Pursuing an MBA is no simple feat. There’s loads of time, money, and research that goes into nearly every step of the process, and it is easy to feel overwhelmed and alone during your MBA journey. The bad news: the GMAT isn’t going away any time soon, nor is the arduous application process. The good news: our past Merchant students are here to share their experiences and guide you along your way!
With that in mind… meet one of our incredible Merchant Alumni, Alejandro Echevarri!
About Alejandro:
Alejandro graduated from Creighton University in the United States in 2012, obtaining degrees in both Physics and Philosophy.
After graduation, Alejandro began his professional career in Argentina. He began working at Invertironline in Buenos Aires and then spent 4 years working with PUENTE in wealth management. He then began working at UMCO S.A. in 2019 as a Senior Consultant.
Currently, Alejandro is Head of Marketing at UMCO S.A. in Ecuador.
Alejandro wished to obtain his MBA degree, so he began preparing for the GMAT with a test prep company. However, Alejandro desired a higher level of instruction. After doing some research and speaking to some friends, Alejandro decided to come to Merchant in order to complete his GMAT Preparation. What Alejandro appreciated about Merchant GMAT test prep was their focus on solving real GMAT problems and their deep knowledge of the exam.
He took the GMAT two times, achieving a 710!
Advice for the MBA Candidate:
For students who aren’t sure of where to apply, Alejandro’s top piece of advice is to talk to as many people as you can. However, you must be intentional in choosing who to speak to and understand their perspectives. Speaking to an admissions officer or consulting the online presence of any top business school can be helpful to begin your research, but the common jargon that they all use can easily muddy the waters and it can be difficult to get a true feel for the type of program you are applying to.
One of the best ways to get the inside scoop on a true student experience is to talk to a student at the University themselves! Linkedin is a great platform to strike up connections and it can be very easy to strike up connections. There are also hundreds of Merchant alumni around the world who are more than happy to speak to our current students and give them an idea of what MBA life is really like. In essence, Alejandro recommends connecting with as many people as possible before making your decision and hearing as many different perspectives as possible. Looking back, he estimates that he spoke with at least 200+ people during the GMAT and admissions process in order to gain perspective and get a good sense of the programs that he was applying to.
After his acceptance to multiple MBA programs, Alejandro decided to attend London Business School. Congratulations Alejandro!
Check out Alejandro on our Hall of Fame page as well!