Moving right along with our fun and quirky series, we’ve continued talking admissions directors at leading MBA programs into answering our silly stream of personal questions. To our delight, we’ve had many tell us that they actually had fun in the process.
Soojin Kwon has led MBA admissions at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business since 2006. She’s familiar with “non-traditional” MBA candidates, as she was one herself when she got her MBA at Ross. Prior to b-school, she used her MPP from the Kennedy School of Government to work as a budget and policy analyst on Capitol Hill and at the Department of Commerce. She’s also familiar with the private sector as she spent her post-MBA years as a consultant in Deloitte’s Strategy and Operations practice.
Here, Soojin reveals her pet peeves, where she heads when she wants to get away, the power of her Korean mother’s home-cooked food and more. Read on to learn some little-known tidbits about Soojin. And if you want insider tips about Ross and its admissions process, check out Soojin’s blog and video blogs.
Real Humans of MBA Admissions: Soojin Kwon of UMichigan’s Ross School of Business
Coffee or tea? Decaf soy latte, no foam
Beach or mountains? Mountains
Morning person or night owl? Both. I don’t sleep much.
Pet peeve? Slow drivers and bad grammar
Guilty pleasure? Binge-watching shows (House of Cards and The Good Wife being the latest)
Favorite virtue in others? Honesty
Worst habit? Trying to squeeze too much into a day
Happy place? Anywhere in nature
Comfort food? My mom’s food—Korean food—she makes it with love
Go-to cocktail? Bloody Mary, with a blue cheese-stuffed olive
Proudest moment? Qualifying for the Boston Marathon because I never considered myself a runner before
Biggest regret? Not drinking more milk as a child; maybe I’d be taller.
One thing you would change about how you were raised? Nothing, I loved my childhood.
Superpower you wish you had? The ability to remember people’s names
Favorite fictional hero/heroine? Katniss Everdeen from the Hunger Games. She’s kind of badass—with a heart.
