Lindsay Tracy, Michigan Ross School of Business MBA Class of 2025
Lindsay Tracy, Michigan Ross School of Business MBA Class of 2025Age: 26
Hometown: Cincinnati, OH
Undergraduate Institution and Major: Washington University in St. Louis, Film & Media Studies and Marketing double major
Pre-MBA Work Experience (role, company, years): Endeavor, Fashion and Beauty Talent Management, 2018-2019; Creative Artists Agency, Non-Fiction Television Talent Representation, 2019-2021; Fremantle, Scripted Television Creative Development, 2021-2022; Dine Brands, Marketing Project Management, 2022-2023
Why did you make the decision to attend business school? Why now?
When I decided to pivot my career into Marketing, an MBA was one of the potential paths that arose. As I spoke with current and former students to learn more, I realized how transformational an MBA is for many people – professionally, academically, and personally. With my career and life in transition, it was the right bridge to where I want to be.
Why did you choose Michigan Ross? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend?
There are many reasons why I chose Ross, but the biggest ones were the people, the community, the career preparation, and the alumni network. I really enjoyed how down-to-earth and friendly the students were when I visited and the effort they put into creating an inclusive, welcoming community. The structured career preparation, especially for marketing, was a huge factor, as was the depth and breadth of the alumni network.
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the Class of 2025?
My background in entertainment talent agencies and television creative development gives me a unique perspective on business, relationship-building, creativity, and collaboration. Beyond that, I’m very innovative and idea-driven, in addition to analytical and process-driven. That combination of the left and right brain can be really valuable for complex problem-solving and strategy creation.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself that didn’t get included on your application:
I have been to 56 countries and have a deep passion for travel and learning about other cultures!
Post-MBA career interests:
Marketing
Advice for Current Prospective Applicants:
–What is one thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process?
Videotaping my practice interviews. Practicing interview questions live is so helpful to organize thoughts and identify areas that need more fleshing out. When you’re able to watch the video of those practices, you may notice areas for improvement in body language, filler words, facial expressions, and many other facets of communication that don’t register in the moment.
–What is one thing you would change or do differently?
Research the geographic distribution of graduates earlier in the process. Having a wide and diversified network is important to me and was a factor in my decision to commit to Ross. In retrospect, I would research post-grad geographic distribution even earlier in the process before selecting schools to apply to.
–What is one part you would have skipped if you could—and what helped you get through it?
The GMAT. It took sheer perseverance through many stumbling blocks to accomplish the improvement I wanted. I took advantage of many resources, including YouTube tutorials, practice tests, and my loved ones. While it was difficult, it was also a great learning experience.
What is your initial impression of the Michigan Ross students/culture/community?
Ross has fostered such a welcoming community, where open-to-all events are the norm, and everyone can participate in the MBA traditions. Between orientation, pre-school travel, and section bonding, I’ve been able to meet so many people and form smaller communities within a class of almost 400.
What is one thing you have learned about Michigan Ross that has surprised you?
The program has a structure or blueprint available for just about everything, from our summer recruiting prep course to leadership models to weekly career preparation groups. It was an adjustment at first since I came from an industry with much more ambiguity, but has been very helpful.
What is one thing you are most anxious about in your first year?
Time management. Fortunately, there are many things I would like to get involved in and spend my time on! Unfortunately, there isn’t enough time in the day to do all of them. Prioritizing my time has become essential, so I have been putting aside a few minutes each week to calibrate my goals, intentions, and responsibilities.
What is one thing you are most excited about in your first year?
Continuing to get to know my classmates. There’s an incredible wealth of knowledge, experience, and diversity in the program. I’m excited to experience this growth together, learn from each other – and have some fun. Go Blue!
