Full-Time MBA Student Profile MBA Student Spotlight: Selena Lopez, Full-Time MBA Student

Selena graduated from the University of California, San Diego, in 2017 with a dual degree in Biology and Global Health. Her interest in promoting work at the intersection of social good and business eventually led her to Kaiser Permanente, where she spent five years working as an internal consultant advancing mission-critical work to support patient care operations during the pandemic.

Along the way, Selena realized that she needed a formal business education to round out her background and achieve greater impact. While balancing her full-time job, she joined Management Leader for Tomorrow (MLT) as a MBA Prep Fellow, where she gained access to a community of high-achieving professionals who were also applying to top business schools. This experience motivated her to expand the limits of her own aspirations, which led to her putting Booth at the top of her radar. 

When evaluating my fit with Booth, I focused on both the professional and social dimensions of the experience. From a professional standpoint, Booth’s robust consulting outcomes stood out beyond the employment reports through conversations with students and learning about the Management Consulting Group. Knowing I wanted to pivot into management consulting, this tangible track record and support ecosystem became a major factor in my decision. I also appreciate how advantageous Booth’s customizable curriculum is, especially during the Fall Quarter, when students can intentionally design their schedule to prioritize recruiting. From a social standpoint, I was drawn to Chicago’s urban charm. This was reinforced during Admitted Student Weekend (Booth Bound), when I visited the Harper Center and spent time downtown (“the Loop”), where most students live a few steps away from the Riverwalk.

I recruited into management consulting with full force! With the combined support of Career Services and the Management Consulting Group, I felt prepared for every stage of the process: networking with on-campus firm representatives, completing online assessments and internship applications, polishing my behavioral stories, and, last but not least, honing in on my casing skills. Managing all these moving parts alone would have been overwhelming, so having a strong support network was essential. In part due to Booth’s larger class size, there were always plenty of peers to case and prep with, which made it easier to get more reps in. And, of course, being surrounded by such a highly motivated group of peers pushed me to raise my own bar.

Two memories come to mind. My first is attending the Chicago Women in Business (CWiB) Spring Formal, where the ladies of Booth spent the night dancing away to pop tunes. The vibes were so immaculate that the party spilled over to a local disco bar. Second, joining the Entrepreneurship & Venture Capital (EVC) Chicago Startup Trek, where a small group of us visited ten Chicago-based startups over two days; it was incredibly inspiring to meet founders (some Booth alums!) right at their headquarters and a fantastic way to network in the startup space.

First, have a clear, honest answer to your “why.” Take time to get introspective and ask yourself how an MBA will help you reach your next milestone. If you do not have a clear vision to anchor your why, it becomes much harder to push through some of the most demanding parts of the MBA journey, especially during recruiting. Clarifying my “why” early on gave me the perseverance to navigate the entire MBA application cycle—from test-taking to interviewing.

Second, do your research. While you may be applying to multiple schools, make sure you spend time connecting with current students and alumni to understand if there’s a real culture fit. It was through coffee chats with members of the Management Consulting Group, Hispanic American Business Student Association, and Entrepreneurship & Venture Capital Club, that I understood Booth had everything I needed to support my short- and long-term vision.

 I’m currently a co-chair for the Hispanic American Business Student Association (HABSA). In my term as a leader, one major highlight has been co-launching our first-ever retreat in the Fall Quarter, where we traveled to Michigan City, Indiana, for a two-night getaway. As an active club on campus, we’ve also hosted social events (think holiday parties, taco crawls, karaoke nights, blind wine tasting, coffee runs), wellness-oriented events (paint by number, spa nights), and career support events (career networking night, internship panels, casing prep) to create community among our members. We also frequently partner with the African American MBA Association and Booth Africa to support shared efforts on campus.

As a LEAD Facilitator, I’m one of the first faces new Boothies meet. We serve as orientation leaders, foregoing two weeks of our summer break to give back in this special way. Beyond the fun of leading orientation, being a LEAD Facil also means forging deep connections with fellow facilitators. I can confidently say I’ve met some of my closest friends this way, and I encourage anyone seeking both community and impact to get involved!

This past summer, I co-led a Random Walk to Peru. Leading a Random Walk was a special opportunity for me to make first-year students feel welcomed and included as we trekked together through Lima, Cusco, and Aguas Calientes toward Machu Picchu. Serving as a Random Walk leader has been deeply fulfilling, helping me connect more closely with the first-year class and mentor others along their own journeys at Booth.

After interning at McKinsey, I served as a McKinsey Formers Captain. In this role, I supported the recruiting team by organizing social events to help first-years get to know the firm, providing case support, sharing about my summer experience on consulting panels, and offering guidance to students eager to learn more.

We hope Selena’s story provides a glimpse into what it’s like pursuing your MBA within Chicago Booth’s Full-Time MBA Program. To learn more about Booth and how we can also support you along your MBA journey, we invite you to connect with us for more information.

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