Colin Courchesne, University of Chicago Booth School of Business MBA Class of 2025
Colin Courchesne, University of Chicago Booth School of Business MBA Class of 2025Age: 25
Hometown: Brookhaven, GA
Undergraduate Institution and Major: Mathematics and Statistics at The University of Virginia in Charlottesville, VA
Pre-MBA Work Experience (role, company, years): 4 years in investment banking at Credit Suisse
Why did you make the decision to attend business school? Why now?
Attending business school had always been a goal of mine – I took the GMAT while still in undergrad for that very reason. With respect to Booth in particular, learning under Nobel Laureate faculty while surrounded by the best and brightest of my peers presented an unparalleled opportunity for personal, professional, and academic growth.
On timing, I knew that to make the most of my next career step, I would need the skills developed and honed in an MBA – leadership, management ability, technical know-how, and a strong network. For my best chance at that next step, I attended Booth.
Why did you choose Chicago Booth? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend?
Chicago Booth differentiated itself to me with its relative focus on academic rigor and the ‘pay it forward’ culture.
Coming from an undergraduate STEM background, I wanted a program that would push me to supplement and build on those technical skill sets. Booth’s reputation for more quantitative coursework in combination with the flexibility offered to students in building their own curriculums with very few required classes, meant Chicago was the obvious choice.
On the culture note, all current students and alumni with whom I spoke prior to matriculating were smart, ambitious, and readily willing to offer help. I knew this community would best support me in my aspirations and push me to continually improve.
An MBA is a significant time and financial investment, but these factors distinguished Booth as the program best positioned to deliver a return on those investments.
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the University of Chicago Booth School of Business Class of 2025?
My embrace of challenges and new experiences. I’m always excited to push myself outside my comfort zone and try new things, the more daunting and difficult the better. Whether running a marathon for the first time in 2022 (running has since become a huge part of my life) or cage diving with sharks without properly knowing how to swim, I seek ways to redefine what I’m capable of doing.
I look forward to bringing this same energy to the class of 2025, hopefully pushing my cohort to also discover new things about themselves and achieve things they may not have thought possible prior.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself that didn’t get included on your application:
I speak French at home! My parents are originally from Quebec so I was raised bilingual. This background had a massive impact on my upbringing and who I am today – I was more inclined to study other languages (including Mandarin, Spanish, and Portuguese), played ice hockey through high school, and took up a cooking hobby with a focus on French recipes (particularly duck confit and coq au vin).
Post-MBA career interests:
Private equity – having already gone through the sell-side experience of investment banking, I want my next role to bring with it greater ownership of deals and the consequences, good or bad, that come with investment and operational decisions.
Advice for Current Prospective Applicants:
–What is one thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process?
Spend a lot of time thinking through why you want an MBA and what you’re looking for in a school. There is a temptation to view rankings as the be-all-end-all in deciding where to apply, as well as a sense that applications should be tailored to reflect what a school wants rather than who you are. Both are false.
If you reflect deeply and present your story in truth, you’ll end up in the program that is best suited to your character and will position you for future success.
–What is one thing you would change or do differently?
I would make more time for friends and family during the application process. It can be grueling both from an emotional and workload perspective. Don’t go it alone, make some time for fun, and lean on your support systems when needed. With that, you’ll be better able to reflect on the tough application questions and create a cohesive and convincing story as an applicant.
–What is one part you would have skipped if you could—and what helped you get through it?
Studying for the GMAT. Getting comfortable with the test and recognizing patterns in question and answer types takes a lot of time. I structured my studying around rewards – things as simple as going to my favorite restaurant if I completed a set number of practice exams over the course of the week.
Having incentives in place makes the study process efficient while also creating natural breaks in your review to avoid burnout.
What is your initial impression of the Chicago Booth students/culture/community?
Immensely supportive. Students, faculty, and alumni all seem to have my best interest at heart. Moving to a new city and returning to school represented a lot of change in my life and it would have been easy to become overwhelmed. However, everyone in and around the program was immediately welcoming, generous, and helpful. It went a long way in reassuring me that the Booth community was my right fit and that the next two years would contribute greatly towards my personal and professional growth.
What is one thing you have learned about Chicago Booth that has surprised you?
Booth’s commitment to students doesn’t end after graduation. Further to the connections and network formed over the two-year program, systems like career services always remain available to alumni. This level of continued support differentiates Booth and demonstrates its real investment in the success of former, current, and future students.
What is one thing you are most anxious about in your first year?
Prioritization and time management. Booth offers so many interesting people to meet and a wealth of incredible social and professional opportunities. Properly balancing everything will present a challenge at first, although it’s a very exciting challenge to have.
What is one thing you are most excited about in your first year?
The Private Equity Lab offered through the Polsky Center. This lab course is unique to Booth and offers students the chance to intern with private equity firms for class credit during either the winter or spring quarters. Gaining work experience in my target post-MBA field is extremely exciting, and the course itself further demonstrates Booth’s commitment to supporting its students’ professional goals.
