Name: Caroline Kolb
Hometown: Old Greenwich, CT
Undergrad Institution/Major: Georgetown University / Government
Pre-MBA Job: Commercial Real Estate Analyst / Agent
MBA Concentration: General Management
Greetings from Austin!
If you’re a visitor to this website, that means you’re considering applying to / attending McCombs, so let me just commend you because taking a couple years off of work in order to get an MBA at UT-Austin was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Hands down!
Prior to becoming a Longhorn and immediately upon graduating from college on the east coast (where I spent the first 22 years of my life), I had the pleasure of calling California “home” – with two years spent in Los Angeles before I migrated north to San Francisco. While there, I worked in the commercial real estate industry servicing the real estate portfolios of major corporations. Trading in this work for business school was largely motivated by the fact that my true passion for real estate lies within the development process; and I felt that an MBA would be a powerful means to bridge the gap between my previous experience and my “dream job” at an urban redevelopment shop. At the same time, because of the broad-based business education I will receive here, coupled with a wealth of opportunities to gain exposure to different industries, McCombs will also enable me to press the reset button on my career if I choose to switch gears. Regardless of which path I end up taking, I know that this experience will open up doors for me that never would have opened otherwise.
When I’m not on campus doing my best to keep up with my coursework, the various clubs I’ve joined, my career search, etc., you can find me exploring the amazing offerings of my new city. Between the music [even the grocery stores here host live shows], cycling [Lance Armstrong resides here when he’s not training in Spain and has helped to foster a fanatic cycling community through his bike shop Mellow Johnny’s, Livestrong Challenges, etc.], yoga [stand up paddleboard yoga on Town Lake anyone?], delicious food [green chile pork tacos from Torchy’s are a great starting point], and the exuberant spirit that permeates this place in general [see: UT football, Austin City Limits, South by Southwest, and pretty much any recently published “Top Ten Places to Live” article], I am in heaven.
Please feel free to contact me at any point throughout your application process with questions you might have. Until then…hook ‘em!
Hi Caroline!
It’s great to hear about your experience. I have been going through all the blogs and I have noticed a common pattern among you. All of you have had some previous experience in the industry before deciding to pursue your MBA. I am currently a senior undergraduate student at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, and I am pursuing a degree in Industrial Engineering. After working various summers in my mom’s business, and then in my uncle’s business, I have discovered that Management is what I would like to do. I am looking both into perhaps finding a job or getting an MBA, I am aiming for both options right now because I need a plan b. I am an international student and the chances of me getting a job are lower, but not impossible. Would you recommend pursuing an MBA in UT Austin right after an undergraduate degree??
Thank you!
Sandra