Eliza Chory-Noyes, Yale SOM’s MBA Class of 2025
Eliza Chory-Noyes, Yale SOM’s MBA Class of 2025Age: 29
Pronouns: She/her
Hometown: Boston, MA (most recently Washington, DC)
Undergraduate Institution and Major: Williams College (Economics)
Pre-MBA Work Experience (role, company, years): Sustainable and Impact Investing Team at Cambridge Associates (6 years); international development in Nepal (<1 year)
Why did you make the decision to attend business school? Why now?
I want to pursue a career that achieves systems-level change. So, I decided to get an MBA to better understand the systems I’m trying to shift. I believe that the complex challenges we face as a society will require multi-disciplinary and cross-sector solutions, and I felt that an MBA would equip me with the necessary experiences, knowledge, and training to start to build those solutions.
Before pivoting to the next stage of my career, I also wanted to join a community that would challenge my perspectives and theories of change. I see an MBA as an investment in myself. After I spent most of my early career at the same organization, I was ready to spend some time exploring how else I could make change, alongside peers and mentors asking the same question.
I also hope to one day be the leader of a team or organization, and an MBA is a hands-on opportunity to learn how to be an effective and equitable leader.
Why did you choose Yale SOM? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend?
The “educating leaders for business & society” tagline of SOM is not just lip service: I believe that Yale is the leading “impact-focused” MBA program. Throughout the student and faculty body, there is a sense of values and mission alignment.
From the beginning, I was impressed with SOM’s deep roots in the public and social sectors. Their “& society” commitment is expressed through their multi-stakeholder curriculum, their many impact-focused clubs and programming, and their integration with the broader university – I’m excited to take electives at many Yale grad schools during my time at SOM (School of Environment, Public Policy, Public Health, etc).
Overall, as I connected with SOM alums during my application process, I could picture myself in this community: surrounded by classmates that prioritized intellectual curiosity, humility, empathy, and collaboration. Joining SOM meant joining a community of change-makers, which was exactly how I wanted to spend two years, growing and expanding my perspectives.
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the Yale School of Management Class of 2025?
I hope to dedicate my career to combating social inequity while understanding that I carry a great deal of privilege as a white, affluent queer woman. Because of these intersecting identities and traits, I find myself already using my voice at SOM to question structures and systems. Institutions like Yale, and other MBA programs, have so much power and influence, and I hope to leave a mark on our class by reminding myself and those around me to always question why things are the way they are and what we can do to change them. As MBA students, we all now have a new type of power and influence, and with that comes responsibility. As a first-year lead of both SOM’s Net Impact chapter and Out of Office (SOM’s LGBTQ+ group), I am excited about the impact I can have by collaborating across all the clubs at SOM, across Yale, and, more broadly, across other MBA programs.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself that didn’t get included on your application:
My wife is much cooler than I am, so I bring her up any chance I get. She is currently working for the National Ocean Service at NOAA (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). She was also a Division 1 college swimmer – which, as much as I hate to admit it, is more impressive than me playing Division 3 ice hockey.
Post-MBA career interests:
After starting my career in international development and then spending 6 years doing institutional impact investing, I have determined that I want to combat social inequity at the intersection of the public, private, and social sectors. Specifically, I’m interested in joining an organization that explores the role that catalytic capital can play in the economy and in society, alongside policy and programmatic support. This work could be at a nonprofit or for-profit organization, as long as they are thinking innovatively about how to maximize impact.
Advice for Current Prospective Applicants:
–What is one thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process?
The most valuable thing I did during my application process was spending time 1) getting to know myself (my reasons for wanting an MBA, and for wanting to pursue this career path) and 2) getting to know the different MBA programs. This meant a lot more introspection than I expected, and talking with friends, family, and recommenders about my goals and values. It also meant speaking with many current students and recent alums to understand what their experience was at different programs. The insights I gained about myself and what I wanted out of my MBA were really clarifying, and helped to narrow down my target list.
–What is one thing you would change or do differently?
I would stress less about the GMAT. I ended up getting my highest score on a test attempt where I thought it was more for practice – I didn’t think I was going to keep the score. Because I was less stressed and went into the test more relaxed, I did much better than any of my other attempts.
–What is one part you would have skipped if you could—and what helped you get through it?
I would have spent less time re-tweaking my essays, because I’m not sure it actually made them any better. What helped most was to have two people read them: someone who knows you really well personally, and someone who knows you really well professionally. If your voice is coming through in both of their eyes, then it’s probably good enough (and you can stop tweaking).
What is your initial impression of the Yale SOM students/culture/community?
Everything I described earlier holds true about SOM now that I’m here. I was lucky to make authentic, meaningful connections right away, and feel like I was accepted with open arms. The SOM community has a culture – at least in my experience – that leads with vulnerability. This has allowed us all to get to know genuine versions of each other, and also continue learning about ourselves in this new environment. It’s been collaborative, supportive, and a total blast.
What is one thing you have learned about Yale SOM that has surprised you?
I have been surprised by just how quickly I felt at home here at SOM. While there’s been a period of transition, and there is always a level of imposter syndrome in a new environment, I immediately felt like I was a valued member of this community. That feeling allowed me to dive into contributing where I was most passionate, rather than sitting on the sidelines.
What is one thing you are most anxious about in your first year?
Taking a less conventional path is always stressful, and that will definitely be true for me as I pursue a less defined recruiting path. That being said, I am also quite excited to have the opportunity to explore what types of roles and organizations I could add the most value to, without the time pressure of more traditional and defined recruiting paths.
What is one thing you are most excited about in your first year?
SOM has a global studies requirement where one class option includes a 10-day trip in the spring, which I’m really excited for (TBD which trip I’ll be taking!). I’m also excited to play in the Harvard-Yale hockey game, which is the night before the football game. Already, weekly hockey practice has been a highlight of the Fall, as I teach friends how to skate while we’re cheered on by classmates in the hockey “boosters” club in the stands. Overall, I’m just excited to continue to invest in and enjoy this community – I know the two years will fly by.
