Ifeanyi Samson Chukwudieze, IU Kelley School of Business MBA Class of 2025
Ifeanyi Samson Chukwudieze, IU Kelley School of Business MBA Class of 2025Age: 33
Hometown: Anambra, Nigeria
Undergraduate Institution and Major: Enugu State University, Accounting
Pre-MBA Work Experience (role, company, years): Senior Financial Analyst, FBNQUEST Capital Ltd.
Why did you make the decision to attend business school? Why now?
I got to a point in my career where I wanted to do something uniquely different. My passion for solving business-related problems grew immensely as I saw how quickly businesses fell short of their expectations and ultimately failed. With a background in finance, I figured I could leverage the skills I have built over time, and my experience will serve as a springboard for me to chart a new career path for achieving my goals. My MBA journey was also fueled by a desire to create new networks and build enriching relationships across diverse groups.
Why did you choose Kelley School of Business? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend?
Hoosiers are highly collaborative. I had a great experience going through the entire application process for Kelley compared to the other schools I applied to. The first thing that stood out for me was the amount of support I got from the adcom, alums, and current students. It was overwhelming as it showed Kelley had great interest in my success, I had to conclude that if this is the way I am treated as a prospective student, how much more will I get as a student.
Kelley School of Business is the only business school that sets you up for success from the first day. To achieve our Post MBA goals, there are six academies from which students pick and choose one of the academies that aligns with their Post MBA goals. Some of the academies are the Consulting Academy, Business Marketing Academy, and so on. These academies are well structured to adequately prepare and equip students with all that is required to be successful in specific and across industries.
The third reason why Kelley stands out amongst other top business schools is the Kelley GLOBASE program. GLOBASE is a program designed to give students the opportunity to solve real business problems in select countries. This year I am excited to get on the trip to Greece for my GLOBASE experience.
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the Class of 2025?
I have eight (8) years cumulative experience in finance, and I have led various finance teams. I believe my strength lies in the capabilities I have gained over the years working across cross-functional roles and multidimensional teams. I also come from a background where businesses strive to grow given the economic landscape. Hence, I have built certain business sustainability skills.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself that didn’t get included on your application:
I used to be a professional dancer, I reconnected to my dance moves at a recent event.
Post-MBA career interests:
After spending eight years working numbers, I decided to get into an MBA to pursue my passion in strategy consulting, where I can leverage the skills and competencies I have built over the years to solve strategic problems and provide business solutions.
Advice for Current Prospective Applicants:
–What is one thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process?
Connecting and making myself known to adcom. I had a series of one-on-one coffee chats with various adcom. One other thing will be making enough time to attend information sessions to arm yourself with enough knowledge of the Kelley brand and details of the school.
–What is one thing you would change or do differently?
I would have a better strategy, which will basically include making the decision to start early. Early preparation towards taking the test, early start on researching schools, making connections early enough and putting in great efforts towards writing compelling essays, getting them reviewed and overall submitting outstanding applications early.
–What is one part you would have skipped if you could—and what helped you get through it?
I would have skipped the test if I could. I was working full-time during my application process, which made preparing for the test a herculean task. I resorted to staying awake most of the nights studying for the GRE test, my resolve was to get a good score despite the constraints. The most important thing is to find out what works best and be consistent with the study plan or strategy.
What is your initial impression of the Kelley students/culture/community?
I had a very good impression of the Kelley people. During the admission process, I was able to connect to alums who shared their experiences, and one common nuance they all shared was the availability of support at all levels. I reached out to ADCOM for a few coffee chats, which were testaments to how much Kelley values both its prospective and current students.
What is one thing you have learned about Kelley that has surprised you?
The culture here at Kelley is an amazingly supportive one. Every single individual I have met here has a genuine interest and willingness to provide help.
What is one thing you are most anxious about in your first year?
I was worried about the pressure that comes with doing an MBA, how fast-paced and compact the program is, and the fact that an MBA requires me to do multiple things at the same time. I gained some comfort when I realized how much resources Kelley had in store to support students through their MBA journeys, leaving them with the best experience ever.
What is one thing you are most excited about in your first year?
Kelley has a 2-week intense program of self-discovery known as Me.Inc. With the help of this program, I have gained an in-depth understanding of who I am, how to relate better with my colleagues, in addition to how to tell compelling stories in line with my brand. I am also excited about the enriched diversity of friends and colleagues I have met here at Kelley.
