Graduate Student Life Blog


The Full-Day Interview: What to Expect

(Nathan Oldham/UConn School of Business)

Today is interview day. The time is 7:20 am and I’ve just arrived in the hotel lobby. The company’s representative will meet me there at 7:30 am.

As I wait, nervously fidgeting with my leather portfolio, I notice other professionally dressed people also waiting. Could there be more than one MBA candidate attending the interview?Continue Reading


Five Ways to Make Your Connections Count

2016 NAWMBA Conference

Key Insights from NAWMBA Conference

“Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is truer than you.” -Dr. Seuss

Connect with Confidence was the theme of this year’s National Association of Women MBAs Conference and this statement from Dr. Seuss couldn’t be more appropriate. Over three days, leaders and future leaders were inspired, refreshed and uplifted, by remarkable speakers who shared their experiences and knowledge about the best ways to connect. Attendees were encouraged to be their authentic selves, because only then, can meaningful connections flourish. Continue Reading


On Your Mark: The NBMBAA Career Fair is Not to be Missed

Ready. Set. Go!

Ok, hold on, did you say “Go?”

This was how I felt when I entered the New Orleans Convention Center to attend the National Black MBA Career Fair. Supercharged by the adrenaline flowing through my body, I was ready to deliver my elevator pitch to dozens of recruiters and land that critical summer internship for 2017. Continue Reading


Opening Ph.D. Student Speaker Series

School of Business finance doctoral students with Professor Lewellen.

This Fall, I had the pleasure of coordinating the Finance Ph.D. Student Speaker Series. The purpose of the Speaker Series is to enhance the research culture of the School of Business by attracting speakers whose research is particularly relevant to doctoral students. Each year doctoral students of the five academic departments make the decision of whom to invite, decide the professor’s agenda, and otherwise facilitate and coordinate the professor’s visit. Continue Reading



MSFRM Middle Autumn Festival Celebration

Middle-Autumn Festival is also known as Chinese Moon Festival. It is a time for families to be together, so people far from home will gaze longingly at the moon and think about their families. The event is open to anyone and everyone on campus. Delicious potluck dinner, music, dance, fun games and sharing traditional culture!Continue Reading


Advice for Selecting a College: Shop for Best Fit, Not ‘Designer’ Name

“Where You Go Is Not Who You’ll Be: An Antidote to the College Admissions Mania,” is the title of an outstanding book by New York Times Op-Ed columnist Frank Bruni.

After researching higher education in the United States, Bruni discovers and shares anecdotes of students who did not get into their first-choice colleges, and were better off as a result. His conclusion is uplifting.

Today, in our country, there are an amazing number of strong education opportunities that will serve students well. Yet students and parents spend too much time, money, and effort, coupled with stress and tears, seeking acceptance to the perfect, most-desired school. Continue Reading


The Investor Pitch

The iQ program is a series of events that starts slowly, and then accelerates very quickly. It all starts with mentor meetings, followed by the application, and then the final pitch to get accepted to iQ. Then, a moment’s anticipation, then workshops, a flood of new ideas, constant networking, and barely enough time to breathe. All the while, you’re working on prototypes, building your business model, and then…  Continue Reading


MSFRM Storrs Campus Tour

Since the MS in Financial Risk Management is offered on the Hartford and Stamford campuses, we’ve been taking an annual trip to visit the University’s main campus in Storrs as a group. We start by following the Lodewick Visitor Center student staff to explore the School of Business, then walking across the street for a tour of Gampel Pavilion—home of champions. The visit includes Continue Reading


MSFRM Spring Festival Gala with UConn CSSA

Happy Chinese New Year! Spring Festival is the most important holiday in Chinese culture. Last Friday the MSFRM program joined the UConn CSSA (Chinese Student and Scholar Association) for the UConn 2015 Spring Festival Gala. The free event for UConn students included a buffet, performance from UConn students and scholars, and a lot of fun games and gifts!Continue Reading