MIT Sloan School of Management Admissions

Spring isn't here (yet), but the spring semester is in full swing! ?? We caught up with some students to talk about what's on their minds, from how their day is going to the ways MIT Sloan's community has impacted their time in business school.

To Jane MacGillivray, MBA '26, MIT Sloan's curriculum felt tailor-made to what she wanted in a business degree. "Many of the classes are grounded in quantitative analysis and have practical components (like the Action Learning labs)," she writes in an interview with Poets&Quants. One Action Learning lab she highlights is Operations Lab, inspired in part by her previous role at Harry’s Inc: "I had the opportunity to work closely with our analytics team and our supply chain team, which made me interested in how technology can be used to connect data and refine processes across an organization to find new opportunities and improve operations. That requires a lot of cross functional work, building relationships with people, and solving complex problems; all of which are a part of the Ops Lab curriculum." Learn more about Jane and why she chose MIT Sloan in her full interview: tinyurl.com/4ezbs3b2

On Monday, Team Brigid (Hardi Vajir, Jennifer Lara (Madiedo), Esther Gahyun Kim, Soleine Shreves, Prachi Athavale, Hallie Feibel) won first place at Hackathon25 for their Agentic AI solution that would help medical students and seasoned doctors pass their exams faster by creating a personalized, multimedia learning experience. Learn more about their experience working together as a team to tackle this business challenge. (Sharmila Chatterjee, Ahmed Abusharkh, EdM, Naomi Stephen, MIT Sloan School of Management Admissions)

Before MIT Sloan, Sharon Fan, MBA ’26, worked at the intersection of tech and entertainment media for six years. Although she enjoyed her time in that industry, she felt ready to take the next step in her career—she was looking for a place that would help her round out her management skill set so that she could see and solve problems from a high-level view. “MIT Sloan’s MBA program combines an innovative, entrepreneurial spirit with a comprehensive management education. It’s exactly what I was seeking,” she says. “The environment here encourages us to push boundaries while exploring our passion and values as leaders.” We joined Sharon for the day to see what it's like to be an MBA student breaking into consulting! Follow along below.

MIT Sloan’s former dean, David Schmittlein, has passed away after an extended illness. Not only was he an incredible leader, but he was also a mentor, a teacher, and a friend who brought the school to new heights during his 17-year tenure. We will miss him very much.

Student Spotlight ? | Sara Zeidan, MFin ’25, already had a strong technical and analytical background, but realized she needed a deeper understanding of financial markets to merge her skillsets with finance. This led her to MIT Sloan. “The Master of Finance program's emphasis on combining theory with hands-on experience allows me to connect engineering principles to complex financial challenges, which was exactly what I was looking for.” Now, post-graduation, Sara plans to continue building a career in investment banking and to combine her engineering and finance expertise to help companies navigate complex transactions. Also, fun fact: Sara is currently training for the 2026 Olympics in alpine skiing!

When you attend MIT Sloan, you're also a part of the wider MIT ecosystem. For Marshall M., MBA '26, this was a key part of his business school decision. "This university is the premier academic institution for revolutionary technological development, and MIT Sloan’s role within that is to help turn cutting edge R&D into something that people can benefit from," he says in an interview with Poets&Quants. He adds: "Boston is such a vibrant city for so many different industries and MIT is at the heart of it because of its reputation for excellence. It’s an opportunity to get exposure to advanced technology research, healthcare, security, and myriad other industries that simply aren’t available anywhere else." Learn more about Marshall and his advice for prospective students in the full interview: tinyurl.com/3cdv53tp

??SWIM SPOTLIGHT SERIES?? In the SWIM Spotlight Series, we will be highlighting some of the incredible women of Sloan and sharing their advice for prospective students navigating the admissions process! If you’re a prospective student interested in speaking to a member of SWIM, you can reach out to us at?[email protected] In today’s spotlight, we’re excited to introduce Charlotte Saul, MBA Class of 2026! What’s your background? I was a Signals Intelligence officer in the Marine Corps for four years before coming to Business School. I was stationed in San Diego and did one deployment with the 15th?MEU to Asia. What are you involved in at Sloan? I'm a member of the Sloan Consulting Club, SWIM and the Wine Club (hoping to become a Level 1 Sommelier before graduating ??) I also am working on a retail startup as I pursue the Entrepreneurship certificate. In my free time I really enjoy attending AI lectures and conferences hosted by MIT. Why did you choose Sloan? I chose Sloan for 3 reasons. The first was I really want a 'campus feel' tight knit school community.?It's so fun living in Cambridge and having a smaller class you really feel close with. The second reason is that I wanted the analytic/quant focus that Sloan's MBA offers. While that is certainly?not?my strong suit or area of expertise, as an MBA student we have a unique opportunity to grow ourselves and learn new things. The world is becoming so tech/analytic focused, that I knew I would become more powerful by attending MIT versus other schools. The last reason (and most important) is the people. Sloanies have a great down to earth vibe that I love! Making new friends is an important part of your MBA program and I knew I wanted to be surrounded by smart, kind, and open minded people. What was your experience like with the admissions process for Sloan? And what advice do you have for prospective students for the admissions process? During the admissions process I was deployed so I didn't have a ton of touch points with many schools. I actually received my admittance via email while I was on watch on the ship ???I found podcasts really helpful for the essays and interview (you can find podcasts that are focused on each separate school. I also reached out Sloanies I found on club websites I was interested in. Scheduling those calls during admissions and after getting accepted was super helpful! I would recommend visiting schools if you can-- you get a totally new feel being on campus and seeing students in their element!

? Student Takeover Alert ? Tomorrow, March 12, MIT Sloan first-year Caroline Ohlson, MBA '26, will be logging onto our Instagram account on behalf of MIT's Sloan Women in Management! She'll be taking us through her day and showcasing the club's annual flagship event, Push for Parity, a series dedicated to advancing gender parity at school and in the workplace through education and allyship. ??? More About Caroline ??? Caroline Ohlson is a first year MBA student pursuing the Entrepreneurship & Innovation track with a focus on media and entertainment. She grew up in Massachusetts and Rhode Island before attending the University of Pennsylvania where she majored in Arts, Entertainment, and Popular Culture. Her work experience spans across film, tv, digital, music, gaming, and publishing. Most recently, she was a Creative Executive at a production company with a focus on scripted film and tv development and production. At Sloan, she's on the board of the Sloan Women in Management club and Entertainment, Media, and Sports Club.

??SWIM SPOTLIGHT SERIES?? ? We're excited to continue our SWIM Spotlight Series where we're highlighting some of the incredible women of Sloan and sharing their advice for prospective students navigating the admissions process! ? If you’re a prospective student interested in speaking to a member of SWIM, you can reach out to us at?[email protected] ? In today’s spotlight, meet Karen Tucker, MBA Class of 2025! What’s your background and what career are you now pursuing? I have a background in design engineering and global energy manufacturing, with experience in operations, project management and digital transformation. Currently, I am transitioning into entrepreneurship, focusing on sustainable agribusiness and value-added cacao processing in West Africa. My goal is to build a scalable venture that improves farmer livelihoods, enhances traceability, and meets the growing global demand for ethically sourced cacao. ? What are you involved in at Sloan? At Sloan, I am actively involved in entrepreneurship and parents supports initiatives. I am participating in the Legatum Fellowship and the Sandbox Innovation Fund, leveraging these programs to develop my venture. I also co-led the?MIT Sloan Africa Innovate Conference, where we are bringing together key stakeholders to discuss economic self-reliance, sustainability, and innovation in Africa. Additionally, I’m working on establishing stronger support systems for MBA parents. ? Why did you choose Sloan? I chose Sloan because of its strong emphasis on entrepreneurship, global impact, and action learning. The hands-on approach at Sloan, combined with access to world-class faculty, innovation hubs, and an extensive network of like-minded entrepreneurs, made it the perfect environment to launch and grow my venture. Sloan’s?culture of principled leadership?also aligns with my values and long-term vision for driving economic transformation in Africa. ? What was your experience like with the admissions process for Sloan? And what advice do you have for prospective students for the admissions process? The admissions process at Sloan was rigorous yet rewarding. The application required a clear articulation of my story, my goals, and how Sloan would help me achieve them. The interview was conversational and focused on my experiences, problem-solving abilities, and leadership skills. ? My advice to prospective students: -Be authentic—Clearly communicate your passion and how your background aligns with your goals. -Highlight impact—Showcase real examples of challenges you've tackled and the results. -Prepare thoroughly—Ensure your written application and interview responses align with Sloan’s values of principled leadership and action learning. Karen Tucker