Most applicants underestimate the highest-leverage part of MBA planning: talking to real people. Alejandro's core lesson is simple—use intentional conversations with students and alumni to cut through marketing language, understand program culture, and validate outcomes pathways before you commit. This post shares Alejandro's background, how he approached school research through networking at scale, what he learned about getting "true student experience" signals, and how that process supported his decision to attend London Business School.
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.
Many schools describe themselves with similar language—collaborative culture, global network, leadership development. That makes it hard to judge fit from websites alone.
Alejandro's approach was to treat school research like due diligence: gather perspectives from multiple angles, compare patterns, and only then make decisions.
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.
Volume helps, but only when it's intentional. The goal isn't collecting opinions—it's identifying repeatable signals: what recruiting pathways look like, what student life actually feels like, and where people struggle.
We get the most value when we combine breadth (many conversations) with structure (the same core questions every time).
Different conversations answer different questions. Consider:
Use each group for what they can uniquely tell you.
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.
Keep outreach short and learning-focused. Ask for 20 minutes. Be clear about why you're reaching out to them specifically. And follow up with one action you took based on their advice.
To cut through generic marketing, ask questions that force specifics:
The goal is pattern recognition, not one-off anecdotes.
Alejandro's key point is that you should not rely on one perspective—especially when you're making a high-stakes decision. You want enough conversations to see what is consistently true.
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.
Regardless of where you apply, the takeaway is transferable: your best school-list decisions come from structured learning—real conversations, repeated questions, and honest comparisons across programs.
Merchant MBA helps candidates build an outcomes-first school list and a fit narrative that's specific and credible. We clarify goals, identify who to talk to, define the questions that matter, and convert what you learn into stronger "why school" logic across essays and interviews—without letting research derail your timeline.
We'll map who to talk to, what to ask, and how to convert insights into a fit-driven application strategy that stays on timeline.