Consuela Knox, senior associate director and diversity recruiting manager for MBA admissions at Vanderbilt University?s Owen School of Management, discusses the challenges and rewards faced by minorities pursuing an MBA.
What prompted you to seek a career in diversifying graduate school admissions?
As a minority, I have always been aware of the lack of diverse representation in certain careers. I networked with MBAs from programs across the country and realized the extent to which minorities are underrepresented in the business world. I planned to accept a corporate human resources role post-MBA, but an associate director position became available during my second year of study and I saw it as a great way to make an impact.
Describe your career history.
I earned an undergraduate degree in engineering and spent several years in the automotive industry working for Saturn Corporation and Delphi Corporation. In order to make a career transition into the field of human resources, I entered the Vanderbilt MBA program with a concentration in human and organizational performance.
Upon graduation in 2004, I accepted a position with Owen as associate director of admissions. In 2008, I became the senior associate director and diversity recruiting manager for MBA admissions.
From your perspective, how is the graduate admissions process different for minority students?
Minority applicants face several challenges in the graduate management admissions process. Perhaps one of the biggest challenges is obtaining a competitive score on the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT). Minorities tend to score lower on standardized tests as compared to the majority population. While many schools take this into consideration, it is very important for minorities to put the time and money into GMAT preparation.
How does the Vanderbilt MBA assist students in securing funding for graduate studies?
Earning an MBA from a top business school is costly; however, it is a great investment that can have major returns as it relates to job satisfaction and salary. Vanderbilt offers diversity scholarships and other general scholarships to help offset tuition expenses. Vanderbilt also provides information about outside sources for minority applicants to secure funding.
Can you give examples of some of your best experiences during your MBA studies?
I cannot place a value on all of the knowledge that I gained, the friendships that I developed, and the professional network that I established during my time as an MBA student at Vanderbilt. I was a leader in three student organizations; conducted internships/project work for four different companies across four different industries and across three different functions; participated (and won first place!) in a national case competition; studied abroad; and attended national MBA conferences to help expand my network.
I truly consider earning an MBA one of the best things that has happened in my life. I am still recouping value from my experience as I rely on my network for various things and I know that many doors will be opened in the future as a result.
