Katherine Cane, Northwestern Kellogg’s MBA Class of 2026
Age: 25
Hometown: Orinda, CA
Undergraduate Institution and Major: Dartmouth College, Mathematics and Economics (double major)
Pre-MBA Work Experience: Jefferies, Associate in Debt Advisory & Restructuring, 3 years
Why did you make the decision to attend business school? Why now?
I’ve always known that I wanted to go to business school for a few reasons. I came from a liberal arts college and had never taken an accounting/finance class, so I wanted to learn these “hard skills.” In the investment banking world, I met and saw the skills that MBAs bring to their careers. Beyond that, business school has allowed me to broaden my network and learn about my classmates’ careers. I felt ready to go back to school and didn’t see a reason to wait.
Why did you choose Northwestern Kellogg? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend?
Kellogg has great people! I went to Day at Kellogg for an admitted students weekend, and after meeting admitted / current students, I knew Kellogg was the right place for me. On top of that, I was asked to join the Austin Scholar and Advanced Private Equity Experience (APEX) programs. After I was accepted, several students and professors reached out to me to welcome me to the community, confirming my impression that Kellogg was a perfect fit.
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the Class of 2026?
Kellogg is growing its community in finance, and I’m happy to contribute to that. In APEX, I am one of 11 students in the two-year (“2Y”) MBA program, and I worked in bankruptcy and restructuring before enrolling at Kellogg.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself that didn’t get included on your application:
My older brother also goes to Kellogg! And, before that, we both were at Dartmouth together (and both on the Dartmouth swimming team). It definitely wasn’t our plan to go to the same schools; we just found and liked the same things at both Dartmouth and Kellogg.
Post-MBA career interests:
Private Equity Investing / Operations; General Management
Advice for Current Prospective Applicants:
–What is one thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process?
Go to admitted students weekends! I thought these weekends were influential in deciding which school to attend. My favorable experience was a primary reason why I applied to help run Day at Kellogg next year.
–What is one thing you would change or do differently?
I would have spent more time reaching out to alumni before applying to schools. I didn’t realize how helpful those conversations would be, and I think that would’ve helped me pare down my list of target schools.
–What is one part you would have skipped if you could—and what helped you get through it?
Kellogg requires a second “interview” in the form of self-recorded video answers to various questions. That was a little awkward – I definitely preferred my face-to-face alumni interview — but in hindsight, I can see how the recordings give admissions officers another perspective on what applicants would be like as students and members of the Kellogg community.
What is your initial impression of the Northwestern Kellogg students/culture/community?
Kellogg has been extremely welcoming so far!
What is one thing you have learned about Northwestern Kellogg that has surprised you?
For the first few days on KWEST, you keep a few details about yourself private (last name, hometown, job before Kellogg, etc.) until the Big Reveal. I was really dreading it, but it was totally worth it!
What is one thing you are most anxious about in your first year?
Approaching the internship search can be daunting. Every one of my classmates left a great job to start at Kellogg, and now we are once again applying for jobs. It will work out fine, but until then, it is a little stressful.
What is one thing you are most excited about in your first year?
In addition to learning more accounting and other things of substance, I’m excited to meet new people and explore the Midwest. I’m a San Francisco Giants fan, but I’ve already attended a couple of Cubs games at Wrigley.
