Ian Tierney, Chicago Booth MiM Class of 2026
Age: 31
Hometown: Eden, NY
Undergraduate Institution and Major: UChicago, Theater and Performance Studies
Pre-MiM Work Experience: University Of Chicago Admissions Office Special Assistant to the Dean of Admissions September 2022–October 2023; S&P Dow Jones Indices Wealth Management Channel Sales Associate June 2021–June 2022. United States Marine Corps: MAG-49/FRC-E Fort Dix, NJ Airframes Division Chief June 2018–September 2020; MALS-11 Miramar, CA Hydraulic/Pneumatic Work Center Supervisor September 2017–June 2018; MALS-39 Camp Pendleton Non-Destructive Technician June 2015-September 2017; MALS-24 Kaneohe Bay, HI Hydraulic Mechanic June 2012–June 2015
Why did you make the decision to attend business school? Why now?
I decided to go to business school so that I could combine my military experiences and undergraduate education with a top tier business training to give me a competitive advantage in the corporate workplace.
Why did you choose Chicago Booth? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend?
Having gone to UChicago for undergrad, I got to interact with Booth students regularly and found them to be inspiring. I knew that at some point I wanted to get a degree from Booth and the MiM presented an opportunity to do so in one year.
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the class?
My diverse real-world experiences. Most of my classmates have spent their entire lives in an educational setting and tend to be curious about my experiences in the military and traveling around the world.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself that didn’t get included on your application:
I have been to all 50 US States.
Post-MiM career interests:
Private Equity
Aviation/Aerospace
Advice for Current Prospective Applicants:
–What is one thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process?
I think the video portion of the application was somewhere that I really got to differentiate myself and I spent a considerable amount of time on it.
–What is one thing you would change or do differently?
I think I would have spent more time networking with last year’s class to get a better understanding of the program and what it was like for them.
–What is one part you would have skipped if you could—and what helped you get through it?
The waiting. While the process wasn’t drawn out that much, but I find the waiting to hear back to be the hardest part. What helped though was staying engaged in what I was doing and having a clear understanding of when decisions would be released.
What is your initial impression of the Chicago Booth students/culture/community?
Everyone is a go getter. It is somewhere people are truly aspiring to change the world around them.
What is one thing you have learned about Chicago Booth that has surprised you?
How rigorous it is. I thought that coming from UChicago undergrad I wouldn’t be thrown off by the intensity of learning that occurs. Yet, there was still an adjustment period.
