I felt that through this process I was able to submit my best application possible. The questions I received on my application drafts helped me expand my self-understanding so that I could more clearly convey my past experiences and future goals.
What is your initial impression of the Harvard Business School students/culture/community?
My initial impression is three-fold. First, I’m impressed. My classmates and the HBS faculty have incredible accomplishments and are remarkable people. Second, every person I have met at HBS truly wants to be here. Students don’t seem to view these two years solely as a stepping-stone to their next career opportunity; they truly want to experience all that HBS has to offer. Additionally, the HBS faculty sincerely want to invest their time, energy, and effort to help students fully utilize all opportunities at HBS. Third, the community at HBS is diverse and welcoming. HBS’s mission is to “educate leaders who make a difference in the world.” From the brief few weeks I’ve spent at HBS, it’s clear that the HBS community celebrates individual differences and rallies around this mission of collectively making a difference in the world.
What is one thing you have learned about Harvard Business School that has surprised you?
I knew HBS focused on developing business leaders; however, I didn’t realize how steadfast HBS has been, throughout its history, on developing world leaders. I learned that, during World War II, HBS essentially shut down their “standard” programming to focus on training military soldiers and leaders.
What is one thing you are most anxious about in your first year?
In my first year, I am most anxious about balancing everything. One of the wonderful benefits of being at HBS is that there is a seemingly never-ending list of possibilities with how to spend more of your time: more case-work and learning to do, more social/networking activities to attend, and more career resources to seek. I’m learning that (unsurprisingly) HBS presents the opportunity and creates a community where everyone can find their unique balance and be successful and happy. I look forward to finding my own balance as the year goes on.
What is one thing you are most excited about in your first year?
I am most excited about learning everything I can from my diverse classmates, impressive faculty, and interesting cases.
