AWM-FWL Mentoring Program

The MBA Mentoring Program was established in 2002 by both the Association of Women MBAs (AWM) and the Future Women Leaders (FWL) http://www.futurewomenleaders.net . The program was designed to assist FWL members through the challenging business school application process and facilitate admission into a top business school. The mentors are recent graduates of nationally-ranked MBA programs and serve as a support network for the applicants as they go through the application process. For the 2006-7 admission calendar, we matched 25 pairs of women.

The program matches FWL mentees with AWM members for a 9-month period and involves essay preparation and review, feedback on personal positioning and the appropriateness of schools based on individual goals. The program also provides panel experiences with recent MBA grads as well as a panel of admissions officers from top business schools to promote a successful application process. A rough timeline of events is below. AWM mentors have also developed a “6-month roadmap” for any business school applicant.

In addition to serving as Mentors, AWM members can alternatively or additionally volunteer to participate in the panel discussion or be available to answer specific questions about their schools when needed.

For more information on the program, please contact one of the Mentoring Program Directors:

Shannon Small, AWM Mentor Coordinator 
Shannon has served as the AWM Mentor Coordinator since 2004 and can be contacted at Shannon@smallvictories.org or 415-786-2479. Shannon works as a personal and professional coach and has experience as an operations manager and strategy consultant. You can learn more about Shannon at her website, http://www.smallvictories.org 

Connie Lin, FWL Mentee Coordinator 
Connie can be contacted at connie.lin@futurewomenleaders.net. With Future Women Leaders, she serves as the coordinator for both the MBA Mentorship Program as well as the Leadership Development Program. Connie currently works at The Zitter Group, a boutique healthcare consultancy, as a Manager in the Strategy and Analytics Practice in San Francisco. She has a M.S. and B.S. in Biological Sciences and a minor in Computer Science from Stanford University.

Quotes from past mentees

"The AWM-FWL business school mentorship program had a extremely positive impact on my application process. It allowed me to share ideas and receive advice from someone who understood what I was going through and was dedicated to helping and encouraging me. I am forever grateful for the time and support that my mentor gave to me and definitely believe that this program increased my chances of success!"  -- Keri Courant, Stanford GSB 2006

"The AWM mentoring program was one of the most useful tools I utilized during my business school application process. Through the program, I was matched with a knowledgeable mentor who had recently graduated from a business school that I was interested in. My mentor was able to give me an insider's perspective on not only the application process in general, but also on her particular school. My mentor was attentive and truly cared about each and every one of the applications I submitted; she met with me in person and spent time with me on the telephone reviewing and editing my essays, structuring my application, and preparing me for interviews. I have no doubt that the AWM mentoring program significantly strengthened my applications and helped me get into a top business school."  - Marion Holder, Fuqua (Duke) 2005