As a member of The Consortium’s recruiting team, Kristin Laney manages all aspects of the application process for the organization and its programs as its application processor.
Before joining The Consortium in March of 2019, she earned her associate degree from St. Charles Community College in 2016, where she graduated with highest honors, and a bachelor’s degree in history from Lindenwood University, where she graduated summa cum laude in 2018.
We recently sat down with Kristin to learn more about her critical role at the organization, what she enjoys most about her work and what makes her tick.
Q: What do you do as The Consortium’s application processor?
A: The things I do in my role include processing applications, managing applications for Competitive Advantage: The Consortium’s Undergraduate Program, managing incomplete applications, communicating with students via phone and email, managing shipping for various events, managing decision letters for applicants and other various projects that come up. Along with the rest of the staff, I also work on-site at the Orientation Program & Career Forum (OP), as well as Competitive Advantage.
Q: What is one thing or activity you will always make time for — even during The Consortium’s busy application season?
A: I always try to make time for wellness activities, especially during the busy application season. Exercise is something that helps me relieve stress, so it’s very important for me to keep up with it for both mental and physical reasons. In addition to exercise, I also meditate every day to help improve my mental and emotional health. It’s definitely harder to keep up with exercise during these times, while working at home, but I find that going for walks or jogs outside helps give me a reason to get off the couch and out of the house.
Q: What is your favorite book, and why do you love it?
A: The Harry Potter series has always been a favorite of mine! The characters are definitely an important part of the series for me. I’ve grown up with the characters, and it makes me more invested in everything they go through in the series. I also enjoy the sense of community I feel when I’m around other Harry Potter fans. I went to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter a few years ago, and it was absolutely magical to see people of all ages enjoying the park.
Q: What is your most unusual talent or skill?
A: I don’t know if it’s a talent or skill, but I’ve always been told that I have an amazing sense of smell. When I was younger, my siblings would hide their snacks from me so they wouldn’t have to share. I was known to walk into a room, instantly smell the snack and immediately find where my siblings had hid it. This has come in handy many times when a smell needs to be identified or found in various situations. Unfortunately, my sense of smell causes me to be very sensitive to bad or super strong smells.
Q: What do you find most rewarding about your job?
A: I love being able to make a positive impact in the lives of others. Hearing how appreciative students are after I speak with them over the phone or via email really warms my heart and makes me feel like I’m making a difference in their lives.
Q: What is your biggest goal in life?
A: It may be a bit cheesy, but my biggest goal in life is to be happy and to try to spread that happiness to as many people as I can. Being in this line of work is certainly helping me with that goal as I am able to impact the lives of our students by helping them through the application process and by giving them the chance to live out their dreams.
Q: If you could share one tip with prospective students, what would it be?
A: I encourage our prospective students to do some research and be as prepared as they can. They should look into the schools they’re interested in via their websites, talk with representatives, attend virtual events and try to get a feel for what school they would like to attend.
Additionally, they can prepare for their MBA journey by attending and participating in The Consortium’s virtual events, which include our MBA Application Preparation Seminars (MAPS) and other helpful webinars and events, which can be found on our events page. Being prepared can help the application process go more smoothly and hopefully be stress-free.
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