Best & Brightest MBAs: Caitlin Crotty of Rice's Jones Graduate School of Business

It's not every day that some one leaves an administrative job at a business school and enrolls in that institution's MBA program. But Caitlin Crotty of Rice University's Jones Graduate School of Business did just that--and thrived. Crony had been associate director of the university's career management center before starting her MBA two years ago.

She then arranged Rice’s first ever Deloitte Case Competition with one of her classmates, leveraging a summer internship at Deloitte to promote the idea and gather feedback from alumni. She sold the idea internally and spent months working with her classmate and a pair of Rice at Deloitte to get the competition off the ground. It was a resounding success with nearly half of the first-year class participating, and it also became a flagship recruiting event for Deloitte.

Not surprisingly, Crony also worked herself into a job at Deloitte as a consultant, a position she will assume right after graduation. No wonder she made Poets&Quants' Best & Brightest list of MBAs in 2017.

“I knew I wanted to go to business school when…I served on the board of the Houston Chapter of the National Association of Women MBAs. (Yes, I was on the board pre-MBA, which is a little peculiar – but the board usually had a current Rice employee, which helped with school connections & communication.) The women I met on the board were inspirational; they were crushing it at work, taking care of families, creating a positive community for women, and building connections in the Houston community. Thanks to them, I first began to imagine what my life might be like if I pursued an MBA. I’m not sure if I’ve ever told them that – so thank you, NAWMBA Board!”

“If I hadn’t gone to business school, I would be…working at a business school, trying to improve the student experience.”

What did you enjoy most about business school in general? It’s the people. My classmates continue to embody the sense of community that first attracted me to the school. They are ambitious, caring, friendly, and fun-loving; as soon as I began classes, I felt like I’d found my tribe. They have challenged me to be more and do more, and have made the experience unforgettable.

What is the biggest myth about your school? I think because it’s in Houston, Rice is often considered an energy school. We have some incredible professors and classes in energy, but the school offers so much more. I have only taken one energy elective during my two years (which I’m happy I did), but I also appreciate the diversity of class offerings I’ve been able to pursue.

What is your best advice to an applicant hoping to get into your school’s MBA program? Know yourself and your goals; think about what motivates you and what you love doing, and how business school will help you fill the gaps and get closer to those ideals. The goal doesn’t have to be a specific job, but doing some introspection about what drives you will make for more interesting conversations throughout the admissions process.

Meet all of Poets&Quants' 100 Best & Brightest MBA Graduates of 2017