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ALUMNI AND UIC COMMUNITY
Alumni Interviews: UIC 2020 MA/PhD Acceptances
Interviewed by Yerim Kim (LSBT ‘18) and Min Jun Kim (ECON ‘15)
These interviews asked three alumni about their lives as UIC students, why they decided to apply to their graduate school of choice, future goals, and tips on undergraduate life and studying abroad.
The first two interviews were conducted in March by Yerim Kim when Carmen and Jae Yeon had not made their final decisions on which school to attend. The final interview was conducted via Zoom in September by Min Jun Kim, after Soomin had begun her first semester.
Carmen Choong
Accepted to the MA/PhD program at the University of Washington and MA programs at UCLA and University of Chicago
Can you please introduce yourself?
I’m Carmen Choong. I’m a UIC 15.5 International Studies major and I’m from Singapore.
Why did you choose to apply to the graduate programs that you did?
I am doing a major switch. So even though I was an IS major, I applied to only sociology programs. I applied to seven schools – four were PhD and three were MA. They are all in America, and I’m more inclined to accept my PhD offers right now. However, I’m still waiting for all of my responses.
How was your life as a UIC student? Could you share any memorable events from your school day?
I think the UIC CC seminar classes were the best things about UIC. I actually hit the bare minimum requirement for my major credit requirements and I took all my other classes in CC seminars. I think the kind of intellectual inquiry that you can get from UIC seminars and small classroom sizes is something that is really unique to UIC. This makes UIC education what it is. At the same time, it’s also where I formed the closest relationships with not only my classmates, but also my professors. They’re the ones that offered a lot of guidance when it came to grad school applications and career advice. The CDC and Professor Denton were very helpful in re-reading my essays and giving a lot of their time.
What is your plan after finishing your graduate degree?
I applied to grad school with the idea that I’d love to continue learning and reading and sharing the knowledge and also researching more about societal issues that disturbed me in many ways. The ability to dissect and critically analyze is something that is a great privilege.
What tips would you give to yourself as an undergraduate?
Spending more time learning Korean would have been helpful. Be willing to look outside of Yonsei for a community and to participate in activities outside of school. Go for office hours! Don’t be afraid to ask. Don’t be afraid to make a relationship with your professor.
Do you have any last comments to students who aspire to enter the same field or study abroad?
For me, I didn’t decide on my grad school major because it wasn’t something that was offered at UIC. It was through my exchange program that I learned about a new field and got that exposure. I’d say be brave and put yourself outside to experience things that are beyond your comfort zone, because the opportunities are boundless when you dare to step up to it.
Jae Yeon Jeon
Accepted to the MA/PhD programs at UCR and UCSB and MA programs at Dartmouth, Buffalo, Harvard, and UMass Amherst
Can you please introduce yourself?
I’m Jeon, Jae Yeon from Korea. I studied comparative literature, and I’m in the entering class of 2015.
Why did you choose to apply to the graduate programs that you did?
Comparative literature is a relatively smaller field compared to other national literature fields, so I didn’t have many choices to begin with. I didn’t want to apply to PhD directly, although I did apply to some PhD programs. I looked into some programs that offer MA programs and it was either 1 year or 2 years long. I didn’t want to do a year-long program. After considering all the criteria, I was left with 10 schools to apply to.
How was your life as a UIC student? Could you share any memorable events from your school days?
I feel like the biggest benefit that is offered explicitly to UIC students is that we can take seminar courses. Because I wanted to do graduate studies in literature, there are so many liberal arts classes in the common curriculum. This was definitely an advantage for me. The most rewarding experience was definitely writing the senior thesis.
What is your plan after finishing your graduate degree?
If I accept the offer from the PhD program, I would try to find a teaching position. I would love to teach literature. If I accept the offer from the MA program, I would have to do the application cycle again.
What tips would you give to yourself as an undergraduate?
Try to experience everything so that you can decide what field you’re really dedicated to. I think as a college student, the most important thing is to find out what you want to do for the rest of your life. In my case, this came after experiencing different jobs and internships.
Do you have any last comments to students who aspire to enter the same field or study abroad?
If you think you’re cut out for grad school, start getting your materials as soon as possible. Try to find professors who would be willing to write letters of recommendation. Take good care of yourself. I think it’s important to have a healthy daily routine. Workout and eat healthy. It’s good to have a sustainable routine.
Don’t try to be so hard on yourself. I think that getting into grad school has a lot of luck to it. Getting rejected doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re not good enough. It wasn’t the right fit or the timing wasn’t right. There are so many different factors. Regardless, try to love yourself.
Soomin Cho
Soomin majored in Economics at UIC, entering class of 2013. She recently began her MBA program at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
What have you been doing since you completed your undergraduate degree?
I graduated back in August 2017 and joined the McKinsey Seoul Office right after. I worked at McKinsey for around a year and a half. I later transferred to the Japan office for what was supposed to last for about a year, but my time there was cut short due to the outbreak of COVID-19. I then returned to the Seoul Office in March for a few months before beginning my first semester now at Wharton.
Why did you decide to pursue an MBA degree?
The reasons that led me to pursue an MBA are largely threefold.
First, I wanted to gain a deeper understanding of business practices. I felt I needed a solid foundation of business knowledge. I was never confident in accounting or corporate finance because I had not taken any related courses during my undergraduate years. I realized that I wanted to learn more so I could become a better business advisor in the future.
Second, I wanted to experience a world outside McKinsey. While I love my co-workers at McKinsey & Office, if you only see the same people 18 hours a day, it’s easy to believe that your work environment is your entire life. That really isn’t the case though. Upon realizing that there are so many people working in various industries that I had yet to learn about, I wanted to broaden my horizon and scope of expertise.
Finally, I thought it was a good time to take a short break. I was pretty tired after two and a half years of working at the firm.
How has your experience at UIC prepared you for your career?
This story goes back to my freshman year. I first learned about the world of consulting through the UIC Career Fair. Prior to the fair, I had no idea such a job existed! The fair opened my eyes to all the different possibilities that lay ahead in my future. Because the career fair was specifically for UIC students, with whom I shared a similar background, I found it easier to absorb the provided information and assess my strengths and interests when pursuing a career path.
I was also involved in various extracurricular activities, most of which were UIC-exclusive organizations. Being a part of smaller campus communities like the Underwood Vision Ensemble (UVE) and the Underwood Division Economics Student Council not only helped me make new friends, but also enabled me to hone my leadership abilities by taking on executive roles. It was through these opportunities that I was able to form lasting friendships as well as an intense work ethic.
Outside of classes, what helped you prepare for life after graduation?
I was involved in a student consulting club called Global Management Track (GMT). It’s a very career-oriented club. Through this unique experience, I had the chance to reach out to the amazing network of GMT alumni who helped me with my resume and interviews. Thanks to them, I was also able to reach out and speak to people in numerous industries, all the while gaining professional experience outside of the classroom.
Aside from the extracurriculars, my experience as an exchange student at the University of Pennsylvania helped me gain a deeper understanding of myself. Going on exchange was a great way for me to reflect on my likes and dislikes, as well as the kind of lifestyle I wanted after college.
What do you plan to do after the completion of your MBA degree?
Going back to McKinsey is a strong possibility at this point, but I also want to take advantage of my time at Wharton by doing summer internships elsewhere. Thus far, I’ve only really worked in consulting, so I would like to widen my experience in other sectors. I am currently interested in working in areas related to technology and consumer goods.
What advice would you give students at UIC to best prepare for life after college?
I know it’s a tough time right now, especially in the job market hit by COVID-19. If I were in your shoes, I would be anxious and nervous, sweating to maximize my chances of getting recruited. But in hindsight, doing things blindly just because others do them or you think they will make you a better candidate, is not very helpful. You aren’t going to enjoy it as much or learn about yourself as much as you’d like. In job interviews, it will only make you appear as an average candidate at best.
Try and find your own path. At McKinsey, we say, “make your own McKinsey.” Similarly, I suggest that you “make your own UIC.” Try to chart your path with the things that you enjoy doing and have always wanted to try. That way, you will have a better time in college and leave no regrets for a seamless transition into the next chapter of your life.
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