Our Admissions Director Q&A series continues with a visit to the F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College to meet Christine Drummy, Director of Graduate Admissions.
With over a decade of experience in higher education admissions, Christine is an accomplished and results-driven professional currently serving as the Director of Graduate Admissions at Babson College. Since July 2023, she has been responsible for leading the development and execution of comprehensive admissions strategies that foster student engagement and maximize enrollment success. Christine has held various key roles in Graduate Admissions at Babson College during her ten-year tenure. She has continuously developed innovative recruitment strategies and enhanced the admissions process.
Christine holds both a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Certificate of Advanced Management from the F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College, where she gained valuable business acumen and leadership skills. She also earned her bachelor’s degree in marketing from Quinnipiac University in 2011, building a solid foundation in business and marketing principles that they have applied throughout their career.
Read our conversation below for what Christine has to say about the MBA admissions process, Babson Olin’s program and most popular courses, and how to show the admissions team who you really are through your application.
Clear Admit: What is the one aspect of your program that you wish applicants knew more about?
Christine Drummy: At Babson’s F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business, we support all aspirations. Success depends on your ability to think like an entrepreneur—whether you’re starting a new initiative, leading a team, evolving a family business, or taking your organization to the next level. We teach our students to take on the mindset of an entrepreneurial leader – be the person who solves problems, navigates uncertainty, embraces ambiguity and most importantly, someone who takes action. That’s why we’ve ranked as the No. 1 MBA for entrepreneurship for 31 consecutive years. We have proven to be the best at entrepreneurial leadership, but that does not mean that you need to be focused on launching a new business or venture creation. Entrepreneurial thinking and entrepreneurial leadership are what makes one nimble and able to adjust to changes within our world.
CA: Walk us through the life of an application in your office from an operational standpoint. What happens between the time an applicant clicks “submit” and the time the committee offers a final decision?
CD: We have an experienced team of graduate admissions experts who are ready to assist with any questions or offer support well before the “submit” button is clicked. Our consultative approach allows for a prospective student to consider all the graduate program offerings available to them to ensure the best match for their goals. After the application is submitted, we take great care in evaluating all aspects of the application, from the academic background and performance to the essay and letters of recommendation, and beyond. We want to better understand the person behind the application. The Two-Year MBA has 5 formal rounds each with a corresponding decision point. We work diligently to provide an admission decision as quickly as possible while still being extremely thorough.
CA: How does your team approach the essay portion of the application specifically? What are you looking for as you read an essay? Are there common mistakes that applicants should try to avoid? What is one key thing they should keep in mind as they sit down to write?
CD: Be authentic. We want to know how the applicant can add to and benefit from a Babson education. We want to see into their lives and have a true feeling of who is behind the application. One thing to avoid is just writing an essay that is “canned” or lacks enthusiasm. Show personality and really do the best you can to showcase your background, lived experiences, and yes, even your failures.
CA: Could you tell us about your interview process? Approximately how many applicants do you interview? Who conducts the interview (students, admissions officers, alumni) and what is the nature of the interview (resume-based, application-based, behavioral)? Will your admissions interviews be in-person or virtual for the 2024-2025 admissions season?
CD: The interview process is just another way for us to get to know you better beyond your written application. MBA interviews are by invitation after an initial review of your application has taken place. Interviews are 30 minutes and are conducted by admissions representatives and faculty members. As this is a way for us to get to know you better, the interview will be tailored to you. For our Full-Time MBA programs, interviews are conducted virtually as we feel it’s important to provide an equal opportunity to all candidates and don’t want anyone to feel pressured to travel to campus for their interview. We, of course, welcome anyone who wants to come to campus to visit with us, but formal interviews will be conducted virtually.
CA: What is your testing policy? Do you offer exam waivers? Why or why not?
CD: We are test optional as we believe that standardized testing does not always represent the ability of an applicant. We thoroughly review the academic performance, academic rigor, and prior experiences that an applicant shares with us in a holistic manner to determine if Babson is a place where success for that individual can be had.
CA: In the application data form, many schools ask for information about work experience, activities, hobbies, and much more. What advice would you give to applicants as they approach this component of the application process?
CD: Try to share what makes you special and different. We don’t want everyone to be the same with the same likes, dislikes, and experiences so share what you enjoy doing and what type of person you are in and outside of class.
CA: Tell us briefly about two popular courses at your institution.
CD: At Babson, we believe in a real world, hands-on, practical based learning approach. Babson professors are truly practitioners – they are innovators and experts in their field and bring that into the classroom for our students to learn from. In all of our courses, students get hands-on experience in practical contexts with in-class exercises and projects. Seeing as the world is constantly changing and evolving, Babson’s curriculum and course offerings are as well. Two popular courses amongst students right now include “Negotiations” and “Machine Learning Methods for Business.”
“Negotiations” explores formal and informal ways that business professionals negotiate with a variety of individuals and in different situations. All of this is done with intense involvement in negotiation simulation exercises throughout the entire course. Students leave the course not only having gained a skill that is valuable in the business world, but also an important life skill.
“Machine Learning Methods for Business” introduces machine learning methods for business intelligence. Regardless of the industry or size of the organization, being able to extract meaningful information from data is an essential trait for competitiveness. In this course, students learn a variety of supervised and unsupervised machine learning methods that companies use to turn data into insights through hands-on experience.
CA: Is there anything else you’d like to highlight about your MBA program or admissions process?
CD: Babson recognizes that everyone has a different pathway into the MBA program, and they have varied goals following completion of the program which is why a full two-thirds of the program is dedicated to electives. Through their electives and countless opportunities to customize along the way, students are able to tailor their degree based on their personal and professional goals. This could come in the form of concentrations, intensity tracks, and electives abroad just to name a few.
