Hey all,
I wrote a personal statement but i'd be really happy to have some second opinion on this.
Shortly before I started my B.A degree at Tel Aviv University, and way before I knew what I wanted to do with my career, I somehow already knew that I wanted to study at an Ivy League university. My dad is an Ivy League graduate, and I always admired that about him. Studying at the pinnacle of academia and hanging with some of the world's future leaders encouraged me to do the same and follow in my dad's footsteps.
So, I decided to do what every ambitious person with a crazy dream does, and conducted extensive research about what it takes to go to an Ivy League school.
I was a bit overwhelmed, not only because of the depth and breadth of achievements required, but also because my own checklist of achievements was virtually empty at that point.
I looked ahead and thought that at the very least, I had 5 years until I planned to apply for an MBA, and I began to think about what I could do in the next 5 years to maximize my chances.
I decided to form a 5-year plan, realizing that the only way to succeed was to do things I had a passion for, and not just check boxes.
As a social person, I thought it would be great to get to know as many students as possible and decided to run for election to the Student Union. Fortunately, I was elected and got to represent nearly 1,000 students. Throughout my 3 years at the university, I helped dozens of students with their academic problems, advocating for better faculty policies and welfare, and most importantly - creating meaningful relationships with my peers.
In addition, I was very drawn to the activities of the student clubs, which were a great tool to enrich the academic experience, so I began attending events at multiple clubs.
In my second semester, as part of a final project for one of the courses I took, I needed to make a presentation about the importance of networking. I set out to interview experienced professionals about networking and relationship-building for freshman students. I decided to approach one of the students I met at the Capital Market Club, which helped me reach the faculty's Dean, who also served as the Capital Market Club academic supervisor. I approached him and asked if he'd be willing to discuss some networking tips from the perspective of the Dean. He happily agreed.
Following our interview, he told me he was impressed with my initiative and that he thinks I could be a good fit for one of the faculty's student clubs, and connected me with the faculty's student clubs administrator. A few days later, I came back to him with an even more ambitious idea - to establish a new club that revolves around networking for B.A students. He convened a meeting with key faculty stakeholders to discuss the idea, and they ended up giving me the green light to execute my initiative, despite still being a freshman. That's where my journey really started.
I recruited a team, developed the club's strategy and annual plan, and in my second year we officially launched the club, reaching 200+ members by the end of the year, and establishing one of the faculty's flagship programs - the B.A mentoring program.
The experience I gained by representing my school at the Student Union and founding a student club had an immense impact on me. I was incredibly satisfied with helping other students, and decided to take my social activity one step further by joining the Pa'amonim organization as a financial guide, and today I oversee ~40 volunteers guiding families in need as the Head of the Central District Branch.
In addition, I fell in love with the concept of having an idea and developing it into a real thing which gives actual value to other people, like I did with the Networking club. In particular, I really enjoyed developing an annual plan for the club, which demanded a lot of strategic thinking, and that's what made me apply for consulting at Strategy&. There, I gained hands-on experience developing strategic plans for some of the largest companies in Israel.
As a consultant, I realized that while I truly enjoy the analytical and strategic process, I'm more keen on some industries than others, and that I could really benefit from accumulating expertise in a particular domain, and that's why I transitioned into a Strategy & Operations role at the CEO Office of a global software company, where I leverage consulting capabilities to shape strategy, while gaining expertise in a specific domain that I find particularly interesting.
The reason behind applying for Fulbright and pursuing an MBA is to make the shift from being a strategic supporting layer, as a junior consultant or a Strategy & Operations analyst, into becoming a decision maker owning the outcome. The natural progression for me would be to develop into a Business Development/Corporate Strategy role, starting with limited ownership of a specific workstream. I believe my previous roles have provided me with a strong foundation, and an MBA could be a great stepping stone, exposing me to more opportunities in my areas of interest, connecting me with aspiring students to collaborate with, enriching my network, and helping me make the leap I'm seeking.
I wrote a personal statement but i'd be really happy to have some second opinion on this.
Shortly before I started my B.A degree at Tel Aviv University, and way before I knew what I wanted to do with my career, I somehow already knew that I wanted to study at an Ivy League university. My dad is an Ivy League graduate, and I always admired that about him. Studying at the pinnacle of academia and hanging with some of the world's future leaders encouraged me to do the same and follow in my dad's footsteps.
So, I decided to do what every ambitious person with a crazy dream does, and conducted extensive research about what it takes to go to an Ivy League school.
I was a bit overwhelmed, not only because of the depth and breadth of achievements required, but also because my own checklist of achievements was virtually empty at that point.
I looked ahead and thought that at the very least, I had 5 years until I planned to apply for an MBA, and I began to think about what I could do in the next 5 years to maximize my chances.
I decided to form a 5-year plan, realizing that the only way to succeed was to do things I had a passion for, and not just check boxes.
As a social person, I thought it would be great to get to know as many students as possible and decided to run for election to the Student Union. Fortunately, I was elected and got to represent nearly 1,000 students. Throughout my 3 years at the university, I helped dozens of students with their academic problems, advocating for better faculty policies and welfare, and most importantly - creating meaningful relationships with my peers.
In addition, I was very drawn to the activities of the student clubs, which were a great tool to enrich the academic experience, so I began attending events at multiple clubs.
In my second semester, as part of a final project for one of the courses I took, I needed to make a presentation about the importance of networking. I set out to interview experienced professionals about networking and relationship-building for freshman students. I decided to approach one of the students I met at the Capital Market Club, which helped me reach the faculty's Dean, who also served as the Capital Market Club academic supervisor. I approached him and asked if he'd be willing to discuss some networking tips from the perspective of the Dean. He happily agreed.
Following our interview, he told me he was impressed with my initiative and that he thinks I could be a good fit for one of the faculty's student clubs, and connected me with the faculty's student clubs administrator. A few days later, I came back to him with an even more ambitious idea - to establish a new club that revolves around networking for B.A students. He convened a meeting with key faculty stakeholders to discuss the idea, and they ended up giving me the green light to execute my initiative, despite still being a freshman. That's where my journey really started.
I recruited a team, developed the club's strategy and annual plan, and in my second year we officially launched the club, reaching 200+ members by the end of the year, and establishing one of the faculty's flagship programs - the B.A mentoring program.
The experience I gained by representing my school at the Student Union and founding a student club had an immense impact on me. I was incredibly satisfied with helping other students, and decided to take my social activity one step further by joining the Pa'amonim organization as a financial guide, and today I oversee ~40 volunteers guiding families in need as the Head of the Central District Branch.
In addition, I fell in love with the concept of having an idea and developing it into a real thing which gives actual value to other people, like I did with the Networking club. In particular, I really enjoyed developing an annual plan for the club, which demanded a lot of strategic thinking, and that's what made me apply for consulting at Strategy&. There, I gained hands-on experience developing strategic plans for some of the largest companies in Israel.
As a consultant, I realized that while I truly enjoy the analytical and strategic process, I'm more keen on some industries than others, and that I could really benefit from accumulating expertise in a particular domain, and that's why I transitioned into a Strategy & Operations role at the CEO Office of a global software company, where I leverage consulting capabilities to shape strategy, while gaining expertise in a specific domain that I find particularly interesting.
The reason behind applying for Fulbright and pursuing an MBA is to make the shift from being a strategic supporting layer, as a junior consultant or a Strategy & Operations analyst, into becoming a decision maker owning the outcome. The natural progression for me would be to develop into a Business Development/Corporate Strategy role, starting with limited ownership of a specific workstream. I believe my previous roles have provided me with a strong foundation, and an MBA could be a great stepping stone, exposing me to more opportunities in my areas of interest, connecting me with aspiring students to collaborate with, enriching my network, and helping me make the leap I'm seeking.
