In a sense, Yue Yu entered the world of graduate business education after her junior year at Connecticut College. As a research assistant, she and several peers collaborated with a Harvard Business School professor to draft a 40-page case study on an agribusiness company in Thailand. Now, the published study will be used as part of the teaching materials for MBA students at Harvard and other schools.

Based on that experience and her undergraduate introductory courses in finance, Yue knew she wanted to pursue a graduate business degree—not only to enhance her knowledge but, she says, “to expand my network and quickly develop my professionalism.”

Based on the recommendation of a friend who graduated from the Vanderbilt MSF program in 2023, Yue applied to Owen. After calling a few MSF students to talk about their experiences, her interest grew even stronger. “All of them,” she recalls, “were welcoming and professional and offered valuable advice regarding the internship and job search process.” When she visited campus and spoke with faculty, staff, and current students, she adds, “I saw myself flourishing in this dynamic community and made the commitment to come here.”

Yue credits the program’s smaller class size with allowing her to speak up in class and making it possible to continue discussions with professors during their office hours. She credits her professional coach in the Leadership Development Program with helping her improve in specific, targeted areas. In particular, she credits all the help she received from the team at the Career Management Center—starting the summer before classes began—in preparing her for interviews and refining her story.

Vanderbilt prepared her in one other notable way, too. Yue took advantage of free golf lessons offered at the Vanderbilt Legends Club. “Shortly after my introductory lessons,” she recalls, “I flew to Chicago for a final-round interview with Deloitte. A team member showed us the office gym and asked if I would like to play golf on the simulator. I took an 8-iron and miraculously made a hole-in-one. A week later, I received an offer call from Deloitte.”

Fun Fact: Yue grew up in Chengdu, China, one of Nashville’s Sister Cities and home to giant pandas. 

I saw myself flourishing in this dynamic community.