Kwabena Kwakwa, Chicago Booth MiM Class of 2026
Age: 24
Hometown: Accra, Ghana
Undergraduate Institution and Major: Stanford University, BA in Political Science
Pre-MiM Work Experience: No full time work experience; Summer internships at Nike (Brand Marketing), Xponance (Alternative asset management)
Why did you make the decision to attend business school? Why now?
By the end of my college career, I knew that I wanted to start my career in something more business/financially focused than I had previously been exposed to. Given that I studied political science in undergrad and devoted a large amount of my time to soccer at the D1 level, I didn’t have as much business expertise as I would have liked and the MiM program represented a great opportunity to do a yearlong ‘bootcamp in business,’ and get a solid foundation before starting my career.
Why did you choose Chicago Booth? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend?
Though the comprehensive list includes a host of reasons, my choice was driven primarily by two factors: I felt that Booth would give me the best opportunities for employment in my fields of interest, and the academic rigor would provide the best platform to arrive at my job as prepared as possible for the material and its demands. Additionally, Booth has an amazing network of people who at the very least serve as a source of inspiration and knowledge to learn about subjects and ideas unbeknownst to me. Also, I’m an avid adventurer and Chicago was a new city to experience and I’ve loved it so far.
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the class?
I think that I bring a multicultural background and perspective that allows me to connect easily with many people regardless of where they’re from. I myself am from two countries, have grown up in three, and bounced across multiple states in my eight years in the U.S which I really attribute to an openness to explore and meet people from all over.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself that didn’t get included on your application:
I drove on my first cross-country road trip (of which there has been several) two months after getting my drivers license. I really wanted to dive straight into the deep end.
Post-MiM career interests: I will be doing private equity consulting at Investor Group Services in Boston after graduating. Sports has also been a mainstay in my life and combining my love for sports with business remains a point of interest.
Advice for Current Prospective Applicants:
–What is one thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process?
Spending more time than felt necessary thinking about who I am and what my story was before putting pen to paper did me a world of good and only served to make me more confident when explaining my motivations and connecting with the interviewers. Doing this took out a massive amount of the stress and guesswork of trying to impress someone about who I am and allowing myself to be myself. Having done the prep work, I was able to treat the whole application process as an opportunity to simply tell someone my story and have fun and engaging conversations with the interviewers.
–What is one thing you would change or do differently?
To be honest, I can’t think of anything that would really have left me in a better position or more satisfied if I had done it differently. In hindsight, I could have perhaps applied to less schools but applying to 7 helped me think long and hard about who I am, what I’m interested in and how my interests have developed throughout my life. These have proven to be incredibly important questions to be cognizant of being part of a one year program in which job hunting season starts well before arriving on campus.
–What is one part you would have skipped if you could—and what helped you get through it?
The ‘hardest’ part was really just waiting for the decision from Booth after submitting the application. That being said, Booth was one of the later schools to release decisions so rested easy knowing I at least had some good options already available to me.
What is your initial impression of the Chicago Booth students/culture/community?
The students at Booth are incredibly ambitious and constantly seeking out new ways to be involved in programs and events beyond what is required of them. Being in the right environment is incredibly important and seeing my peers work towards a slew of goals across different fields constantly encourages me to push myself.
What is one thing you have learned about Chicago Booth that has surprised you?
The options available to participate in events, clubs and groups outside of class has been a pleasant surprise. Coming out of undergrad, I wanted to make better use of organizations beyond the classroom and Booth has a number of options available. The Rustandy and Polsky center’s are both amazing opportunities to get involved in real organizations, connect with distinguished alumni and gain insights from working professionals who provide a connection between what we learn in the classroom and how we can use our lessons in our professional careers. For this year, I’m participating in the Rustandy center’s partnership with Golub Capital as a board fellow for a non-profit!
