Mike Morrow, Washington University Olin’s MBA Class of 2026
Age: 28
Hometown: Kansas City, MO
Undergraduate Institution and Major: Missouri S&T – Mechanical Engineering
Pre-MBA Work Experience: ~4.5 years in manufacturing/automotive in a variety of roles ranging from Industrial Engineer on the plant floor to Engineering Operations Lead for several vehicle programs
Why did you make the decision to attend business school? Why now?
Coming from a more technical background, I felt like I could stand to learn more about the business side of things before exploring more entrepreneurial ventures.
Why did you choose WashU Olin? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend?
WashU Olin has an outstanding reputation for entrepreneurship but on top of that, the diversity of the cohort has given me the opportunity to work with folks I would likely have never met otherwise.
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the Class of 2026?
There aren’t a lot of folks coming from a manufacturing background and being able to lend real-world experience to discussions about operations has helped bridge some gaps from academia to industry.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself that didn’t get included on your application:
I enjoy photography
Post-MBA career interests:
Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition
Advice for Current Prospective Applicants:
–What is one thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process?
“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Granted, that’s probably not helpful for prospective admits, so I will add that I cannot stress enough the importance of waiting until you have good work experience (in length and impact). Not only will this drastically improve your odds of admission, but you will also get far more out of the program and be able to contribute with greater depth in case discussions.
–What is one thing you would change or do differently?
I would have liked to get more experience in my last role before coming to school – it was a great opportunity, and I still feel like I had a lot to learn in that position.
–What is one part you would have skipped if you could—and what helped you get through it?
I don’t think anybody likes writing essays – an impending deadline and the opportunity to avoid completing other tasks got me through it though.
What is your initial impression of the WashU Olin students/culture/community?
The campus community has been incredibly welcoming.
What is one thing you have learned about WashU Olin that has surprised you?
The breadth of courses and opportunities offered to a relatively small (~100 student) cohort.
What is one thing you are most anxious about in your first year?
As someone who has never traveled outside of the United States, international travel was somewhat daunting. If Barcelona was any indication, however, Singapore will be amazing and the pre-travel jitters will have been totally unfounded.
What is one thing you are most excited about in your first year?
I’m probably most excited to hear from the plethora of accomplished speakers who visit Olin throughout the year for various courses, seminars, and events.
